Fav.

7 Days 

(I think it's time for the panic to begin)

My favorite book we read this year was definitely Ron Currie Jr.'s Everything Matters! Not only does this book automatically win major points in my book because the title ends in an exclamation point (which means it is always, always, always said in a very excited tone), but I think one of the big reasons I liked it was because it was modern, starting with the design of the front cover. Not just the publication date, but also the characters and their personalities, the allusions, and the writing style. One of my favorite lines in the book is, "your life is so blue it looks like a James Cameron movie" (121). I appreciated that one must be up-to-date with pop culture to truly appreciate  this simile, and since that does include me, I thoroughly enjoyed that line. I also really liked this book because it seemed to have a little of everything, romance, science fiction, drama, and some comedy. One genre really didn't overpower the whole book, and that was definitely something I wasn't used to. Because this book was so well-written, with such detail when it came to emotions and thoughts, I found myself really connected with everything. When Amy died (in the first universe) I was in shock, my "grief [was] full and violent," similar to Junior's (299). I really enjoyed that as Junior and everyone else went through crazy journeys, I was right there with them. I'm just very glad that I wasn't actually there when the world was ending. I don't think I would've done well, I would definitely be one of the individuals "running and screaming" in states of panic (302). However, I think Ms. Serensky would've done phenomenally, judging by her calm nature when it was tornado-ing outside and she simply told us, "do not stop unless a tree is falling into this classroom." She would've outlasted the Destroyer of the Worlds, no doubt. There are just so many reasons why this book is amazing, and I have to say I will probably be reading it again this summer. I have recommended it to my sister so many times that she now gets very mad when I mention it. Thank you, Ron Currie, for giving the world Ron Currie, Jr.

This isn't what I pictured at all! 

Top Ten Most Thrilling Academic Moments of My High School Career

10 Days 


10. Getting a 5 on the Calculus AB AP test. However, I can't take all the credit for this. Sure, I was surprised that I got this high, but I definitely wasn't expecting to fail. I knew I would pass and I knew it would be because of Mr. Maas, "he's who he is," and that is a very good teacher (too bad he's not reading this, right?) (Kesey 222).
9. Getting the highest grade (that I am aware of) on the final for AP English 11. My group and I spent a lot of time on our final projects last year, creating an "Assassin's Training Program" complete with training missions, name tags, and Nerf Guns. It was a great feeling when everyone discussed their grades to find out that our group did a superior job. All in all, it was, "sort of epic"(Currie, Jr. 145).
8. The satisfaction of an A on the Honors English 10 research project. When you hear about this project as a freshman, it seems like a lot of fun. It was actually just a lot of work, I took so many surveys and interviews that I "felt like a spy" (Kesey 121). With so many pages, I really expected to forget a whole big part of the project which would result in a big fat F. So, it was really
7. Coming in first place for the AP Multiple Choice test after being shunned from my first group that thought I would bring them down (burn!) I would just like to tell my original group, "the truth is rarely pure and never simple," the truth is, I was too good for them anyway (Wilde 5).  I can't say that their rudeness did not motivate me to do better, so I guess I really should be thanking them.
6. Being on Bobbie's Blog Banter three weeks in a row (thank you, hedgehogs!). I've been in a bit of a slump lately, which is why I can almost always be seen crying Mondays and Wednesdays after 8th period. But, I did have a glorious three weeks when I made it on Bobbie's Blog Banter for my "I Hate," "I Love," and "Hedgehog" blogs. However, I know that although this slump is a "bitter trial," it is also a "blessing in disguise" because it has motivated me to do better so I can regain my place in BBB (Wilde 26).
5. Completing the most AP practice problems in Calc AB. Kelsey and I worked very hard before and after school to complete 15+ practice problems, which awarded me a great deal of extra credit. I know Mr. Maas was very impressed. I now realize "that [was] hypocrisy" because this year I make fun of anyone that spends the time doing the AP problems (Wilde 41).
4. Receiving the A on my One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Data Sheet (finished it right before the Girl Talk concert!) Even though "there is always doubt and fear"right before turning in a Data Sheet, I felt especially nervous before this particular one, because I had finished it right before heading of to the Girl Talk concert down at Ohio State (Currie, Jr. 96). I was so relieved/excited when I got my best grade ever on that Data Sheet! It was probably motivation knowing that I couldn't fully enjoy the concert until I finished all the work well. I think I may make a habit of this.
3. Not having an essay for our English 12 semester final (thrilling because that means I actually got an A). Even though every day I asked myself, "what does it matter?," I was still very relieved to find out that our English final wouldn't be an essay (Currie, Jr. 201). Knowing that I actually had a chance of receiving an A was some of the best news I heard all year.
2. Getting into Cum Laude. I know my mom was very doubtful, and I will always remember that and hold it against her, because "memory...is the diary we all carry about with us" (Wilde 39). Furthermore, I did feel like my hard work paid off for something when I received my certificate and also had my name in the Chagrin Valley Times.
1. Finishing my online AP Psychology course in under a week! This may not seem like a huge feat for anyone else, but my mom grounded me and got VERY angry at me because she thought that I wouldn't finish this class by the May 1 deadline. I was determined to show her, and I did. I finished the class in less than a week and did not receive a grade lower than a 91%. When I told her that I was finished, she was shocked. It was a great feeling. I knew that "she had lost a battle" that day (Kesey 113). Also, for that day, my "grin mocked the old confident smile she had lost" (Kesey 313).  All in all, it was a great feeling.

One of my new favorite games is typing things in to Google and seeing what pictures come up. This lovely image came from "Academic Achievements" and made me feel very motivated.