GDP

We just started to learn a bit more about Gross Domestic Products (GDP’s) in class, and from an article that we were assigned last night.  We learned that GDP is calculated by the sum total of everything that is produced by a country.  Some examples that contribute to a country’s GDP are the consumption spending by households, investments spending by business, government spending, and net imports.  Overall this system is a pretty good indicator of a country’s well-being, but there are some things about the system that do not truly show how well off a country is. For example, there are some jobs that are used in order to prevent the bad things a country has done, like cleaning up oil spills or trying to solve climate change.  Even though people are working, they are fixing problems that the country has created for itself.  GDP also doesn’t show what people do at home, instead of at a job.  A person, taking care of their kids, does not affect a country’s GDP, but hiring a nanny or babysitter would. This is somewhat similar to what a GPA can show about a person’s academic work ethic in school.  Overall in most cases it can show how hard a person works towards getting good grades, but the GPA does not account for everything.  For example, a student could have a lower GPA than another student, but be in honors classes, which would make getting a good grade much harder.  GPA also does not take into account for the extracurriculars you do outside of school.  If you are an athlete that has multiple practices per day, it is going to be much harder to time manage for all your work, than someone that doesn’t do any practices.  Overall, the system does a pretty good job showing the well-being of a country, but there always are things that make the system not perfect.

NORDIC

It's finally Nordic skiing time. We had our first practice today and it was good. I could tell I hadn't done anything athletic since soccer ended. Apparently we're not allowed to have practices until December 12th for some reason but we are allowed to have one meeting before then. So ya, today was that one meeting. We'll have captain's practices from now until the 12th and coaches aren't allowed to be at those. So it should be fun, much more relaxed than official practices, even though those are pretty chill. I don't know why they moved the season so much farther back this year. Maybe cause we recently haven't been getting much snow earlier in the season and have been getting a lot later in the season. But pushing it back means that states will be March. I don't know if we'll have snow then. Maybe, it is at Great Glen, so hopefully they will have the snow in March still. But the fact that my March Intensive last year of Nordic skiing in Maine was cancelled due to lack of snow doesn't give me much confidence for states in March. I just hope the conditions are better than last year because that was terrible.

Colorado College Supplement

From Story to Script: Adapting Literature for the Screen.

Overview:

This course introduces the basic process of adapting literary fiction to the screen. Students will  identify characteristics of stories that can effectively be adapted for film; profile characters from written works and their screen adaptations; and compare adapted screenplays to their original counterparts, dissecting the techniques that screenwriters use to revise a text to a format suitable for visual media. By the end of the course students will write a final adapted screenplay based on an original text of their choosing.

Learning Objectives:

• Critically analyze techniques and styles used by writers in multiple genres.
• Profile characters by describing their most important qualities from screenplays and the original text.
• Effectively compose scenes from pre-existing stories, identifying key pieces of information that must be included as well as details that can be eliminated.

Course Description:

More than 60% of screenplays made into films from 2005-2014 were adapted from a medium not initially intended for film. In this course, we investigate the techniques that writers use to adapt everything from literary classics to Marvel Comics.

In the first week of the course, students will read screenplays from a variety of genres along with their original literary counterparts, discussing strategies and techniques for preparing the story for the screen. Students will profile characters from the original works, defining which traits are essential and how they are carried forward into the screenplay. In addition, students will explore techniques that are used to preserve the mood, plot, and characters that are unique to specific genres.

In the second week students will analyze selected written works and determine whether or not they are amenable to adaptation for film, considering what makes a novel translate well to the screen. We will reflect on how key characters can be incorporated into the story and, when appropriate, how to blend the features of multiple characters into one, taking into account the activity each combined character has over the entire story. Similarly we will discuss which components of the story are essential and which are unnecessary to the story, selecting the key elements of plot that should be incorporated in the context of a more limited time frame.

In the final week of the course students will learn to use the medium of film to tell a story without a first person narrator; manipulate critical aspects of internal dialogue in the narrative by either externalizing the dialogue or conveying it through the characters actions; and preserve the mood and tone of the original text through visual storytelling.

At the end of the course students will select a text and adapt it for the screen, taking into account: character profiles, overarching plot, themes, mood, and techniques discussed over the course.

Prerequisites:

• Introduction to Film Studies
• Screenwriting

Bates Supplement

I am drawn to Bates for several different reasons, but the most prominent reasons are probably because of its academics in the liberal arts, and because of the tight knit community that is dedicated to not only forwarding itself, but also the town around it. When looking for colleges, my priority was smaller sized colleges that have good science programs, but I also liked the idea of good crew and nordic teams. While looking at colleges, I found that Bates fit my first priority almost perfectly, while nailing the second. I loved how Bates had a great science program that was free for everyone to join and that allowed tons of opportunities for research and allowed for students to easily go abroad.

Another reason that Bates really called to me was because of its involvement with the town around them. I visited many other colleges that had good academics, but none of the others really had any sort of student involvement outside of the college. Bates shocked me because of the emphasis on student involvement in the community. This really calls to the Christian side of me because I love to help others and donate my time to the helping of others, in and outside of the church. Because of these two things, I feel myself being called to Bates.

Black Friday

I never understood Black Friday, and now that stores have started the Cyber Monday trend it seems even more unnecessary. Why risk getting trampled in a mall or a large store when you could casually order anything your heart desires at home on your couch? With Cyber Monday customers are getting the same deals online, why hasn't Black Friday become obsolete? Also why has the government allowed Black Friday to continue when it gets so much bad press and causes so much criminal activity? The only people who profit from it are customers and the press, and most of the time customers get trampled in the process. I don't understand how this is still a holiday.

Thanksgiving

Over the past few years, Thanksgiving has become one of my favorite holidays. It's the three fs that make it important: family, friends, and football. Even though football is awesome, and I love watching it on Thanksgiving, it's really family and friends that make the holiday so special. Having one day where there is nothing to worry about and where the sole purpose is giving thanks and being together with the people you love is truly beautiful. I don't think I used to like Thanksgiving much, but as I get older, and college approaches, I realize that days like Thanksgiving Day are few and far between. I look at my sister, who just came home today from college. She hasn't been home since August, and she's leaving the country for six months to study abroad in Dublin. For me, and for her, this is one of the only days in the near future where we will all be truly together as a family. Yes, she comes home for her Christmas break, but I've got school and my parents have got work for a portion of that, and the break itself isn't even two weeks. As Thanksgiving fast approaches, I can't wait to spend a carefree day with my family and eat some good food while doing so.

Britain at War

I was at a Model UN conference where I was a member of the British War Cabinet in WWII. We had to fight the Axis powers by invading North Africa, France, etc. I was proud when my plan on invading Indonesia was approved and subsequently successful. Some of the other people were very pompous, with one girl claiming she could veto anything anyone else proposed. Luckily, she never tried that. My chairs (the people in charge of the committee) were very friendly and helped ensure everyone had fun. They even had tea brought into us on three different occasions, to represent the British-ness of the committee. Everyone appreciated that.

In the British cabinet they had the Dominions represented: Canada, Australia, India, and Burma, as well as the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. The last guy mentioned was really chill and he came up with a bunch of stuff to do. We had lots of directives where we reappropriated army divisions between different parts of the British Empire, including protecting Malta from Italy. Most people were cooperative in formulating plans, but several were not. Those people were aggravating.  But despite those people, I truly enjoyed participating in that committee.

Winter is Coming

As I write this, snowflakes are falling, struggling to stick to the ground and accumulate to something. Mother nature is almost begging "No, winter don't start. Don't bring in your cold, your darkness and your despair."

I am mentally preparing myself for my least favorite months of the year. However, it wasn't always like this. I grew up with skiing being a huge part of my life, I counted down the days until the mountains opened and I could finally feel the rush of going down a mountain at high speeds. I loved the snowball fights, forts and sledding. All this changed when I moved, now that I was older and more mature I didn't have the energy (and for the first couple years, friends) to partake in wintery activities. My sister, who I always played with moved to college and soon enough I realized that the east just didn't get the snow compared to where I used to live.

Now that I switched my sport to rowing, all I look forward to is being on the water with the sun high in the sky. I associate the winter with perpetual darkness, a kind of purgatory, emotional and energy hibernation. A dull monotony, a sleepless dreamlike trance.

Then I think about those days. Coldness envelopes the sky, spring so far away you forget what the sun's warmth feels like. Yearning to grip an oar blade once more. Then, I ski down a hill and for just a moment I forget it all.

Snowflakes

Today the sky looks grey, and the possibility of snow seems high from inside a warm building.  When I look through a window the outdoors appear very cold and monochromatic.  Looking through a window is not an accurate way to predict the whether because your skin is not able to feel the wind.  You can be inside and believe that it is going to snow, but when you actually go outside you could realize that it is too warm for snow.  I cannot wait until the first snowflakes fall.  The idea of snow is exciting when there is none around, but after months of snow on the ground I look forward to seeing brown mud again.  Maybe it will snow over thanksgiving break.  

Boston University Supplemental Essay

Robot weapons have become the subject of hot debate over the recent years. With the use of missiles launched by unmanned aerial vehicles to destroy ISIS military encampments and convoys, the US has proved that automated vehicles are effective in a combat zone where the country chose not to have “boots on the ground”.

Theoretically, automated weapons are perfect for replacing human soldiers out on the battlefields. They can be made to be more quick to respond, more accurate, and do not have to deal with shell shock like most other soldiers have after returning from the battlefield. They can be modified for maximum effectiveness for different environments, do not retreat, and never tire. These robots also do not have a training time like humans do. They come out ready for action. This seems to make automated robot weapons the perfect and natural development from human warfare. The problem is, aside from the fear of robot apocalypses found from fictional stories, that these machines do not feel when they kill.

Presumably, when a human kills another human in war, that human undergoes a profound change. He or she feels horrible for doing such a thing. However, when a machine kills a human, or a human presses a button to cause a death, there is no feeling of guilt. The human does not feel that the death is entirely his or her fault because there was a very significant third party that dealt the damage.

Given that other countries are developing these automated machines, the US cannot fall behind in firepower. However, in a worldly view, I would discourage the use of these machines. The use of machines to kill people takes a shortcut through the mental process of killing a human with your own hands. The proliferation of this type of warfare could lead to a lesser worth of a human life. As humans, we find it very hard to kill others, which is why nobody dies when they make others angry.

Furthermore, using robots to kill people is a very expensive option at the moment. While each human soldier costs around forty-four thousand dollars according to NBC news, the cheapest unmanned aerial vehicle costs

The use of machines as a third party to remove that life from our world would be comparable to the violent video games. Similar to the first person shooters, directly controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle -- like those used in the war against ISIS -- would cover the very real sound of human screams of fear and pain as the volume can be adjusted. The controller would not have the first person experience of the mess that guns create. The controller would care even less about the human lives if he or she was not in direct control of the robot and had programmed it to carry out the mission to end other people’s lives. This is because the controller would not see the resulting carnage or see someone in his or her death throes.

Robots cannot be allowed into warfare because they do not feel when they kill. Thus, there is no feeling of guilt or the feeling of pain when a fellow human dies.

Fall

As the fall is turning colder and the leaves grey, I find myself rejoicing that the holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is almost here, bringing with it some of the first real snowfalls of the year, as well as great time spent with friends and family. Siblings will be back from college, parents will be happy, and students will have no school for a week. Halloween has already passed, meaning that the cold is here to stay. Sports seasons are all coming to a close, with the only one dragging on being football. Soon, everyone will be out of the stressful predicament that is school, and everyone is eyeing Christmas, as well as the buckets of snow that it will bring.

Happy Halloween

Halloween was on a Monday this year, but that didn't stop the kids. My little sister and her friends still went trick or treating and pulled in a lot of candy. She was nice enough to share some with my brother and I, as we were at home doing homework instead. The middle school teachers all agreed not to give out any more homework so the kids could have fun. At my house, we bought starbursts to give out but because it is kind of out of the way, only one group of kids stopped by; my sister and her friends. Hopefully next year Halloween will be on a weekend and might be more fun.

Supplement

Write about your connection to Community

A pancake breakfast at the local community center is the tastiest way to start off a Saturday morning. But one Saturday was a little different; my Boy Scout troop cooked a pancake breakfast with all of the proceeds going to the Trevor Fund, a local charity promoting suicide awareness in the LGBT community. I could see it bring our small town together through in depth conversation while I was serving pancakes and refilling orange juices. 

Not only did it help our small town come together, but it also made a statement to stand up for the rights of other people. Recently the Boy Scouts have come under fire for refusing to allow gay men and boys to participate in scouting; but by participating in the breakfast my troop welcomed everyone to join Boy Scouts. Hopefully in years to come, our small pancake breakfast will give someone the courage to join scouting and feel included.

Best Time of the Year

Some people believe Christmas is the best time of the year.  Others think that it is New years.  The really crazy people believe that it is 4th of July.  All of these people are wrong though.  There is one true holiday that is by far superior than all the others.  It is Thanksgiving.  This is undoubtedly the best holiday, and the best time of the year for people.  Some may try to argue with me, but I have the facts to back it up.
One of the biggest factors that lead to this being the best time of the year is the sports that are going on.  The World Series has just occurred and people are still enjoying the baseball season.  It is also the middle of the football season causing the arguments among friends and families to develop and get intense.  Also, the football games are always interesting and fun to watch, whether or not your favorite team is playing on Thanksgiving.  Basketball has also started which makes the sports world complete.  Watching all the sports, and trash talking with family and friends leads to great times and enjoyable banter.
The food is also a huge factor into this amazing holiday.  Throughout most of the year, eating food is enjoyed, but not nearly as much as on thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is one of the few times that people are ok with you eating as much as possible.  No one judges the amount you eat, unless it is too little. It is a great holiday for people like me who love to eat a lot of delicious food.  It is always enjoyable for me.
Also, it is a time where you get to see family members that you have not seen in some time.  Though seeing family isn't always great, during this time of the year, almost everyone is in a good mood and is looking forward to enjoying the holiday.  Also, watching family members going at it, isn't the worst thing for the observers, it can be quite funny.
There are so many reasons that Thanksgiving is the best time of the year, I could continue to write, about the parade they have throughout the day, and the Black Friday shopping that most people try to do.  Even without these things, I think I have showed that Thanksgiving is easily one of the most underrated holidays around.

ROT: A Gift or a Curse?

In freshman year, many people learned of the harsh and terrifying ROT (random oral testing). These tests have haunted me through high school, up until senior year. These tests are the things of nightmares, the beginning of which goes like: “I found myself in the middle of a classroom. I look around me and see other students frantically* scribbling words down on the piece of paper in front of them. I look down at my paper to see a litany* of words sprawled* across the page. I quickly became distraught* as I became cognizant* of the inexorable* slaughter that is imminent*.

‘Alright kiddies, time’s up!’ Mr Heahnal exclaims as his face beams from excitement.

‘Daniel, portend*’

I look up in shock. Why must I be the first one to go? The room undulates* around me as I realize that I have no idea. John unremittingly* hits his pencil on the desk besides me, and with each stroke I feel time slowing. Hours seem to fly by as I try and think of the answer, but nothing comes. I finally consign* my grade to Mr Haehnal and say: ‘Bananas’. In an instant I could feel myself turning from the student who always studies into the class pariah*. Pejorative* words flow through my fellow classmates minds as the nightmare starts to kick in.”

At this point most people would wake up in a cold sweat and realize that there is a ROT the next day and that they need to study beforehand.

In all seriousness, ROT has two sides to it. For people who can look at a list of words twice and have every word memorized, ROT is a walk in the park. But for people like me, it take hours upon hours to remember just 20 words. The night before, and day of a ROT I might spend 3-4 hours beforehand trying to memorize the newest 20 words and refresh myself on the previous 200 words. For people like me, memorizing ROT is an inordinate* task.

There is one good thing that comes out of ROT, you never really forget all of the words. Out of all 243 words that we “learned” in Comp II, I might be able to utilize* ¼ of the words we were supposed to learn, and understand most of the words. Throughout this post I have starred words that I was able to utilize* correctly that were in the ROT that I learned last year. This means that there is the irrefutable fact that ROT has allowed me to learn new words.

So overall, even though ROT is not really worth the pain that must be endured in the form that it is used in class today, if it were reformed to a friendlier, less cut-throat quiz, with less words, ROT might be almost bearable.

Where I feel at home...

·             The question was, “Preference and Approval are two forms used for this event and some areas use the first past the post method for-”

“Elections,” I interrupted the quizmaster.

        This is the sort of question I get correct at quizbowl competitions. While there are questions on all sorts of topics, I excel at questions about history, math, geography, and chemistry. I leave other questions to my three teammates.

Last year our lineup consisted of Felix, Kevin, Gerret, and I. We were one of the strongest teams coming from our school in recent years. Unlike some teams, our team was not dominated by any one person because we all made notable contributions to the squad. We had Felix with the moose hat, listening to the Cubs on the way to tournaments. There’s Kevin who always carried a small backpack and can name any senator from the past 150 years. Finally, there’s eccentric Gerret who loves to argue over pronouncing words like “archipelago!” While we have little in common besides a love of quizbowl (except for Felix and I being Cubs fans), I always felt at home when competing with them. These memories will always be some of my fondest memories.

November

I don't want to be a downer, but as it is the first of November, I feel like I should comment on the month as a whole. November is my least favorite month for one primary reason: weather. It's cloudy almost every day, there is frost in the morning that I am forced to get off of my car, and there is school. There is even snow every now and then, and the temperature rarely get above 60. There are no leaves on the trees and the grass loses its green glow. If it wasn't for the weather, however, November would be a fantastic month. There is football on Sundays, and one of the greatest holidays of all, Thanksgiving. If someone told me that they would like to get rid of November as a month altogether, I would not protest as long as Thanksgiving was still around.

Scream Fortress VIII

Well the Halloween update for TF2 finally came out. They basically just copied what they did last year and added a few skins, maps, and taunts. But man was it broken when it first came out. On Mac the game would crash and you couldn't even load maps. Which makes me wonder if the TF2 team even tested the update on Mac before releasing it. That means either they don't care or they aren't given many resources for testing the game. Either way, I'm very disappointed. On PC, you could load Halloween maps just fine, but the Merasmissions didn't work for most people. And for those who did, they used it to their advantage. The community market price for the creepy crawly cases shot up to about $15 per case. That price does not make sense for an item that everyone in the community should have access to. But because of the low supply and the high demand, the price shot up.
They finally fixed the bugs with the Merasmissions not working, but four or five days after the update was released. It took them long enough. At least they're now going to extended the length of the event to try to compensate for their mistakes. I know they're probably currently working on the pyro update and Smissma, but they need to be more careful with their updates and fixing them in the future. I'm starting to worry if Valve cares about TF2 anymore. Hopefully the next update is better.

Generic Fantasy Football

Rainier

Today I am going to write about fantasy football. I apologize because I know it is boring, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. It is going to be average at best. Anyways my fantasy football team is pretty trash because everyone got injured. So i'm taking a ton of L's. But I am on the up as I have won the past two weeks. Even though I scored barely any points. But anyways I just hope I don't come in last so I avoid the punishment. Anyways I'm just going to write a little more so this blog post looks long. I think writing a letter is more efficient because you can write less but since I am such a dedicated student I am doing a blog post. My time here is almost done I hope you had fun I hope this blog post is long enough or else its gonna be rough.