The Power of One

The Power of One is definitely one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. I had no idea what to expect going into it, all I knew was that it took place in South Africa, around the time of World War II. I was shocked when I saw the movie. P.K., even from such a young age, is faced with major hardships. Everyone and everything he loves gets taken away from him throughout the movie. He still manages to make it through and continues to help others. Since he was raised in a multi-racial environment, he has no racial views. He has the gift of language, and is able to speak multiple languages. This allows him to bring the prisoners together and later to help Zulus from Alexandra learn and be able to teach how to read and write the English language. This all greatly inspired me to try to do more selfless things like him. The scene with all the prisoners singing was probably my favorite scene of the movie. It was really amazing to see the different tribes all together as one become so powerful in rebellion without the Nazis even knowing. However, one of the hardest scenes to watch follows that. Seeing Sergeant Bormann beat and kill Geel Piet was terrible. Piet was such a great and inspiring character, a seeing him die was difficult, but it was nice to see him get a last moment of freedom when he was telling the Sergeant exactly what the prisoners were singing. I learned much more about the actual state of South Africa at the time of Apartheid. I was much more brutal than I expected. The living conditions in places like Alexandra were absolutely atrocious. Overall, I absolutely loved this movie and the message it sent.

Happy New Year!

I had a pretty low key New Year this year. I honestly can’t remember the last time I didn’t go to a party on New Year’s Eve, but this year was a little different. I rang in 2010 with my mom and dad. It was pretty boring but nice in a way. I laid around in my sweats and just had a lazy night. We watched Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in Times Square while eating very good food. I can’t say that I’m sad to see 2009 go. Drama is probably the thing I hate the most and I had no shortage of it in 2009. When you spend nine years with the same group of one hundred kids, tension builds and drama happens. There were some very good times, though, especially at the end of eighth grade. Our class trip to Cedar Point, Graduation and the after party, and even just the excitement of graduating and moving on to high school all made 2009 a year to remember. However, I‘m ready for a fresh start in 2010. Over spring break, I’m turning fifteen and going to Disney World. Disney World in Orlando is my absolute favorite place in the universe. I’ve been there many times before and have wanted to go there for a while, but never worked out with scheduling. I‘m also super excited for the summer Global Ed. trip to Berlin, Prague, and the Swiss Alps. It should be a blast and a wonderful way for me to meet new people. That is exactly what I plan on doing this year. I love my friends, but I want to meet some new people. I love learning about new people and their culture if it is any different from mine. 2010 should be a great year.

Christmas :)

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Besides having time off from school, I love the whole atmosphere of the season. From the decorations everywhere to the music and even the shopping, everything adds up and creates what I think is perfect. Every year, around Christmas, I get really excited and I love to decorate the house. My family is never quite as into it as I am, but that’s okay. I decorate our entire house, including my room which is always the best. I put lights all over, around my door on the outside and inside, around my closet and even hanging from my chandelier. I have two small Christmas trees, and many other accessories including a Nativity, a stocking, several wreaths and some Christmas themed stuffed animals. Besides decorating, our family has a few traditions. About five years ago, my mom and I started making Christmas Eve Cinnamon Rolls. They’re pretty easy to make. On Christmas Eve, you put frozen dinner rolls in a Bundt pan then add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla pudding mix, and melted butter. Let them rise over night, put them in the oven on Christmas morning and enjoy. They are incredibly delicious and definitely one of my favorite parts of the holiday. After opening all the presents and digging into the scrumptious cinnamon rolls, my extended family comes over. Three aunts, three uncles, and seven cousins along with my grandpa join my mom, dad, brother and me to further celebrate the holiday. We eat and each open one more present to finish off the day. We always have a wonderful time and I wouldn’t want to celebrate any other way.

Thanks

There are many aspects of my life I am thankful for. I think of these more than ever at Thanksgiving. My top ten are:


1. Family- I have an amazing family. They support me in everything I do. Whether I am right or wrong, they always back me up. It is nice to be able to carry out many of your thoughts and ideas because you know that even if you fail, your family will still be there for you.

2. Health- There are many people in this world who are unfortunately very unhealthy. For the most part, everyone close to me is healthy, including myself. I am extremely thankful for my health.

3. Friends- I absolutely love my friends. I can talk to them about anything, and I know they’ll be there to listen.

4. Wealth- My family has been blessed not to be to drastically impacted by our current economy. Many people are out of a job, but my mom recently got a new one. I haven’t had to give up pretty much anything, and I love my parents for allowing that to happen.

5. Intelligence- I get very high grades. I am blessed to have the ability and self-discipline to do that. I know this is a very important trait to have through the rest of my life and I am very thankful for it.

6. House- I am really lucky to live in a large, beautiful house. I have lived in this house for almost my whole life and I love it. I also am lucky to have a lovely little cottage up north, near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I really enjoy spending time up on the lake with family and friends.

7. Food- Many people in this world are starving and malnourished. I always have plenty of food to eat and have the privilege of choosing my meals often. I know that a large number of people do not have this choice. I like the feeling of donating food to the less fortunate. I often try to give them some of my favorites, like macaroni and cheese.

8. School- Stevenson is a really well-rounded school. We are nationally recognized for programs like Global Ed. and I am very happy to be involved in it. My education will prepare me for college and whatever comes after that.

9. Freedom- The United States is a wonderful country. It may not seem like I right at this second, with our current financial status, but our government is really a great system. We as citizens have a large amount of rights, like the freedom of speech. We can say what we feel and not be punished for it. Our whole country should be thankful for this.

10. Happiness- I am a very happy person, along with everyone around me. Sadly, not many people can say that. I am thankful that I have nothing big to be unhappy about. I wish I could donate some happiness to others like we donate clothes and food.

I don’t really think about what I am thankful for very often. That is why I love Thanksgiving. It is impossible to go through this time without having at least a few thoughts about what you have, and what others don’t have. I am sure my family and I will continue to help those who don’t have as much as long as we can.

A Month in Review

Old Friends, New Friends
When I first arrived at Stevenson, I knew that I would be making many more friends. About twenty-six people from my old school, St. Michael, were also starting high school at Stevenson. I was glad to start school and see all of them again. I have already made many new friends, a lot of whom are in my Global Ed. classes. I am currently not playing any sports at Stevenson, but many of my friends are. I have also become friends with some of their friends from those sports.

SHS Activities Attended
This year, there are many more school activities than I am used to. So far, I have really enjoyed them. Besides the football and soccer games, one of my favorites was Night on the Field. I had a lot of fun with my friends, and help an extraordinary cause.

Funniest, Weirdest, Scariest Moments
I have had so many funny and weird moments with my friends, I can’t even name them. But, I think the scariest moment so far in was walking in on the first day of school. I was nervous and excited all in one. Thankfully, I haven’t gotten lost yet.

Hardest, Easiest Class and Assignments
This year, I like all my classes. They are all challenging, but not too impossibly hard. I think the two easiest are foods and French 1. The hardest test I’ve had so far is probably the first one we had in world history last week. I thought both the Explore Test and the Social Studies MEAP Test were easy.

Top Five Current Events
We have learned about so many current events in the news this year. The one that has most recently stuck out to me was the discussion about the Michigan budget, and the fact that Livonia schools will probably have many of their funds cut. Another interesting story is the balloon boy story. A boy was supposedly trapped in the family’s homemade hot air balloon as it accidently took off and traveled many miles. The boy was really hiding in a box in his attic. Recently, many celebrities have died, including Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, Patrick Swayze, and Farrah Faucett. Another big event was choosing the site for the 2016 Olympics. Chicage, Illinois was highly considered, but it ended up going to Rio de Janeiro. And of course, it seems like every day we hear something about the H1N1 flu and its vaccine.

Faces in the News
I find learning about faces in the news extremely interesting. Some of the big one we have learned about were Ben Bernanke, Benjamin Netanyahu, Susan Rice, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sonia Sotomayor, Hillary Clinton, Dimitry Medvedev, John Roberts, and Hamid Karzai. I never really payed attention to faces before, but it’s cool to be able to connect a face with word and actions.

Interesting New Words
I have learned many new words since I’ve been here. Probably the most interesting one is from Walkabout. The word “cwm,” pronounced koom is a noun meaning a valley. I don’t know when I’ll be able to use this word in a normal conversation, but if I ever get the chance, I will use it.

Popular of Memorable Songs
Right now, some of the very popular songs are “Boom Boom Pow” and “I’ve Gotta Feeling” by the Blackeyed Peas, “Party in the U.S.A” by Miley Cyrus, “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, “One Time” by Justin Bieber, “3” by Brittany Spears, “Down” by Jay Sean and Lil’ Wayne, and “Ice Cream Paint Job” by Dorrough.

Popular or Memorable Movies
The last movie I saw was “Couples Retreat.” It was pretty funny but really just okay. Another big movie that’s out right now is “Paranormal Activity.” I am too scared to see that one. I can’t wait to see the latest addition of the Twilight Saga, “New Moon.”

Rumors of Gossip
The main drama right now has to do with the show Jon and Kate Plus Eight. It seems like all people talk about is celebrity drama that no one really cares about or wants to know.

Fads and Trends
Right now, a huge trend is flannel shirts. Another big trend is skinny jeans and Ugg boots. Other Ugg and Ugg-like shoes are also very popular.

First Cultural Event
For my first cultural event, I wrote a paper on the Invisible Children movie viewing. I really didn’t know what Invisible Children was when I was going into it. I just thought it was a good cultural event and a way to finally know what everyone was talking about. I’m so glad I went and I want to keep getting involved with it.

Homecoming
Spirit week is so much fun! This year, the days were Country Club Monday, Tie-dye Tuesday, Wild West Wednesday, Senior Citizen Thursday, and as always, Super Spunky Spartan Spirit Friday! Then, for the Homecoming game, we are playing Churchill. That should be one of the craziest nights ever! I am going to the Homecoming dance with a bunch of my friends.

Advice for a Freshman
I would tell a freshman not to worry. I know a lot of people were nervous and scared to come to high school. It was a little bit intimidating on the first day, but it gets better fast. Soon, you’ll be able to easily find your way around the school. Then, high school is a lot of fun!

What I’m Looking Forward to…
Besides Homecoming this year, I think I am most looking forward to senior year. It seems very far away now, but everyone says, and it looks like the best part of high school.

Other Noteworthy Achievements or Events
A huge part of my life is dance. This year, I get home from school about an hour and a half earlier than I did before and dance doesn’t start till later. I am really enjoying the extra time. Every year, about this time, we start preparing to perform in the Northville Lighted Parade. Last week, we started working on it. I am so excited for it and I already can’t wait for November 20!

Culture, Culture, Culture

I would describe American culture as diverse. America is known as the melting pot, a mix of many heritages, nationalities, and cultures. America is made up of many immigrants, each of whom has brought their own culture here with them. Over time, most of these cultures have molded, in one way or another, and have somewhat combined into what we now call American culture. This culture includes a broad mix of religions and the holidays that come along with those religions. As well as holidays we celebrate as Americans that mark important days in our country’s history, like Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Flag Day. It includes the many languages spoken in America, like English, Spanish and Arabic, and the way each person speaks those languages. Our culture also includes the way we teenagers use technology, and how many people say we may be obsessed. One of the most important features of American culture is our government, which has become a model for many other countries. We are lucky to live in America, always surrounded by such incredible diversity. We always have something new to learn about.
My own culture, however, is not nearly as diverse as America’s. Both sides of my family and extremely Irish and have some German. Everyone directly related to me is Caucasian and Catholic. We celebrate all the Catholic and American holidays. It may be a little boring, and very similar to a lot of other Americans’ cultures, but I am okay with that. I know that somewhere in the world there is someone who would find my culture extremely unusual and interesting. This is probably exactly what most people think about their own culture. I would say my culture is just normal, but that’s not true. What is normal to me may be weird to someone else.