Caleb Johns 4:To many streaming services

With Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus being the most recent additions to the subscription streaming service community, we have to start asking ourselves: “when is enough, enough?”

It's fair to say that everyone wants to be in the loop when it comes to the most popular shows at the time, so you can imagine my frustration when there are a bunch of popular shows that are all on different streaming platforms. And to get caught up on all of these shows, you’ll have to subscribe to numerous streaming platforms that would cost a lot in a month.


Additionally, the growth of these streaming services has created a problem of just too much entertainment. There is so much to catch up on across all of these different streaming platforms that I’ve just given up. There was a time that I wanted to watch all of Game of Thrones, but after it died from the public conversation, I gave up halfway through season two. Now the show people are talking a lot about is the Mandalorian which I haven’t even started yet.

Finally, and this is an important reason for me when I pay the monthly fee for the streaming service, often I’m doing it for only one show. I’m paying all of this money for an amount of content that probably isn’t worth the money I’m spending. For example, when Stranger Things came out last summer, I got Netflix that month for $8.99. That was the only show on Netflix that I watched. Would I have spent $8.99 on that season of Stranger Things? Absolutely not.

I wish I could pay a normal fee that would be the same as having one streaming service a month but I would be able to have all of the shows that I would want to watch.

So a question to comment on: are there too many streaming services out there?

Hayden Berner 4 "Traveling and You"

Traveling is an experience that I hope to continue throughout my life. It is not for everyone, but for me, it is a fulfilling and an enlightening activity that I love to do. I am starting to make a list of places I would like to visit.

Just a little tangent from this blog, I will be able to cross off Iceland from my list this coming summer. I will be going with Mrs. Rakos on the senior class trip and I am super excited not only because it is a beautiful place, but because that was the last place my grandmother visited before she passed away, so in a way it will be sharing a part of her life through my eyes.

                                                 

Anyway, I think traveling is something that is very helpful when it comes to my personal health. I also find it really fun to budget for these trips and I enjoy planning them.

Now, do not tell my boyfriend, but I have started saving for a trip for us to take to South Dakota. I really want to travel to all 50 states, so I get to see South Dakota and my boyfriend gets to go on his dream hunting trip. I am planning to have saved up enough by the time he graduates college, because I am hoping to have this trip be a graduation present.

I think the ability to witness different lifestyles, different cultures, and gorgeous landscapes is something that nobody can teach in a classroom. I love traveling so much so that I am hoping to get a job that requires some traveling or at least good vacation benefits.

In summary, I encourage everyone to really enjoy the trips they take because it is so different than everyday life and it creates everlasting memories! So get your suitcase and your bathing suit (Or winter coat) and travel!

Nathan Schmidt 4: Finally Driving

Finally Driving

Nathan Schmidt

Woot! Woot!  After a period of time that lasted much longer than it needed to, I finally got my driver's license.  I could have gotten my permit on April 4th, my birthday.  I decided to wait though, not because I didn't want my permit, but more because I had not looked over the quiz information enough to have passed the test.  I ended up getting my permit a month later, and my driver's test was set up for November 17th.  I had five lessons with Hickory Driving School (previously Moyer Driving School), and I had to complete 30 hours of online driver's education.  The driving lessons themselves were never a problem, it was the stupid 30 hours of online training that really started to push my buttons.  Now I am certainly not saying that the 30 hours of online training was unnecessary.  I am definitely a better driver because of it, but it is the way that the program is set up that is the issue.  This is how it works: you open up the program and are shown that you have to complete a number of sections (I believe it is somewhere around 15), no problem, right?  Well, that itself is fine, but then I realized that each section has a minimum amount of time required to move on to the next section, a minimum time that is drastically longer than what is necessary.  So, in a section that takes 20 minutes to read, I had to remain on that page for an hour and 20 minutes before I could move on to the next section.  This itself was already frustrating to me, but I do have to take some of the blame.

Yeah, yeah, I know I had all summer to do the online driver's education.  My parents have pointed that out too many times to count.  I chose to procrastinate, it's not the first time.  Anyways, you can imagine my frustration when I learned that these 30 hours of driver's ed is not actually required like I had been told.  It is only required if the test is taken through Hickory Driving School, which was information I had never been told before.  None-the-less, I finished the driver's ed, took the test, passed, and got my license.  I now get to experience all the benefits that come with getting a driver's license.  As for my final thoughts, I am definitely glad that I completed the 30 hours of driver's ed and I think it is beneficial to others who are getting their license.  While the program itself seems unnecessarily extensive, the process itself has helped me as a driver in ways that will keep me safe in the future.

Nigohosian 4, The Concept of Time

The Concept of Time

After looking at some blog posts about time over the weeks, there has been one question lingering in the back of my mind. I always wondered, why does time seem to go by so fast? After doing some research, I’ve found an answer and its surprising at how simple the concept really is. Santosh Kesari, MD, Ph.D., neurologist, neuro-oncologist, neuroscientist and chair of the Department of Translational Neurosciences and Neurotherapeutics at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, explains that it is our memories that influence the perception of time. Its also worth noting that this perception is based on retrospective perception, which is remembered time instead of real-time.

For example, time seems to go by slowly when we were younger, but when we look back on those years, they seem to have been a blur. This is because we largely gauge retrospective time by memorable events, and we tend to have fewer of them as time goes on. During our childhood, we absorb everything going on around us and take them in as new experiences, but as we get older, we have increasingly less new experiences. Due to these fewer experiences, time seems to go by much faster as our mind is not creating as many new experiences. Also, more routine activities do not get recorded as memories, so it is better to be more spontaneous with your decisions if you want to make something seem like it lasted longer. For example, if you want to remember a vacation or long weekend better, do a wider variety of activities to make it seem longer when you look back on those days.

Another reason why time may seem shorter when you look back on it is how much time you have spent so far in your life. The more time you spend in your life, the smaller the percentage of certain things seem, so it may also be based on perspective. Someone who has lived for 10 years definitely has less to remember than someone who has lived for 20 or 30 years. In general, time is something precious that can never be taken back, so make the best of it when you can.

Trust- Madson 4

Trust is a funny thing. It is something that so loosely tossed around. It can be hard to earn, but very easy to break. Some people are so damaged from it that they find it hard to trust others. To me, trust comes easy. I meet someone once, I most likely trust them. People have always said that I see the good in people, and allow it to overshadow the bad. I have learned the hard way that this is true, and is not always the best thing for me.

I give people the benefit of the doubt. Always. I allow them to prove themselves. In most cases, this leaves me hurt. I hear warnings from my friends, “Katie are you sure?” or “Katie, don’t get involved, you will only get hurt.” Do I ever listen? Not once. Have I gotten hurt? Yes, of course. But it always left me feeling stronger, after a while.

I know I sound like I am talking about relationships, boys in particular. But I am not. Yes, some of this does stem from past relationships, however, a big portion comes from friends. I always put them first, hardly ever stopping to think about me. I have been in many toxic relationships because of that. My confirmation mentor, who is someone I value and trust most in the world, once told me, “You’re a do-gooder Katie. You’re the kindest young lady I know. You always want to help others, and always put them first. And that is what hurts you the most sometimes when they break that trust you give them.”

I trust people down to my very core. I believe there is good in everyone. Yes, this can be my downfall, but it also is a part of who I am. It has led me to learn many life lessons. My parents often say I have gone through too much for someone my age, but it has only led me to be stronger.

MaryJo 4: Zodiac Signs

Around 2 months ago, my astronomy class began our constellation unit. After what seemed like too many days full of lectures about celestial equators, equinoxes, Galileo, and everything I, for some reason, didn’t think I would have to sit through in a class about astronomy, we finally got to the part where we would get to look at fun shapes made from stars. As soon as the 12 zodiac constellations were mentioned, our class naturally erupted into a conversation about our horoscopes. From this innocent conversation, I had to receive some of the most crushing news and feelings of betrayal I have felt in my life. My teacher had to break it to us that, since 2016, there was a discovery of a 13th zodiac sign falling under the dates of November 29th to December 17th: Ophiuchus. This meant that all the other signs needed to adjust to this interval and fall under different time frames. This meant that my birthday, July 13th, now falls under the season of Gemini. This meant that all the horoscope personality posts, advice about my future, and compatibility charts I read never meant anything after all. As expected from the first stage of denial, I decided to pretend I was never aware of this news, mostly for the sake of all the cancer horoscope jewelry I’ve bought.

I’m not sure how long each stage of grief is supposed to take, but I still haven’t made any progress past the first. I’m not any kind of expert astrologist, but I am interested enough to have a few daily horoscope apps downloaded on my phone. It’s really interesting for me to think about the idea that our personalities and pathways in life are being influenced by the night sky. I know that a lot of people have criticisms about astrology and are very adamant about how illogical and ridiculous it is, and I’m not denying that it is.

I obviously don’t expect all of my entire life decisions to be dependent on what my horoscope suggests I should do with my life, and I wouldn’t call things off with my future soulmate after finding out that he’s an Aries (although I would really prefer if he isn’t). Despite all this, it’s the comfort I find in thinking that something written in the stars decided that I am the way that I am and has a plan set out for me that I am destined to follow that tempts me to check my horoscope whenever I feel lost in the world. Believing in things like astrology, aliens, and ESP are little ways that make life a little more interesting and bring mystery into a world that seems too fixed and defined. Making myself believe that there’s something more behind what my life gives me makes me want to accept it, understand it more, and figure it out.

Alicia Zhang 4- The Feeling of Happiness

   

   I am a violinist, and yesterday I played at the Matrix Concert. When all was said and done, congratulations paid and goodbyes given, I sat back with a melting candy cane in my mouth wondering whether this was happiness. Happiness is a sweet feeling, the kind that makes you warm down to the tips of your toes, and yet, unlike other feelings such as anger or sadness, it is so quick to fade away. When I came back home and was presented with a unfinished lab and a Calculus quiz to study, that sweet moment vanished into thin air like it never was. Nobody can be happy forever, no matter how many good things happen to them. I can not help but wonder if this feeling I have is truly happiness, because when I look around, I realize that maybe I am just making a fool of myself.

  When I look around, I see strangers and acquaintances who will likely forget me in time. They're smiling and laughing, and I am smiling too, but sometimes it is a lie. It is a lie, and my anxieties pile up in my head; I just know that they are talking behind my back--but I don't, and that makes it all the more worse. Then I take a step back and pretend that I never thought such thoughts, because they are unhealthy, and it is me in the wrong for not going with the flow. It still doesn't change the fact that I feel like my moments of happiness are getting shorter and shorter, and life feels less like something to enjoy and more like an arranged marriage. I want to be happy, I really do. But these days, it is served up with a side of worry and stress. 

   I do not feel like I am where I would like to be in life, and that feeling is not going to go away anytime in the near future. Sometimes, I call myself a failure, and I really do believe myself to be one at my lowest. Am I a failure? I do not know, but I am certainly not a success by my standards. My parents remind my all the time that success is happiness, and that if I get a stable, well-paying job, preferably in the medical field, everything will come together. My sister says that I should just do what I want to do, and happiness will naturally follow. Will it really though? It is frustration, what I am feeling right now as I type, and that feeling of happiness seems like a distant dream. 

 

   

Gianna 4: Chill Out

       “Gia, you really just need to calm down,” my mom called to me as I panicked, getting ready for school at 7:10 am after my alarm didn’t go off. I’ve heard this phrase from my mom countless times, but the words “chill out” and “calm down” have been directed at me in abundance this week. This has just not been my week, and I need to chill out.

        My mom couldn't be more right in this case. Trying to “chill out” and relax can be really difficult though. I find it very rarely really happens for me, so I try to savor the few and far moments when I actually feel calm. Thanksgiving break was one of those rare moments for me. I spent the majority of my break painting and cooking, two things I love to do for pleasure. I’m not a very good artist, but I do love to be creative and use color. I used to find painting as very stressful. The perfectionist in me wants every single thing I do to be at the highest of standards the first time I do it. Obviously, I can't paint like Van Gogh, yet it’s still maddening to me when a painting doesn't come out like a pro’s. Over Thanksgiving break though, I finally chilled out. I made five different paintings, and I actually fully enjoyed it and found peace in creating them (for the most part). Something clicked in my mind, allowing me to let go of any standards and to just paint for fun. It was one of the most relaxing breaks of my life.
       Today, I really need to chill out. I decided that I needed to set some time aside today to relax and be creative, something I haven't even thought about since break. I bought a few tiny canvases on my way home from school, and I started painting once I got home. At first, I could see myself falling into the same pattern of getting flustered over every little detail. How can I get so frustrated with something that was supposed to help me relax? I know that I am fully capable of letting go and enjoying myself, but it’s just so hard. Things would be so much easier if I could flip a switch to turn off the constant feelings of worry and doubt looming in my mind. But alas, I can't, so I’ll just have to keep trying for now.

I think that now it might be time for me to chill out. I need to remember that it’s okay to take a break sometimes. That’s something that I think a lot of high schoolers need to be reminded of. It may feel like you need to be constantly grinding and working, but sometimes you just need to chill out and relax (easier said than done, though).

Alora Kutzler 4 "Christmas Magic"

My nine year old brother has recently received an Elf on the Shelf from our parents, and he is absolutely fascinated by it. Our Elf has been caught eating snacks, tee-peeing our living room, and putting a blow dryer to on of our snowman Christmas stuffed animals. With that being said, my brothers excitement towards the elf and Santa really brought me back to the holidays when I was a kid.

When all I could think about was Santa and his reindeer, everything so much much simpler then. I believed in Santa for so long and that made Christmas so much more magical. And I see how magical it is for my brother and it fills me with joy. On Christmas eve he runs outside and sprinkles reindeer food on our lawn, or when he writes letters to Santa and puts out milk and cookies. How he gets up at 5am and drags all of us downstairs to open up our gifts and see if Santa ate the cookies and drank the milk..

All of that really shows the true meaning of Christmas, to believe, to be together as a family and enjoy those memorable experiences. Yes I might be growing up but seeing my brother get so excited when he sees the little light goes on his Santa message machine, makes me feel like a little kid again.

Gabe 4: Stress Junkie

Last week was one of the most stressful I’ve ever had. Every night, I practiced for district band auditions for hours. It was the only thing I could think about. It was the focus of my existence for that one week.

I only have so much focus to go around. Everything else in my life became sort of secondary, and I could feel it. Worst of all was school. I could barely stay awake in class and I just didn’t have enough energy to actually learn anything. I could literally feel my grades falling behind as I made stupid mistakes on tests and let important snippets of information that I was supposed to remember fall through the cracks.

And now it’s over. I did the audition. My nerves got in the way from doing the best I could have, but I guess I can’t complain because I somehow still made the cut. But at least it’s over. Now I’m able to relax and focus on school and friends again. And yet, I’m bored out of my mind.

I guess I should probably enjoy these short moments of calm while they last, but I don’t seem to be able to. While I was spending all my time practicing for districts, I told myself that after it was over, I would work on my Eagle scout project and try to get a job. But now that it’s done, I don’t have the excuse to keep procrastinating, and yet I’m still not doing it. I know that the moment I add more things to my plate, something else is going to come up, like the winter concert or pit orchestra, and it’s going to be even harder to juggle them all than it was the last time.

These things are hanging ominously over my head, and it feels like they could fall and crush me at any moment. Despite this, sometimes it seems like I’m not truly living unless I have no free time. Ever hear of an adrenaline junkie? It’s someone who gets put into life threatening situations so routinely -- such as a pilot or daredevil -- that they become dependent on adrenaline as if it’s a drug. I feel like in some weird disconnected way, I’m sort of an adrenaline junkie. If I’m not doing something that requires all of my time and energy, like marching band or district auditions, then I’m bored.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to motivate myself to work on my Eagle or to get a job? Or at least how to stop worrying about it so much? Let me know.

Muskan Week 4 - Priorities

Why does it seem like life piles on all at once sometimes? Do you know those days when you have major assignments, tests or projects all due on the same day for nearly every class? That’s how I’ve felt all week. I don’t have a single day this week where I’m not at either work or practice. To top it off, I have 4 tests, 3 assignments, 2 writing pieces, and 1 project all due this week. It’s honestly like the 12 days of Christmas but with school work.

Managing time in a week like this is sometimes harder than the work itself. My strategy has been to work for every free second that I have, do work in the order that it’s due, keep calm and smile through it all. I have to say, that strategy is not working perfectly, especially the smiling part, but it has been helpful in the sense that I don’t forget any assignment or test or gotten surprised when something needs to be turned in. 

The one downside to this whole plan is that I have lost quite a bit of sleep, which has caused me to be a little on edge and a little irritated. I also haven’t had any time to sit down and take a mental break. On the upside, though, the idea that Christmas break is getting closer and closer by the day has really helped in keeping me going. At this point, I can not wait for winter break to start. Can it honestly just be Christmas right now?

Megan - Week 4 - A Line of Questions

I’ve been questioned by an FBI agent while hooked up to a polygraph machine, yet the most scrutiny that I’ve ever experienced was that of a 7-year-old girl this past Friday. (The polygraph machine experience is another story, for another time.)

At Shafer Elementary’s Holiday Night, there were games, crafts, snacks, and pictures with the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who. Because my mom is a teacher at Shafer, I was given the lucky role of Cindy Lou.

I was hesitant at first but ended up having a great time interacting with the kids; what a joy it is to see Christmas through the eyes of a child, even if just a glimpse.

After smiling for a picture, one little girl looked me straight in the eyes and asked, “Are you really Cindy Lou Who?”

I smiled. In my best Cindy Lou Who voice, I said, “Why, of course! I live in Whoville, which is a great while from Nazareth. Have you ever been to Whoville before?”

On a mission, she preceded to question me on everything from my parents’ names to why I was so tall. When I passed the test, she gave me a look of suspicion before saying, “Nice you meet you, Cindy Lou.”

Since Friday, I’ve thought about that little girl a couple of times, and I’ve come to a conclusion: I think she knew that I wasn’t Cindy Lou before she spoke a word to me. I believe that she questioned me not to find out if I was real (she already knew I wasn’t), but to try to convince herself that I was, despite her better judgment.


For the little girl to believe that I was the real Cindy Lou would be naive. But if she could convince her self that I was, her world could stay a little more magical. A little more beautiful. So she convinced herself, maybe not because her beliefs about the world could change reality but because perhaps she doesn’t want to live in reality all of the time.