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The Beginning by Nicole Daley

The Beginning by Nicole Daley

 

My opinion may not matter

With my looks I do not flatter

My words cant express

How you can impress

So adorable, cute, and stunning

My mind stops running

The heart can't comprehend

These mixed messages you send

Since the introduction

My mind can't quite function

I think you are my crush

I know I should not rush

But how do I win your heart

When you didn't like me from the start

How do I begin

So that I end in a win?

When you look at me do you find interest
Or does your mind scream in distress
Do you need me to spell it out
Do you need me to shout out loud
You're the one I want to date
Even though your words intimidate
But you are out of reach
On a level I cannot teach
Will your passion rise higher
With my words do I inspire
So difficult to impress
It causes so much stress
This emotion burns my heart
How do I begin to start
How do I create a relationship
Mold your feelings with great craftmanship.

Books or Movies First?

Which do you prefer, to read the book and then see the movie or see the movie and then read the book? Personally, I’m a bit backwards, I prefer to see the movie and then read the book. I like this way because movies based on books give me a detailed plot summary of the story. If I enjoy the movie, chances are I will enjoy the book. (Except for with Les Misérables, as much as I enjoyed that movie, that book has like 1,000 pages! Truthfully, I just can’t see myself reading that.) However, I saw the movie Life of Pi before I had finished the book, and I think only after I knew where the story was going could I really enjoy the journey.  Ultimately, I ended up liking that book a lot more than I thought I would. Also, with The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I saw that movie before I read the book, and I adore them both. Overall, I feel the reason I like this is that being able to see the characters before I really know much about them makes me care more about their stories than when I know everything about them right away. In other news, I am very excited for the new Gatsby movie, and I actually read that book first, thanks Ms. DeBlasio :)

 

Gatsby Trailer Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEzDvPLR_9M

P.S. Yes Gatsby, I do think it’s too much.

--Emmy

Public Speaking

For some people, just the name of this post would make their heart race and their hands get sweaty. For others, including me, public speaking is a nice opportunity for an easy A. However, no matter how you feel, you have to do it. So just take a deep breath, try to calm down, and prepare, prepare, prepare.

As any Boy Scout could tell you, you should always be prepared. Fortunately, you have a lot of different options for how to prepare. If your project is about a book or a specific topic, read the book or research the topic. You'll be a lot less nervous if you don't have to make stuff up on the spot. Next, organize your thoughts. Note cards are usually a good and permitted method that you can use in your speech. Remember to think about your introduction and conclusion, not just the actual content. I usually find an outline most helpful for that, since you can divide it up in advance. If you need to make a visual aid, only put your main points on there so you don't get reprimanded for reading directly off of it. The same should go for your note cards. You can use a little more detail on there, but you shouldn't just read through them. Know your topic well enough that you can elaborate on the ideas you've written.

The next step of preparation is practice. Practice articulating the material, and make sure it fits in any time constraints. Make sure you know the order of your points so you don't accidentally skip around and have to go back. If it makes you feel better, practice it in front of your family or friends. The only way to get more comfortable with public speaking is to do it a lot.

Once you're prepared, you might still be scared. That's understandable but unnecessary. You know what you're going to say and you know how you'll say it, and if you try to stay confident you'll be great. Plant yourself, look your audience in the eyes, and jump right in. Feel fabulous and you'll be fabulous.

~Jamie

How to Say No

In one of my favorite movies, 27 Dresses, James Marsden’s character attempts to teach Katherine Heigl’s how to say no. Although his efforts are futile, this moment in the film proves to be pretty funny. Katherine Heigl’s inability to say no to people reminds me of a certain blog post. One that I was talked into writing by a certain sophomore in the sixth period writing center. This experience in writing this blog post, that I’m sure no one will particularly care about, really made me realize something about myself: I really can’t say no. Of course, in obvious situations where someone asks if they can have a piece of my chocolate or other sweet and delectable dessert, I have no problem shutting them down with a sweet, and delicate “HECK TO THE NO!” In other cases, however, I am not as sweet or delicate. Cases such as when the lady working the Panera cash register asks me if I want to buy a cookie -  “Uh, duh” - or in more pressing matters, when the lady working the cash register at Orange Leaf asks me if I want to buy a points card. Usually in these situations, I stutter awkwardly until I finally cave and mutter a low and barely audible “yes.” Sometimes, however, I am blessed with the ability to say “no”, but then strickenly burdened with infinite guilt, like today when I was asked if I wanted to be an organ donor. I said no, but I feel really bad about it, because what if I die today and someone needs a heart, or some other organ that my dead body doesn’t need. What then? I mean, I plan to be cremated anyway, so why not give my organs to someone in need? Of course this fear of being an organ donor came from Susan at Drive With Pride, who expressed her deep fear of being an organ donor on her license because she’s a motorcyclist who is afraid that because doctors believe motorcyclists to be committing suicide while riding their motorcycles they’ll just quit trying to save her and then be blessed with organs for everyone. Of course I don’t ride a motorcycle, so I don’t know what I’m so afraid of. But, I digress. Something about saying no just sucks. Besides, if I would’ve said no to that certain sophomore in the sixth period writing center, this blog would be lacking this beautiful post, wouldn’t it?

-Jalana Phillips.

Appropriate Handshake Techniques

                While the art of handshaking is not as elusive as, say, the art of being a ninja, it has been practiced at least as long. Ancient knights used handshakes as a show of peace. Extending hands, palm empty, showed that they concealed no weapons, and gripping each other’s hands was a way to test each their strength. Although you’re not likely to cross paths with an ancient knight on your way to a coffee shop, handshakes are still important. They can be used to seal a deal, greet someone formally, or conduct the age-old contest of strength. So, here are some of the basics:

1. The Standard Shake: Both parties extend right hands perpendicular to the ground and form fingers into a mitten shape. Clasp mittens and shake one to three times.
2. The Overachiever: This is the same as the first one, but with a lot more shaking. If your partner tries to remove their hand, tighten your grip and keep shaking.
3. The Limp Fish: One of the parties has been properly trained in the art of the standard shake, but the other needs to go back to school. This person will approach the clasp slowly, and then let their partner do all the shaking as they hang on for the ride. You may want to obtain some hand sanitizer after this one, because his or her hand will inevitably be clammy.
4. The Lumberjack: Users of this handshake may be insecure in their own strength, so they have to prove it to every unfortunate soul that comes in contact with them. Warning: if he or she pauses to crack their knuckles before shaking your hand, politely revert to number five.
5. The Fist Bump: Popularized by germaphobes such as Howie Mandel, this is not technically a hand shake, but I still thought I’d include it in the list. Both parties form a fist and “bump” each other. Explosion noises are optional.

Now you know! 

~Jennifer Brown

What If??

• What if only one planet in the entire universe can have life on it at a time, and right now that planet is Earth. When life on Earth dies out, a new planet will adopt life.
• What if life is just a video game, or a dream, and we are the puppets.
• What if when we make animal noises, such as "meow", we are actually speaking in the language of the animal but instead of coherent sentences, we are just saying random words.
• What if hot is cold, and cold is actually hot.
• What if our pets own us, and we don't own our pets.
• What if the things we see are not what everybody else sees. For example, the green that I see may look to you like the blue that I see, but we both agree that it is green.
• What if we live life in slow motion, but time actually goes super fast.
• What if when people talk, no sounds come out and we are just reading people's minds.
• What if everything that happens is magic, and we are just so used to it that we deem magic as reality.
• WHAT IF