Chicago Cubs Controversy

Wrigley Field--home of the Chicago Cubs and known for its "old time", more original look. The field is surrounded by many residential streets, in addition to bars and restaurants; better known as Wrigleyville. The.The famous Wrigley Field is also well known for its ivy covered walls and having an old school, hand-turned scoreboard. But as we move further and further into the twenty-first century, a new $575 million dollar renovation project is underway moving it closer to the 'jumbotron' era. The new renovation includes seven new advertising signs, including a video screen that towers over the ever so famous ivy wall and by the looks of it would also become an obstruction of the view from the rooftop restaurants, that many people visit on game days because of the unique view of the baseball game.
Because of these new renovations that have already been started, there has been a few controversy's because the Chicago Cubs had signed contracts with roof-top owners; who have revenue sharing agreement till the end of 2023. This basically means that the Cubs owner made an agreement saying that they allow the  Roof Top Restaurants to charge people and make revenue by letting people watch the game from the top of their buildings. A few of the roof top restaurants have filed lawsuits against the owner of the Chicago Cubs, Tom Rikets himself.
So should the cubs have made this renovation when they're potentially hurting surrounding businesses? From the outside looking in at both sides of the story; putting up a jumbotron that many fans requested so they can be more informed and have more information on players instead of just the score and contrary to that the blocked view of the ever so famous roof top restaurants resulting in loss of money for those companies, it becomes very hard to decide what is the best thing to do. Quite frankly, I don't even know what I believe is right because either way someone is going to end up unhappy. An article written in TIME by John Sanburn stated that the renovations could "provide boost for the beloved Cubbies, who haven't reached the playoffs since 2008 and haven't won a World Series since 1908." I'm not quite sure how adding a jumbotron and moving more into the twenty-first century will give the Cubs a boost, but hey I guess if that's what it takes to get them there, then why not do it?

22. Never Give Up.

in·spire(inˈspī(ə)r/verb

1. 
   

   fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

This is exactly the word to describe 19-year-old Lauren Hill. Lauren Hill was your average high school athlete who had dreams like every other athlete does, to play the sport they love in college. But for Lauren, her road to get there was a bit more difficult than most others.
While a senior she was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, otherwise known as DIPG, and inoperable form of brain cancer. But Lauren wasn't going to let this get in the way of achieving her dreams. She stated, "I want everybody to know I never give up." and she did just that.
In order to make sure that Lauren was going to be able to play in her first college basketball game, the NCAA agreed to move the game up two weeks, so that she would be able to participate in the game before the cancer wouldn't allow her to anymore. She was able to score the first basket of the game, which resulted in the entire crowd, along with the opposing teammates clapping, and cheering for her.
Sadly after she participated in four games and made five layups, Laurens coach announced that she would not play in any future games but would stay on the team as and honorary coach. As her cancer started to take over her life, she still continued to go out and inspire people, raising over one million dollars for the pediatric cancer research. Lauren eventually lost her battle to cancer on April 10, 2015, but she will never be forgotten for her courage, hard work, and determination she showed.

Whats the difference between braces and plastic surgery?

Plastic surgery is very frowned upon in today's society because it causes someone to change the way that they physically look, in most cases because they don't like the way that they look. Most people think it is bad to change the way you look to fit society’s picture of what looks “normal”. Could something that a majority of the United States goes through be put in this category? Like getting plastic surgery, wearing an excessive amount of makeup, or losing a mass amount of weight, braces also can change one’s appearance. It may not be as big as a change but it still changes your 'original' appearance. Most Americans get braces to change the smile that you were born with into the uniform “cheese” someone, somewhere decided was “normal”.

Everyone in my family, excepting my dad, has had braces. I am currently on my second set of braces. I first started the road to perfect teeth when I was in third grade. I started out with a palatal expander. Sound like a mouth full right? No pun intended. A palatal expander, also known as a rapid palatal expander, rapid maxillary expansion appliance, palate expander or orthodontic expander is used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and upper teeth will fit together better. The expander is "activated" by turning the screw. This is done with a "key". Since this appliance does not come out of your mouth, the screw must be turned with the key inside your mouth. In human terms, a metal contraption is placed on the roof of your mouth and is turned with a key to break your palate. Mine was similar to the one in the photos below. If you look closely, you'll see a hole in the center. That would be the key-hole. Every night my mom or dad would have to take the key and turn the screw a couple times. I would sugar coat it and say it didn’t hurt that bad, but it did. The pain isn’t even describable. It caused headache and jaw aches. Not a fun time. All of that, just so I could have a “normal” mouth.

After my palate was fully expanded, I was put in my first set of braces. Just like everyone else who has braces, I had to go in and get them tightened every month to every six weeks. Once my teeth were finally straight i got them removed and got fitted for my retainers, little did I know it was going to take a month for my orthodontist to get back to me, and by the time we got back in my teeth had already shifted and before I knew it, I was back to having messed up teeth. Also as I became older my teeth and jaw shifted making it worse and worse. Lets just put it this way, I sure do envy people born with good teeth.

Almost two years ago I got my second set of braces put on, but this time I got clear brackets (Shown below) put on my top teeth so from far away it looks like I don't even have braces at all! After finding out that I had to get braces again I wanted to get started right away with the process so I could finally have the 'pretty' teeth I had always wanted. Soon after I got them, everything came back to me about how terribly horrible braces really were and how hard it was to eat for the first couple weeks. It eventually got easier for me to eat, but that would all change when I found out I was going to have to get jaw surgery.


This surgery would include taking cartilage from my bottom jaw and pushing it back, and then taking the cartilage that was removed from the bottom jaw and put on my top jaw to bring it forward. This surgery was a bit rough and lets just say that I am glad that it is over. I was unable to eat any solid food for a little over a month, and was fed by a syringe and all my food had to be blended--let me tell you it was not a good time at all! Along with not being able to eat, I looked like the Michelin Man, I was so swollen I couldn't shut my mouth and was constantly drooling; yeah I know gross.


Looking at this surgery and other plastic surgeries, it makes me question if going though braces and like in my case, jaw surgery, it its really that much different then any other plastic, cosmetic  surgery. You're going through an immense amount of pain just so you can have the "perfect" smile; the same thing that you're doing when you get surgery--changing the way that you were born in order to look more normal.

Peer Pressure

As you go into high school you are told by many that there is a lot of peer pressure that goes on, and trust me there is. One of the big things teens have been pressured into doing at some time during their high school careers is doing some type of drugs. According the Drug and Alcohol Rehab Services the most common drugs used among teens today include Marijuana, Prescription Drugs, Alcohol, and Ecstasy. Being a current high school student I would say the drugs that are most used are Marijuana and Alcohol.

This shows that it is almost uncommon for someone to not have had a drink by the time they reach the legal age and that they are more likely then not to have tried an alcoholic beverage by the age of 15.

Marijuana, also commonly known as weed, pot or grass, and has been used for many generations and still is one of the most commonly used drugs today. Many teens today say they use this drug because either 1, their parents or someone they know did it and if “they did it and survived, then why can’t I do it?” or 2 they believe that it a harmless drug and it is a lot better than drinking or doing more harmful drugs, but in all reality, when you look at the big picture that is not the case at all. Although it is the same drug used decades ago, it has become a much bigger concern because teen today are starting to use it at a younger and younger age, meaning that they are a lot more likely to progress on to more powerful and addicting substances as they grow older. According the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 15 million Americans 12 and older had used marijuana within the past month, placing it way ahead the 2^nd most used drug which was placed at 6 million users. As of 2012 there was an 80% rise in the ‘past-month’ users since the 2008 survey.

This graph shows just how easy it is for teens to get any type of drugs making it all the easier to fall into peer pressure and get involved with things that they shouldn't while in high school

                Now you may wonder, what exactly makes this drug so “great” and potentially addicting? After using the drug over and over again you eventually are both physically and mentally hooked to it. Once consuming the drug once, it produces a high that lasts several hours, during this period of time users experience some or all of the following symptoms including: Distorted Perception (Sights, sounds, time, touch), Trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor control, increased heart rate, anxiety, and dry mouth and dry throat. Not only does this drug have short term effects but also long term effects including increased stress on the heart, memory loss, weakened immune system, and lastly it messes with your hormones.
                Understand that you're a teenager and you WILL run into peer pressure many times during your high school and teen days, just remember to stick to your beliefs, stay strong and just say NO!
 

Friends are Forever

          Your best friend is that one person that you would trust your life with. They are the rock you lean on when things go wrong and the string that let's you fly like a kite when things are going good. Your best friend is the person you shed tears with when you lose something you love and the person you laugh with until your stomach begins to hurt.
          As you go through school, you make friends from doing activities, being involved, and simply being in class together. I have a total of two friends who I have had since kindergarten that I completely trust and tell everything to. Lately a lot of things have been happening that have hindered the way I look at my friends.
Over the years I have learned that teenagers are mean and cruel. I have also learned that the ones you decide to trust the most, seem to be the ones who let you down the hardest. Unfortunately, you can only trust yourself. I can tell you first hand that it absolutely sucks when you lose a friend, but hey i guess if they think they're too good for you then they don't deserve to have a friend like you. The worst thing is when your so-called best friend continually ditches you for their boyfriend even when you know that they aren't good for each other.

          I can definitely say that at times I wish that I was a hermit who doesn't talk to any one and just goes about my own business. But at the same time, if I was a hermit, I wouldn't have ever met the greatest things that has ever happened to me; all the people I call my best friends. Without them i wouldn't be the person that i am today. Someone once told me that "Life puts obstacles in your way so that you can overcome them. The only way to face adversity is to look it in the face and tell it who's boss. People will put you down, but the ones who care will lift you up. Find those ones." This is definitely some of the best advice that i have ever received and I have now passed it onto you, my readers.

          

      

Overtalked, Undertaught

Abortions. A topic that comes up almost too often, but I don't think the argument of abortions will ever be resolved, especially not anytime soon. 
I would say there are pros and cons of both sides that can be argued forever. I believe there is special instances when abortions are okay. I don't think it is right to just not be smart about things, knowing that you could have an abortion as a back up plan. But I also don't think it's right to not have it as an option. 
One instance would be rape cases. That girl that got raped didn't ask for a child nor want to be in that situation in the first place, so why should she be forced to have one? Especially if she's not ready; that's not fair to either the mother nor the child. I also believe that young girls make mistakes, especially being a teenage girl myself, I realize this first hand. Why should one mistake define you for the rest of your life? If you are forced to have this child that you don't truly want, what kind of life is that going to be for not only you, but also the child? That's completely unfair on both ends. I don't like that some girls would use it as an excuse like. "Oh no worries, I can always get an abortion." But I also don't think that one mistake should define you for the rest of your life. 
The process to get an abortion should be long and difficult so that you learn from it and never want to have to go through it again. Along with that, information and knowledge should be given out about it so girls don't think they can just do it whenever they want and have it as a back-up plan if something were to happen unexpectedly.

Overprotective Parents

As a high school student I feel that parents, whether they be your parents or someone else's parents, I feel as though they are are always trying to get up into  your business and constantly want to know every thing that is going on with everyone. In other cases I feel like some people in today's society depend way too much on their parents and they do everything for them, and let me tell you, they're going to be in for a rude awakening when it comes time to go off for college. Depending on the way you're raised, it could have a lasting impact on the way you live your life, and I feel like it is negatively affecting the way that kids are growing up these days.

Helicopter parenting is exactly what was just described, and personally i feel has very few positive impacts on children. A research done showed that kids with helicopter parents were more engaged in learning and were more satisfied with their college. Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, a social historian, who thinks helicopter parenting is okay states, “Over-parenting, is not letting our kids take the consequences of their actions, swooping down to rescue them, and the result would be a spoiled brat. But helicopter parenting is entirely different, and I think it is a positive style of child-rearing.”

Contrary to that Susan Newman, the author of “Nobody’s Baby Now: Reinventing Your Adult Relationship With Your Mother and Father,” indicated, “When parents are making decisions for their children all the time and protecting them, when they get out on their own they don’t know a thing about disappointment or failure.” This is a very true statement about many parents out there. They are afraid of watching their children fail so they are overprotective.

With parents being over protective, children have a lack of exposure to the real world. When kids have a lack of exposure, they are unable to develop the skills that I believe are very much needed as an adult in today society. Without making and learning form mistakes as a kid, when they get older how will they know weather or not the decision they are making is the right one? When a child is in a situation of having to make a decision, their parent should allow their kid to try and deal with it themselves before stepping in and taking charge. Parents think they are helping their kids by being nosey and trying to make all their decisions for them but in many cases they're actually doing the opposite. When their child get out into the world they won't be mentally tough because they have never experienced failure.

It has also been shown that Children of these so called 'helicopter parents' are more likely to appear “stuck up,” meaning they feel like they are better than everyone else. Parents have been found doing their kids projects, homework assignments and even writing college essays. Parents say they do this for their kids because they are embarrassed of their previous failures and want to show how good their kids really are. Not only is this wrong for a parent to do but I feel that it is totally unfair that a parent would do their kids homework and write essays for them because all the other kids out there are doing their own work and putting in way more effort then the child who isn't doing their work. I also feel that with parent doing this for their children their kid may grow up thinking that nothing is ever their fault because instead of making their child face challenging situations and deal with the consequences, they make it all better instead of letting them learn and grow from it.

I know it may be hard difficult to change parenting style after doing the same thing for multiple years in a row but know that everybody makes mistakes, and with making mistakes; it creates learning experiences for us kids. Next time your in a challenging situation, make your decisions on your own and don't go running to your mom and dad for the solution because once you graduate high school your on your own for making decisions.

Then and Now

It's come that time of year again where prom season is in pretty much full force. With girls looking for dresses, searching the most popular and best looking way to do their hair, and of course you can't forget the most important thing; a date--things can become quite stressful if I say so myself. Many girls think that they have rough because they have to find the perfect dress and all the guy has to do is find a matching tie to go under his tux. Which I totally agree with it being very difficult to find the prefect dress, it sure does take a lot of time and work to find it. But over the weekend, my family and I got into a conversation, and it came to my attention that the boys also have it a bit rough as well if you think about it.
My aunts and cousins who are all 20 or older were talking about the ways they got asked to prom, which was a simple, "Hey do you want to go to prom with me" while you passed each other in the hallway, which to me sounded EXTREMELY weird because now a days the guy is expected to ask their date in a super extravagant way. Weather it be in front of the whole school at a sporting event or using a drum line during passing time in the foyer. It's almost like a competition on who can have the best way of asking their date. I've heard stories of people saying no to their dates because they didn't ask them in a big enough or cool enough way, and they weren't going to say yes until they asked them in a better way.
Being a girl, of course I wouldn't want to just get asked in the hallway when everyone else was getting asked in super cute ways but I don't think that i would ever say no to someone just because they didn't ask me in a "cute" enough way. This all just makes me wonder if when our generation gets proposed to if they will do the traditional getting down on one knee and proposing or if people will start asking their fiacé in a super crazy big way.

Netflix: A Little Slice of Heaven

"Netflix: A Little Slice of Heaven" has been up and coming since 1997 being headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Netflix is the world’s leading internet television network with over 40 million members in over 40 different countries, viewing over one billion hours of their favorite TV shows and movies a month. These customers pay a monthly price giving them access to watch anywhere and anytime as they have internet connection. I think you could talk to almost every teenager and ask them their views and thoughts about Netflix and a majority of them would say it is one of the best things out there, and personally I would have to agree! Although yes, it isn't free (but let’s be honest what is free these days), it is definitely worth the low monthly fee!  Netflix has become a part of my daily life and I honestly have no clue what I would do without it, because boy does it have it all! Yes, I understand it doesn't have all the hot new movies, but if you actually take some time to look, there are PLENTY of extremely good TV shows and movies put on there. If you ever get bored and don't know what to watch pick up the remote and start scrolling, click on a random one, and your guaranteed to find something that is decently good! One of my biggest recommendations of TV shows to watch is One Tree Hill a.k.a OTH. I am currently watching it for the third time around and it is literally one of the best things out there! And no boys this isn't just a 'girl' show, I know plenty of guys that are addicted to it. Anyways, I won't go into too much detail, I'll save that for another day, but overall it has a very good story line to it and has some pretty attractive actors if I say so myself ;) It does become a bit predictable at the end but for the first about five seasons it keeps you on the edge of your seat with tons of twists and turns along the way. Not only is Netflix adult friendly, but it is also kid friendly. Netflix has a "Kids Only' section making it very easy for parents to find age appropriate shows for their kids without the hassle of having to flip through all the other movies just to find one that has content that is acceptable for their children. I have come to find this section also very useful for when I want to channel my inner kid self and watch some classic Hannah Montana.There are many good recommendations out there but a few that I have personally watched or heard are good are obviously One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Prison Break, Breaking Bad, Revenge, Weeds, The Walking Dead, and many more! Some good sections to look for movies in are the thrillers and comedy. Netflix has something for just about everyone ranging from kids shows, to anime, to action, to comedy and thrillers, so go ahead try it out and if you don't like it well, might I mention you're a bit crazy! Grab a bowl of popcorn, sit down, relax, and ENJOY! :)

WARNING:Senioritis

Senioritis is something that I could say for a majority of us, is really hitting hard right about now. Which if I say so myself is probably not quite a good thing to be happening considering we still have over half of a school year to complete. But hey why wouldn't it, almost all of us have been accepted to colleges, applied for scholarships and worst of all started to give up.

Being a student who used to really enjoy school, it has been very apparent that me and many classmates are all suffering from a little bit of senioritis because it has become very hard to get myself motivated enough to get myself to get out of bed in the morning and get to school.

I'm not really sure if its because I dread having to get ready in the morning and having to see hundreds of immature underclassmen run around like wild Indians, who if I say so myself are EXTREMELY annoying. Like, yeah I get that I was in their shoes just 3 short years ago, but still I don't think I was ever THAT annoying, but i guess that's what comes with growing up!

One piece of advice i have even if im not taking my own advice is don't give up, and fall into the trap of senioritis. Yeah you may think you're too cool for school right now, but your aren't going to be too cool when your college that you've already been accepted to get your final transcript at the end of the year and sees that you slacked off at the end of the year, and suddenly they decide that they no longer have accepted you and you now have to spend your summer scurrying around trying to final a college that will accept me, TRUST ME doesn't sound like a very fun way to spend your first summer out of high school.



All Work No Play?

High school; the best four years and the worst four years. It is a journey, no matter how you look at it. I have very strong opinions on how high school, and life for that matter, should be looked at. No matter who you are, what friend group you have, what grades you get, what you like to do, school should be a FUN experience. You don’t have many years left in your life to be able to just have fun and not go to a job every day, all day.
So many people look at high school as a preparation for your future; as a time to crack down; a time where you’re predicting where the rest of your life will lead you. So many people think if you’re not a 4.0 GPA student, or an all-state athlete, then you’re screwing up. I hate the thoughts schools, parents, teachers, and society in general shove into our heads thinking we can never have fun. All work no play; trust me that is NOT the way.
These are four years where you can go find yourself; four years to find what your passionate about; four years to find something that makes you happy. Doing school work 24/7 isn’t what makes anyone happy, I guarantee it. I’m not saying to go out and party all the time. Wait, jk I am. HAVE FUN. You have the rest of your life to have responsibilities and be tied down with tons of work. This time, here and now, this is your chance to have crazy fun. Put yourself out there; do what you want; break the rules; be a rebel; DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, because honestly, what else matters?
I think that you should do WHATEVER makes you happy. Don’t do things just because you think you have to. You only have ONE life. Love it how YOU want to. I hate when people take school so seriously and work way too hard, not having a social life or any fun along the way. How are you going to feel when you’re 50 and look back at our highschool/college years just to have memories of your head in your book and making flash cards all night. I understand wanting to work hard to get a good job and be successful but there’s a fine line between working hard and working too hard. I get good grades and take hard classes but I also am having the time of my life these years in high school. I would rather be semi successful with a ton of great memories than be super successful with nothing but money and brains. One days these are all just going to memories so let’s make them all worth remembering!

Family is Forever

When you’re little, I think we all go through that stage where our parents are our everything. They protect us from scary things, they show us right and wrong, they lead us in the right direction, they basically do everything a kid needs to feel complete. What we don’t realize, (or at least this is true for me) is that they never really go away from being our everything, we just have so much going on that we don’t see them behind the scenes in our lives, doing everything they can to better us. 
Being a teenager, I will admit I’m guilty, just like many others, of neglecting the love and care my parents give me. I’m never home and never really fill them in on my life, which I think is just part of growing up because come on, who wants to tell there mom the latest gossip of who's dating who, what girls are fighting over the hottest guy in school, and all those things that come along with being in high school-- that's right, none of us. 
At this age, friends are everything. We constantly want to be with our friends instead of family. They know everything about your life, if not more and are always there to hear your problems that you cant talk to anyone else about, not even your dog. 
 Until recently I never stopped to realize that although right now I think all my friends are great and will be there for me no matter what, you can never really be sure. Its crazy to look back to freshman year and see who i was all friends with, compared to now. You wouldn't believe how much has changed. As you grow up you realize who your real friends are and who will actually be there when you need them.
One thing you can be sure of though as you grow up, is that your parents will have your back, through thick and thin, come hell or high water. They are our everything from the first second of our lives to our last, whether we recognize it or not. And one day your going to go off to college and travel the world leaving your parents behind, and someday weather it be today, tomorrow or 30 years from now theyre going to be gone and they wont be there to give you a hug when your having a bad day and they wont be there for you to call when you're home sick, so just remember that next time and don't ever take your parents for granted.

Nothin' but a little bit of road rage

Sure, I can admit it. I have road rage and I like to get as fast as I can with the shortest route possible. I mean yeah I enjoy listening to all the new songs on the radio but I would much rather get where I’m going and get off the roads with all the terrible annoying drivers.

I wouldn’t call myself a bad driver; I would just say that I am a driver with confidence. But when I come across someone going extremely slow in the left lane, like c’mon now your making everyones life more angry and trust me, and angry driver is not someone you want to be around. If you are going the speed limit, or slightly above it, honey the fast lane is NOT for you. The left lane is for speed demons like me who cant stand slow pokes like you, and instead of me ridding your butt the whole way to our destinations, I have the chance to blow by you. By people poking along in the left lane taking there sweet ole time stops me from being able to do so, and in turn, makes me want to explode. I may or may not shove you of the road if you do this (just kidding).

Another thing that I can’t stand about some ridiculously stupid drivers is why you find the need to sit in the right lane at a stop light if you’re going straight. I want to be able to still turn right on the red light and can’t do so when you and your dumb self is just sitting there waiting for the light to turn green when I could’ve already been on my merry way but you just HAD to be a pain in the butt, you could’ve easily sat at the light in the left lane if you were going straight and been perfectly fine and also would’ve made me a happy camper instead of a grumpy one; nobody likes a dumpy camper.

When I am in the car with one of my friends driving and they don’t use their horn in instances where they should, that also bring great frustration. People! You have a horn for a reason, USE IT! Most of the time I usually just honk it for them because I want to let the yahoos in front of me that they’re in the wrong and they are making me mad.

 I could talk about an endless number of things that bother me on the road, but the last major one is PEOPLE WHO RIDE THEIR BIKES IN THE ROAD. YOU’RE NOT A CAR, NOR ANYTHING CLOSE TO IT. You are a 2 wheeled thing going about as fast as a grandma in her wheelchair. I can’t stand when bikes think they have the right to be on the road with me. I just want to run them over. Like you don’t belong here. When there’s a sidewalk right next to the road they’re riding in I just can’t take it. Why in the world do you feel the need to slow traffic, make people furious, and put your life on the line, just to ride on the street instead of the sidewalk. Move your butt out of the road or I will move it for you.

Miles and Miles from the start

Miley Cyrus. She’s come miles and miles from where she started, and inspired millions along the way. The list of things I admire about her could go on forever, but lately she’s been in the spotlight, and not in a good way.

If you listen to one of Miley’s new songs, (or any of her songs for that matter) you couldn’t argue the deepness of each line. People are so quick to judge her by her music videos, or her performances, but they don’t think about why; why does she act that way. Do you realize how much say she has in her videos compared to her managers and directors? Maybe she’s acting out because she’s hurt. This pictures explains exactly how I feel about this situation.

Miley was a star from day one. Her show was one of the best Disney Channel had to offer. (in their good days) She went on to star in amazing movies like The Last Song where most of America fell in love with her all over again. That’s also where we fell in love with Miliam (Miley + Liam) but sadly, no one truly knows where they stand today. They were/are engaged but it was pushed back, and maybe even called off. No one really knows for sure.

The number one thing I admire about Miley is her ability to not care what ANYONE has to say about her. You’d think with all the hate she’s been getting, she’d tweet or say something back at them, but she has yet to. She doesn’t care what they have to say. As in her song We Can’t Stop, “forget the haters, cus somebody loves ya.” She’s completely her own person and likes to be out there and different. As gorgeous as she was with her long hair, I highly respect her cutting it all off simply because she wanted to.

If you know me at all, you know my biggest pet peeve is when people say, “I miss the old Miley.” PEOPLE GROW UP. Are you the same person as you were when you were 11? no. Do you make the same decisions, look the same, act the same, and feel the same as you did at 11? NO. She’s just trying to grow up and find herself. I admire how crazy and fun she is, because at least she realizes you’re only young once so why not live it up?

I just wish people would give Miley the credit she deserves. She’s came miles and miles from where she started, and she’s inspired millions along the way. People are so quick to judge her when they know absolutely nothing. What if people judged you that quickly?

An UBER good idea

Uber is an up and coming app based taxi company that is headquartered in San Francisco, California. But it’s not like most other taxi companies. It is different in a way, and it puts a better name and face on taxi services.

Uber is a company run by every day people like you and me, who are just looking for little bit of extra cash. Whether they be an accountant, business man or another job requiring a degree, they sign up, and in their free time they offer they’re time to help people out as a taxi.

In order for the person to become a drive they must register they’re car and it has to meet requirements, of a new model and must be a nice car. Most people who use this service are also doing pretty good financially because you must have a Pay Pal account that is hooked up to a checking account. This also makes it much safer for the driver because they never have any cash on them, dropping the chances of them getting robbed.

Along with the plus of getting to ride in a nice car the best part about Uber is that it costs half the price of a regular taxi service. It also only charges you for one person, unlike the other cab services that add an extra charge for additional people in the car; which if you’re going a really long ways, it can all add up!

I was first told about this service by one of my math teachers who had traveled to Florida and had about an hour drive from the airport he was at to his hotel. He was picked up in a 2014 car and saved half the money that he would've spent if he would've taken yellow cab or a different cab company.

I think that the idea of having a company like this is a very good idea because it saves people money to be driven around in nicer cars and instead of nasty torn up cars driven by god knows who.

Uber has brought up many controversies between other cab companies because it has dropped they’re business immensely, but hey who wouldn't want to be driven in a luxury car for half the price?

SNOOZE

5:35 AM and off goes my first alarm. *SNOOZE* 5:45 AM and there goes the second one. *SNOOZE* Every 10ish minutes for about 40 minutes a new alarm goes off with a different song, hoping that they will be the lucky alarm to motivate me to get out of bed. Sorry to break it too you but it’s going to take a little bit more than some tunes to get me out of bed.

My mom finally comes in around 6:10 6:15ish turns my light on and tells me that I need to get up or that I am going to be late for school. After lying in bed for a solid 10 more minutes I look at the clock and realize that I have a good 15min to straighten my hair, do my makeup, brush my teeth, get dressed and get out the door, and let me tell you that is not an easy task to succeed at.

I would have to say that waking up is the hardest part of the day, NO QUESTION. When my first alarm going off I dread hearing it and feel like I had only been sleeping for 30 minutes but I feel semi-relieved that I can still sleep for about 25 more minutes before I have to go into rush mode when I’m getting ready or just go to school looking bad. But I mean let’s be honest here who wants to get out of their nice, warm, cozy bed to get up into your freezing cold house and get ready for school? That’s right…..NO ONE!

I’m sure I know exactly what you’re thinking, “Go to bed earlier and you wouldn't have this problem.” Like no it’s not that easy because first off the moment you lay down in bed and hit the pillow everything that you could possibly think about comes to mind and you lay there coming up with all these unrealistic bizarre scenarios and the next thing you know is it 1 AM and another thing is no matter what time I go to bed I will ALWAYS want to keep sleeping in the morning because as a high school student you realize how important and precious sleep really is! And you regret not taking advantage of nap time back in kindergarten.

The comfyness and warmness of my bed in the morning is unbearable. The first think I think about when I wake up is how many hours I have until I get to come home from school and take a nap, but sadly that doesn't always happen. The amount of anger and disappointment that comes out of getting up in the morning is too much to handle that early and let me tell you, it is NOT fun!

A little good from a little bad

Teenagers; one of the most misunderstood species out there. It has appeared to me that adults think that because we are young we are always up to no good and are all extremely clueless people. To be honest there is nothing worse than constantly being judged everywhere you go, on everything you do. Yeah, I may be a teenager, but that doesn't mean that I'm some crazy hooligan.

 I think that almost every teen would agree that they are very rarely ever taken serious. For instance when you walk into the grocery story with a group of friends compared to if you walked in with your mom you get a totally different vibe. When with your friends most all the workers eye you down and think were messing around and up to no good to where as if we were with our parents, the workers would most likely come up to you and ask if you perhaps maybe needed some help finding something or just simply get a nice hello. But nope when it’s me and my friends all we get are glares and it seems that all eyes are on us waiting for us to do something horrible because if you didn't get the news flash: we're all trouble makers and can never do anything right. 

I mean, yeah some teens ARE bad kids but that doesn't give adults the right to categorize us as a big group of kids that are always up to no good. Think about it there are adults that go around killing people, so does that mean that I should go around and say that every adult is a murderer? No, it doesn't because I was taught that you shouldn't judge or label someone based on the way that they look or act. 

Last week at a high school basketball game there was an incident that appeared to me as kind of proving the whole idea and notion that teenagers are a big group of careless and rude people. 

At this game it was said by a mom at the game that these high school student were "bullying" and older disabled woman. This story was kind of a he-said-she-said kind of story, but the way the daughter of the elderly woman handled it was i would say, very childish and not appropriate....what so ever. This woman posted a huge paragraph about it on Facebook saying how rude these students were to this elderly woman. I mean yes i see both sides, but the students had politely asked the woman to move because they knew that they were going to be getting a bit rowdy, and didn't want to disturb her viewing of the game. With that being said the daughter found this as a very rude gesture, but the students were in there designated area that the school had given them, so technically they weren't doing anything wrong except for trying to help this elderly woman to enjoy the game instead of being disturbed by obnoxious teens trying to cheer there team to victory.

On the other hand i see where the idea of them coming off as rude is coming from, but i think the way this lady handled this situation by yelling at Washington High Schools principal, and the the way she treated the students was very uncalled for. As seen in the story above the student who had flicked off the camera said that if he had to go back and redo the whole situation, he would've handled it a different way, but in the heat of the moment he was frustrated and does regret and apologizes for his actions. 

As shown above by the students reaction and how we would handle it differently if he had to go back, it shows that maybe teens shouldn't always be punished for their actions. I mean yeah, they should be told and taught what is right from wrong, but they shouldn't be bashed for there mistakes. If anything they should be given a pat on the back for learning and getting something out of each bad situation they are in. 

Being a teenager isn't all about trying to be the best person you can and trying to please everyone. Its the time for you to make these mistakes and learn from them. So before you go onto judge someone, don't judge them based on their age or who they're hanging around with, look at them as an individual. Society needs to take a step back and have a reality check and realize that bashing people isn't always the right way to handle things, but maybe realizing there is some good coming out of these semi-bad situations.

Is SMART lunch really SMART?

SMART lunch is a new thing that was incorporated into the Kennedy High School schedule this year. This time is a section of the day that is specially cut out for students to do homework, get extra help from teachers, or go to different clubs and activities depending on the day. The lunch time is split up into two separate tutorials; an A and a B. With having it split into two separate times, it allows students to have time to meet with two different teachers, or meet with a teacher during one tutorial and eating lunch or working on other homework during the other. Along with that both juniors and seniors are allowed to leave campus during this whole 80 min time period.

In theory I feel that the idea of SMART lunch is a good one and has potential, but I feel like there are too many flaws in it still, into order to be put into action. Being a student that had a full schedule my junior year going to class from 7am till 2:45, along with juggling a job and being involved in extra curricular activities it became very hard to find time to go in and get help if I needed it or time to simply just do homework. Being that most of my teachers only had time before school but I was unable to go in because I had a zero hour class. So in that aspect, I feel that SMART lunch could become very helpful for many students but at this point still need a little bit of work.

But on the other side, as one of my teachers said, "the students who need the help, are the ones who aren't using the time wisely. If they're doing bad in the class or missing classes not wanting to be there in the first place, there's no way they're going to spend extra time in that classroom." Which personally I agree, there's obviously a reason that the student is not going to class, and I feel as though they aren't enforcing the rules as good as they should be. One thing they did do that I feel is maybe helping keep students aware of their grades and actually caring about school is giving out stickers on students ID's. In order to get a sticker you must have a grade no lower than a C in any of your classes, and if you do you aren't allowed to leave campus during the whole 80 minute lunch period. Along with that if you have a grade lower than a C on your transcript from the previous trimester you are also not allowed to leave campus.

Another flaw I see in the idea of SMART lunch is that both freshman and sophomores aren't allowed to leave, which i see why because most of them aren't able to drive, but what are they sopped to do if they have all there homework done and don't need any help? This trimester they changed the rules so that no one can be in the foyer during B tutorial. So what are these students supposed to do when there is nothing to do besides sit in the cafeteria or scramble to find some where to go because they aren't quite sure what they should be doing?

Like i said before i feel that the idea of SMART lunch is a fantastic one because of all of the positive things that could potentially come out of it, but as of now i think there are too many flaws and its not quite put together well enough to be put into action as of now.

Nothing but A Memory

Growing up is a pretty hard concept to wrap your mind around. All the things you’re used to; the things that make you happy, sad, excited, or mad, can change in an instant. You realize you aren’t a little kid anymore, and to me the worst part about it is that all the simpleness in life is gone. When you were 5, all that you had to worry about was how late your parents are going to let you stay up or How many times can you ride your bike around the neighborhood before dark even the simplest thing as to where the best hide n seek spots were in the neighborhood. But in the blink of an eye, worrying about balancing a job, sports, school work, a social life, and family, is all thrown at you before you know it.

While babysitting over the summer it really occurred to me that I was really starting to grow up and was no longer the little kid with no cares in the world. I would just sit back and watch them play tag for hours on end and watch their imaginations soar, just thinking about how much I would give to be that carefree again. I miss calling up friends on the home phone and asking to “play”, running up to random kids and being best friends in 2 minutes giving no cares about what they’re wearing, how weird they are or anything of that sort.

It’s pretty sad how at a young age, all you want to do is grow up and be old, then once you get there you spend the rest of your life wishing you could just be a kid again. I wish I could tell kids that they need to take advantage of their young age because it fly’s by so quickly and once it’s gone it’ll never come back, but I know when I was told that as a kid, I just shrugged it off and couldn’t wait till the day I became a teenager.

One of the most depressing stages of growing up I’d have to say is college. Not necessarily for those going into it, but also for the people who have a lot of close friends leaving for college. Sure it’s probably really exciting to start a new chapter in your life, but it sucks for those left behind. My sister went off to college 2 years ago and it really didn’t hit me that she was gone until about 2 weeks after we dropped her off and in a way I felt lost. For the first couple days it seemed unreal and I just thought that she was off at a friend’s house and would come home the next day because I mean c’mon I lived with her for 17 years of my life and now she’s just gone.

I miss all of the things we used to do together growing up, and knowing now that all of it is just pictures and memories is nothing but depressing. Sure I’m excited to go off on my own in a couple years, but what’s next after that? The future is one of my biggest fears. You never know what’s coming but you just have to face it head on. As much as I hate the fact that all my favorite memories are just a part of the past now, there’s really nothing to do but look forward to the future and remember all the good times you had.

Some people hate when others act immature, but in my opinion, be a kid as long as you can. Do stupid, immature, silly things just because you can; just because 20 years from now it’ll all be memories, and heck why not make those memories worth remembering. Take advantage of the fact that you can still go play at a park, ride your bike around, play board games, watch old Disney shows, or even do cartwheels ’til you’re dizzy. Make mistakes while you’re young because let me tell yah, no one ever learned from sitting on the couch watching their life pass before them. All I have to say is live it up because before you know it, it will all be gone.

What's the point?

Schools push this evil thought into all of our minds; this thought that we’re not good enough; this thought that we should never be wrong. I personally hate how we’re tested unfairly, how our creativity is robbed from us, and overall how we’re being educated.

We’re constantly given tests on things that we all know we will NEVER use in our lives outside of school. These tests are basically seeing who can cram the best, and who can retain the most things at once. Why are we being tested over this? 

We all learn so differently and retain the knowledge in such different ways. Honestly, for a test we all cram the knowledge into our brains, and the second we’re done taking it, we forget every single thing the test was even over. Why aren’t we educated on how to pay bills, how to get a job, how to purchase a car, or even the dos and don’ts of college? These things would be so useful in life. Instead we learn how to find the angle of depression when standing on a water tower looking at a cow in the field that weighs X number of pounds over the ratio of y+n divided by E=mc squared. WHEN WILL I USE ANY OF THIS IN REAL LIFE. The administration knows it, the teachers know it, the students know it, hell even Obama knows it. 

When we do bad on one of these tests we get down ok ourselves. We are raised through school with the mindset of if you get bad grades you won’t go anywhere. If you get bad grades you won’t get into college. If you get bad grades it’s not ok. This makes kids not actually care about what they're learning, but they are more concerned about there grade in the class. Students these days look for the downright easiest way they can get an A, by doing as little as possible, which is quite sad. 

I believe so many students are genius’s in their own way, schools just don’t test over it. Why, if you’re great at math you’re considered smart? Why not if you know every note and scale on a guitar? Everyone is smart in their own way but schools make you believe that if you’re not a genius in the subjects they offer, then hell you’re not smart at all. I believe that is education could use a few changes for the better, I order to teach you more about things that will ACTUALLY be useful in the real world, because believe it or not, is less time then you think, you're gunna be out there on your own and have no idea what to do because you were never taught how to.