S&D

Well, I went to what may have been my last Speech and Debate tournament ever yesterday and it was pretty fun. I ended up placing 6th in my event out of 43 competitors, so not too bad for a last tourney, and Niraj Amalkanti actually managed to place first in National Extemp, which is one of the hardest(in terms of research and studying) events that there are. Now in case you've never been to one of these tournaments(I don't think anyone that reads this blog has) the other competitors are pretty much the most insane people you'll ever meet. You know the people that have 4.5 gpa's, a 2400 SAT, 7 extra curricular activities, and get accepted to every Ivy League school plus Stanford? yeah, theyre all at these tournaments, so placing well is very difficult, especially at the end of the year. At any rate, the team did well and so did i, i might actually go to state, we're not sure on that yet tho since the league still has to figure out some stuff, but that would be a good way to end things. It's been a fun run and I've learned a ton about speaking and debating in public. If anyone is at all interested in becoming better at speaking, writing, debating, researching, or anything even remotely related to academics, then i would highly recommend giving this a shot next year. You'll learn a lot of skills that are invaluable in every day life, plus you get to have fun and earn trophies and medals and stuff. I know I enjoyed it!

Curling

What IS the deal with curling?
Whats with the hype? Watching Saturday Night Live last night, there must have been about 500000 mentions. It is even one of the top searched things on yahoo.
I don't think I have ever seen this before, so why is it all the sudden popular?
My brother says that people always make fun of it around the time of the olympics, then it is forgotten when the olympics are over. My mom disagrees. She says she does not remember it on any olympics she has watched.
Whatever, I think it's dumb.
But besides the curling, I love the olympics. They are so cool and I am EXTREMELY envious of all the athletes. Personally, I like the winter olympics better than the summer ones because I looooove watching all the skiing and snowboarding. Or the bobsledding.
What these people are able to do is just amazing and I really hope I can see the olympics in person someday.

Deadly Earthquake, Leading to Deadly Tsunami

An 8.8 quake quickly stirred Santiago, Chile in 3 minutes time. Right now, 100+ people are found dead, and there might be more to uncover. Since there are no connections to telephones and other communication, they're afraid more people will be found under the rubble. Citizens of Chile reported a blackout happened once the earthquake started and everything was pitch black.

This has been the most dangerous earthquake in 50 years in the country. Cars were "pancaked" by buildings and houses destroyed.

The worst thing to come out of this could be the said "deadly tsunami" about to hit Hawaii around 1:24pm our time. Large sirens filled the air of Hawaii around the time of the earthquake in Chile to evacuate long before the tsunami is supposed to hit.

A journalist named Roberto Candia, 65 miles away the earthquake said "it felt as if a giant had grabbed him and shaken him."

U.S. is planning to help Chile and Hawaii.

To look for more information, watch HLN news or read the news on MSNBC news to get the full story.

White Stretch Excursion

So my friend Holly and I were cruisin around the first Saturday of break with nothing to do when we saw a white stretch excursion limo and decided to follow it. Im not sure why but it sounded like a good idea at the time. The kids inside even rolled down the window and said hey to us haha. So we followed it around until we ended up in Roseville, when I spotted the ice rink on the side of the freeway and decided to exit to go skating. Dissapointingly, it was closed, so we drove home and cooked some stir fry lol. Then the next day I went skiing with my dad and, on the way home, I saw the same white stretch excursion! I took a picture of it on my phone and sent it to holly. Then on wednesday I went to my friend Ali's surprise birthday party at the bowling ally, and from there we were going to take a limo. I laughed when a white stretch excursion pulled up! I told Holly and she didnt believe me so she had me send her a picture of the inside haha. Anyways, it was a very fun night, and Im glad I got to experience the inside of that thing because it is way cooler than just following it around. lol

Track! :)

Today, was the Blue-Silver track meet, and also my first high school meet. I loved it!! It was basically a time trial for everyone. I ran the mile, 800m, and made a 4 by 4 team for fun. This was a great start of the season, because everyone ran well. I was excited because I nearly PR'd on my first race in the mile, so I know I will be able to improve! In all the rest of the meets, I will be running the mile and two mile, since I run distance. Everyone had great races, and it was fun to have the "meet atmosphere." I can already tell I am going to love track, because I am with friends from cross country, and everyone is really supportive and positive. I am excited for track!

Za Writing Process

Eeep, I'm massivly behind on my writing. I didn't blog over break, I haven't come up with a column for this week's web, and of course the entire time I could've written a draft for the print issue I procrastinated by helping one Justin Brooks and playing Winterbells. So here I am, tired after a day of school and work, and I must write. Or I could just wake up early in the morning, suck down some GoGirls, and crank out some stuff...

Hmmmmmm

I know! I'll write till I finish my green tea lemonade loaded with cancer dribblets (otherwise known as Splenda).

spring!

So now that the break is over its time to look forward to spring break. This past break i did not do much i mostly just slept and relaxed. I was looking forward to go see dear john and valentines day until i heard both thoughs movies were not good, im kinda bummed but im really looking forward to see alice in wonderland it looks so good! I decided that im not going to junior prom this year because i want to save my money and go to santa cruz with a group of my friends. Since i was not able to go on vacation on the past few breaks, there is not a doubt i will be going. Im looking forward to going to the boardwalk and riding all the rides then watch the sunset on the beach. Im super excited and i want it hear now!

Back to the usual stuff....

Wow, this week was awesome. Even though it's around 6 AM, and I might have forgotten to do my english worksheet and the blog, it was quite fun. I went down to San Francisco Tuesday night and went down to Fisherman's Wharf on Wednesday, down to the Aquarium and Hard Rock Cafe with my girlfriend, mom and stepdad. It was actually a lot of fun and a lot of walking (the cable cars broke down when we were walking back to the train station to get back to where we parked). Other than that, I actually watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies, the extended versions at that, which ran at about 4 hours each movie, which were all pretty good, so I'm glad I watched them :D. Those were the real highlights of my break, and I really enjoyed it. It was some good stuff.

Back To School :(

This past week was a really nice change from the usual four-day weekends we have every February. It has been really nice to have some more time off, but once we go back to school tomorrow, it will right back to business. I will really have to make myself more motivated in my classes, especially to gear up for studying with AP Exams in just over 2 months. On the bright side, only 3 and a half more months to go!

break

Break was pretty boring but relaxing. I laid in bed most days and went on the computer. I went shopping for some new clothes went to church and saw a movie, Valentines Day (which isnt that good). I had to go to the doctor to see if I fractured my hand. It was just a bruised bone haha. I loved break though even tho I did mostly nothing. I just needed some time alone.

Arizona

I lived in Arizona for 5 years, 8 years ago. We go back to visit every once and a while and it was time to do so over furlough week. It used to be so fun to go back and visit but for some reason i was not so excited. It was definitely a fun trip and was worth it but something just did not feel the same as other visits. Arizona lost all its familiarity, making me feel so on the outside and away from home. I use to be there and memories would come rushing back but this time there was nothing. We even carried out our tradition of going to a Water and Ice store, which we don't have here in California, and got a shaved ice but it was just not quite the same. The only thing was really excited about doing was seeing my best friend which thankfully was fun. Yet, even with her I realized that things were not exactly the same. I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that things change and people change. I was a different person back when I lived there. I guess I just expected everything to stay the same in Arizona when i left. Obviously, the world doesn't revolve around me and things go on as if i never left. It definitely feels good to be back home.

Life Plans

Over break, I started to reevaluate what I want and need out of life. Then I realized, I don't need anything out of life than to just live it. Therefore, I started creating what some may call a bucket list. But for me, I'm going to call it dreams. I want to do so many things and I have my parents to thank for that. I was not raised to be close minded. I was not raised to think I am superior to someone else. I was not raised to think that you live life for money and fortune. I want to live my life for happiness; my own and others. One of the things on my list is to one day join the Peace Corps. I've always wanted to do something of the sort but once my church's Africa mission came back, I had a newfound need to travel and discover new things. Another thing is to one day attend the Olympics. Whether it be to work it or just watch it, that is one experience I would love to have. And one last one, is that I want to intern for a record label. I have started to realize that music is the one thing that has remained constant in my life and I can't let go of it if it makes me so happy. So, I am returning to school with the thought that as long as I can graduate high school, I will have the rest of my life to accomplish every last thing on my list.

Lauren is right...

SLO life is definitely the life to live. I got into Cal Poly early decision which was a huge relief. It has been my first choice since sophomore year and to finally know that I had something to look forward to was quite the treat. And an added bonus, I found out on December 10. Now, I have visited and taken a tour of Cal Poly a couple times before, but visiting San Luis Obispo this time around, had a different feel. I already know which dorms I will be in so I got to see exactly where I'll be living in 7 months time. It also just made me even more anxious for graduation to come. I'm trying really hard to stay focused but to know that I have the SLO life waiting for me, just makes it that much harder to think about anything else.
To be honest, I was kind of scared that going to Cal Poly over break would make me doubt my decision. But in fact, it proved the opposite. I am completely confident in that decision. And if that is the only thing I know about my future right now, I'm okay with that!

Cheerios

Recently, I have noticed that my favorite cereal brand, Cheerios, has released various new flavors. It makes me mad to think that good, reliable Cheerios has to compete with all these new brands that entice kids with their free stickers or something like that inside the box. I guess whole grain just isn't as valued as it used to be.

Cheerio's newest flavor is chocolate, and it is good, just as all their cereals are, but I miss when it was just Honey Nut, Frosted, regular and the occasional limited time kind. NOW, there is Banana Nut, Crunch, Berry Burst, Chocolate, Apple Cinnamon, Fruity and Yogurt Burst. Next thing you know it will be Cheerios with marshmallows.

The history of science

I was told that it is required that I write a short story about a historical event for my english class. When I heard this I was not too excited because I did not know what to write about, even though there are thousands of years worth of history!
I know everyone will write about similar things, which is so bland. And that made this assignment frustrating for me, because I didn't want to write about how someone died on the Titanic or how someone lived through social revolutions. Everyone will write about that.

So then, I thought, well, I should make this story about something unique that interests me and not just do it for a grade. So, I have decided to write about an important time/discovery/revolution in science!! Because science is fantastic!!! So I thought I would write about a recent discovery in medical science and write how it allowed someone to live or have a major change in their lives. I have not come up with a specific idea yet, but it will be heartwarming, I can feel it.
I kind of think it might be boring to some who don't share the same warm fuzzy feeling for this as I do, but at least it is original!

Break

Wow this break has gone by so dang fast. Like honestly it feels like we just got out of school yesterday.
Actually alot of people have told me that its dragging out and taking way to long. I don't know what they are talking about. Maybe its just cause I was out of town all week touring colleges and I was having a ton of fun. (People that told me break was to long were the same people that were stuck at home... lol).
One reason I brought up the fact that break seemed short is because I realized today around noon that I had all my homework left.. haha oh well its done now. Luckily my teachers didn't assign to much for once.
Ya this break was definitely a fun one in my book, I just wish it would have lasted a little longer.

Technology and us

So Mr. Hurrianko had his sophomores record the amount of time they spent doing “digital activities” (browsing the internet, Facebook, e-mail, Twitter, texting, gaming etc.) over break. I'll admit, I wasn't too good about recording how much time I spent in my "digital activities" but I guess I can say it was a lot. And that got me thinking…

The use of technology is a very personal thing. My personal relationship with technology is much different from dragonslayer3.14's down the street. My “digital activity” consists mostly of facebook and text. Mr. Hurrianko wanted us to list some positive and negative influences these activities have on us, and I found a lot more pros than cons for me, personally. For example, I use facebook to keep in contact with all my friends and family who live all around the world. The only con I find when using facebook is that it is VERY addicting and swallows up the time that I could be using to get extra homework done. As for texting, I HATE when people text me just to talk. If there is something I really need to talk to someone about, I will either call them or talk to them when I see them. I use text when it comes to planning things with my friends. Texting is great for getting right to the point and not having to worry about having some formal conversation over the phone before you can hang up, which can end up to be a 45 minute phone conversation. Now that’s what I call time wasted! And then what if you forget to mention something? Then you have to call that person back again and that gets really annoying. A text is more informal, efficient, and useful. Also, I'd rather get carpal tunnel from texting than a brain tumor from being on the phone too often. So I’m pretty proud to say that I’m not a tech addict, and that I use technology to positively benefit me most of the time. I just hope that people can be more responsible when it comes to technology. It can do great things for us if used correctly. We just can’t let it take over our lives. It may be easier said than done, but it is possible to overcome.

Hi, my name is Holly and I'm addicted to movies.

And it's becoming a problem.

Well, not exactly. But I think it's time I cut back.

I am constantly watching movies, talking about movies, quoting movies, and thinking about movies. Then, when one of my friends hasn't seen a movie that I love, I demand that they watch it with me. If it's one of my favorites, I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone has the appropriate reaction to each part of the movie.

Oh, and I recently discovered that I am able to watch certain movies on Netflix through my brother's xbox live account. I think I must have watched about 10 movies over the break on that alone.

When Natalie told me she had never seen Titanic, I insisted we watch it right away. Then I found out that she had never seen Forrest Gump, so that came next.

My mom suggested that I go to the library and read a book instead.

Knowing me, I'll pick out a book that has a movie so I can watch it as soon as I finish.

Outliers

Over break I got the opportunity to read a very interesting book called Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. The book was about success and how it is achieved within our society. It goes on about how success usually has more to do with birth, socio-economic status, parents, etc. etc. than with raw will.
I'm sure that many people have thought about how luck often has more to do with how well you do in life and what you succeed at than work, and to a certain extent this book backs that up (although it points out that all the opportunities in the world are useless to you if you aren't willing to put in the effort to take advantage of them). But that is not the part that really interested me. What caught my attention was the idea that most of our potential as a people is wasted. Individuals are not given the opportunities that they need to succeed in a given field and so they don't. There are a LOT of examples in the book. For instance in youth athletics, the 'best' and the 'strongest' are the ones that are given the most opportunity. They receive better coaches, more games, and more chances to practice and to play. These players also tend to be the oldest within their given level. So they go on to get better and better while the youngest players are never given any opportunity. If these young kids were given a chance to succeed, then they might have gone on to become great players, but since they were being compared to older more mature players, no one saw any potential in them they were never even given that chance.
To say the least it is not an easy problem to fix. In fact, just identifying this problem can be extremely difficult. But it is an interesting idea to consider. Out of all the talent that the U.S. or the world has to offer, most of it goes unused and squandered because opportunities never present themselves to the individuals who need them to succeed.

Dear John

On the opening night of Dear John, I went to go see the movie, but the tickets were sold out. Though I was disappointed at the time, I am actually happy that this happened, because it gave me a chance to read the book and become more interested in seeing the movie.

I finished reading Dear John yesterday. I loved the book! Though it was written in the classic Nicholas Sparks style, I still enjoyed it and would recommend reading it, because it has a good story line. Now that I have read the book, I really want to see the movie, to see how the two compare. I have heard that the movie was not that great, and has a different ending than the book. A different ending sounds good to me, because I did not really like the ending of the book. It just left me wondering whether it was supposed to be happy or depressing and did not really leave me satisfied.

Hopefully I will like the movie. It is always so hard for movies to compare to books, but I still want to see Dear John. It will be interesting to see how everything compares!

Woot!Woot!

Hey all! Well, tomorrow brings another day of amazing schooling where students learn and teachers teach. You want to know why I am so happy right now!? I am in my room! Yes! I painted it a rich bright yellow color and it makes me happy 24/7. Also, I did a lot of other things in my room, new bedding, new curtain, new trash can, the whole she-bang. But the sad thing is, that is all I had time for, renewing my room. I'm not mad though because since its new and amazing, I'll actually want to keep it clean and not mess it up tomorrow which all of my clothes on the floor and so on... Wait! Actually I did get my hair cut and I'm very ecstatic about it. I love my curly hair, but straight hair isn't that bad, it's more managable! Also, on Valentine's day, my parents took me and my sis to BJ's! Yummy! I have never went there before and it was awesome. Other than that, I had fun watching Enchanted 20 thousand times and Cats 101. It has been a very productive week. Now, I must start and finish my week long homework that I did absolutely none of this whole week. Bye!

Another Screwed up Book to Movie

I just went to see "Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief". Now before I go on, I'm am going to say a few things. First, I have read the book, thought it was awesome, and was really looking forward to seeing this movie. Second, I thought the movie was pretty good. The reason I had a problem with it was because I've read the book, and from the start, the movie starts messing with the plot of the book. I don't want to give examples and spoil anything, but there were characters completely missing, changed up plot points, monsters missing, completely new items; I could try listing every changed point I saw, but I give away spoilers for those who haven't read the book and for those that haven't seen the movie. Plus, it would just take too long. Now I know I said it was a good movie, and I stand by that. My problem is, the movie could have been better. There were better story surprises, twists and turns, and a completely different ending in the book, and most of it wouldn't really be that hard to do. If you've read the book, here's a fun thing to do. See the movie, and then try to list as many differences between the two as you can. Geeze, and I thought the movie version of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" messed with the book plot.

The SLO life is the life for me

Having this past week off has been completely amazing, although it's made me even lazier than I have been already this semester. Sleeping in everyday, making my own schedule since I don't have work, and going on a roadtrip with Katie have been my favorite parts, obviously, but if I had to pick one it would be getting to relax with my cousin and Katie in Cal Poly. Now I know why people choose the SLO life, and I can't wait to be a part of it next year now that I've been accepted to Cal Poly. This is just the change that I need from Rocklin, and the people and views are so lovely it's all too hard to resist. There is plenty going on during the day in this college town, but if you so choose you can take some deep breaths and fresh salt water taffy and go think by Morro Bay or one of the secluded locations nearby; the perfect balance between calming and lively, hometown feel and something new. Not to mention all of the adorable hole-in-the-wall places to be discovered there (and cheap too!).

{One of the hole in the wall places in Morro with the best taffy}

{View from Morro-so calming!}

{My new favorite place}

Rocklin California Again

It's one of the last days of winter break take two...why in the world am I up at 7 in the morning? Besides the fact that I'm a morning person it probably has something to do with the fact that I am not used to the time change yet. Yesterday I got back from visiting my mom in Pennsylvania. I have never seen so much snow in my life!!!! It felt like I was living in an ice box. There's so much snow and they have no idea what to do with it so they take bull dozers and pile it up everywhere along the edge of the road, in parking lots, pretty much any where they can shove it. If it were to all start melting rapidly they would be in a whole world of trouble with flooding. My sister can't walk directly to her bus stop even, she has to walk dow a block to get around the massive snow bank they so conveniently made in front of it. Naturally I got a cold because of the change in weather, so hopefully being back can make it better. Well Mr. Nichols, I did what I promised. I think I have a good yearbook picture for ya.

Kings game!

Two Fridays ago, Davis and I were amateur journalists at the Kings vs. Suns game! It was such a privilege to go because after the game, Mr. Paul Coro, a sports reporter from the Arizona Republic gave us a press pass to see the post-game interviews! It was kinda funny actually because I kept hearing someone say my name and I look up and one of my best friends is trying to sneak onto the court as if he's with me and Davis haha. I don't think he'll cut down journalism anymore haha.

The game itself was okay-the Kings definitely lost, but Davis and I were expecting that. The Kings always seem to get that lead in the first opening minutes of the first quarter, but it's downhill from there.

Davis and I got to go in the "tunnel" where the players run out of into the court. We got to meet and talk to the the Suns head coach (Davis help me with the names here!). His advice for journalism is to "keep the 'lys' on the adverbs". And omg, best part ever, as the Suns players are running out to the airport, we talk to a few players, including our favorite...STEVE NASH! He was kind enough to stop and shake our hands. Davis and I were screaming on the inside when he shook our hands. And we were still in awe for the rest of the night and weekend!

Thankfully, Davis was more assertive than I was when it came to trying to initate conversation with the players.

I really look up to those players (literally). Davis and I were also lucky enough to talk to some Sac Bee reporters and hang out in the reporters lounge after the game. Sports journalism is such a fast-paced and exciting world..we hope that someday we can be apart of it.

Thank you, again, Nichols.

Relief

This week has been so busy, so I'm so relieved that we have next week off! Pretty much every day I have had a bunch of homework and things to do after school. However, it has been a very fun and good week for me. Oh and yesterday I got accepted to Cal Poly! It is really nice to know that I got into my one of my top schools. I started looking into housing and things already, but since I have at least four other colleges to hear back from and other factors to consider, I have at least a couple months until I will commit to a college and accept admission. Hearing from all of these colleges is making me realize how soon that all of us seniors will graduate and start college. Wow!

Feb. Break

So originally I had been really super excited about having a second winter break. I mean more time off school...what could possibly be bad about that???? Well I'm slowly finding out that I was slightly wrong in my thinking. Once again teachers are treating this like it's the end of semester and cramming to get everything done. Tests,projects, and laborious amounts of homework: oh what a joy. Things are particularly difficult in my AP classes. Who knew that we would have such a hard time getting all of our material covered before the AP test and now we don't even have time to do all of our reviewing over what we have learned. When we get back spring break will be approaching closer and closer and once again we will be faced with the cramming and the stress. I'm leaving on Friday to go to Pennsylvania and they are getting insane amounts of snow, so if I don't return from break you know that I'm probably stuck in an igloo somewhere. Oh the joys of Feb. break maybe it will all be worth it if I find my senior ball dress.

College Trip

Furlough week is a week of relaxing for most people, but not for me. I'm going on a trip to SoCal to see colleges. Since I have yet to even consider which college I would like to attend, this trip will likely be not only a rewarding one, but a trip that help me make a final selection of the colleges I wish to go to.
I'm going to UCSD, UCLA, UCI, and UCSB and taking a tour of each.
What makes this trip even better is the fact that my mom is letting me bring my friend Andre along so he too can get experience to choose a college. Also, we will be going to the Hollywood walk of Fame with all the famous actors' names on the stars.
I think this is gonna be a fun week.

Football.

Basically, I've never been one for football. I can never focus on a game for more than three seconds and do not see the fun in watching big guys tackle each other and throw some dumb ball. Being the only one in my family who isn't a fan, I've always tried to see what is so enjoyable about this sport but have evidently failed. I get good grades in school but it seems impossible for me to understand football. After watching numerous games from when I was a cheerleader, going to school games, or watching at home with the family, I still sit there trying to focus on the screen with failed attempt after failed attempt. So, needless to say, the Super Bowl is not something I look forward to, in fact I only like it because of the food. Football, I guess, is just one of those things where you either like it or you don't and who knows maybe one day I'll have an epiphany and finally understand what you crazy football-loving people love about this sport.

Dear John

So I saw Dear John opening night. It was a... nice movie... but then again, I'm not a picky movie-goer. I am easily moved by film's themes and messages, and I cry in about every single one, whether it be during a happy part or a sad part. My friends who went to see it with me were kind of disappointed by the ending and "creeped out" by an unexpected turn that took place. My mom said it was too slow. I agree with them for the most part, but I think it worked for the story line. And unlike other Nicholas Sparks stories, this one was quite unpredictable. Usually in his stories, two people fall in love in North Carolina, someone dies... the end. But this movie had me guessing the whole way through, and my guessing turned out to be way off. I hear that the movie's ending is different from the novel's ending, so I'm looking forward to reading it too. So I recommend the movie for people who are into love stories and are sensitive towards that kind of stuff, but if not, yeah, it's probably a waste of your time.

Sickness. And a really, really bad rant.

Man, being sick really sucks. Your throat hurts, your nose is runny, and you feel really weak and tired. I also blame this cold for why I can't think of something better to write. Stupid cold. Hmm......... yeah, I got nothing to write about. Dang. I blame society. I don't know why, I just do. Stupid Tiger Woods.

18 :D

YESSSS. The time has come for me to actually become an adult. On Thursday, at least. My 18th birthday is coming up, and I'm pretty excited for it. Mainly because I usually have the same group over at my house for a little party every year, but this year my mom and stepdad bought tickets to see Rent :D. I first saw the movie back in 8th grade, and I just thought it was amazing, and now I'm going to go see it live with two of the actors from the movie/original broadway cast in show.
So, I guess I'm going to have a pretty nice birthday. :D

I'm 18!!!

I just turned 18 on sunday!! My mom set up a surprise party for me at Olive Garden and I had no idea it was going to be 3 of my best friends and my mom and brother. I had so much fun! OH and I haven't had a radio in my car since I've owned it (almost a year) so my mom got one installed for me on Saturday-I have music now!! Looooved all my gifts from everyone (Thanks guys!) The cake my mom got was kind of nasty, but I loved the effort. It was dark chocolate with strawberries in the middle layer, but it was gross nonetheless. Victoria got me my first Icing on The Cupcake, cupcake. Red velvet to be exact :)
Not to mention the surprise cupcakes and super stealth hyroglyphic birthday note from someone... the little umbrella was a nice touch :).
Sooooo, I'm 18 :)

Grammy's

I do not know why I watch the Grammy's. Every year I just end up yelling at the tv. I think I really just use is as an excuse to procrastinate some more on homework that I already pushed to Sunday night. But I do like the performances for the most part, they're usually pretty entertaining. I guess the thing that makes me mad is that the best artists are usually not even nominated, and God knows they will never win. Well personally I really like Lady Gaga and think she should have won something at least, and Kings of Leon are good. But some of the others I do not get. Pink's performance was the best, in my opinion; wow factor and talent. But that was the highlight. At least I was able to procrastinate.

Ummmm senioritis? Just a little bit

I would never let it get to the point where I didn't do my work (I would feel terrible) but this is way worse than I expected. I thought that I would want to be in high school up until the day of graduation (maybe even after) but I am SO READY to get out of here. I don't mean offense to Rocklin or anything, because for the most part it's the same place that I've grown up in and loved, but I am very, very, VERY ready for something new. You know you're ready for college when the thought of a dorm room bunk isn't completely appalling compared to your giant bed, and not having your own bathroom (hopefully that won't be the case) is almost tolerable. I'll be leaving so much behind and I know it's going to be really difficult to find my nitch in the school at first because I've completely adapted to my roles at RHS, but it's much better knowing that other people aren't going to be totally adapted either, and we'll all be open to meeting new people. Four more months until we start a completely different chapter in our lives, seniors! I'll try and really cherish the last few months and not let senioritis completely overtake me.

"THE WIZ"

It is finally here! After a rough two months of rehearsal and hard work, our RHS peers are now ready to present this year's musical, "The Wiz". What is this musical about you ask? Well, it is a comparison to the "Wizard of Oz" but it is a more jazzy version and funkay! This muscial is filled with some of the most fun songs that will be guaranteed to make everybody rejoice! Having so many amazing members that auditioned, the show has been double and triple-casted.

Performing on February 3, 5, and 11
Dorothy-Jessica Bronte
Scarecrow-Mitchell Boberg
TinMan-Jake Asaro
Lion-Bret Howe
The Wiz-Dominique Dates
Evillene-Kat Perakis
Addaperle-Amber Beebe
Aunt Em/Glinda-Madi Crossland

Performing on February 4,9, 12
Dorothy-Kristina Dizon
Scarecrow-Grant Douglas
TinMan-Connor Morgan
Lion-Alex Crossland
The Wiz-Jackie Summers
Evillene-Madi Crossland/Annie Dick
Addaperle-Nikki Young
Aunt Em/Glinda-Annie Dick

The tickets are $6 with ASB and $7 without.

The people you should be looking for are the Awesemble members! They are the funniest and most exciting dancers, actors, and singers I have met. They make the show!

The band, who is responsible for providing the music, are going to be the reason why you want to tap your feet. Our RHS band members are seriously a talented bunch of students.

Our stage crew and stage managers are the ones responsible for making sure everything goes smoothly on stage and make sure no wardrobe or set malfunctions happen. They're the best!

Our AD's (assistant directors) are the students who make sure everything else go smoothly and help out our director, Ms. Toepke with anything she needs to make the show a success.

Hats go out to Ms. Hawkins, Mr. Dick, and Ms. Toepke for making all of this happen. Without them, this show wouldn't even been possible.

Big hats go out to Mallory Teresa for choreographing the whole show! She is one of the sweetest people and she deserves big props for helping out with the show.

So, ease on down the road to the theater and be ready to have an awesome time.