Assignment 26-Gibbs

This year, overall, has been fantastic, this class included. Honestly, I wouldn't change much about the structure or content. I feel as though I was very well prepared for the AP test, both the essays and the multiple choice sections. However, I do think that the socratic seminars ended up being a little repetitive. In place of the last few, I think it would be abetter use of time to practice writing essays or even another multiple choice test.

18 Hallie

There are a so many things that I want to experience in my life that there is no way I can fit them on one list but I can at least name a few: this is a very steriotypical thing to but on a bucket list but I want to go skydiving, Margaret and I have already planned to go when we both turn 18. I could go on an on about all the places I want to visit and all the silly things I want to do with my friends for paragraphs but I would probably end up boring you.

The only thing on my high school bucket list is to survive. Senior year is ahead of me and the process of applying for college overwhelms me so my plan is to just survive. There are so many things I want to get out of the college experience but there is one thing that I've know that I wanted to do in college and that is to study abroad, I particularly would like to study/serve abroad in a 3rd world country. Finally, by the end of my life I want to be happy and I want the people I love and care about to be happy too, as long as this happens my bucket list is complete.

Assignment 25 - Jacquelyn Engel

With summer just two days away how could I not talk about summer? I have all my summer planned out or at least I did. Recently, my mentor backed out on me for summer. Needless to say it changed everything. I had scheduled my whole summer around my mentoring project, and now that they have backed out, I am in disarray and pretty peeved. I'm still trying to sort things out but for right now all is still muddled together. Nothing is set in stone, and this does not sit well with me at all. I like things organized. But I guess that's life; there are curveballs thrown at you and you just have to go with it. Which is fine with me for the most part. I can go with the motions, but I definitely prefer for things like my mentoring project to be completely planned and organized. I know things will work out; it's not the end of the world.

Assignment 26-Garrett Uebelhor

    Throughout the year i have had alot of fun in ap language yet still i think there are some things which could be improved upon. First off I think that we should have focused a little bit more on the timing aspect of the ap test. I did struggle a little bit with pacing myself throughout the year and although I improved I would have probably benefited from a little more practice. I did however like the many writing prompts we were given and enjoyed the end of the year life lessons. I also would have liked to see more Act practice over Sat practice. I think that the Act is more applicable to the colleges which i am applying so from my perspectivw mpre act prep would help. I would also like to see more use of the textbooks, i felt like we only used them early in the year. When grading essays i thinked i liked the class discussions the most, for me turnitin essay grading was hard for my computer to run and it turned into less of a assignment and more waiting on my computer to respond. I also feel that the class discussion better enabled me to umprove on my writing and helped me to understand what other people were expecting out of my writing.

Assignment 25- Garrett Uebelhor

 I really hate it how their is either alot of really good movies out at one time or none at all. Everytime I decide I want to go to the movie theater i get there and am faced with the agonizing decision of deciding between movie. Recently the superhero craze has taken over much of our movie theaters but DC and Marvel really dont think about their rekease dates well enough. It seem like you alwaves have two movies coming out together like the new batman and the spiderman or spiderman 2 and the newest xmen movie. To me it would make the most sense if they had separate release dates. I think they could both draw in more money if they were not competing against each other. This would also help to solve the periods of " crap" movies which we go through each year. By the way sense we are already on the topic of movie theaters did you know they are going to replace the current projectors with laser projectors which well give a crisper and more attractive experience for the audience. I think this will really help to bring back business to the movie theaters because lets face it, currently our home tvs usually have better images then the movie theater projectors.

Assignment 26- Andy

AP Academy English Language and Composition has been one of my favorite classes all year. It has certainly been more "laid-back" than most of my classes, but I still accomplished many things while in it. My favorite part about the class were the Socratic seminars. They may have been tedious and have some flaws, but I think they help build skills in analysis. One of major problems with the seminars is the lack of control by the teacher. More guidance is required so that students don't get sidetracked and so that we know what to talk about. Another thing that I thought was very constructive was the speech as the first semester final. Many people have a fear of speaking in public and it is important to develop this skill, as it is useful in all professions. The second semester video seems less constructive. Mos students have very little experience with video editing software and such a technically challenging project should not be a final.

Assignment 25- Andy

Cephalopods are some of the most interesting organisms in the world. They fall into class Cephalopodia in phylum mollusca of the Kingdom Animala and are invertebrates. Some of the most well known creatures in this class include octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and the chambered nautilus. The animals in this class all have eight arms. These are used to propel the organism and grasp surfaces and prey. Squid have two extra, longer tentacles that they use to feel and attack prey. The visceral mass of cephalopods is contained within the mantle, or the head, of the organism. The mantle siphons water through the body to propel the organism forward. Cephalopods are the only mollusks with closed circulatory systems. They possess two brachial hearts that pump hemolymph (blood-like fluid) through the capillaries of the gills. A single heart then pumps the blood throughout the body. Instead of using hemoglobin (iron-based) to carry oxygen cephalopods use hemocyanin (copper-based) to carry oxygen throughout the body.

Assignment 26- Julian Perry

There is a reason that you, Mr Logsdon, are occasionally referred to as LogDog. You are the "dawg," as the 90s would say. You are truly a great teacher and person (not to say that teachers aren't people!). This post is not about how great you are, however. This post is about how you can improve. 

I have no real complaints with this class aside from the second semester socratic seminars. They appeared too loosely governed from my perspective, or perhaps too strictly governed. Ms Moses (no offense meant at all, she was a great student teacher) seemed to hold the middle ground too often, in that either: 

1. when the discussion would wind down she would push on, preventing transition     or...

2. she would cut us off in order to transition. 

I enjoyed and benefitted from the activity, but the teacher's role in the seminar was inconsistent at best. I guess that my point in this rambling is that I wish we could better predict and control transitions from question to question. How to do this, I can't say. Either the student-run or teacher-driven aspect should be buffed, in my view on the topic. 

On a side note, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities to practice AP exams in your class. Those activities helped build our confidence going into the real thing. The graph is a nice visualization of our improvements as well. 

Assignment 25- Julian Perry

One thing I haven't gotten to talk about nearly enough this year (although my friends and family would beg to differ) is the exciting new virtual reality company Oculus VR. After having obsessed over reddit.com/r/oculus for the better part of two years, the most active forum for VR news has left me with no blank spots in my knowledge. The company Oculus was started in 2012 with a wildly successful (the most successful ever, actually) Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of a developer kit for the Rift, a VR head-mounted display. Using cheap optics, this $300 hmd has revolutionized the market with a 100 degree field of view, similar to your sight wearing ski goggles. You aren't in front of a screen. You appear surrounded by the screen, on all sides. This has more applications than in just gaming. Many countries, including the US Government, are experimenting with these Rifts for military purposes. The $300 hmd is superior to any other hmd available previously for thousands, because it uses cheap lenses to create a wider field of view rather than using a larger (and heavier/more expensive) screen. 

Only days ago, a man named James posted the results to an experiment he was conducting on his own. He suffers from a lazy eye, which means he can't focus both eyes at once on the same object. With the Oculus Rift, James coded a game to train his lazy eye to focus correctly by showing it a slightly altered image. He claims that he can now see in true 3D even in real life, for the first time ever. Previously it was thought that a lazy eye could never be fixed after childhood, because the brain hardwires these connections during younger years, but VR is proving that wrong. VR truly is the future, and I'm excited for it. 

Assignment 24- Julian Perry

My Junior year has been an uphill battle. It has been a race against time and a struggle against my own self. First semester was fairly uneventful, aside from the large number of snow days Fayette County collected. It was certainly frustrating at times, but the real blows were dealt second semester. 

This semester, I've been victim to so many illnesses that I can't count my absences on fingers AND toes. An uphill battle is quite a fitting comparison. I'm proud of the work that I've done this year, climbing up from an F in a majority of my classes. It's just unfortunate that this is the year colleges look at. I hope to write a killer college entrance essay from this experience, however. Always looking on the upside. That's what keeps me positive when life isn't positive. 

Assignment 25: Sepehr Piltan

Even though many people think salads are bad tasting, there are plenty of ways to make a tasty salad that is still healthy. Keeping your salad healthy is the number one key. Adding too many calories by using salad dressing and cheese can make your salad unhealthier than eating a slice of cake. You want to find a good balance of healthy food ingredients that spice up the flavor of your salad without adding too many calories. Try adding some greens. There are several different types of lettuce that you can choose from to start your salad off with. If you are going to pick iceberg lettuce, make sure that you add another type of lettuce because iceberg has the least nutritional value out of all the types of lettuce. Add as many vegetables as you can. Pick any vegetables that you like and add it to your salad. Besides the basic carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and radishes, try other vegetables in your salad such as corn and peas. All the different vegetables will add crunch and different flavors to your salad. Try adding in some fruit into your salad. Try some apples, mandarin oranges, blueberries, raspberries, or pineapple to give your salad a sweet flavor, without adding a lot of calories. Toss in some protein to keep you feeling full longer. Again, there are several different options that you that will keep your salad healthy. Try a piece of grilled chicken. If you want more flavors, try adding some garlic to your grilled chicken. Other protein sources include tuna, turkey, and nuts such as almonds. Beans are another great option for adding some protein to your salad. If you must have cheese on your salad, like I do, make sure that you pick a low-fat cheese. Adding too much cheese to your salad will add the calories to the salad and you can get flavor elsewhere besides the fattening cheese.

Assignment 24: Sepehr Piltan

I've had many success's and failures over the year and learned a lot from my mistakes. I made a lot of new friends and learned that not all of them are the best ones,  I've learned that only your true friends are the ones that stick by your side even when things aren't going great. I've learned that no doing your work on time will catch up to you later. I've learned that you can never enough of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I've learned a lot this year through my success's and failures and hope to use them to my advantage next year. But before Senior year begins, there's summer, and I plan to accomplish absolutely nothing this summer except to sleep, eat, and to watch every show on Netflix. But I am going to Florida and Canada this summer, and I'm really looking towards it. And I might even go to California, which would be great because I've always wanted to go there. After summer ends though, comes senior year, my final year in high school. For my last year I plan to make the most out of everything, and just try to have the most fun possible,

Assignment 26 - Jacquelyn Engel

At the start of Junior year, I didn't really know what to expect about this class. I had heard that it was a relaxed class, and I have to agree. It was relaxed, but it was definitely helpful with the AP exam. With this type of English, you can't really study for it, you just have to practice. It was helpful becoming familiar with the style of the test. I have to say that doing the timed writings and practice exams were quite a drag but definitely useful. By the time I took the AP Exam, it felt comfortable and relaxed because I knew what to expect. I liked how they weren't graded because it was one less grade to worry about and it taught responsibility. Since we only did timed writings and practice exams, it helped me balance out the rest of my schedule. If you wanted to BS the practice exams and timed writings then fine, it was your choice but that ultimately would not abet you in the future.

Assignment 24 - Jacquelyn Engel

My success: AP Chemistry. My failure: AP Chemistry. Near the end of sophomore year there was a lot of talk about different classes to take Junior Year. I never really knew much about AP Chemistry, but when Mr. Ratliff and Mrs. Minor talked about AP Chemistry, it made me do a complete 180. I decided to go with a whole different schedule than the one I had originally intended to do my Junior year. I wanted to take AP Chemistry because I thought it would help me with my future and majoring in Medical sciences. Also, I heard it was extremely difficult, but I like a challenge. Well, it turned out a failure because I didn’t have much interest in the subject, and sometime early into Junior year, I had figured that I really didn’t want to major into Medical Science. So why did I stay? I asked myself that question quite often this past year because what was the purpose in taking this class if I didn’t enjoy the subject? But, that part was the success because I challenged myself. Sometimes you just have to deal with it; things might not go in your favor but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Although AP Chemistry was a failure in my interest, it was a success as it helped make me mentally stronger.

Assignment 23 - Jacquelyn Engel

This playlist is the "Everything Playlist" because it fits about any situation. It encompasses a wide variety of music in just five songs; it contains rock, rap, alternative, classic, pop. Because there are five genres of music in this playlist, it is suitable for any situation. There's one song that's good for working out, one for a dinner party, one for just thinking, one for a bike ride, and one for doing homework. There's so many situations that this playlist could suit, but it not only applies to situations, it applies to moods as well. If you're in a relaxed mood there's a song for that, or if you're in a super hyped mood there's a song for that too. Personally, I could listen to this playlist multiple times without getting tired because there is a drastic change in the genre of music and not one that sounds all the same. 1)Vultures - John Mayer 2)Fly Me To the Moon - Frank Sinatra 3)Sun - Two Door Cinema Club 4)Come and Get It - Selena Gomez 5)No Church In the Wild - Kanye West (feat. Jay Z)

19- Taylore Jordan

"Be yourself". Two simple words that everyone should live by. I have come to embrace myself for who I am; the girl who keeps to herself and tries to figure everything out. Though people may judge and say things about me, I am just following the advice of the people who always say this to me; namely my mother and grandmother. We as humasn in this big world should value diversity. The differences and complexities between people make they unique and make our world a more interesting place to live in. If everyone was the same, we would have no need to have many friends. No one would be specialized in various skills enough to contribute different things to the world that we cannot muster all by ourselves. So all in all, be yourself, because the differences among mankind help to make our world a lively place.

Assignment 26- Drew

I felt this class was overall effective in preparing us for the AP test. While it seemed tedious at the time, the AP multiple choice checks we did every so often  in exposed us to the way in which AP  questions are phrased, which in hindsight I realize is critical; I'm sure all of us had the knowledge to answer the questions on the first day of school, but weren't aware of what the question was asking or assessing. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the in-class congresses were invaluable in preparing us for the essay portion, especially when you broke down what the College Board was looking for in each particular essay. The online congresses, however, weren't any of that. Most of the comments left by people were simplistic, as they were just doing it to get it done, and I myself can be accused of that. I always felt engaged in the classroom discussions but couldn't muster the willpower to grade the online essays thoroughly, for which I always felt bad (but I guess that's a me problem). As far as the types of essays, you should do more of the argumentative and synthesis congresses in class. While I will say I needed help with the analysis, by the second one I had a pretty good grip on those, and I feel like more time ought to be spent on the other two, especially considering we didn't do any of the syntheses or argumentatives as in-class congresses.

20- Taylore Jordan

How to be extremely annoying in-between class changes at Henry Clay: 1. Have the mindset that the time between classes is somewhat of a party with the rest of the Henry Clay population. Believe solely in your heart that 5 minutes is so much more than it truly is. 2. When traveling from point A to point B (not assuming the stops you'll be making to talk to all of your friends), walk as slow as you possibly can. This is probably one of the more annoying things you can do in the hallway. It'll infuriate the people behind you who are actually try to get to class. That should make you feel really special. 3. Besides walking slowly, occasionally stop in the middle of the hallway abruptly. The more friends you have with you, the better. You'll create a blockage that makes the Academy kids groan. You might even get trucked or something, because you'll be basically asking for it. Heaven forbid the over-crowding issue at our school get resolved. 4. Just act like you are compeletly irresponsible and you don't think you are truly at school. Just do what you want. YOLO, right?

21- Taylore Jordan

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, there is a family in an undeveloped country. A family who struggles everyday to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and smiles on each other's faces. These families are no different than ours, fundamentally. They have the love (if not, more of it) that we share with each other. They just may not live as long to be able to prove it. They may become ill or die from starvation. While these families are working in the heat of the day, all day long making $1 a day and you are sitting in an office typing away making $40 an hour, and you waste at least half of the food that you make and buy. Our society takes way too much for granted, and we have the over-abundance of goods to thank for that. Americans (and everyone else in the world, really) need to think of others in the world who are not as fortunate as they are, and perhaps find a way to help them and to give back. They have more than they need, after all.

Assignment 25- Drew

The future of our species lies in the final frontier, space, and we must be willing to spend the money to get there. We continue to announce more and more spending cuts for our space programs despite our need for the vast resources and space available in space. Humanity, and the United States in particular, continues to wage war after needless war and spend exorbitant sums of money killing instead of researching. If we are to survive, we must stop this.

Assignment 26 (feedback)- Isaac Satin

The practice tests, both multiple choice and essays, were helpful for the AP test. The packets about what the essays were were not as helpful; seeing what they were supposed to look like was good but reading about what and what not to do only created confusion for me. Also, the last few essays we wrote were not graded in time for the AP test, so while writing them was useful practice I did not know whether I wrote them well or not which would have been helpful. As for the peer grading of the essays I found the turnitin grading to be the most effective; when it was done in a full classroom discussion people often wrote identical or similar things so the feedback was less varied and therefore less helpful. Lastly, I enjoyed the Socratic Seminars, but the some of the pieces we analyzed for them did not lend themselves to a long discussion, so it would be good if you or whoever the student teacher at the time is to look at the pieces before they are assigned to be sure that they are able to sustain classroom discussion for the full hour.

Assignment 24- Drew

The future...it's actually kind of intimidating to think about. College, something that was once so far away that I didn't have to think about is now upon me, and soon so shall also a career decision be upon me as well, two very difficult and life changing choices. What scares me is my love of so many subjects, such that a career choice will be most difficult. I enjoy and could see myself in so many different occupations that choosing one will be difficult. While I'm reasonably certain I'll go into engineering, I keep being reminded not only of my love of math but also my love of music and history. I can rule out history (can I?) due to a lack of serious jobs, but the other two remain in contention, so that is the most daunting task ahead of me in my future: deciding a career.

Assignemt 25-Gibbs

All I can really think about right now without becoming stressed is the fact that summer is almost here. My summer this year is relatively busy, but with activities that I am extremely excited about. For one, I have a stack of about 10 books that I need to read and I am planning on doing so the moment i get out. A few of these books are "The Goldfinch", "American Gods", and "A Storm of Swords". Other than reading, I am going to begin my metering project, which is an internship at the Morris Book shop. I cannot wait to begin, I think it is going to be an amazing and enjoyable experience, and I can ride my bike there now that they have put in sidewalks on Tates Creek road.  I will also be going to Montreat with my church. Montreat is a camp type thing in the mountains of North Carolina, and it is gorgeous. Hallie is coming also, so it should be a lot of fun.
Lastly, I am looking forward to beginning my last season with Henry Clay soccer. Well, I can't say I'm really looking forward to 2-a-days, but I do miss the team. It is going to be bittersweet this year, knowing that it is my last, but I want to make the most of it.

Assignment 24-Gibbs

Overall, I would so that I am relatively happy with my junior year. It has been stressful, exciting, and stressful again. Honestly though, my classes were not significantly harder than my sophomore year. Anyways, there have been multiple events that bode well for my near future. I have become even more involved in my after school activities, and received good grades (so far!)
Something that has been strange is the feeling of growing up. I have never truly felt like I was getting older, but with the new responsibilities and insanely important decisions looming in the near future, it can feel as though there is an enormous weight on your shoulders. Suddenly, our decisions matter. They will affect the rest of our lives, no turning back. That, to me, is growing up, and to a certain extent it makes me apprehensive of the future. However, though that feeling of responsibility does bring a weight, it also brings an incredible sense of freedom and self. When you are making decisions like where you want to go to college and what job you want to have, you are suddenly yourself. Not your parents child, not your teachers student, but you, fully and wholly. Well almost-what excited me about the future is the continuing development of self.

Assignment 26-Eliot Smith

This class was my first skill-based AP class, and it is easy to tell that this class is different from content-based courses.  Compared to content classes, the AP English class is much, much more laid back and much less stressful.  I believe that this class in particular is even more laid back and less stressful than the usual AP English class, due to the students that are enrolled (academy).  Mr. Logsdon, in my opinion, has a clear philosophy--if you want to fool around and learn nothing over the whole year and not take the AP exam, that's fine, just don't get in the way of those who actually want to further their skills as a writer.  And for those that actually do want to pursue a heightened writing skill, the resources to do so are very available due to the structure of the class.  I chose the latter, and I felt that this class improved my writing skills tremendously, and for that, I would like to thank Mr. Logsdon.  In the class, I don't feel overly pressured to participate and don't feel unmotivated in the least bit, and on the days that I just really wasn't feeling the whole English groove, I knew that I could sit out and spectate without being yelled at or pressured--I believe that this is one of the factors that contributed to my continued motivation.

Less Socratic Seminars though, after the 3rd one I wanted to bash my head in.

10/10

Assignment 25-Eliot Smith

He's the chameleon--the social one, to clarify.  He is rare, and uses his rarity as a tool to attract others.  Not predators, but admirers--these are the ones that cause his color shifts.  But these shifts are not brought on by the need to obscure himself, quite the contrary.  While they are adaptations to sudden changes of environment, they are meant to cater and appease, rather than to blend.

To clarify further, he is a man, but he is not like the others--this is easily discernible to those that look.  When approached by one, he takes on a certain act.  When approached by another, a different act, and so on. It is this exemplary ability to adapt that makes him so admired, so liked.

Like the chameleon, his true color can only be discovered by those study him to the point of complete trust--only then will he divulge his true nature, and only then will dedicate one color to you.

Assignment 23-Gibbs

On of my very favorite activities to do in the spring and summer is laying in the hammock under our porch while reading and listening to music. In the past couple of weeks I have been able to do this more often with with warmer weather. I like to make playlists for this time so that I don't have to mess with my phone or laptop during my period of relaxation. This playlist is an excerpt of 5 of my favorite songs that made the cut for my overall hammock playlist.

1) "Emmylou", by Vance Joy. I absolutely love the tune of this song and the lack of editing. It has the sound of an acoustic song without being one, and in my opinion, just makes you think of laying in the warmth with your eyes closed, which is exactly what I do while listening to it.

2) "First Day of My Life", by Bright Eyes. This song has a very similar overall feeling as "Emmylou", which is why they are on the same playlist. Both are upbeat, this one more so, but without a fast beat. I like that these songs, this one in particular, can be both happy and relaxing.

3) "On Top of the World", by Mindy Smith ft. Island Sky. Though there is another more popular song by this title, the two are nothing alike. This song has more of a dreamy quality to it, but still retains the happy-but-not-fast characteristic as the others on the playlist.

4) "Skinny Love", by Bon Iver. I know this song is not particularly happy, but what ties it together with the rest of the playlist, in my opinion,  is the acoustic qualities. The tone of the song just feels the same; I have also listened to it a thousand times and have not grown tired it, which is always a good sign.

5) "She is Love", by Parachute. Though this song id not quite as acoustic as the others, it is happy and still relaxing. I believe that it's style matches that of the other songs well, and blends into the playlist nicely.

So there you have it-my "Hammock Playlist". Even if you don't have a hammock, it could work for nay realizing activity that you can listen to music in.

Assignment 24- Andy

I think I can confidently say that this year has been one of the best of my life. I feel like everything is coming together. As we prepare and are prepared for college and the real world more and more of our efforts and hard work begins to manifest itself in everything we do. The more I look back at old blog post and writing assignments the more I see colossal improvement not only in myself but in my classmates as well. Over the past year I have also been able to contribute to community in ways I never thought I could. I have been able to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, lead and improve my Boy Scout Troop, and be a speaker at an expo. I have made new friends and, unfortunately, grown away from others. This next year I plan to continue with my interests and hobbies and find new ones. I also wish to leave a lasting positive impact on Henry Clay and my community. I hope to rekindle old relationships and seek new ones. Most importantly I plan on enjoying my last year of High School.

Assignment 26- Genghis Goodman

This class was extremely relaxed. Most of the time I felt as if we weren't really doing anything in english, sometimes we would just watch youtube videos for the last 15 minutes of class. Being in Mrs. Dewees' class, as well as AP Chem and other intense classes, I was unsure if I was being prepared enough for the AP test. However, practice test after Practice test, and essay after essay my scores increased. It didn't feel like it in class but I was actually getting better. I consider myself to be very math and science oriented, however going to english class at times felt like a relief compared to some of my other classes, even though I am significantly better in other subject areas. Before I got to AP English, I thought that when it comes to AP courses, they could either be relaxed and calm, or they could adequately prepare you for the AP test. I feel like this class had both qualities, which I appreciated.

assignment 25- Genghis Goodman

I would like to preface this blog by thanking Kaylyn Torkelson for the idea, I had no idea what to write about until she recommended I comment on the chemistry award I received today. Not to be confused with the junior class awards, the chemistry awards were awards made by Mrs. Minor distributed to everybody in her AP chemistry class. I received the Heisenberg Thinker award. This award has two main parts to it, the "Heisenberg" part and the "Thinker" part. According to Mrs. Minor I think well, probably because I would always forget to (or just not) study for tests, leaving me forced to actually think my way through problems. Also, little known fact, I wasn't named after the rapist and murder Genghis khan, Genghis is actually an English translation of the Chinese name Si Han, which means thinking man sooo the thinker award seems very fitting. Now comes the most important part of this award, the "Heisenberg" part. As most of you know, Heisenberg is the alias Walter White cooks meth under, and ultimately the man he becomes. Being Heisenberg requires one to be: hard working, diligent, intelligent, a leader, and most importantly cook an extremely pure batch of meth. I am honored to be classified with all of these characteristics, and to be called Heisenberg is (in my opinion) a real achievement (unless you received this award from Mrs. Minor out of pity, I won't name any names, but the person in mind hasn't even finished breaking bad and still claims to be Heisenberg).

Assignment 23- Andy

In the everyday hustle-bustle of our busy lives there is often little time to slow down and think. I find that certain kinds of music and even specific artists allow for better and more complete introspection. This playlist is designed to assist in deep thought and reflection. To get the full effect of these tracks try to listen to and really analyze every aspect of each one. Be warned- not all the songs in this playlist are "sad", but they will inspire feels in even the toughest listeners.

The Playlist

Track 2: To Build a Home- The Cinematic Orchestra. I have to admit I am not very familiar with this group, but from what I can tell, this is stylistically different from most of their other music. This song is a reflects on the meaning and significance of "home" and the relationships that make up one's home. Its a beautiful piece that leaves you waiting for each individual note. One of my favorite aspects of the track is the fantastic dynamic contrast and lyrics. This song leads the listener to consider their own relationships and their value that we often take for granted.

Track 3: Gossip in the Grain- Ray LaMontagne. Ray LaMontagne has been one of my favorite singer-songwriters for years. Not only is he a fantastic musician and excellent songwriter, but his unique, raspy voice combined with masterful storytelling creates a truly fantastic atmosphere. This song uses birds to describe human behavior and eerily soft composition to create a commentary. The listener is left questioning the meaning and implications of this song long after the last note.

Track 4: John Wayne Gacy Jr.- Sufjan Stevens. This is honestly one of the creepiest songs I have ever heard. If you don't pay attention to the lyrics or name of the song it seems like a simple ballad when it in fact subtly describes a series of gruesome and horrifying murders and the psyche of the man behind them; it is enough to leave any listener reeling. Sufjan Stevens is not one of my favorite artists, but he is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who is helping to redefine the genre.

Track 7: Beyond the Valley of Three White Horses- Andrew Bird. I can safely say Andrew Bird is the most brilliant musician that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Beginning his musical career as a violinist, he eventually moved onto many other instruments and his own unique style of songwriting. He is a master violinist and whistler and plays any number of instruments in his varied songs. If you would like to listen to something different I strongly suggest listening to "The Mysterious Production of Eggs", one of his first (and best) studio albums. This song is actually a reprise of the first song on the album "Hands of Glory", but it is almost all instrumental and showcases his incredible ability on the violin. I find it clears my mind completely and allows one to focus on the deep intricacies of the track.

Track 9: Kettering- The Antlers. I find it very hard to describe this song. I first came across this album quite a while ago and was instantly taken in by it. The album, titled "Hospice", describes the pain of taking care of a dying loved one and the relationships that often form between caretakers and those they look after. It is a hauntingly beautiful piece with a powerful story that pulls at the listeners emotions. 

I have only described a few of the songs on this playlist, but keep in mind that ALL of these songs represent far more than they seem on the surface. Good music balances instrumental music and lyrical choice and both work together to create a meaning that is sometimes hard to grasp. I urge you, in all music, to really think about a song as a whole and how it relates to your life. You will find that you love music more and that there is a reason music is an art.

Assignment 26 - Max Morris

 I would be lying if I said this was one of the most enjoyable English classes I have taken. But as far as being beneficial goes, it's a whole different story. This class prepared me perfectly for the AP Exam, as it was intended to. While I can't say I liked taking practice tests and timed writings, they let me know exactly what to expect on the test, and for that, I am grateful. When it comes to English classes, I am definitely more of a literature kind of person, so while this class didn't connect with me like some past classes did, I can say I found it more helpful than many of those that I did enjoy. Overall, this class prepared me perfectly for the exam, and that was exactly what it was supposed to do. Aces, Mr. Logsdon.

Assignment 25 - Max Morris

One thing I really hate is the myth of incorrect or overreaching analysis. The whole beauty of art is that anyone can find whatever meaning they like in it, so who are we to tell them otherwise? Even if the creator did not intend that meaning, it is just as legitimate. These days, it seems like anyone searching for symbols or anything beyond the basic surface level of a piece is accused of being a pretentious literary snob. I've even heard people claim that searching for themes of the American dream is The Great Gatsby is ridiculous. It's the entire purpose of the book! Not everything is Road House, meant for you to plop down and enjoy for it's story, nothing more, nothing less. I suppose even Road House could be seen as deeper on some level, depending on how is viewing it. There is no such thing as an incorrect analysis. Everything is different for every person, and we should appreciate that instead of limiting it.

Assignment 20 - Max Morris

How to Hypnotize a Chicken 

Step 1 - Find a chicken. Any old fool will do.

Step 2 - Find a flat surface, such as a floor or a sidewalk. Also grab a stick of chalk or another object that will draw on your surface of choice. 

Step 3 -  Grab the dang chicken by both feet and rest its breast upon the sidewalk. It's beak should also be against the sidewalk, like you're fixing to curb stomp him. 

Step 4 - Wave your drawing utensil in front of the dingus chicken to get his attention, and draw a foot-long line straight outward from its beak. 

Step 5 - The chicken is now hypnotized. Great party trick. 

Assignment 18 - Max Morris

High School - Get into a quality college, get passable grades, other generic garbage, I'm mostly waiting until I'm out of college to actually accomplish things.
College- Travel out of the country, meet interesting new people, create some piece of creative work that I can be proud of, make an impact in the world, drive across the country, get a series of tattoos.
Life - Live.

I've never been into the idea of a bucket list, despite its affiliation with Jack Nicholson. I prefer to sort of just take on life as it comes with several major goals in mind. If you base your life solely on fun experiences like skydiving or other such common bucket list activities, then your life is defined by a series of exciting incidents instead of just one big worthwhile life. That being said, I do have one very specific thing I've wanted to accomplish since I was a boy, and that is building a life-size model of Disney World's Haunted Mansion. I know that is very unlikely to happen, but the ride means very much to me, as it was one of the most joyful experiences of my childhood, and every time I ride it, and there's been dozens, a nostalgic rush goes through my body. It would be ideal to be able to replicate this without a trip to the hellhole that is Florida. I also would like to get a tattoo of the character Max from Where the Wild Things Are. I am named after this character, and the book was my favorite as a child, so it is of monumental relevance to me. I still look up to Maurice Sendak as a creative hero.

Assignment 26- Thomas Ueland

I enjoyed English this year, and this is coming from a person who doesn't traditionally like writing essays or analyzing texts. I like the unconventional nature of the class; we didn't just read out of the book and have book assignments like some other English classes did. There was more literary freedom to explore topics than in previous years of English and I think this made it more likable. Also, the flexibility of the schedule helped and I feel like we got things done without an extremely rigorous, repetitive workload. My biggest critique would come in the form of peer grading our essays. While I do believe that they helped, I found it hard to really pinpoint my mistakes in writing with so much feedback at one time, especially when that feedback contradicted itself at times. I would recommend more teacher-graded pieces than peer review essays, but I also understand that grading 100 essays every time around can be mentally taxing.

Assignment 25- Thomas Ueland

Who will win the World Cup? Glad you asked. Since not many people in the real-world America care for professional soccer (it's one of those sports where if you don't play it, it is really hard to watch or be interested in), perhaps the Internet is the best place for soccer predictions. The United States was put in the so-called Group of Death and has to play Portugal, who has the best player in the world; Germany, who has arguably the best team in the world; and Ghana, our World Cup rival who always seems to beat us when we need a win the most. It's safe to say that we won't be winning it all this year; any sort of result would be a win in my eyes. The heavy favorite is the host country and perennial powerhouse Brazil, and with flashy superstars like Neymar and Hulk combined with a solid defense it should fare well for the host country. Because the World Cup is not usually upset-prone and because of the overall strength of their side,  Brazil will end up hoisting the trophy at the end of June. For the safety of the country, let's hope they win because otherwise there will be riots in the streets and widespread chaos.

22- Taylore Jordan

If I could be any fictional character, I'd like to be Christine Daae from the Phantom of the Opera (surprise, surprise). For starters, she's beautiful. I love her long, curly, red hair; it fits her so perfectly. I'm a really big PHan, and I just love the story between Christine and the Phantom. It's such a sweet story of growing up and making your own decisions. In the story she starts as a young, vulnerable girl susceptible to the decieving phantom, but over time learns what it truly means to love. This love affair really displays her growth and I think she is a strong young woman, yet with a lot of tender emotions. She also gets a happy ending in the end, although the phantom may not. Not to mention, she can sing and dance very well (I can do both of those, but not well).

assignment 26 Siobhan

The AP english curriculum was very centered around the AP test, which I think was very beneficial and will be reflected in our scores. The amount of practice essays that we wrote would prepare us for practically any writing prompt that would be thrown at us the day of the AP test. Something that might have improved my score would be focusing a bit more on the multiple choice part of the test. For example, learning strategies on choosing the correct answer and synthesizing the passages that are given on the test. We had to use previous knowledge and skills with that particular part and I think putting some emphasis on that part in class would be very beneficial. Other than that I feel like I was prepared very well for the AP exam and expecting scores that reflect that

Assignment 23- Taylore Jordan

I'm typically a "shower" person, but on the occasion that I'm feeling stressed or achy, a bath with accompanying music is necessary. I created a playlist on my iPod specifically for listening to during a relaxing bath. Here's five songs I've included: - "Music of the Night" by Michael Crawford. I love the Phantom of the Opera, and this song really puts me to ease. - "I Dreamed A Dream" by Anne Hathaway. This is from the 2012 Les Mis movie; I was unaware that Anne Hathaway could sing until I saw the movie. While it isn't overwhelmingly amazing, it is soft and relaxing. - "Fix You" by Coldplay. Or anything by Coldplay, really. This song is really motivating and reassuring, it's very pretty and relaxing. - "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercyme. This is a Christian song, and one of the prettiest modern ones I know. The piano accompaniment is gorgeous. - "Taylor" by Jack Johnson. Any song by Jack Johnson is amazingly relaxing. His songs typically include his vocals and guitar playing, and blend beautifully. He is the perfect artist to listen to while at the beach.

24- Taylore Jordan

Junior year has been a roller coaster for me. While trying to maintain a job and my studies, it's been difficult but has helped to better me as a person. I feel so much more responsible and accountable for my own life. My one and only regret is that I didn't focus solely on my grades. This year is the most prestigious in the college accceptance process, and I really should have taken more time to study. I feel that my AP tests went well, and I had some wonderful teachers to thank for that. I didn't make the volleyball team this year, so I count that as a "failure", but it was certainly a blessing in disguise. I got a job over the summer and have earned enough money to buy my own car. It's a great feeling to be able to have my own money and earn things that I need. Next year, I'll be spending most of my time doing my mentoring project and preparing for college. It is all approaching so fast! I don't even want to think of it now; I'll be lucky to get through these last 7 days first. For the summer, when I'm not stressing out doing summer projects, I'll be working and going to the lake with my family most of the time. I'm looking forward to having more time on my hands. I'm going to try to reconnect with my best friend more; we hardly see one another anymore. Overall, I'm just going to take it day by day and enjoy the time I have before my last year in high school.

assignment 21 siobhan

Right now, somewhere in the universe, a alien community exists. I believe with every entity inside of me that some sort of life form exists beyond the Earth. Our solar system is only a tiny fraction of the entire universe, within that universe there must be other planets with their own suns that are able to sustain life. It's quite an exciting and interesting thought that so called aliens are existing in their world millions of miles away. They could be thousands of years ahead of our civilization or still be tiny organism that are just beginning their road to evolution. Perhaps the reason why we have not heard from these or life forms is because the thought of life existing somewhere else to them is so ridiculous that they ridicule the thought. Similarly to the thoughts of alien life in our civilization. Also there is the problem of funding this program of searching for other life forms. Governments around the world are in recessions and maybe the planet across the universe is also in great poverty.

Assignment 25-Garrett Uebelhor

Crystal meth...is there anything better? Yes soda shaq.

So it was late one night, perhaps a saturday. I was with a group of pals and we were having fun. All the sudden one friend pulled out a shaq soda, he said " hey man check out this soda shaq i got it at a marathon station down in the hood". Then he opened the can and the most glorious sound i have ever heard escaped from the can, as if it was shaquille o neal's voice bellowing from the can. It was similiar to the opening scene of the film kazaam. We poured the soda into the glasses and the bubbles ascended into the heavens. The bubbles were like little basketballs being thrown by shaquille himself.  We drank the soda and went on a spiritual experience where shaq appeared as a genie and granted us each 3 more soda shaqs. It looked something like this:
 

26- Taylore Jordan

English this year was the perfect combination of AP prep, ACT prep, and chill-time. Overall, it was a wonderful class and I enjoyed it very much. I know I did not participate much in class, but I probably got more out of the class when I was quiet than when I spoke up. Socratic seminars were helpful, but some comments seemed a little forced when trying to meet discussion requirements. The ACT prep and practice tests were the most helpful for me, I just wish we could have possibly discussed the individual questions more, or done a little more rhetorical device analysis in MC format. Vocab quizzes were also extremely helpful and required us to be accountable. Thank you for a great year of growth!

assignment 25 siobhan

Isn't interesting and perplexing that someone will never fully understand your thoughts? You may be able to translate your thoughts into complex language to more accurately convey them, but no one will ever understand your thoughts in their naked and natural beginning. Its a frustrating yet reassuring thought. Frustrating in the sense that as literarily advanced and adept you are, you can still never completly tell someone else a thought in its purest form. Instead its infiltrated with common conversation and polluted by a language that lacks words with certain specific meanings. A thought is never in its purest form once it has been communicated. To me, its quite a discearning realization. You will never completely understand the person's thoughts next to you, and they will never understand yours. It becomes a whole new level of a communication barrier, that not only people of different languages experience but also people of the same language. It's a thought barrier

Assignment 25- Kaylyn Torkelson

The sun.
It's the scourge of my summer experiences.

I went to the pool for maybe an hour on Sunday. I wore sunscreen. And I came home to a bright red face and bright red shoulders.

I can't survive twenty minutes outside without gaining some "colour" but that colour is almost always red. Bright, tomato/lobster red. With peeling too. It's outrageous really; I can go outside if its cloudy all day and still come inside red.

No one in my family gets as red as I do, so I spend a lot of my time inside alone. That just exacerbates the paleness problem, as staying inside just makes me more susceptible to the harshness of the suns rays.

You can say that I'm more of a winter  or fall person than a summer person. Mostly because they're the least dangerous to my face. (And I get teased less often during those months about being pale.)

Oh well.

26- Hallie

I'm am not an English person, I understand the importance of learning reading and writing school but I am drawn more to math and science so English has always been a difficult class for me. I usually don't like English classes at all but this year was an exception. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said that I found I new found love for reading or writing or ever if that I started to enjoy either of those things but I did like class this year. I think I did enjoy this class for many reasons none of which had to do with English. For one, I really appreciate your teaching style, you understand the busy schedule of teenagers and you give us plenty of time to complete assignments. Another reason I have enjoyed this class is that I really appreciate that you make an effort to have personal relationships with your students. I'm trying my hardest not to sound like a suck up but I feel that I had more of personal relationship with you than I have with any other teacher I have had in high school. 

I am not the best person to listen to about how an English class should run because in my perfect English class there wouldn't be any writing but I will try to give you a useful reflection. If I could change one thing it would be not to read through all of the bench marks, I felt like I learned a little from them but as a whole I don't know that they were overwhelmingly beneficial. 

Thanks for an awesome year!!

26- Hallie

I'm am not an English person, I understand the importance of learning reading and writing school but I am drawn more to math and science so English has always been a difficult class for me. I usually don't like English classes at all but this year was an exception. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said that I found I new found love for reading or writing or ever if that I started to enjoy either of those things but I did like class this year. I think I did enjoy this class for many reasons none of which had to do with English. For one, I really appreciate your teaching style, you understand the busy schedule of teenagers and you give us plenty of time to complete assignments. Another reason I have enjoyed this class is that I really appreciate that you make an effort to have personal relationships with your students. I'm trying my hardest not to sound like a suck up but I feel that I had more of personal relationship with you than I have with any other teacher I have had in high school. 

I am not the best person to listen to about how an English class should run because in my perfect English class there wouldn't be any writing but I will try to give you a useful reflection. If I could change one thing it would be not to read through all of the bench marks, I felt like I learned a little from them but as a whole I don't know that they were overwhelmingly beneficial. 

Thanks for an awesome year!!

25-Hallie

Netlifx is slowly ruining my life

I spent a long time trying to think of what to write about and when I couldn't think of anything I got on Netflix and watched another episode of Greys Anatomy. I realized that I should probably write about Netflix because I spend so much of my time watching it. I start to binge watch shows and especially on days when we don't have school I end up watching 5 or 6 episodes at a time. Being able to sit for that long surprises me because I have so much ADD and can't focus on much for very long but for some reason Netflix is the exception. Something about being totally consumed in another world with people who aren't real is attractive to me, it's more fun to focus on characters in a TV shows problems than my own. Some of the shows that I have become obsessed with on Netflix are Greys Anatomy, Lost, Psych, Bones, Top Gear, How I Met Your Mother, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. So if you ever need a new show to watch, come to me.  

Assignment 26- Katy Estes

Honestly I have loved English this year. At times I really dreaded assignments or tests, but in the long run the class was nowhere near as stressful as some of my other classes. The way that Mr. Logsdon makes assignments and varies the due dates really helps. We always got ample time and plenty of help on assignments.
I'm probably alone in this, but one thing I really enjoyed were the Socratic seminars. It was fun to engage in a class discussion where we could talk whenever and about anything that was applicable to the subject. If more students had actually spoken and gotten involved instead of just doing their mandatory 2, they probably would've been even better.
Also, the blogs were a lot of fun. I didn't mind writing them, I even enjoyed most of them. They were a time where I could write for fun on the topic. The only suggestion I would make on that would be to remind students better about when they're due. The whole "every two weeks" was confusing and easy to forget.

Assigment 26- Megan Woodrum

I thought the practice multiple question tests actually really helped me on the AP test, but i wish we had done some more of those and more ACT prep before the ACT. When grading essays in class I preferred when we did it in small groups, it made it easier to discuss things on the essays, personally I find it intimidating. I was fine with talking in the Socratic Seminars it was much easier than the group grading. I felt at times like all of the timed writings and practice tests were monotonous and tedious, but now I feel like they really helped prep me. With the Life Lessons with Logsdon I didn't really need to watch the Dave Ramsey video on debt, but i could see how it could be helpful to others. The other Dave Ramsey videos were fine but a little boring, n=but once again it has valuable information.

Assignment 26- Omer

I felt ready for the ap exam, so what you were doing was pretty much working. That said, the online seminar wasn't useful. It was something that we pushed through just to finish. Also, I feel like I needed more multiple choice practice. When I took the test, there were a few questions that I completely guessed on, and they were the same ones I had guessed on in my practice exams. Maybe you could have taken time out of looking at examples of answers and gone over some multiple choice more thoroughly. While the examples were helpful, our time would have been better spent on multiple choice. The blogs are a really good idea, and its cool of you to not be anal about when things should be submitted.

Assignment 25- Omer

On Friday, after school, I went home. I sat at my computer for a couple of minutes until I got a text message from the president. How do I know it was from the president? The phone turned into a miniature Barack Obama and instructed me to go outside. I asked the little guy why I should trust him, he kicked me in the shoe, and my shoe turned into Barack Obama. So I went outside and looked around, and I saw a UFO hovering over my moms car. Mini Barack jumped onto my shoulder and whispered something to me. I did as he said, and threw him at the spacecraft, and it turned into Barack Obama. The spaceship Obama stepped on my mom's car, so I scolded him. He got very sad and started to cry. The soil under him became soaked with water, and every grass blade turned into Barack Obama. Then they all got into spaceship Obama's hand and flew away. Just kidding, I played tennis on Friday.

Assignment 25- Megan Woodrum

Doctor Who is legitimately the best television show ever made, it is my life. Doctor who had its fiftieth anniversary in December, it began in 1963 as a television show meant to teach kids about historic events with a time traveling alien called The Doctor. The show adapt over the years into a drama and more and more complex story lines emerged. It hasn't had the same actors over the years, the type of alien that the doctor is, a Time Lord, have twelve regenerations, meaning when it comes time for the Doctor to die he instead changes his atomic structure so he becomes a new person. This aspect of the show allows it to adapt to the times and remain popular, but it's always heartbreaking for the fans when a Doctor has to leave. This upcoming season is the first with a new Doctor, Matt Smith had his last episode in December and Peter Capaldi will take his place.

Assignment 25- Schuler Ravencraft

After this weekend all I can think about is summer and I know I am not alone. I have to motivation do study or do any type of school work for that matter so I feel it is appropriate to talk about what by summer will consist of. Since I can drive now I felt it was probably time for me to get a job so I'll be working as a hostess a couple times a week at The Tulip and I'll babysit every Tuesday. I also hopefully will get to do a lot of work with the Smart Shots program and get to knock out some of my hours for mentoring. I also hope I will get a chance to do some traveling. I'm hoping to get to go to New Orleans and visit Tulane and also go to Atlanta and visit Emory. However I am most excited to go back to California  with Margaret! We are going to go to LA for a day and then drive down to Del Mar which is my favorite place in the world.  I can't wait for summer and to see all the things it holds!

Assignment 26 - Hannah Pulley

Essays are arguably the most important part of preparation for the AP exam, and I think the in-class congresses helped with improving our essays. However, by the time the first half of the essays are graded (about 12 for our class), the structure required to sufficiently answer the question and the common pitfalls have become apparent and the essays become tedious and boring to read. A better solution when grading would be to have congress read from a packet that has about 12 essays for the first timed writing, and for the next timed writing, all of the students whose essay was not read in congress would be included in the packet, and so on.

I do feel like the online peer review works just as well as grading paper copies, and the students still take it seriously. I particularly liked the fact that I could read and annotate at my own pace, not having to worry about speaking in class a minimum number of times. Not only that, paper copies can be lost or thrown away, but Turnitin allows students to refer back to reviews of their essays at any time.

Maybe it was because of the time constraints we had because of snow days, but I would have been more confident if we had more time to spend on the argument and synthesis essays. The amount of work between spring break and AP exams is challenging, and spending a more equal amount of time on each of the three essays and spreading the socratic seminars throughout the year would have lessened the pressure that is put on us. Overall, I believe I am a stronger writer, and the benefit of time constraints is that I have learned to write clearly and concisely. 

Assignment 26- Schuler Ravencraft

I honestly enjoyed your class this year and felt very prepared for the AP test! I feel that writing all those essays and doing all those multiple choice test were very beneficial. My time management for the multiple choice improved through out the year and by the time we took the test it was perfect! However I do feel that it might have helped to go more in depth into the multiple choice. Also since we did all the analysis essays in the beginning of the year I felt rusty when it came time to take the test. I feel like it might help the future classes to practice all of the essays periodically through out the year and not just a specific essay all in one clump. I also think that discussing the essays as a class were more beneficial than the online peer reviews. Over all though I felt very prepared and confident! Thanks!

Assignment 24-Eliot Smith

     Junior year is commonly known as the hardest year of your high school career.  I can honestly say that I agree with this claim fully.  While I wouldn't say that the content was "hard" per se, the amount of work and studying was clearly raised.  There are few days I can remember that I actually had no homework--there was always some test or quiz around the corner or a paper or assignment due.  The work really wasn't too hard to keep up with; however, compared to the last two years, the work was mentally tiring, and I can say with utmost confidence that I am ready for summer, and I am ready to be done with the ACT, SAT, SAT II's, and kind of BlankBlankT's.

     My biggest success of junior year was attaining the rank of valedictorian.  I have worked very hard for this achievement, and attaining it during this work-intensive year was a big relief.

     I had two failures that really come to mind: I didn't do as well as I should have on the SAT, and our tennis team failed to qualify for the state tournament.  Although I compensated for my SAT score with my ACT score, there really was no excuse for not studying as much as I should have.  Regarding the lack of qualification of the tennis team (of which I am the captain), my partner and I lost a match during the regional tournament that we should have won--because of this, we did not qualify.  Although this really isn't a huge academic failure, I feel that I let my team down, and will continue to work during the summer in order to guarantee a qualifaction for next year.

Next year, I really just want to relax, focus on applications for college, and soak up the experiences from my ultimate year of high school.

Assignment 26 - Jonathan Tungate

I've had an okay time in English this year. Though I hate to say it, writing so many of the essays had a good impact on my abilities to write those types of essays for the AP exam. I went into the exam feeling prepared for the test, and that's a good thing. I also appreciated your attempt to lighten the workload for this class, as this is more of a skills based class, and less content based, that made it possible. Thankfully, because if all academy classes had a huge nightly work load, we would be stressed beyond belief. However, I think the turnitin grading assignments (where we highlight sections and add a comment) is a less useful exercise than the seminars, but I understand your desire in getting feedback for us not in the group setting. We also could of spent more time going over some tougher multiple choice questions. Because, while there are some very easy ones, some of the multiple choice ones can be tricky, and is worth looking at.

Assignment 25 - Jonathan Tungate

For this blog post, I think I will talk about the future, specifically the future pertaining to me. This summer, I will be probably be working a ton on my mentoring project, and working. Unfortunately, this means I won't be getting much of a break from school, which is disappointing, but will be worth it in the end. I am excited for senior year, because I'm hoping it will be a little bit more relaxed than last year. I'm hoping to have a better time in school next year, and it will be nice to have a hour off and be able to leave early. For better worse, this means I will need a car, which will be nice to have my own car, but it will be expensive, and may not end up being worth it in the end, because after this senior year I may not need it as much.

Assignment 24 - Jonathan Tungate.

Junior year has been the toughest year so far, but also has been a very rewarding one. I had been told since freshman year that this year would be my hardest year and that has held true so far. Between the ACT and a multitude of harder classes, It has been a struggle at times. However, nearing the end of the year, I am happy with the way my year has turned out. I feel as I I've seen a lot of change in myself and my friends this year, and it's exciting to look for and learn about colleges, because that will be a new chapter in all of our lives. In addition, obtaining a driver's licence was something everyone had been looking forward to for sometime now. This summer I hope to get a break from school, a well deserved one I should think, and hopefully I can get another good job to start saving for a car or college.

Assignment 19- Megan Woodrum

"You'll never know if you like it if you don't try it"  My mother trying to get me to eat something she cooked.
Even though this was only a statement that my mother said to get me to eat something she had made for dinner it really stuck with me. Its simplicty made it stand out, of course I couldn't know how I felt about something until I actually tried it for myself. It taught me to not make snap judgments about things and I began to try new things. First, I became less picky with my food, then it grew into trying new activities, such as rock climbing, or a sport, overall i just became more adventurous. I began having more fun when I went places, I became a roller coaster junkie, and I found I was scared less. But the most important thing I took away from that advice was that I should judge things, and more importantly people less, I became a less judgemental person and a happier one.

Assignment 23- Julian Perry

Hello, and welcome to the Julian Perry Chillaxxx to the Max Party Album. After a long day of partying (or anything else, really), it's nice to wind down with a 5 song playlist designed to do just that.
1. Porcelain by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is the first song on the list, not at all by accident. This song starts softly with a slow, but defined and steady beat. It's something you can nod your head to, while at the same time fall asleep. The mixture of a strong, encompassing beat and white noise create a soothing mood for the playlist. 

2. Nightmoves by Michael Franks takes #2 on the list, because it's more lively than the previous song. You don't want to fall asleep after only two songs. This song keeps a defined (but soft) beat to maintain the mood of the playlist. Repetitive melody makes Nightmoves an easy listen. 

3. Grapevine Fires by Death Cab for Cutie  is the climax of the playlist, but certainly not the end. The beat is quite lively, and builds to allow for a point to slow down from. Simplicity is still key here, making Grapevine Fires a very calming song even as the most intense in the playlist. 

4. The Worst Day Since Yesterday by Flogging Molly comes in at number four as a reflective song with a repetitive chorus scattered throughout. It's introspective and leads well into number five. 

5. Headlights by Eminem is a very overlooked song, mainly for the name attached to it. Eminem isn't a family-oriented artist, but as Headlights shows he is very capable of self-reflection. Packed with emotion, and supported by a simple but brilliant beat, this song wraps up the mood of the playlist quite well. It ends the playlist on a high note of forgiveness and understanding. 

Assignment 25: Taylore Jordan

I can't even get my mind to think freely about much else besides school at the moment; so that's what I'll spend my minimum of 150 words ranting about. Snow days have really exhausted everyone- not just now, but the inpredictability of having school have made completing assignments and preparing adequately for AP tests more difficult than they would have been. It is so hard to stay organized at this time of year as we are doing so much, but nothing at all. Days at school now consist of watching videos and the backs of my eyelids and I am trying to find an explanation for why I seem to have so much work outside of school. Not only am I stressing myself out completing the assignments for the end of this school year and getting older ones in to salvage my grade, but I am stressing out planning my senior year. Oh, the perks of being in the Academy. I value this program for preparing me for college and for the future in more ways than I could have done myself, but it seems that I hardly ever get a break when a break is due. I have tasks and projects and summer reading and next year's mentoring project on a constant loop in my brain and I feel like it's going to explode. After high school is all said and done, I'll be attending at least four years of college. Then after that, I'll be spending hours out of nearly every day of my life after that until I retire working. But maybe I'm getting too ahead of myself. On the shorter term: where is the summer BREAK I was promised?

Assignment 25 - Hannah Pulley

Nearly all of this year, assignments and weekend after hectic weekend have been keeping me from the growing stack on my bookshelf and list on my phone of books to read. I figured to start easing into the summer with one of my favorite books that I've discovered in the past few years: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Bouncing between various narratives set in cities all over the world at the turn of the twentieth century, the book tells the story of an agreement between two gifted magicians (masquerading as illusionists) to dedicate their respective apprentices to a series of challenges and to determine who is the stronger teacher and performer. Overall, the most spectacular aspect of the book is the setting of these challenges: a circus unlike any person has seen; open only by night (hence the title) and decorated with the stark and elegant contrasts of black and white, fire and ice.

assignment 24 Siobhan

Junior year has been quite a success for me. It's hard for me to comprehend that I recieved my best GPA of a 3.9 last semester. I added two more classes on to my regular 6 class schedule and because of that, my GPA increased greatly. My junior year was easier than my sophomore year because of the classes I selected to take. Instead of an advanced chemistry course and two difficult ap classes, I chose to take easier ap classes and a physics science class which came more naturally to me. My sophomore year did an adequate job of preparing me for junior year. For my senior year, my classes will be at about the same level of difficulty as they are now. I'm predicting that my ap spanish class next year will be the most challening of the bunch but I will be able to put a lot of focus into it. I'm very excited to start my mentoring project next year mainly because it will provide for a nice break in the school day. Mine will take place a voce which is a boutique downtown and as chance would have it, my best friend also works at the store. I can't wait to see what senior year will bring

Assignment 23-Eliot Smith

This five-song playlist is for when you're just feeling great.  You feel on top of the world, better than everyone else, like you're at the top, and not going anywhere soon.

1. Rush-Limelight

"Living on a lighted stage approaches the unreal for those who think and feel in touch with some reality beyond the gilded cage."  This song provides a general look into the life of a prominent celebrity.  The uniform quirkiness of Rush's sound is complimented by the song's energizing bass line and guitar riffs.

2. Jimi Hendrix-Purple Haze

"Actin' funny, but I don't know why--'Scuse me, while I kiss the sky."  This song is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of Jimi's music career.  The revitalizing, loose, and loud style of Jimi's playing really just makes one feel lifted.

3. Wolfmother-White Unicorn

"Sister can you tell me when the day turns to night, she left without a word and wondered inside.  How many days must I still wonder why and see her face in every passerby?" While this song's lyrics don't really match up exactly with the motivation for this playlist, the song is very upbeat with a just fantastic drumming performance that makes you want to punch something.

4. Led Zeppelin-Rock and Roll

"It's been a long time since I rock and rolled, it's been an long time since I did the stroll.  Ooh let me get it back let me get it back, baby where I come from."

This song was actually one of the first I learned how to play.  It has a very fast paced beat with bouts of improvisation combined with John Bonham's incredible drums that make this song one that I go to for happiness.

5. Foster the People-Don't Stop

"Count high low don't worry my eyes are closed, I'm a superman and it's my show.  One shoe two, gonna kick with my new shoes, I'm gonna kick until I need new shoes." This song features a very cheery rhythm and tempo that transforms moods almost immediately.

Assignment 25 - Katy Estes

Since I just had a very fun weekend, I'll write about that. This past Memorial Day weekend, I was in Chicago for a debate tournament. Of course to many that sounds terrible or boring, but it was nothing of the sort. It was exciting and fun and I had the best time with my team.
I actually only debated on Saturday, but it was ALL DAY long. I had to wake up at 4:30 after only getting 3 hours of sleep, and then had to be awake for the next 22 hours and argue with people. My partner and I didn't do very well, but that was to be expected. You see, this tournament was the Nationals of speech and debate. Teams from all across the nation came to Chicago this weekend in hopes for titles and trophies. In total, there were 232 groups in my debate type. We only went up against 5 and our record is still not certain.
The best part about the weekend, though, was seeing the city. Chicago is probably the biggest city I had ever been in and it was amazing. The buildings are huge and you can barely see the sky because of them. But the fact that everything is so close and in walking distance is amazing. We visited a museum, a pier, a beach, and a downtown wing stop all in 1 day. It was an amazing experience with a great team.

Assignment 23- Schuler Ravencraft

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go on walks at the Arboretum and just think. This always entails listening to music.

 1.   Keep on Walking by Passenger: The title of the song not only tells you to “Keep on Walking” but it also makes you appreciate your surroundings. In the first stanza he sings, “ Seems I’m talking my whole life, It’s time I now listen”. After that he continues to sing about all the observations he makes on this walk and his appreciation for what is to come. It makes you reflect and just take everything in. 2.   Just One Day by Mighty Oaks: This song also has a folky vibe similar to the previous song. In the song they sing,  “And it's a big old world we live in now,And how mighty it can be, And all this time I pictured you standing next to me, So we could go find things we've never seen”. They are talking about going out and experiencing the world. While walking it makes me think about the future and all the things the world has to offer.

 3.   Weight of Living Part 2 by Bastille: Unlike the other 2 songs this one is more up beat and increases your pace. As you are walking, the lyrics lead you to reflect on what you have done with your life and what you are continuing to do. They sing “Do you like the person you have become?” and later “Oh, tell yourself how it is going to be.” This meaning that as you grow you control whom you are.

4. Dreams by Wet:  This song has a chiller vibe. It talks about knowing what you want for yourself and that not all days are going to be great stating, “Some days aren’t good for anything at all”. It is calming and perfect music for summer walking weather.

5. I Lived by One Republic: This song has a more up beat vibe like Bastille adding to a change of pace. “ I owned every second that this world could give” is one of the key lyrics in this song. It is telling you to create a fulfilling life for yourself and live with no regrets.