The Final Push

The first half of senior year can be quite stressful, not so much because of the classes and workload but more so because of the finding out where you're going to college. This year, unfortunately, I'm taking seven full classes with no frees, quite rare for a senior. Although I have more work than previous years, I'm not feeling stressed from the work load. I've sort of gotten use to the high school workload. I'm actually enjoying my classes so far, and have no regrets for the classes I'm taking. What starts the stress is the college work that comes with senior year. I have many supplements to write and applications to fill out. Although I have lots of work to do, I'm not really stressed out by it that much. I'm confident I can come through. What stresses me out however, if after I've submitted my applications and waiting till the results come in. After seeing many people announce that they've been admitted, I'm excited for them but at the same time wish I were in their shoes. I've learn that there are many great colleges out there. And what ever college I go to, though helpful and important, doesn't define my life. Knowing this reduces some of the stress.  But the main stress doesn't necessarily come from other but instead mainly from myself.  I still place very high expectation on myself. I have big dreams for myself. 

I'm really looking forward to when this is all over. Finally I will be able to relax and not thing about it anymore. I'll probably go on some vacation to destress. Finally I'll be able to do many of the things I've always wanted to do but didn't have the time for. I'll be able to focus on other things than academics and college during the last few months of high school. I've told myself, after getting into college, I'll try really hard on other things to see how much I can accomplish. I'm really looking forwards to when this is all said and done. The final push is nearly over.

O Grandfather Clock

O Grandfather Clock

O grandfather clock
With your old tick tock
Why are you loudest at night?

After evening is done
And darkness has come
And time is shy of sight

When the day it comes
And the time it runs
You never do make a sound

With noises and squeaks
And little peeps
Of animals along the ground

But when gone is light
And shadows of night
Are pulled upon my head

The tiny ticks
And creaky clicks
Are all I hear instead

When i lie awake
And all it takes
is a gentle sighing sway

Of a tiny hand
on a father grand
As it moves on now towards day

And it warms my bones
That I'm not alone
No need for fear or fright

For grandfather clock
With his sweet tick tock
Shall guide me through the night

Cynicism

Cynicism. What is it's purpose in our modern society? It can be both good and bad, but only in excess.  I have many people in my life that are cynical to the point of absurdity. There must be a balance, for everyone hates an optimist, but everyone hates a pessimist. 

Cynicism can be good.  In a day and age where so many things are faulty, such as invalid internet sources and facts, it is good to be a little cynical. It can save you a lot of time on research, or even save your life. In science, it's always very good to be cynical. In philosophy, there is also a place for cynicism.  But it's not necessarily called cynicism, but more of a questioning view on everything.  I think cynical people are halfway there, being that they question lots of things.  The problem is, they question, but look for the negative answer.  They need to think and live more objectively from negativity.  

Cynicism can also be very bad.  For starters, it can make you come across as a dick. If you're always questioning what people say or think, and assuming the worst, people are going to be annoyed, and you'll be trying to bring them down.  I know some very close people who are quite cynical.  Although these things can be overlooked, it can be hard to even hold a simple conversation with them. They come off as judgemental and very pessimistic.  

I do not think that I am a cynical person.  I'm actually a very cheerful person.  I do question lots of things, but I don't necessarily look for the negative answer. I like to think that everything has a positive outcome, but I'm also reasonable to understand that this isn't always the case.  I think if people understood this difference, it would make everyone a lot more pleasant to be around.

Black Friday on a Thursday?

The first large break of the school year, Thanksgiving, is always a special time for me. I typically eat Turkey and spend time at home catching up on sleep. Sometimes my uncle comes over, but for the most part it's very quite. We normally have one very large party with friends. One specific part of Thanksgiving as grown on me over the years, Black Friday. However, I feel like the concept of Black Friday has changed quite a bit over the years. 

When I first knew about Black Friday, Black Friday was actually on a Friday, as its name implies. The one big buy from black Friday that I've used is the current TV in the living room of my house. Although I don't remember the specific numbers, a lot of money was saved. However, now, prices have been dropping like crazy. A 4K TV with an even larger screen can be bought for the same price now. Back them, the idea of buying online for Black Friday was just emerging. My parents decided to order it online so they wouldn't have to wake up early in the morning or sleep over night. However, it turns out that even at 10AM, the TV we wanted was still in stock at the local Best Buy. For the next following years, Black Friday didn't play large part in my Thanksgiving. Last year, Black Friday was just a time to get clothing, specifically jackets and hoodies. 

This year, Black Friday has become a bigger part of my Thanksgiving. Contrary to it's name, Black Friday now starts on a Thursday, specifically around dinner time. And it ends on Saturday for some stores. This appears to take away some of the excitement and experience of sleeping over night or waking up super early for a product. However, for places like Hanover, I can see this as a reasonable change. Here, it can be far too cold at night for people to be spending hours waiting outside in the cold. Buying deals online also seems to be more popular now. Many of the deals found in stores can also be found online, which can reduce the rush and "panic." It reduces the stress while making the experience more enjoyable for those who want to go to stores. Many of the deals I saw can save a lot of money. This year I went to look around on Thursday evening, and I was surprised by how many people there were. The parking lot and stores were completely packed. And I've never seen paying lines so long. For the most part it was an enjoyable experience. I saw and talked with several friends there while looking around the store.

I have watched Black Friday evolve over the last several years. There are drawbacks and benefits to the recent changes. For the most part, I think the stores are just trying to change to the needs of the people to maximize profit. It's still a fun event, and I know I'll be looking forward to see what the coming Black Fridays have to offer.

Why Hoops

Basketball. A sport watched my millions of fans. I first get interested in basketball in 8th grade. Though seemly simply, it can actually be very complex. Not only is it a sport that I love to play, it’s also love to watch. I mainly focus on the nba, the greatest basketball association in the world.

There are multiple reasons why I love the sport of basketball (over others). Like many other sports, it’s a team sport. But because there are only five players per team at a time, I feel that each person has a greater role. Team chemistry plays a very large role in a successful team. There’s also plenty of action. A game can be picked up anytime and watch, but every second of the game is important. One can be doing other things and watching basketball in the background. It’s a fast paced game, unlike many other sports where scoring a goal times multiple minutes and sometimes hours. Each team also plays multiple games a year, 82 exactly. Because there are 30 teams in the nba, there are multiple games per day. If one follows multiple teams, nearly everyday will have a game that one is interested in. The play-offs are also really exciting, because there are multiple games per series, up to seven as a matter of fact. The great part about having multiple games and being fast paced is that there is always a chance for redemption. Even if a team is down 20, there is always a chance for the team to come back and win. If a team isn’t starting a season well, there are still many more games to make up. If a team is down a series, there are still several games to come back. One of the greatest games I watched was game 6 of the series between the Spurs and Heat in 2013 of the nba finals. Even though the Heat were down 6 with about 24 seconds to go in what would mean a loss for the series, they were able to come back in the mast few seconds and eventually win the series and title. You can never count a team out or game over unless it’s really over.

Although, each player as shared responsibilities, each person can still have individual jobs. To make a team great, each player has to do well in offense and defense. One can’t just switch out players every possession or stay on only one side of the court. Each person will either be praised or punished for their lack of skills on one side of the court. Within the five people on the court, each person plays a different position. Generally a taller, stronger players are on the inside getting rebounds and closer buckers, while smaller, more agile players are on the outside shooting the long ball or setting up shots for teammates. Every person has a specific role he/she plays on the team.

I also like basketball, because the people on the court for the most part have respectable lives. Most of them aren’t getting into large trouble or put in jail. The nba is very strong against these acts. They for the most part respect the rules. Even bad words put on twitter or complains about a referee, can cause a suspension. Thus I feel that nba players can solve as great role models for younger kids. Many players have great families and spend whatever time with their kids as they can. They do plenty of community service and don't just waste their money. To think that someone like LeBron James would use his money to help provide free scholarships to over 1000 people for college in the state he grew up in is incredible (especially considering that he had a very rough upbringing and probably would not have been able to afford college). Not only do nba players care about their responsibilities on the court, but they also pay attention to their life off the court.

Not only do I love the fast-paced team style of basketball, but I also greatly respect the on court and off court lives of players, acting as role models for children of the future. This is why I believe that basketball is a growing sport that will continue and greatly spread in the future.

We Are Tottenham Haters Pt. 2

We Are Tottenham Haters Pt. 2

             This round of "we hate tottenham" is much more upbeat. Arsenal have been in sizzling form, tottenham have been shit, and news that Monsieur Arsene Wenger is going to be the new voice in the London Tube Piccadilly Line has everyone excited. 

             As of now, 10/30/15, the might Gunners are on a four game winning streak in the Premier League and Kept their hopes alive for the champions league with a shock 2-0 win over the Bavarians of F.C. Bayern. Our run of good form started with a convincing 5-2 win of Leicester City way back in late September. Three goals from the little chilean Alexis Sanchez saw him get back on track with his form. Then came the might Red Devils, Manchester United. United are known as the top english team of all time and one of the most supported teams on the planet. Twenty minutes into the match, 3-0... to the Arsenal! Electrifying Play from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil saw our men in red take a convincing three points at the Emirates Stadium. Alexis scored two "goal of the year" contenders. Next came Watford. Gunners vs. Wasps? Who do you think would win? The Gunners, of course. Three goals in twelve minutes mean that Arsenal, yet again, saw off our opponent in superb form. Alexis Sanchez, the man of the moment, scored again!

             Finally, the match we've been waiting for, Bayern Munich F.C. at our Emirates. With some absolutely stunning Goalkeeping by our very own Petr Cech, the match stayed at 0-0 until the 72nd minute. The League's sexiest player, Olivier Giroud tucked home a header after a mistake from the undeniable Manuel Neuer, Bayern's Goalkeeper. 1-0 to the good! Robert Lewandowski, the Bayern Striker, had recently scored 5 goals in 9 minutes against Wolfsburg in the bundesliga, and had an average of 1.9 goals a game over the last 11 games, a record that is unheard of. Laurent "Boss"cielny (Koscielny) our french center-back kept Lewandowski in his back pocket the whole game, and his hard work eventually led to an interception by Hector Bellerin, our right back and the world's fastest player. Bellerin ran his ass off to the baseline and played a cross over to Mesut Ozil who tucked away the winner, 2-0! Game, set, Match. Come on ya gunners! #COYG #WeHateTottenham

            Great stuff from Arsenal, nothing to complain about this time. Here's to another great month. COYG!

Ian Caldwell

To A Better Tomorrow

         As every high schooler does, especially seniors, we start to think deeper about our future.  Probably because it's only a year away, and we're starting to realize that everything we do is going to affect our future now.  Not to say that it wouldn't have when we were five, but it has much more of an impact.  I tend to think about these things when I get stressed, or frustrated, and question why I'm forced to do this things that seemingly have no affect on my perceived notion of what my future is.
       My future is like schroedinger's cat, both certain and uncertain to me, both at the same time.  I know exactly what I want to do, and how to go about doing it.  Yet there are so many impediments that I cannot account for, nor can I predict how they will affect what my future looks like.  All I can say is that I'm going to try my best to be happy.  I've learned a lot in the last few years, and it seems to me that the most important thing is that you do what you love.  If you do what you love, then you won't mind putting in the effort that you need in order to get out of it what you want.  That's what my vision of college is.  Many people, especially in the Hanover community, seemed to believe that once they get into this absurdly expensive and prestigious college, they'll already have a future.  That they'll can get along just fine because of where they went.  Although this can, at times, be true, it's not super important.
       Any college you go to has so many resources that are just waiting to be taken advantage of.  I know for a fact that the #1 college I want to go, Berklee College of Music, to has so much to offer.  And yet I hear stories all the time of people being unsatisfied, and not making a living, well after their college years.  While part of this is due to the music industry, their ultimate failure can't be completely blamed on the system. In order for me to be different, and to be successful, I fully realize I have to be very proactive in taking advantage of all the resources that are made available to me in college.  If I don't, and think I can get by with just attending college and simply passing my classes, I'll get swept away in the mass of unmemorable musicians that wasted the chance of an amazing and unique education experience.

            In these days, the music industry is just a corrupted mess of high level producer and so called music analysts that only take into account the music that the general public wants to hear.  What ever happened to old days where making an album was an art.  The way in which the songs were listed on an album was thought through, and where the albums were bought by the public, instead of torrenting music. In the golden days of the music industry, back in the 70’s, the albums were what made money for the artist, and the tours were to support the album.  In some cases, like Led Zeppelin, they actually lost money on every single tour.  Nowadays, the tours are the artists only chance to make money.  At their concerts, they can have outrageous ticket prices, as well as lots of CD and merchandise sales.  Out of everything that can make money for an artist, the music is actually the least valuable.

            I think this is a great disappointment. It’s so hard to have talented musicians who can find the kind of representation that enable him/her to play what they want to play, and still be able to make money and be successful.  As everyone has heard, there are so many stories of artist who had such bright futures, and the industry completely took ownership of their music and completely changed who they were as an artist.  It’s almost as though they succumbed to the money and industry.  I respect people who can do their own thing independently, and have the ability to do stand up to an industry that’s so corrupt and manipulative.

            I have worries for my future, because I’m going to music school and planning on making a life in music. Of course I’m looking forward to playing music for the rest of my life, but it’s a tough career.  There’s no guarantee that I’ll have any success at all, and even if I did, I’d have to deal with all the drama of an industry that would probably try to change my music. Sometimes it’s hard to think of going in to a life that’s going to be so hard, but my love for music makes it all worth it.  It’s just another thing people have to deal with in order to spend their lives doing what they want.

I Still Remember

     It's not just a saying. Time truly flies. I don't think that we value how important time is unless we stop and look back at how much has changed. I'm already in my senior year and soon to be done with high school. Thinking back, there's so much to remember.

     I still have fresh memories of elementary and high school as if they had just happened. I still remember kindergarten and playing checkers every day. Then one year later someone else also from Lebanon and I, who I still know, moved to Hanover. I still remember a week before first grade I came to the right side of the room, towards the back, approaching the lego/building section. I was in so much shock when I found out that two other children standing beside me also have the same first name as me. And to think that I still know these people and talk to them quite often is crazy. I remember estimating the number of items in a glass jar each month, dissecting an owl's pellet, planting an avocado plant, and watching chicks grow. I still remember second grade learning to knit, following the Iditarod, and learning cursive. It was that year that I met two new friends, one that moved the year after. He'd always skip down the hallways, with a certain rhythm to his step. I still remember third grade when I met a very good friend. It was that year that I was part of the origami booth in the Japanese fair. I still remember fourth grade when we had monthly presentations. One year later, fifth grade was one of my favorite years. I really liked my homeroom teacher, and I loved the building with wood and electricity that we did that year. 

     I still remember the first day of middle school in sixth grade. Everything was new to me. I loved the bridge project at the end of the year. We had to construct a bridge out of wood and glue and had to  "buy" the supplies the file requests with fake money. My group got second or third place beating the group behind us with one hundredth of a unit, or something like that. I still remember seventh grade. My best friend moved before that year, and it took me a while to reengage myself into the group. For some reason I don't remember that year as clearly as others. However, I clearly remember eight grade. Similar to the last year of elementary school, that year was a blast. I had a great homeroom teacher and really enjoyed my classes. It was that year that I started to enjoy science and and enjoy math even more. I was looking forward to my classes every day. I ended the year off with an I-Search project which included me interviewing two very well known origami artists. Thinking back, I really appreciate them accepting my interview requests. One of them even Skyped me 1 on 1. 

     The following year, high school began. I think I should end this here, partly for awkwardness. And I think I'll be able to reflect better once it's over. Maybe I'll continue this later. I loved high school. I don't I appreciated it enough until it's nearly over. It's really sad to think that it'll be over in under a year. All the people I've meet in this time, it's weird to think that I later will not be seeing them on a daily basis. Thinking about it really saddens me.  Each memory could be it's own paper. There's so much I still remember, as if it was just yesterday.

We Are Tottenham Haters

Arsenal F.C., or simply, “Arsenal” is an English football club based in North London. They play in the English Premiership, the highest division in the United Kingdom and arguably the best league in the world.

My support for Arsenal started in 2004 when I was seven. My brother had been watching them for a few years prior and had convinced me to start watching their matches with him on the weekends. My support quickly grew into a love when my brother and I watched Arsenal complete the impossible and go an entire League season, 38 matches, unbeaten. This was a feat not done since the 19th century by Preston North End F.C.. Watching arsenal that year was like watching an artist paint his masterpiece. Those 11 men strung together the most incredible, perfect, and viscous passing ever witnessed by mankind. Their defense was impenetrable, and their ability to counter-attack was unmatched, the Arsenal could be defending one moment, and then three passes later, have the opposition’s keeper picking the ball out of his net.

Since 1997, Arsenal has been led by their manager, Arsene Wenger. This lanky frenchman brought an entirely new style of football to Arsenal and was the first manager in the English Leagues to field a completely non-english team. Wenger led Arsenal to countless trophies in the first years of his reign and brought in some of the world’s best talent. That is, until after that historic season. Since the 2003-04 season, arsenal has won only a handful of silverware, and finishes lower and lower in the league table each year. Most football supporters can handle this sort of decline, but not me. I’ve been watching Arsenal’s slow descent as if it were a close friend slowly being taken over by addiction or some other crippling disease. The disease that Arsenal is currently stuck with is “Wenger-itis”.

Monsieur Wenger was magnificent for Arsenal, but as of recent he has been doing nothing but hurt the club. His refusal to buy new players for the team has allowed the biggest talent we had to leave year after year and see nobody new come in to replace them. The decline hasn’t been apparent until this current season. So far, five weeks into the season, we’ve lost two matches. Teams that win the league typically only lose 4 or 5 matches a year. It’s absolutely ridiculous that they can’t muster up even a draw early in the season, they’ve been losing. We’ve won three matches, but it’s really not enough, it should be six matches won. If this descent continues from the Arsenal, I don’t think I could truly love them the way I have in the past. For the love of God they better start winning more matches, and if they don’t I’ll have to jump on the “Wenger Out” bandwagon.

-Ian Caldwell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fWFBz6s4XI

Spoiled by Technology and Having

Life has changed so much these last few years. Whenever it’s a night on the weekend/holiday and I’ve done “nothing”, I always get this weird feeling. Perhaps the wifi has died, or there’s no electricity, or there’s simply nothing to do; everyone else in the family has slept early and friends are all on some vacation. Sure I’ve probably watched a few youtube videos and browsed the web a bit, but I still get this “empty” feeling. I get this sense of meaningless and pointlessness; there’s nothing to do; nothing has been accomplished that night. I get the idea that fine, I work in the day, but once I’ve done so, the night is time for my own enjoyment. In a way I’ve been motivated during the day so that I can do something at night. Many valuable hours have gone by, wasted. I get this feeling that unless I’ve played a game, watched a movie, followed a sports game, etc. I don’t get the satisfaction I need on a weekday before I sleep to say “Yes, I’ve accomplished something for my enjoyment today. I’m free to end the day.” Whenever I don't get this satisfaction, it always disappoints me. But them often I get thinking, how would I have acted differently years ago, before I had games to play with friends, before I had movies to watch on a regular basis, before I was into sports?

Then I come to the realization that we’re becoming spoiled by technology and what we’ve gained that we used to never know of. Whatever new thing I add to my life, I also add a new sense of longing and pointlessness when it’s over. For example, when the nba is over I feel really sad since there’s nothing to follow and look forward to everyday. Yet before I followed the nba I couldn’t have cared less when the season was over. Similarly, I didn’t always have movies to watch every so often. Now, when have a couple spare hours and no movies to watch I’m disappointed, especially when I can’t figure out what to watch and time is running out. It sometimes takes a long time to pick a movie. But before, I watched movies very rarely and any movie was fine. And no when a friend plans to play with me but later figures he can’t, it’s kinda disappointing. But before I couldn’t have cared less whether he plays or not.

There are so many more things that have spoiled us over time. Another example is something we call “lag.” Whenever the wifi dies everyone gets really frustrated. Whenever a document takes “forever” to load, people groan in frustration. Whenever a webpage doesn’t load students call over the teacher like it’s some emergency. However, a few years ago there was no internet, let alone computers. There wasn’t the concept of transferring files within minutes, let alone seconds. Nobody complained then. Uploading a file in 1 hour was considered fast. When urls took a minute to load, everyone was happy for the fact that it even opened. Now when I look at the first gen ipod touch. It feels so slow and bulky. But I remember several years ago, it was revolutionary, so fast and so light. Everything that it did was amazing, no matter how long it took.

The more we have, the less we’re appreciating the smaller things. Next time you complain, think first about what you have that those years ago never had. Appreciate the fact that you even have it, not how well it works. If it gets the job done, be happy enough. Have more patience.