Hayden 10 "hobbies to hundreds"

We all have things we are good at, such as a certain sport, an instrument, a hobby like knitting for example. I have a few things I am relatively decent in, but recently I have been looking at how some of my hobbies could benefit me in the future, or how they could be of use to me now.

I have taken art classes since I was little, and I like to think I am at least proficient in most areas in the realm of art. There has been a trend recently of people taking randomly designed stickers and putting them on basically everything, water bottles, computers, streetlamps, you name it someone has probably put a sticker on it. I myself have fallen victim to this trend, my computer at home showcases countless, overlapping stickers from various artists of random things across its back.

Now the questions that arise with this trend is, where are people getting these creative, colorful stickers and who is making them? Turns out, you can buy them in bulk on just about any online platform (Amazon, Etsy, etc.), and just about anyone can make them.

My plan is that with my proficient skills in art, and joy for making little sketches. I myself, can make these stickers and sell them on a platform and make money from my hobby. I need to do some more research about it before I do anything, but I would love to hear your guys opinions on my idea and if you have any of your own!

Gabe 9: District Band

Two weekends ago, I was at district band. For those of you who don’t know, district band is a large concert band made up of students from a number of different counties in our area. In order to get in, you have to audition, which is a very difficult and competitive process that involves months of practice and preparation. I made it in by dumb luck.

I play the french horn. This year, around forty or so french horn players auditioned for the sixteen spots at districts. I went into much more detail about this in a previous blog, but basically, I screwed up my audition and was sure that I wouldn’t make it in, and yet for reasons that are still unknown to me, I managed to tie for the sixteenth spot. I literally made it in by the seat of my pants.

At district band, there is a reaudition. Basically, the first audition that lets you into districts determines the part you will play (1st horn, 2nd horn, etc.). Then you get your music, and have to practice relentlessly for the reaudition, which determines the order you sit in within that part, first of course being the best. It also determines who gets to go to regions. The original auditions have no weight on this. Technically, the person who scored the lowest on the district audition could score the highest on the reaudition and would then make it to regions.

Going into districts, I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there, and that the only reason I was there was because I got lucky and not because I was a skilled enough musician. I felt like everyone else was thinking the same thing about me, that I didn’t deserve to be there. Sure, that mindset was not great for my self esteem, but it actually motivated me to prove them wrong. I practiced like my life depended on it. Every moment of free time was spent on that reaudition music.

The reaudition was held on the first day of the district festival. At first I thought I did pretty well. Those thoughts were cast aside after they seated us. I knew I was going to be on 4th horn, because that was where I placed with the first audition, but to have any chance at getting into regions, I thought I would have to be seated as the first 4th horn. I was seated second 4th horn, which meant that at least one person scored higher than me on the reaudition. But I wouldn’t know for sure until after the concert, two days later.

During the festival, my mindset became very negative. We had cafeteria food for every meal, I was surrounded by musicians who I thought were way better than I could ever be, and we practiced for a total of 16 hours in under 3 days, which was A LOT. By the end of it, I was convinced that I didn’t make it into regions. Imagine the shock when I found out not only did I make it, but I scored third highest out of all the french horns. Have you ever experienced something similar, where you lowered your expectations so much for something that you were actually surprised when it worked out?

Alora Kutzler 9 ¨Prom Dresses¨

I have been currently looking for prom dresses, which in my opinion is a very stressful time. For one I have no idea what color I want nor what style. My boyfriend is no help, he just goes ¨I don't care if you'll look beautiful in anything.” Now I appreciate the compliment but I just need him to pick for me. I am so indecisive, I can't make decisions to save my life.

 Last year I picked a random dress from some website hoping it would fit. Now I am 5 foot. Dresses are long. You can only imagine how that went. Half the train had to be cut off. So I am kinda weary to buy one online, because if it doesn't fit or it's not what it looked like in the picture then I wasted money. 

Now either i order a dress online, because I have zero time to go shopping for hours, or do I try to find a day and go and actually try dresses on? (probably have a large amount of stress while doing so) As I have started buying more stuff on my own I have come to realize that buying clothes online, especially dresses for special occasions, can be hit or miss. 

There are so many options!! So with that said help a girl out, do I go shopping or order one online? Do I take the risk? What did you girls start doing for prom?

Nigohosian 9 - The Mystery of Dreaming

Have you ever had a random dream where you woke up from it and wondered what it meant? Many times I would have dreams that relate to events that are going on in my life, like completing school assignments or a variety of many other things. I was curious about how we dream so I decided to research it. According to Medical News Today, dreams can be caused by unconscious desires and wishes or how our brain gathers information during the day. When I think about it, the many dreams that I have vary based on what is going on in my life currently and that makes sense.

These types of dreams are referred to as dream lag, which are the images or experiences that appear in your dreams that we have experienced recently. About only 1 to 2 percent of the memories that we experience appear in these dreams. To me, this is interesting when the many dreams that I have include similar themes, especially when the percentage of a certain memory occurring in them is so low. On top of that, dreams have been linked to the suppression of unwanted thoughts and an increase in those thoughts in dreams occur. I find this to happen to me a lot when I am stressed with school and I have many dreams with that theme. There have been up to 55 different common themes that were studied. Of the most common ones, school was conveniently on the top of the list. It seems that many others have the same dreams as me as well. Maybe many of the dreams that we have are fueled by stress. So what was the weirdest dream experience that you have had?

Muskan Week 9 - Hydration is Key

My first day at Disney World was quite the eventful one. How could it not be when your cousin passes out while in line for a ride in the Animal Kingdom? Hydration was a major issue for everyone on this trip with me. We were not used to the constant humidity and heat of Florida. When it’s hot here in Pennsylvania, we spend only a few hours outside before going back inside to cool down. Spending the entire day walking in a packed theme park in that heat was new for most of us.

Staying hydrated is very important for staying healthy. Water, as everyone knows, is an essential key to maintaining all normal body functions. The recommended daily intake of water is 6 to 8 cups for teenagers, but that can differ based on body mass and the amount of physical activity partaken in for each person. I know very few people who actually hit the 8 cup mark. I know I sure don’t.

Staying hydrated has always been an issue with me. I’ve never been able to keep my body properly hydrated. I’ve been trying to change that and keep my body healthier throughout this stressful year. Earlier this year, I had to take a trip to the hospital because my schedule got more demanding and my body was too dehydrated to keep me healthy. This was like a wake-up call for me. I needed to improve my health through my water intake. Because I’m always moving around and staying on my feet for nearly the entire day, I needed more water to keep my body functioning properly. Since then, I’ve forced myself to carry a water bottle with me to every after school activity and even to my classes occasionally. I get through nearly twice the amount I had been taking in before. 

At first, my body was overwhelmed with the extra water I had been drinking. My body was used to only a few cups of water a day and suddenly I was drinking way more. Over time, my body got used to it and my health drastically improved. Has anyone else had issues with being hydrated enough? Did you try to fix it? If so, how did you accomplish that?

Nathan Schmidt Week 9: Hadestown

Hadestown

Nathan Schmidt

This past weekend I had the awesome opportunity of going to New York City to see the Broadway show Hadestown.  The reason that my family and I went to New York was actually that my brother was playing with his School of Rock Band at a bar called The Bitter End.  That show was very good, but I had heard that band play those songs at least ten times before, so I would say my favorite part of the weekend was getting to see Hadestown.  In this post, I am going to tell about the experience that I had without spoiling the show, for any of you who have any intention of seeing it.

Hadestown is a spin-off musical of the greek mythology story of Orpheus and Eurydice.  In Greek mythology, Orpheus was known as a songwriter, poet, and prophet.  Eurydice is his wife in the Greek myth, but the two are not married in the musical.  In the musical, after the couple falls in love, they have a difficult time finding means for survival.  Every six months, Persephone, the wife of Hades, God of the underworld, returns to Earth.  Her return brings the days of summer and spring.  When she must return to the underworld, Hadestown, cold weather, winds, and storms steal the foods and supplies from an already struggling Orpheus and Eurydice.  Eurydice is, therefore, forced to sell her soul to Hades and live the rest of her life as a brainwashed worker in Hadestown.  This is a decision she makes out of her need to survive.  Furthermore, Orpheus, who is distracted by his songwriting, hoping to write a song that will bring back the days of spring, is unable to help Eurydice.  Orpheus must then take the dangerous trip to Hadestown in an attempt to get Eurydice back.

For me, the highlight of this show was definitely the visuals, acting, and vocals.  Walking into the theatre, I was surprised to find that it was smaller than I would have imagined it to be.  The stage, however, was separated into three rings that could rotate in different directions.  During the songs, the actors could stand on these rings and swing around the stage or walk on them like treadmills to give the effect of movement.  This effect was done a number of times throughout the show, each time with stunning timing and choreography.  The cast size was fairly small, but every character played their part extremely well.  My favorite character was Hades, played by Patrick Page.  I went into this show already familiar with the actor Patrick Page, who played the role of Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Page's demeanor, as well as his incredibly deep and gritty vocal style, seemed to match the character so well.  Page was not the only actor with incredible vocals.  Every one of the actors on stage had a unique voice and style to add to their character.

Getting to see this show was definitely an awesome experience for me.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to see a broadway show, especially if you are looking for a more emotional show.  Now the theatre may not be for everyone, but if any of you get the opportunity to see a broadway show, I would definitely take it.  Even if you do not consider yourself a person who really enjoys theatre, you will likely be pleasantly surprised by what plays and musicals have to offer.  I feel very lucky to get to go to see a show on Broadway, and I hope that I will get to experience some of the other fantastic shows that are being performed.  It seems like there is never enough time to see them all.

Have you seen any musicals or plays?  If so, what were they and what was your favorite?  Are there any shows that you would like to see?  If so, what are they?

caleb johns week: 9 presidents

The Democratic candidates, with the Democratic Nomination on the line, debated in Las Vegas to prove to the public that they have what it takes to lead the nation as the most powerful person in the world. In honor of this and the upcoming election next November, I thought I would discuss some of the most memorable and fascinating moments throughout presidential history.

The shortest president to hold office was William Henry Harrison who served for 31 days. He died shortly after taking office from typhoid fever after he refused to wear a coat on his cold, rainy inauguration day. He refused to wear a coat to make himself look like a tough leader as he did in his military days. Currently, there are 12 presidents tied for second on the
longest-tenured president. This list includes Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. They have all served for two terms which are 2, 922 days in office. There is only one president that has ever served longer. This president served for three terms and 2 months of a fourth term, which is around 4,422 days. This president is...Franklin D. Roosevelt. No person can beat Roosevelt’s record because of the 22nd Amendment which states that a president can only serve for 2 terms.

No president has ever been removed from office, however, there have been three impeachments and one resignation. Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives for violating the Tenure of Office Act which stated that he could not dismiss any cabinet members without congress's permission. The conviction, however, came one vote short and thus he was not removed from office.  Bill Clinton was impeached 130 years later than Johnson for perjury and obstruction of justice for denying that he had a relationship with an intern. His conviction only had 45 votes; it needed 67 votes, so the conviction was overwhelmingly defeated. The most recent impeachment occurred in December 2019. Donald Trump was impeached for obstruction of justice and abuse of power for pressuring the Ukrainian government to investigate political rivals and witness tampering. He was not convicted by a vote of 48 to 52. Richard Nixon in 1974 was facing a likely impeachment and chose to resign for his involvement in the Watergate Scandal.

Historians' opinions on who the best president in history is divided between George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. These presidents are also viewed by liberals who in a 1982 survey, said that in this order the best president in history is (1) Lincoln, (2) Roosevelt, (3) Washington. Conservatives in the same survey told a very similar story with their list: (1) Lincoln, (2) Washington, (3) Roosevelt. So why are these three presidents so highly regarded? Well George Washington, though his status as a president is somewhat debated, was the first president and established all of the precedents of the seat. Abraham Lincoln managed to hold the nation together in its most divided point in American history. And Roosevelt had the vision of the New Deal which managed to combat the Great Depression until World War 2.

So as the presidential election comes around next November, I urge you to take some time and learn about the rich history of the commander and chief. What is your favorite presidential moment or story?

Alicia Zhang 9: The Life of the Cicada

   
   Cicadas are the longest lived insects, but don't see the light of day until they're near death. For much of their lives, they live underground-up to 17 years, to be exact. They can only take flight as adults for a few weeks before they reproduce, and die. The cicadas seen aboveground aren't beautiful at all, and are practically defenseless, unable to poison or bite or sting. When I was younger, I wondered if there was any meaning to such seemingly bleak lives. Why do they live for so long only to die so pitifully?

   I hated cicadas. They weren't beautiful at all, and their shells marred the trees that I passed by. They were weak and pathetic, and had no obvious uses like bees or flies. Their shrill cries bore into my ears, and I could not sleep when I heard them. They weren't beautiful. So I closed my eyes when I saw them; I ignored them as best as I could. But us humans aren't beautiful either. Beauty, I've found, is a peculiar thing. People say that we should appreciate both outer and inner beauty, and that we are all beautiful. Maybe it's just me being cynical, but I could never reciprocate that sentiment in all honesty. Humans commit horrible deeds just as easily as they commit good deeds. There is no black and white, only the gray in between. I look at myself, and I realize that even if the hated cicadas live 17 years to die an ignoble death, they will have no sins to repent for, while I do.

   There is meaning to be found in the life of the cicada. They die shortly after gaining their wings, but in those few weeks, I'm sure they lived beautiful enough lives to make up for those 17 years underground. They themselves still aren't beautiful in my eyes, but I don't ignore them anymore. I no longer hate them. Since we humans too are not beautiful, and that's perfectly fine. If we can gain our own wings and take flight, and give meaning to our lives and to others, then we will have realized the lesson the cicada teaches us. Live life beautifully, no matter how short that life may be.

Gianna 9: Musical Paralysis

     I absolutely love listening to music, as do many other people my age. I like to listen to music in any of the free time I get. One of my favorite things about music is that there are obviously so many different styles of music. It can be pretty easy to get caught up in listening to only one “type” of music for many of us. However, for the past year, I’ve really tried to broaden my musical horizons as much as possible. I’ve been able to find a new appreciation for many different types of music that in the past I might have been embarrassed to admit I liked. My music taste tends to come and go in waves in terms of what I like to listen to the most.

      Now, I see branching out in music taste as pretty important. I very much value discovering new music. Hearing a new song for the first time and just automatically loving it is such an exciting feeling for me, as silly as that may sound. Every Monday, I look forward to listening to my new “Discover Weekly” playlist on Spotify. The playlist is mostly comprised of similar songs to what I’ve been recently listening to, but there are always a few unexpected tracks in there. It is such a great way to find new music.

     Recently, I read an article from Business Insider which pulled from a survey on discovering music. According to a study done by Deezer, “people stop discovering new music at just 30 and a half.” This is a terrible thought to me, but it simply comes down to a mix of biology and plain old life. Between the ages of 12 and 22, our brains are soaking in many changes and an immense amount of hormones. Our brains aren't even considered fully developed until the age of 25. For many people, there are such strong emotional ties to the music they listened to during these critical young years that their brains like to attach them to it. Music is very powerful in the sense of being able to elicit very strong emotions and memories. According to business insider, “research has shown how our favorite songs stimulate our pleasure responses in the brain, releasing dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and other happy chemicals.”

     Additionally, others surveyed cited the amount of available music, a demanding job,  and caring for young children as reasons why they did not discover new music.

     No matter the reason, it is clear that at a certain age, most of us will no longer go in search of new music to listen to, and that makes me somewhat sad. Being stuck in a type of “musical paralysis” really does sound terrible to me. While I’m all for a good nostalgia moment (hence my last blog), I still always want to soak up that feeling of finding new music I really love. I hope that I will continue the chase for this feeling throughout my adulthood, but I can see why it would be unlikely for me to do so.

     Would you consider yourself to have a broad music taste, and if so, do you think you’ll be able to continue that throughout your life?

MaryJo 9: Spicy Fruit

Among the availability of countless different types of foods, nothing can top sitting down and enjoying a big bowl of fruit. While still being healthy, you can enjoy something so sweet and delicious and not feel guilty about it. They are equally as great in unhealthier options like pies, muffins, or cakes. A universal favorite, fruit was made to naturally be versatile and enjoyed in almost any dish imaginable ,or just by itself.

A few days ago, after my mom brought home a case of watermelon spears, I came home looking forward to digging in to a few to refresh myself from a long, boring day at school. I picked a few of the best looking ones, and, after placing them into a bowl, added my final touch: sea salt. As I was in the middle of sprinkling my soon-to-be crime against humanity, my brother walked into the kitchen at the wrong moment and stared at me with disbelief and something that seemed like betrayal. Faced with a threatening audience, I could have spent a half hour explaining how the salt perfectly plays off the flavors of the watermelon and actually highlights the sweetness that is there instead of masking it, but he just shook his head and left without any words to be said.

Ever since I was growing up, I have been taught by my mom to season food. Mexican cuisine is based around

its spice and strong flavors, and they don’t stop at savory dishes. Even a majority of Mexican candy and sweets are flavored with chili and salt, including, of course, fruit. Dried fruit is more often than not covered in chili seasoning, and street vendors are always selling chamoyadas, fruit shaved ices topped with spicy seasonings. At home, one of my all-time favorite things to eat is chopped mango topped with a chili and salt seasoning called tajín. What sriracha is to a lot of people, tajín is to me. I have a habit of putting it on top of most fruit, popcorn, cucumber, and anything that seems to work for me.

Although what I just described isn’t the healthiest, seasoning food doesn’t just have to be loading your fruit with salt. My mom has always seasoned my vegetables with different spices like adobo, pepper, and garlic. Most people don’t enjoy eating vegetables because of their bland flavor, but it’s only bland if you make it bland. If people were more open to seasoning their food, I think their palates would open up a lot more with them.

Do any of you season your fruit? If not, would you be willing to try?

Megan - Week 9 - Separation Anxiety

“But I want MOMMMMY!” James wailed.

“I know an hour seems like forever right now, but it’s going to go by so fast, sweetheart. How about you and I go play trains with your friends until mommy gets back?” I said with a hug.

I teach Sunday School to a class of 2-4-year-olds, and this conversation between James and me happens every week. I can’t blame him. At only two-years-old, mom means comfort, love, and safety, so when she leaves the room, it seems as if everything good leaves with her. Naturally, he gets a little upset. And he wails. Very loudly sometimes.

In the next year, James will outgrow his cries for mom. I’ve seen it happen time and time again in other little ones; it’s a natural part of growing up.

But what in James will change to let him leave behind his cries for mom?

You could reason that, as we grow up and have more experiences, we come to learn that the world is a safe place. Growing more comfortable, we are eventually ready to leave behind some of the dependability of mothers.

But I would disagree. I believe that, as we grow up and have more experiences, we come to realize that the world has more evil and darkness than we ever imagined. As time goes by, we see more smiles, hear more laughs, and feel more joy, but we also see more tears, pain, and sorrow as we come to realize that the world isn’t all good. We don’t believe in imaginary monsters under our beds anymore; instead, we become aware of the real-life monsters that live and breathe in this world.

So, as we grow to understand the darkness, why are we willing to let go of our dependency on mothers, our safe havens? 

I believe that as we grow up, we begin to learn that adults aren’t invincible and that maybe adults don’t really have it all figured out either. They say “fake it till you make it,” but does anyone ever really “make it?” I think that maybe we’re all just faking it to different degrees because no one has all the answers. Not even grown-ups.

And if mommy isn’t invincible anymore, it's easier to let go of her for an hour. Bad things can happen when she’s there and bad things can happen when she leaves. There’s no magical shield that can protect us from all evil in this world; that was just a childhood fantasy.

So what do we do?

I don’t have a good answer. I don’t have it all figured out. But James and I play trains, and that seems like a good place to start.

Is it the responsibility of adults to protect children from everything, or is there a point where shielding kids from life’s realities becomes too much? What is this point, and why do you believe that?

Katie Madson Week 9: Cheesecake or Brownie?

I was having a conversation with my boyfriend recently about the Cheesecake Factory. We were going there for dinner with his family. I told him how I loved it there and my mom always finds an excuse for us to go. He said he liked it too, but did not like cheesecake. I was taken aback. I love cheesecake, especially from there! He then proceeded to tell me how his aunt would get him a brownie instead, but he said that was very good. I love a good brownie, but cheesecake is cheesecake! Throughout the day, he continued to make comments about how he did not know if he could be with someone who liked cheesecake, and me likewise. It was all in good fun, but it really got me thinking; when is it okay to disagree and when is it not?

Obviously in this case, a disagreement in desert choices, it is okay. But when does that end? I am not just talking about relationships, but friendships too. There is a point where a disagreement can lead to an end. Arguments themselves do not end relationships, but the topic of the argument does. I do know that this is not always the case, but that is what I am focusing on. A difference in the taste of food does not matter as much as a difference in values. If your friend treats another in a rude way and you decide you do not want to be around them, this is because of a difference in value. Many couples break up because they have different futures that do not align. Maybe they like the same dessert, but they like different lifestyles.

The saying “opposites attract” is very popular. If you think about this, is it really true? Sure, maybe little things like tastes or interests can be opposite of one another, but can values? My answer is no. What is yours? Do you believe in this analogy? When do you think a disagreement can lead to an end. My final question is this: Cheesecake or brownie?