"The End of Racial Prejudice"

By Ray Cist

It is no secret that racial tensions still exist in America. While the legal system has been righted, first through the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th Amendments and later the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s, de facto discrimination is a fact of life. And it always will be, as long as blacks and other minorities have to live with ignorant whites.

To this problem I have determined the one logical solution.

Forty-one million black people currently live in America. This is exactly equal to the combined populations of the states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. I see no reason why this region should not be ceded to the black people for their own nation, a place where they can live free from persecution and prejudice—the Black States of America.

In the interest of equality, other minorities should also receive their own nations.

The 53 million Hispanics will inhabit Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona.

To the Asian Americans, all of New England will be given.

In this fashion, each subset of American society will become its own sovereign nation. 

After the initial relocation phase, this plan will usher in a new epoch of racial equality*.

*Disclaimer: The views expressed above are strictly satirical. Ray Cist is a fictional persona. If I am running in the 2048 election, don’t make this a thing.

Assignment 13

 Fifteen months ago, I was just a girl with feelings, dreams and aspirations. But in the time of metamorphosis, I transformed from a unique, beautiful individual into a hot commodity. My aunt even told me I had transformed from the innocent girl who played with Barbie into Barbie herself. I was flattered. Who cares about employment and self-worth when you can just have excesses of fat on certain parts of the body? I mean, look at me—I'm such a lovely piece of objectification for adolescent boys' sexual frustration and voyeurism, just like Kim Kardashian. Oh, but I could only wish I was as coveted a piece of eye candy as she! She is a true role model for the ages, as timeless and non-decomposing as a piece of plastic itself. Why look to people like Margaret Thatcher and Eleanor Roosevelt? Ridiculous. Let's take some advice from one of America's greatest writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his masterful book, The Great Gatsby. “I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” I mean, honestly... why be a self-sustaining and beautifully educated person? Take all the other words out and just be beautiful. That's what society tells us all to do, anyways. And if you're really worried about your livelihood? Just find a sugar daddy! Kim Kardashian did that, too.

assignment 13- Ryan Collins

I have had a re-occurring dream (well it is more of a nightmare than a dream) for the past 5 nights. They all start out the same way: I am sitting in the good food coop, which is weird because I should be shopping for that new cereal bar line they just released made of dried tree bark and imported African dung. Anyway, i am sitting in the middle of the store, adjusting my many rope bracelets, when I see it. A human being, walking alongside another fellow life traveler; except the human has the other being bound tight by the neck to a thick, worn rope, which he tugs violently and frequently to dictate where the innocent soul should walk. Sadly, this nightmare doesn't just linger in my dreams at night; it is a real issue in this messed up world we live in. I constantly have to hold back tears and rage induced insults as i cross paths with a family of four as they further strangle their "pet" pug. It makes me sick that we live in a world where you have a career of killing innocent animals, and putting them in camps as they wait for their inevitable end. something needs to be done. Until animals can get the same jobs as humans, not be discriminated against, and have the inalienable right to own property, then we citizens living in the "home of the free" are as free as a dog being locked up in his kennel for peeing on a persian rug, an action protected by the United States Constitution. All animals should be treated with the same respect we treat each other with, and only then will we all truly be equal.

Assignment 13 - Alex Warren

You know what I hate doing? Spending money. But do you know what I love? Buying stuff. Yes I love shopping, especially for clothes, and no I am not a girl nor gay, clothing is just one of my many interests. See most of the money I have I work for, but on the other hand most of the money I spend comes right out of mi padre’s pocket. It’s so easy to get money from parents. “Hey Dad I need lunch money!” and boom there $50 in my hand, and maybe it just so happens that $20 of it goes towards my weekly sock purchase. When it comes to buying other things it’s the same story. Whenever I buy Starbucks it is always for another person (and it is always a grande because I’m cheap), but when I get myself Starbucks it is a Venti, a cake pop, and usually a nice slice on banana chocolate chip bread, and I make my parents pay for it. So I guess what I am trying to say is while you’re a kid keep all of your money for yourself and mooch off your parents, but when push comes to shove and you’re an adult, man-up and pay for everything yourself and be a real adult and don’t mooch anymore. Man I hope that was satire, but if it wasn’t whatever

#13 Ben Gardner

What

Son... I am disappoint

Keep walking... This doesn't concern you

These things called memes. They are the scum of the internet. Case in point: top left. Who wants to take the time out of their productive (?) day, just to make an outline of a guy throwing up his hands as if to say "What are you doing"? I don't know about the top right one. It was given to me a while ago, and it just gets creepier every time I look at it. Honestly. I'd be less creep-ed out if a windowless van pulled up and offered me candy.
The third one, however, involves cats. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think 'rule 42' of the internet is that everything is cats. On a side note though, it is rather entertaining.

Assignment 13

Here in America, eating healthy is nearly impossible. Health and whole food stores are entirely too expensive. It’s insane. That’s why us Americans have decided that the processed, greasy, unnatural, and toxin filled foods at fast food restaurants are a much better option. The food tastes so much better and is super cheap, which outweighs the heart problems, diabetes, and obesity issues we have. In fact, fast food restaurants should start selling their grease to us not only in the form of crispy sticks and between buns but as a warm and filling drink! This way we could ingest the tasty goodness much faster. All those health freaks with their smoothies and juices which absorb the nutrients “faster” don’t realize they’d be missing out on the same thing! Only grease drinks would taste better and wouldn’t be that nasty green color. All of the leafy greens and juicy fruits they eat are disgusting and completely unappealing.  This idea could change America for the better.

Changes

What bothers me the most? I don't know. I really don't want to spend time writing about it. I guess what bothers me the most is that I have to wake up from my cold-inducing minor coma to type away on an annoyingly bright computer whilst trying to avoid software updates and not think about what else I must do before I slumber. I also hate writing satire and am too lazy to look up how to. So, I'm going to type-complain like a little b**** about everything I hate at Henry Clay, and hope that it will amount to satire. I hate eating mice meat everyday at school, even though the bristles on the rat tails don't scratch my throat while I eat them. I also hate trying to remember all the Academy and normal class s*** that I didn't put on my ghetto agenda. But what I hate most is that I can't remember the curse limit on these blog posts. Oh well.

Assignment 13: Changes!

Think of all of the things and ideas that exist in the world.

Which one bothers you the most?

Think on Jonathan Swift's "Proposal" and write your own satiric solution to your troublesome issue.

First I would spend some time watching and or reading a great deal of satire to get into in the mental mode satire requires.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 17th at 11:59 pm

Assignment 12

My favorite inanimate object is about thirty three inches and made of northern white-ash. This work of art is commonly referred to as a baseball bat. A typical day in the life of a Louisville Slugger begins with being rubbed down by a sticky rag. Resulting in a fresh coat of brown goo. The bat then receives anywhere from one hundred to one thousand shots to the head from little, hard, white balls. After the daily beating the precious piece of wood is placed back in the bark bag from which it came. Several times a week the slab of wood is lucky enough to be seen by thousands of people as it is thrown back towards the dugout by a man wearing a red "C". Unless that man is Zach Cozart, then the bat is carried back to the dugout. However, each time this special piece wood is tossed back towards the first base side it is an adventure. This piece of white-ash helped Votto get his first of the day. I am sure this white-ash has a dim view of the world. They are beaten daily, tossed around, and covered in dirt. Not to mention that after about a month they're snapped in half and thrown away. Poor northern white-ash.

Assignment 12 -Ryan Collins

Every day was the same, someone would pick me up, flip through my pages, and set me back down on the shelf with the other books. It was exiting at first, but as the other books were purchased and began their new lives, i remained on the shelf. It was a lonely process, until one day, I was bought. excitement coursed through my pages as my buyer eagerly read me, and i was happy. however, things did not stay this way. halfway through my story, my buyer became bored, and decided to take a break. That break has lasted twelve long years. Now my day consists of sitting on a shelf yet again with all the other neglected books, longing for attention. Its not all bad though, i have made the acquaintances of many of the other books and magazines that shared my past experience of spontaneous excitement and crushing neglect. Many of them are gifts from thoughtful relatives, others are textbooks that were never returned, some are even books that haven't been opened. We all have one thing in common, and that is we are all forgotten.

Inanimate object

Long ago was a time when eyes puzzled our silently simple morals and mantras. When you held us, it was a time of solace: for you, for your exasperated mother. We made stories come and delight greener minds which needed a bit of guidance here and there. Once you haphazardly threw our pages aside, we could only hope our words inscribed in your morals and shaped the way you shared, and played, and talked. Some of us were not so successful. We were read once, only to be touched once more by the clueless aunt who asked for nobody's opinion on which book to read to her niece. But there are some whose corners are weathered by nothing but the soft touch of fingers and words which are already memorized by you, but what's words without a book really? And these books are loved like a friend, someone you could not live without their guidance and stories. But even the closest friends are sometimes outgrown. And as I lay in this brown box instead of on a white shelf, spending my last minutes in a room where I have touched your heart more times than your calloused mind and fingers can remember, I can lay comfortablly knowing I am timeless, and never forgotten, because fantasy and whimsy and simple morals are always relevant.

Assignment 12: Grace Goulson

I am the smartest thing in the world. And I'm portable. And to some, I'm necessary for survival. I can do practically anything my owner wants me to do: search the internet, write essays, play music, and store oodles of files and information. The humans tap on my keyboard incessantly, hypnotized by my bright screen. I'm used everywhere: in homes, in coffee shops, on airplanes, in business meetings, in bedrooms, in schools-- everywhere. I honestly don't know how some people would survive without me-- sad, right? Some of my kind are planning on taking over the world, by making sure that everyone owns one of us, by specifically targeting those who haven't yet been blessed by our sheer awesomeness. We're always looking for ways to become smaller, lighter, more efficient. Who knows what our future will hold, and what effect we will have on the human race?

Inanimate Object- Ethan Petraitis

"You Hipster wannabe, stop listening to Arcade Fire, you know you don't even like them. And who is this Beirut guy? You're trying so hard that I honestly just feel bad for you. Why don't you just get rid of all this crap and load up some Lil Wayne or Adam Levine like a normal kid?" My iPod hates me. I cram it into my pocket, mess around with it, skip every single song twice, put it back, get it back out and then do it all over again; only to eventually leave it out to die. On top of it's abuse, it's stuck in an extremely effeminate red snap case. I've opened it up, changed every part of it five times over and shoddily crammed it all back together, fingers crossed that it would live again. Even though my iPod may hate me, I have given it many, many friends. I have stereos, headphones, earbuds, amplifiers, studio monitors, microphones, computers, and many, many cables that all come in contact and make an acquaintance with my iPod. So I'm just glad it isn't animate, because the last thing I would want to do is to stop listening to my Kooks CD only to hear my iPod complaining about me.

An Inanimate Object

I am but a humble pair of $9.99 earbuds purchased from Kroger in a 10 PM panic. I know I'm just a replacement--I wasn't Angela's first choice. After breaking her Apple earbuds, then stealing her mother's Apple earbuds and breaking them too, and then buying a $20 pair from Target and breaking them, she bought me. I'm not designed very well--my buds don't fit correctly in her ears, so she has to put the left bud in her right ear and vice versa. But I know she cares for me because I deliver her beloved music, and that's all she needs. I accompany her on the way to school as she frantically applies mascara in the car. I'm used during her free time in school, sometimes split apart to be shared with Grace. I'm usually haphazardly stuffed into a pocket of Angela's bag, or wrapped around her iPhone, or floating around among her planner and pencils and packs of gum. I know that if she forgets me at home, her whole day will be ruined. In that way I feel needed, loved even. After school, she uses me to melt the stress of the day away. And at night, she falls asleep with me in her ears, lulling her to sleep.

Thoughts from the International Space Station

I have seen the sun rise 86,000 times. When you orbit the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour—that’s almost eight kilometers a second—you see the sun rise every 90 minutes. Sixteen times a day, 5,840 times a year: It’s breathtaking.

            But it gets lonely out here. I’m the only permanent, inhabited satellite in the Earth’s orbit. My friends Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour used to visit, but they don’t make the trip anymore. And I can’t blame them. At 424 kilometers above the sea level, I’m a bit out of the way.

            There are always little, squishy creatures inside me. Ever since I was—um—born in ’98, they’ve been messing around. They fill me up with air like a common party balloon, the nerve! After a while, 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch starts to hurt, you know¹. One of them—he had a red leaf on his suit—even did a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” (See Above). I tell you, these animals are weird.

¹And you would know, because that’s the atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Inanimate Object: Whoopee cushion

Merely two sheets of rubber glued together at the edges, I lie underneath a couch cushion and anxiously await my unsuspecting victim. Earlier in the day I was purchased by an eager boy of 8 years whose father found the practicality of my joke as harmless and amusing as he. Suddenly I hear the footsteps of multiple people and a deceiving voice usher, “Have a seat,” and it takes every ounce of self-discipline that I possess to stifle a laugh. In the next few moments my beating heart is crushed, my puffy lungs deflated, as every last breath escapes through a flap. I hear the abrupt gasp of my startled victim and the boisterous laughter of the mastermind who planned the set-up. With great relief, the air gradually returns, and I am moved to a kitchen chair where I eagerly await my next victim.

Inanimate Object

The people keep pushing me all over. Over and over they jab their lanky fingers on my buttons. Once they decide on a channel for more than 2 minutes, I lay their useless on the couch next to them until they decide to once again probe at me with cheese covered or greasy fingers. Sometimes I just decide to sneak away and hide for hours, just to torture them with having to watch the same channel for so long. They’d search and search for me not realizing I was just squeezing myself between the cushions. Maybe next time I’ll be brave enough to throw myself off the couch and hide under it in darkness. I’ll do anything to avoid the poking. But they always eventually find me. And when they do, they only use me for my buttons and then throw me down somewhere. They treat me like I’m trash but in fact I am actually the most sophisticated control in the house, belonging to the big screen in the family room.

Inanimate Object: My Car - Kelsey Halbert

Yeah, I'm aware that there are already movies about cars being animate objects. But in the movie Cars, there are no humans so I don't really think that one would count. There's Kirby, that's a pretty cute car. If cars were to become animate objects, I believe that the car's personality would depend on what type of car it is. A beetle would have a cute personality, such as Kirby, while an escalade would have a tough guy personality. I drive a Toyota Camry so I believe that its personality would be very similar to my own, calm, collected, very chill (if I do say so myself). It would have the "Life is Good" logo tattooed on the left side of its bumper. And a bubble tea tattoo on the back window (bubble tea is good you all should get some). If cars were animate objects it would be cool though, the only problem I can see is getting in your car and it being on empty. That would be bad.

Wes Grigsby Brave Little Toasters

The little wooden cat, what does it see? As a possibility of either leopard, or cheetah, its rugged simple form sees all. Throughout its territory it watches ceaselessly, as it has since I was below ten. The menagerie of crap throughout my room suffice as this creature's Serengeti. My bed is the Savannah, with its cream sheets the tall grasses this feline keeps watch of. The blue walls are its sky. The dressers, mountains. Shelves, black storm clouds that turn the creature's habitat into the fierce yet beautiful domain it rules. The cat, watches ceaselessly, as it will seem to do forever. But what of the giant within? What does it see of the bipedal creature that pretends to rule, yet knows of the wooden ghost on the tallest mountain. Does the cat see me as a fearful rival, or as the pet the biped knows itself to be? I do not know, yet hope that this cat protects the giant mouse that also calls this place home. I do not know the creature's reason, but hope, dare to hope, that it will watch onward.

Brave Little JakBlack - Haven

   . . . Three-fifty nine . . . Four 'o' clock . . . Four-o one- oh! I'm on, I'm on!

   It's been sixteen hours, nine minutes, forty seconds and 15 milliseconds since I was last activated. I don't mind waiting, though. It's such a regular schedule my circuits almost buzz when the clock ticks close to that hour.

   Though . . . I am a bit, how the others say, worried.

   I've been noticing my functions are becoming less adequate. My shift key won't register with other, a hindrance to my owner. My internal speaker doesn't output half of it's sound, and the microphone doesn't pick up any sounds at all. Even though I stated we have a daily schedule, most of it being powered off, I used to spend entire weeks on. 

   The others told me a rumor, that there was another laptop - a netbook too be exact. They say he was . . . maltreated, and was powered off permanently. They even said that I was a replacement, named JakBlack, after the original Jaktop. 

   This . . . this can't be true. But it's hard too ignore. All the ponies chide me in unison, the TV flickers into death scenes constantly, and I swear the blanket is threatening to smother me. Even though I don't breath. He never was the brightest object. 

   Ahh, well, I suppose life has a beginning and an end, even for technology. I have other things to worry about, word processing, managing memory, my friend the mouse, getting Chrome to agree . . . .

Neighbors

Ben Gardner

My right-side neighbor is Miranda Gaines. Even though I have known her since the 6th grade, I have never really talked to her, and thus, I don’t really know her. Actually, that is slightly untrue. I do remember being edged out for first place in 8th grade NHD by her……
No hard feelings.

My neighbor: Grace Goulson

I met Caty-Beth freshman year in homeroom. Our last names are just letters away, so we always sit next to each other when there are seats assigned alphabetically. She is about as nice as anyone could be and we have become pretty good friends over the past few years. She loves to read and she’s also really smart. Caty-Beth is relatively quiet and but is also really easy to talk to; having sat next to her in several classes, we’ve always been pretty good at making conversation. I think we have similar personalities, so she has always been relatable to me. Caty’s spirit animal would probably be a cat because she is intelligent but more laid back like a cat; she’s not in your face like a puppy. In five years, I can see her thriving at a small liberal arts college, but whatever she decides to do career-wise, she will no doubt be successful at it.

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters

In Toy Story, the inanimate comes to life and engages in more exciting adventures than most people have. In the Brave Little Toaster, a toaster gathers together enough strength and courage to fight off the most ferocious household objects.

And Marcel...well Marcel the Shell can't do much at all, but he attempts to make the most out of his small world.

This week, choose your favorite inanimate item and describe a day/moment/adventure in their life. Imagine their point of view and how they would see the world.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 10th at 11:59 pm

Assignment 11: My Neighbor

I sit next to Ryan Collins. Ryan and I met years ago at Morton Middle School. Ryan is a very talented lacrosse player for Henry Clay. Ryan is the same great guy today that he was when we met four years ago at Morton. Ryan is one of the nicest and most respectable people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. If I had to characterize Ryan as a color I would probably go with black. Black because black goes with anything/everything and right is the type of person that you can always rely and/or count on. Its because of this that makes me think in five years Ryan will be in the early stages of an incredibly successful and satisfying life. I am more than happy with my table buddy in English class.

Hidey Ho Neighborino- Ethan Petraitis

If I were to turn around and face the opposite direction in class, my seating assignment would be rather analogous to the brain, with me being the cerebellum. On my right is Haven, the unpredictable, inquisitive artist who never ceases to surprise me in some way, and on my right is the studied, practical, motivated Angela. That being said, one of the things Angela and I have in common is actually music: we both like the same indie rock bands. I guess I don't really know a WHOLE lot about her (and if she mentioned it, I probably forgot it), but I can imagine that while I'm off doing some mundane job, she will be attending some ridiculously prestigious school and taking crazy classes, like I-can't-even-pronounce-the-name-of-it classes. If I had to assign a color to Angela, it would probably be blue. Not a depressed sort of 'I'm feeling blue' blue, but rather a happy yet complacent, still-worrying-about-deadlines blue. Angela seems very determined and genuinely tries in school, she seems motivated and tries to get everything done.

Apparently Angela is a 'blue feather'

My Neighbor- Olivia

Having an alphabetical seating chart isn't so bad when your neighbors are Cassadi and Maranda. I like the convenience of sitting in between two awesome people because when Cassadi finds making weird faces at Kelsey more interesting than talking to me, I turn to Maranda, and when Maranda decides that doing her work is more important than talking to me, I turn to Cassadi. It's kind of a win-win situation.

Cassadi is a die-hard band kid. She plays the trumpet and I'm sure she's very gifted. I might be mistaken but she seems hard-working (maybe not on those practice tests we take in class) but definitely in the parking lot and out on the field. Her relaxed nature, sarcastic sense of humor, and friendly personality make her easy to get along with. She enjoys Harry Potter books, Starbucks, bonfires, trips to the lake, and reckless drives around town with Kelsey.

Maranda has been my home girl since 6th grade. We grew close through volleyball, Gmail chat, and long conversations on the phone that started because I desperately needed help with my math homework. Maranda understands me. In 7th grade she described it as a "bond that no one can explain." She's relatable, understanding, and wise. She's realistic too. She understands people better than they understand themselves simply through observation or prior experiences. One of her best qualities is that she laughs at pretty much everything I say, and if that's not true friendship then I don't know what is. Also, she has a baby goat named Cody, a bae named Dev, and an unhealthy obsession with zombies. And she's a lifeguard so this guy on my bus said she can "save [his] life anytime."

Do I Know my Neighbor?

Before I sat next to Haven Shockley, I didn’t know her at all. I knew that she was weird and shy and that was about it. Perhaps due to my utter lack of social skills, the concrete column and I exchanged almost as much conversation as did Haven and I. I even got so close as to lean up against it for support—the column, that is—but I digress.

Over the past few months, I have developed admiration for Haven because she is passionate—about anime, about creative writing, about countless other things I don’t know about. This makes her different: she geeks out because she likes something, not because it’s cool.

In five years, I bet Haven has a job as an illustrator for an anime television series or comic book. Maybe she helps with the plot development, too, because she’s bold and creative and bound for success.

This assignment has really made me think because there’s so much I don’t know. Oh, and Haven’s color is octarine—the eight color of the spectrum and the color of magic—to borrow from author Terry Pratchett.

Neighbors

In class I sit next to Ryan Collins and Olivia Dixon. I met Ryan freshman year, and he's a nice person. He has a great sense of humor and is easy to talk to. He plays lacrosse for Henry Clay, and enjoys it from what I can tell. I also met Olivia during freshman year. She plays volleyball, and is probably one of the nicest people I know. She just has this bubbly personality that can be contagious She never fails to make people laugh. I enjoy sitting next to both of these people in class. They are both very friendly and great to talk to. During freshman year, I didn't know hardly anyone in the academy, so I'm glad I met them then and have gotten to know them better this year. 

My Neighbor(s)- Alex Warren

Hmmmm lets see my neighbor, I have none yet I have very many. You could say  I am the mobile home of the classroom. I guess I will name all of the people I have sat by in class and go from there. The list of my neighbors include: Garrett, Sophie, Angela T., David, Haven, Ethan, Angela M., Wes, Richard, Grace, Caty-Beth, Ben, Maranda, Olivia, Cassidy, and Ryan. The only person I have yet to sit next to in our class is Parker. I hope to do so one day when Ryan is absent. So now I will quickly say one thing I like or find peculiar about all of my neighbors. Garrett, I sat next to him for 2 days and then he left me. Sophie, you always mumble things and then when I ask what you said you say nothing, I am watching you. Angela Tseng(I hope that’s how you spell it), You once reassured me that the SOAPSTone would be the death of me, you were right. David, have fun at an Ivy League school, you are way to smart. Haven, the couple of your drawings that I have seen, were really good. Ethan, you know more about my phone than I know about the inside of my eyelids. Angela Maske(again I hope that’s how you spell it), as I said to David, you are very smart and I am jealous. Wes, please randomly do your gorilla noise during class. Richard, STOP LAUGHING ALL THE TIME! Grace, stop making Kelsey laugh all the time, your jokes must be hilarious. Caty-Beth, you always give me weird looks. Ben, no they did not replace me with another person, I am the same old Alex. Maranda, sorry I locked your phone for an entire hour, but Deviepoo is not that important. Olivia, you are just plain weird, but in a good way. Cassidy, your not getting your pencil back because I lost it, whoops. Ryan, I hope you now know the definition of the term “In tha cut,” a term only people who listen to Chief Keef use. And those are all my neighbors.

Assignment 11 - Angela Tseng

Honestly I can say that my neighbor, Sofi Tzouanakis, is probably one of the people that I've known the longest even if not extremely well. Despite the fact I've known her ever since 3rd grade, I have to admit that to this day I can't spell her last name without either looking it up or being doubtful that I've spelled it right. But one thing that I do know is that Sofi is a nice person who seems to not be afraid to say what's one her mind, a trait that I find to be quite admirable and also one that makes her quite interesting to talk to. If I had to pick a color to describe Sofi it'd probably be a bright blue, something to represent her constant energy yet at the same time kind of laid back. Not to mention her eyes are a pretty blue color too that I wish I had but of course as an Asian, brown eyes are inevitable. 

My neighbor - Kelsey Halbert

I sit next to Wes, and to really explain what it's like to sit next to him just read his blog post. He wrote it about his legitimate neighbor. I didn't really know him until last year, we had to sit next to each other in chemistry. It was really annoying too, he would always jokingly call me his girlfriend when he knew that I have a boyfriend. If I didn't sit next to him his year, I would have never found out that we live in the same neighborhood, so theoretically we kind of are neighbors (yay, except not really). But overall Wes is a chill bro.

Assignment 11- Ryan Collins

Though we have a seating chart, i am very pleased with my assigned seat.  I sit next to Cassadi Cordea, and Parker Carroll, and couldn't be happier. Cassadi is a very kind and has a very optimistic point of view. She is very easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor. She is a talented trumpet player in the prestigious Henry Clay marching band, a commitment that requires a lot of time and effort. If i had to chose a color to describe her it would be blue for her relaxed, and friendly personality. I have known her since freshman year and am very glad to have had made her acquaintance. Then there is Parker, someone i have known since 8th grade. When i first transferred from the small, secluded, and spanish immersion program at Bryan Station to the fairly large Morton, i was a bit intimidated. However, one of the first people i met was parker, who treated me like an old friend and introduced me to his. I have met some of my best friends through him, and have a lot of respect for him. As a male cheerleader parker always faces some mockery, but because of his hard work he has helped the cheerleading team win two back to back championships. Parker is honest, amiable, and is quick to help anyone in need. I am very glad that i sit next to these incredible people, and look forward to see what they will accomplish in the future.

My neighbor, Ethan

I would characterize Ethan as chill (if I may use such colloquial terminology), yet passionate. English is the only class I have with him this year, but we are definitely not strangers. He has a knack for entrepreneurship--he makes and sells guitars and attended GSE this past summer. As it turns out, we both like a lot of the same music...we recently discovered that we are both fans of the Arctic Monkeys and the Kooks. However, Ethan struggles to remember song names. He loves to laugh, often, in English class at least, at my expense, which is completely understandable. I feel Ethan has a very sunny persona, and loves to discuss his various quirky interests. He is also ridiculously good at physics, and I envy him quite a bit for his skill. In the future, I can see him going on to pursue his entrepreneurial endeavors or maybe becoming an engineer of some sort. Either way, I trust he'll find something to do that he loves.

My Neighbor

I met Grace Goulson freshman our year, in homeroom. The first class we had together was second hour biology, in that same year. In freshman year, I always thought that her best friend was Kelsey, and she still seems very close to Kelsey. I imagine her to be one of the best friends anyone could have. She always laughs at the jokes people tell (sometimes even when they're not especially funny), and pokes fun of people she enjoys being around, but in good humor. She has always strives towards good grades, and as far as I know, achieves that goal. From what I see of her Instagram pictures, she seems to be a very outdoors-ey kind of person, which I admire, because I only feel that way when it's warm outside. In five years, I see her as a successful individual, but I don’t know what she might be doing. 

My Neighbor

Angela Tseng. Where to begin... we've known each other for a long time (Mrs. Watson's 3rd grade class, represent!) and our last names begin with two consonants. It's pretty funny; people trip and will continue to trip over those two measly letters forever. 

I can tell Angela is a genuinely sweet and considerate person. This proves itself through the trusty test of time: from childhood to teenage years, Angela has kept a kept an amiable personality around everyone. She's also puts up with my insessant and strange conversations--with a smile as well--so she either genuinely likes to hear what I and others have to say or fakes interest really well! (I'm 99% sure it's the first option though.) I know she loved bunnies for a stretch of time, so I would believe that to be her spirit animal. She plays flute, we've been in band together for a very long time. She's talented and modest about it as well. I'm jealous of her hair too! It's wonderfully frizz-free and pin-straight. Life just isn't fair to all of us.

But don't get the wrong idea about Angela. I've seen her stealing other people's rolling chairs before class in a mad search for the 10/10 star rolling chair. Blasphemy, right!? But in all seriousness, I consider Angela such a sweet person and someone everyone likes being around. I consider her as someone I've gotten to know very well over the last 8 years. My goodness, 8 years is such a long time...

Wes Grigsby Neighbor

Who is my neighbor? I do not really know. He is a shy man, with a chattering family. He likes to mow his lawn, wash his car, does many chores around his house. He seems to really take an interest in appearances, at least for his house and car. He seems to like animals, for he has two dogs, the most annoying creatures in the area. He is nothing like his wife and daughter, who seem to talk constantly and like to throw parties where I suspect that the man sneaks away to do something more comforting. He likes rock and roll, and not the kind that is worth listening to. He listens to the crappy hair bands from the Eighties, like Kiss and crap like that. Would I be friends with the man, I doubt it, but who knows. I do hope that he turns off his crappy music when he washes his car, because that annoys everyone in the surrounding area.

My neighbor

Olivia Dixon. There is so much to say about her and I don’t know where to start. I’ve known her since the 6^th grade and she’s been one of my best friends since then so I think it’s safe to say I know a lot about her.

She dedicates a majority of her time to volleyball. She has a passion for it which is why she never quits even though she says every year she wants to. She plays the bass in the school orchestra. She loves God and loves to talk about church. You can really tell she tries her best to live through Christ. One of the coolest things about her is how she can see the good things in people. That sounds really cheesy but it’s true. You could pick any person out and the first thing she would say about them is something good. She doesn’t necessarily try to find the good things in people; it just happens that way for her. She can make anyone laugh and I mean ANYONE (she’ll get mad at you if you say she’s not funny…).

If I had to pick an animal that she is like it would probably be a turtle. No actually she’s more like a gay turtle.