Summer Camp

I am a strong believer in the benefits summer camp. It is one of the best decisions a parent can make for their kids and I can't thank my parents enough for sending me away to camp because I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for it. Over the years, camp transforms from a just an average place to the place I call home. It is the place that teaches self-confidence, love, and friendship. It is an environment where people accept everyone and laugh uncontrollably. It gives children the chance to try new things while having the time of their lives'.

Because I feel in love with camp, I kept going back. I did the leadership in training program then counselor in training program. Over the years, I have spent closed to 14 weeks at camp. Those 14 weeks taught me more than all of my years in school and in sports. Now that I am to old to be a camper, I hope to be a counselor this coming summer. Being a camp counselor is more than a job, its who we are. Everyone has similar reasons to be a counselor. I want to be a role model and help kids grow and learn.

This past summer while I was in the counselor in training program, we were given a paper titled “What is a Counselor?”. It is an essay that speaks right to the meaning of camp:

“A camp counselor is a rare combination of doctor, lawyer, Indian and chief. They are an excellent child psychologist with sophomore textbooks as proof. They are an underpaid baby-sitter with neither a television nor a refrigerator.”

“You wonder if they really know how much they are worth and you realize that you can never pay them enough. Yet when they leave, they wave good-bye and say, “See ya next year!””

So its hard to put into words what camp means to those that love it but this quote pretty much sums it up:

“For a moment you will be reminded of your summer here. You will think of a child with whom an interaction deeply affected you. It will be the child you helped learn to swim, or the child who so desperately needed a friend to take care of them. And you will not be able to figure out if the true gift was the one you gave to them of yourself, or if the gift was, in fact, given to you.”

(405)

Forever in Our Hearts

As I was watching my favorite show, Grey's Anatomy, I remembered a tragic event. On this episode of Grey's, a shooter comes to the hospital and commits a mass murder. The shooter is upset because he believes that one of the doctors killed his wife. What really happened was that his wife was brain dead and she wasn't going to wake back up. The man files a lawsuit but loses because of medical evidence. Overcome with grief, this man sets out to the hospital to kill the doctor that “killed” his wife.

This episode aired in May of 2010, years before the tragic event in Newtown, Connecticut. While watching, Newtown was all I could think about. I usually don't cry during movies or TV shows but this episode seemed to hit close to home. It was almost unbearable to watch. Watching the terror on the character's faces and the evil in the shooter's eyes was horrible. I pictured the overwhelming fear the kids, teachers, police officers, parents, and the whole community must have felt during that horrible Friday. I can't even imagine what they went through, and are still dealing with. My heart aches for everyone who lost a loved one, or had to experience the shooting.

In Grey's Anatomy, the characters experienced post-traumatic stress disorder and survivors guilt. Some of the doctors couldn't even go back into the operating room or couldn't sleep and had night terrors. The kids at Newtown probably still feel fear when going to school, I think even the strongest person would after what they experienced. The horrible thing is that school should be a place where everyone feels safe. A place where we grow and learn, not a place filled with horrible memories. As the kids grow older, they will start to overcome the event but will probably never fully recover.

Its horrible that the country to experience the loss of children to figure out that something needs to be done. This should never happen again. The event also, in a way, opened our eyes to whats important in life. Family and community. I know my parents tell me they love me more than the used to. The country, and world, will never forget Newtown and they will always be in our prays.  (380)

Women in Politlics ~ Miss Representation

In our society, men lead politics. In the documentary Miss Representation, this issue is discussed in relation to men being superior to women.  Women are looked at as incapable of holding a higher office position, especially in politics. Why are there more men in politics than women? Is there a sense of power, or leadership, that men feel women don’t possess?  Are women looked at as having too many feminine qualities to lead a country? Will there ever be a women president of the United States? So many questions can be derived from this issue but the hardest one to answer is why can’t women be leaders?

According to the WCF Foundation, this is the first time since 1987 that the United States hasn’t made growth in the number of women in congress. In Miss Representation, the quote “You can’t be what you can’t see” is a possible reason for why our number of women in politics hasn’t increased.  Young girls don’t have many powerful women to look up to. Positive role models are important in the development of girls’ self-confidence. Perhaps our society feels that men are the only ones capable of running a society. This ideology then sinks into women’s brains and they start to feel that they truly are less than men.

The women that are in politics are constantly being criticized for various things:  their appearance, family life, and education.  In Miss Representation, they stated that there are more women in politics in countries like Afghanistan than there are in the United States. Is this because women here are so criticitzed for their looks? Apart from politics, some woman new anchers wear low-cut shirts and a lot of make-up because they are expected to look a certain way. Why don't men have these expectations?  

ESPN recently came out with a dress-code for women covering MLB games. This was done to make reporting more "gender-neutral". These rules prevent the stereotypical image of female news casters.  In politics, there isn't a dress-code but women are still critizied even if they are dressed appropriately.

If women can't be taken seriously because of their looks then how will they gain respect? It seems that no matter how smart a woman is she is still a woman, not a man. Hopefully, this unfemanist view will fade away with time. Its important to have women in leadership because they bring another view point to topics. With the state of our country today, we need all the women in politics we can get. (419)

Winter Fever

This time of the year seems to drag oooooon and oooooon. We are in the dead of winter with wind that takes the breath right out of our mouths' and long, cold nights. Even though we aren't having a harsh winter, it still seems endless. The fact that there isn't much snow this year makes the winter seem worse. Snow is beautiful and is a reward for the cold days. Without snow, the trees and grass look dead and droopy. This winter we are also having some very warm days which causes the snow to melt into dirty slush. This slush is not beautiful, at all. Summer, when will you be here? We are in great need for warm and sunny days. We need some quality vitamin D. There is currently about a month and a half until spring will come, and it couldn't come any slower.

During the winter, statistics show that suicide rates increase. Our surroundings effect our mood greatly and when winter rolls around, there isn't a lot to look at. In the summer, flowers bloom and the grass is green. Every thing seems more beautiful. Personally, when I look outside in the morning during the summer I feel happier. I feel more motivated to go out and do things. On the other hand, during the winter I look outside when its gray and cold, I just want to lay in bed all day. The cold weather obviously causes us to spend more time inside and as humans we need fresh air. Being outside brightens our mood, well for most people. All of these reasons cause depression and suicide rates.

There are some great ways to get out of that wintertime depression. Exercise more. Working out causes a release in endorphins which actually make a person feel better. Endorphins are what cause “runners high”. Another way is to add more light. Brighter rooms increase our mood, for the better. Yoga can be helpful and also getting a massage.

So get past the mid-winter depression but remember that spring and summer will be here before we know it. We can do this. A month and half. Its not that long. Well maybe it is but you know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! (380)

The Benefits of Playing a Sport

Sports have been around since humans started to socialize, we are competitive. They are a large part of who we are. Whether you are an olympian or a you have never picked up a soccer ball, sports are still interesting. Everyone gathers around the TV for the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and other major sporting events. Sports are apart of us. Perhaps, what is more special than the bond that humans have with athletics is being the athlete playing the game. That bond that athletes have with their sport is what makes athletes who they are. Sports teach us lessons that we can't learn anywhere else. It's hard to narrow down the most important lessons taught by playing a sport because they are endless. Hard work, determination, respect, maturity, and perseverance, just to name a few.

Being an athlete myself, I know first hand the dedication it takes to a student-athlete. Its definitely not easy! It actually really sucks sometimes. We have all heard the research that playing sports can increase kids GPAs. The reason behind this is that athletes don't have time to lay around during the week, or on the weekend, because we are busy practicing and playing games. So when we do have time to do homework, it is limited. Its now or never. Either you work hard to finish assignments now, or get a zero. Like right now, I am writing this post in between my hockey games because I know I won't have time to do it tomorrow. If I was just at home now I wouldn't have the motivation to do it.

Sports are a big part of growing up and maturing. They teach social skills and also how to speak your mind. Playing hockey definitely teaches how to stand up for yourself but also how to let things go. There is a lot of shit-talking in sports. Athletes get called names by other players, yelled at by coaches, and criticized by parents but we learn just to let it go. I have learned over the years to channel my anger into something productive. Anger can cause many bad things to happen that you will later regret so it's important to know when to just chillax.

At the end of that day, I am glad to be a student-athlete. I so thankful to have something to be passionate about. Juggling school and sports have allowed me to grow as a person and I know many athletes would agree with me.  (424)

Acceptable

Body image is a daily battle for almost all women. No matter who are you. Fat or skinny, black or white, Christian or Atheist, every woman wants to look, and feel, acceptable. This raises the question to the term “acceptable”. An acceptable body image is what pushes women to extreme measures to feel beautiful.  Even though some women undergo plastic surgery or develop eat disorders, most just have confidence issues. Adolescence is the time of major social and physical development, and this is the time when girls start to feel the most pressure to look acceptable. This pressure comes from many different sources, not just one. Yes, the media does play a role in body image but the internal battle of women has been going on long before Brittany Spears and other pop icons.

Women have been trying to improve their natural beauty for centuries. In 1770 BC, the corset started being used to shape women into a certain body type. This was far before low rise skirts and belly-button rings but it is the same concept. Hundreds of years ago, corsets were the modern push-up bras.  Even though at this time there wasn’t reality TV and pop singers, there was still the pressure to match the social idea of beauty.  So is the media really to blame here?

As a girl, I know what it’s like to grow up in a society where looks are almost everything.   Young girls hear from their parents and superiors, “You look just like a princess” or “That dress makes you look beautiful”.  So right from the start girls feel the drive to look acceptable for their peers.  They see princesses as skinny, beautiful women with perfect hair and skin so they start to feel the pressure to look like them. They wear clothes not for themselves, but more to impress the people around them. Women feel that how they look and what clothes they wear will help them fit in. This is just natural of women over the years, just the styles have changed. In some ways, the media emphasizes the drive to fit-in but it isn't the only reason women feel this way. Its just how humas are wired.

In conclusions, the media is not the only reason for body image issues in women. Girls have always felt pressure from parents, family, friends, and boys, to look beautiful. It will always be this way. The media definitely made "beautiful" harder to achieve because the women that girls see are not how they seem. There isn't one way to solve this problem. Once girls reach a certain age, they mature and become more comfortable with how they are and how they look. Until they reach that point, parents and friends have to be supportive and encourage girls that they are great in every way. (405)

Big City Dreams

Well, I really didn't want to blog about this but I honestly have nothing else to talk about. So secrets out; I'm trying to go to prep school next year. I wasn't planning on telling anyone, not even my friends, but it is such a huge decision that it's hard to keep it myself. Prep school is just another term for boarding school. Obviously, that means that students live on campus, just like in college.

I want to go to prep school for many reasons. The main reason is for hockey. Right now I play for a team in St. Louis, which is four hours away. I don't even play for a team in our own state. This is hard because I miss a lot of school and I don't get to practice with my team everyday. Another reason is for school. Don't get me wrong I love Kennedy, but being one of 25 kids in a class isn't ideal. At prep school class sizes are, on average, 12 students. The students get more attention from teachers and are also held to higher standards. At prep school, all the students WANT to be there and they WANT to learn. This is definitely not the case at public schools.

Another reason to go to prep school is for college. The prep school that I am most interested in, 30% of their student body goes to Ivy League schools. If graduate from a high ranked prep school you can get into any college you want. Also college scouts look for girls from prep schools and if I go I will get looked at a lot more.

I recently got back from my visit to the East Coast. I had interviews at the schools that I applied to and it was definitely a great experience. I had to chance to stay the night in the dorms and go to classes. It was unreal. The best thing was that for once I didn't feel different. I felt like I fit in, especially with the girls on the hockey team. They all want to play college hockey and they also take school very seriously. At prep school, I won't be the only girl that plays hockey. I will be one of many. So in March I will know if I got accepted, or not. It couldn't come fast enough. The fact that I might move away next year doesn't make me sad, I am beyond excited to have a fresh start. This will be a life-changing opportunity and I can't wait to see whats in store. 

Taking AP

AP classes are pushed on us like crazy. All we hear is, “Take AP” “It will help you in college” “You can get college credit!” Ah yeah if you get a 5 on the exam which is hard as hell. So is it really worth it to take AP? In my opinion it is because AP classes teach great study habits, increase reading skills, and challenge the average student. Most colleges won't accept AP credit unless it is a very high score, and some won't accept any at all. So there is much more to taking these challenging classes than college credit.

AP classes are great to take because they truly force students to create strong study skills. The textbooks are longer, and harder, thus making the test more difficult. AP students have to study effectively and often to succeed in the classes. Also the material cannot be forgotten because most students take the AP Exam in May. So these classes are cumulative, which adds extra studying time. AP students have to know when the need to really sit down and learn the material. These important study skills are required to do well in college. AP classes help build a strong foundation for success.

Another pro of taking AP classes is that they increase reading skills. AP textbooks are college level and are go into much great detail than regular level textbooks. AP classes also require more reading weekly because all of the material has to be covered by April, in time for the exam. These reading skills will help not only in Aps but also outside of school and on standardized tests. A strong reader will succeed in any class, no matter the subject.

Lastly, AP classes expect more out of the students than regular level. AP students are considered the higher level. Aps raise the academic bar for student expectations. Teachers, and principals, look at AP classes as college classes and then they expect college level work out of their students.

Overall, AP classes should be taken by all students. They teach study habits, increase reading skills, and challenge students. Don't take Aps for college credit because you mostly likely won't get that much. Take AP classes to become a better, and more well-rounded, student.  (405)

Nicholas Sparks

Dear Lord, Thank you for Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks knows who to write to the heart. His books are those books that once you start, you're screwed. And by that I mean you won't be able to put the book the down until it's finished. He is the master mind behind The Notebook, Dear John, and The Last Song. His books are for the “hopeless-romantic” type. Which, lets be honest, everyone is a romantic at heart. Almost every one of his books have been made into movies and have been very successful.

Perhaps the most famous of this books is The Notebook. This is a story of two teenagers that feel in love. Then girl moved away and the boy never recovered. Of course, they meet again years later and rekindled their love for each other. TWIST, she is engaged! Many events happen but they end up spending the rest of their live's together and have children. Happily ever after! In the movie, Ryan Gosling plays the man, Noah. Ryan Gosling, I love you. So does the rest of the female population. The best line of the whole movie is when they confess their love for each other:

               "So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, everyday. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What's it look like? If it's with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that's what you really wanted. But don't you take the easy way out."
So romantic!

Another great novel by Nicholas Sparks is The Last Song. This is the story of a rebellious girl who is forced to live with her Dad all summer. She meets a rich, hot guy and they fall in love. Much more happens but I don't want to spoil it!

Overall, Nicholas Sparks books are great reads for anyone. Well maybe not anyone, but if you're a guy go for it. I promise, you won't be disappointed. Warning: don't start reading unless you have all day to finish! Happy reading.  (409)

Scary Movies

Americans love a good scare. We go to haunted house, tell ghost stories, read scary books, and watch scary movies. We live for the thrill. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” This statement is very true because we love the adrenaline rush that happens when something scares us. This is why we pay up $20 just to go in a haunted house and much more for admission into an amusement park. There is always a murder mystery show playing on TV or shows about the most wanted killers in America. When these shows start playing, we become glued to the TV.

There are some channels that play only murder mystery shows. This is something I don't understand. You can only watch a couple murder shows until you start feeling a tad bit depressed. But a whole channel dedicated to it? Too much. Imagine being a victim of this kind a violence and having it be all over TV.

Apart from murder shows on TV, there are numerous scary movies too watch. Usually they aren't even that scary. “Scary” movies are scary because of suspense or blood and guts. The story lines are events that would never happen in real life. Especially the zombie and alien abduction movies. But these movies put a picture in our mind about all the impossible things that maybe, somehow, could happen and then kill us. Most of the time, the characters in these movies are just dumb but their stupidity is what makes the movies good. For some reason when a killer enters their house, they just stay there and run around. That would most likely not happen in real life. Normal people with average intelligence would know to get the hell out of there.

Even though most scary movies are just bad, there are some really good ones. These good ones actually have interesting characters and a real storyline. Americans will always love scary things because we live the rush they give us. It's natural. Maybe, someday scary shows and movies will start actually becoming interesting. (361)

Cultura de Honduras

The world is waiting to be discovered. Get out of Iowa and see new cultures, meet new people, learn new things. My sister lives by these words. She was one of the few people in her graduating class to go to an out-of-state college. She took the chance and ended up loving it. She graduated with an Early Childhood Education degree and is now teaching first grade in Honduras. Honduras is a whole new world. The culture is so amazing and the people's opinions are different than Americans.

My sister came home for the holidays and had major culture shock. Every aspect of live is different than Honduras, which is considered a third world country. Here are some examples:

1. School Lunches- In Honduras, the moms bring their children hot lunch everyday. They bring the lunches to the school gate and hand them to the muchachas (janitors). Their meals usually consist of tortillas, beans, eggs, meat, and rice. All of the food is freshly made, not all of this processed crap that Americans eat everyday. The children are also feed a lot because in Honduran culture it is very important for children to look healthy, not skinny. This is interesting because many families are poor and have a hard time putting food on the table but their children will still look well fed.
2. Everything is for show- Honduran people are very poor considered to the rest of the world but they will act like they are not. They want their families, houses, and themselves to look perfect. Its just part of the culture.
3. Men are lazy- In Honduras, women do most of the work. They raise the children, keep up the house, and run the family while men sit around. Adultery is also very common. Men just feel like they can do whatever they want.
4. Things are cheaper- For example, my sister bought a Honduran cell phone for five american dollars. She only makes $350 a month, which is just enough to get by. Fruit costs about 50 cents and only $5.
5. Families live together- Mostly, the whole family, including aunts, uncles, children, cousins, and grandparents, live in the same house. They all work together to support the family and to raise the children.

Overall, Honduras is very different than America. We would think that some of their customs are “odd” but they would think the same about us. Traveling the world gives you insight about different cultures and turns you into a well-rounded person.  (420)

It's Time

The New Year brings a fresh start, at least that's what people think. I'm going to be honest, January 1^st didn't feel any different than December 31^st. People look at New Years as a fresh start but you have the chance at a fresh start everyday. The sun will always rise and then set and you will always have a chance to make tomorrow better than today. New Years should be a time of reflection of the past year. The accomplishments, the mistakes, and everything in between. It should also be a time to look forward to the coming year and all it has to offer. The New Year is truly a time to ponder your past decisions and to plan for the future.

Each year brings different challenges and these change as we grow. In elementary school, the New Year was just another day, just another year. Now as we grow older and we look at the year ahead of us, there are new goals to work towards and expectations to meet. For me, at this point in my life, this year brings huge decisions. The biggest is college. I am going to be graduating in a year and a half and I still have no idea where I'm going to go to college. I have to enter the real world soon. Apart from college, I could also go on another path which would cause me to graduate a year later than I'm suppose to. For this path I would move away from home, my friends, and my hometown, a year earlier. I can't go into detail about this path because it has yet to be paved. It is slowly being cleared of brush and leaves, and will soon become a new adventure.

Its only the third day of the year and I am already ready for it to be over. I'm not scared, I'm excited. This will be the most exciting year of my life so far. The decisions I make will be life-changing. I am so thankful for all of the opportunities in reach. And if these opportunities turn out to be failures, I will know that everything happens for a reason. If I fail, those paths weren't right for me in the first place. This year will fly by and I hope by next New Years Eve, while I am reflecting on 2013, I will have a smile on my face and say, “This was a great year.” So bring it on 2013, I'm ready to fight. (430)