Debate Day

24 Days 


When I walk into the room, I see two desks facing each other in the middle of the room, surrounded by all the other desks. I heard all about the AP English debate earlier in the day, and now, seeing these desks facing that way, everything became way more serious. I knew what I had to do. Bring. It. On. I knew that I, Cecily Cardew, was ready to take on whoever sat in front of me. After all the instructions, I received the assignment and prepared all of my notes. Even though I felt confident, when I found out I had to go first, I definitely felt a chill down my spine. Even worse, when I found out who my partner was, the meanest girl in the class, Jackie Shroyer. For some reason, she had it out for me. (I secretly think it's because she wishes to steal my sweet fiance, Algernon, from me). When she approached me in the middle of the room, she did not try to disguise her hatred, and resentfully said, "having to face-off against YOU has ruined my week." I was terrified when I had to present my case first. However, after I went, the class stood up and applauded my efforts, for over ten minutes! At this point, I knew I had "reached 'absolute perfection'" (31). At this point, I was clearly the most amazing person in the world. When the praise subsided, I motioned to my partner, already accepting defeat, and telling her, "you can go on" (31). I held the power over the meanest person in the room, and it felt good. Jackie had her opportunity in the spotlight, but it paled in comparison to the moving, intelligent argument that I made. Sitting across from Jackie, I felt that she finally had overcome her hatred for me, seeing that I could hold my own against her in a discussion. When we both had to leave to go back to our seats, I felt sad, because "it is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time" (31). I felt like this new connection between me and this bully could eventually lead to a great friendship. However, I was snapped back in to reality when the vote took place at the end of class. I had completely forgotten that this was a competition. Even though the friendship I got from the debate was far greater than any bonus points, I still wanted to WIN. I didn't expect anything other than first place. But, when the votes were tallied, and the results were announced, it wasn't my name that I heard coming from Ms. Serensky's  lips. No. Instead of "Cecily Cardew," I heard, "Jackie Shroyer." My heart dropped. How could I not win? What cruel, cruel world. I wish I could hide forever and never enter the AP English classroom again. Not only was this the worst day of AP English 12, but it was also the worst day of my life. 

AP English 11

27 Days


Dear Amy,

My journey through glorious AP English 11 can easily be compared to your various lives and deaths. Walking in to Ms. Serensky's classroom, I thought I knew what to expect. I knew the road would have many up's and down's, but I never expected what was waiting for me in May. I greatly can empathize with your feelings when Junior told you about the end of the world, as I felt similarly when I heard that I would be writing three essays, of different types, in two hours. To me, the combination of an analytic essay, argument essay, and synthesis essay was very much like the merging of comet, earth, and destruction.  The constant writings, discussions, and readings made me truly question my place in the AP English world. Did I belong? Would I do well? And much like you, eventually, I came to the realization, "I am nothing" (179). Even though you found this out as a comfort right before you reached your death, I grasped this when I saw the "3+/4-" grade on my paper. I felt a little comfort in this fact when I knew that since I truly was nothing, I had only one way to go. This upward movement did not come quickly, and after I received countless papers with a -.5 here, and a -.5 there, I finally looked in the mirror and told myself, “‘everything matters!’”(243). I can’t carelessly forget the period of Ms. in Ms. Serensky, nor can I allow an 11-point period to taint the page of my 12-point Times New Roman perfection. I realize your exclamation had much more depth to it than it did personally for me, but when I realized that everything matters, I knew that I was making a change in my life that would lead me to a road of 8’s and 9’s. And finally, when I received that paper with a 7 marked in blue, in addition to opening an envelope sent to me by the college board, adorned with the number four, I knew that “I [had] finally, finally stopped failing” (176). Like you, a weight lifted off my chest, and I knew that there was no turning back.  You had stop failing with people, and I had finally stopped failing at English. This provided as the perfect conclusion for AP English 11. From this point on, I knew I was ready to take on AP English 12, (avoiding any comets and mass deaths) and then...take on the world. 


Sincerely, 
Haley

Hedgehogs

I need to preface this post by making this point perfectly clear; I am not in any way, shape, or form, obsessed with hedgehogs, I actually only own one hedgehog thing, and it is a stuffed animal that I received as a gift. I just like them, and think they are very cute. I also would enjoy having one or two as a pet, but only cute ones, and I probably wouldn't do weird things with them, except maybe hold them and occasionally let them loose in my house. No, I would not take them on walks, sleep with them in my bed, or dress them up in any outfits (however, if I did choose to do this, I would definitely dress it up in lederhosen, like the hedgehog in Toy Story 3). I just find it very funny that Ms. Serensky does not like hedgehogs, that just baffles me, so I wanted to write this post...well, mostly just to creep her out more. 

Hedgehogs are spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae, and there are actually 17 different species of hedgehog! They are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. They are nocturnal (another reason why I don't want to have a lot of hedgehogs, I like my sleep). They got "hog" in the name because of their "piglike" snout. Sometimes they are also called hedgepigs, and I don't really like that name too much. They aren't like porcupines in the fact that they have barbed or poisonous quills, they are just sharp. For defense, hedgehogs roll tightly into a ball and make all of their quills point out (it's the cutest thing ever... but probably not if you try to touch one). When hedgehogs sleep, they go under a rock, bush, grass, or hole in the ground. Some hedgehogs hibernate. An average hedgehog has 5,000 to 6,500 quills. Hedgehogs can run up to 4.5 miles per hour, or better! I think that's faster than me. And they are also good at climbing steep walls, trees, fences, and swimming. I am also bad at all of those things! Hedgehogs communicate through grunts, snuffles, and squeals (adorable). Hedgehogs get along with dogs, cats, and other pets! The website i'm reading suggests "to protect hedgehogs from particularly large, aggressive, or mischievous pets." I'm not so sure it's just hedgehogs that should be kept away from these pets, just a thought. Hedgehogs feed on snails, frogs, toads, snakes, bird eggs, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, and melons. They are also very classy animals, and they also enjoy salmon en croute, lobster thermidor, and filet mignon. However, the best way to attract a hedgehog is through tinned cat or dog food (they like the chicken flavors), chopped peanuts, and raisins. Milk gives hedgehogs stomach pain, but they do enjoy water, but not in a pool where they can not get out. The best hedgehogs to have as a pet are hybrids of White-Bellied Hedgehogs, Four-Toed Hedgehogs, and the North African Hedgehogs. They are considered the African Pigmy Hedgehogs. These animals prefer warm climates, somewhere between 72 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Interestingly, it is illegal to have a hedgehog in the UK.

That is all legitimate information I found about hedgehogs, minus the part about them enjoying those classy dishes. As I went from site to site I found a lot of unusual hedgehog things. For instance, pork hedgehogs with slivered almond quills. I don't know who would want to eat a hedgehog, even though it's not a real hedgehog, it's just so weird. 

This makes my stomach churn. 

People also spend a lot of time making craft hedgehogs, of all different varieties. I think the fact that this scares me shows that I do not have a strange obsession with them. 

What would you even do with some of these things? 

However, even though there are a TON of creepy hedgehog things, the number of cute hedgehog pictures, videos, and stories far outweigh the bad. I am going to post some of my favorites (I enjoy thinking that this is creeping a lot of people out, especially if it's Ms. Serensky): 

ITS A BABY! 

Hedgehog bath time!! 

This is definitely one of the cutest things I've ever seen, I call it "Eggy Hedgy" 

The hedgehog has a boo-boo! 

This is my favorite. I want to cry this is so adorable. I JUST WANT TO SQUEEZE IT. 

And here it is, the moment I know everyone's been waiting for, a hedgehog eating a carrot: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw-IAYxu5uo
(I recomment watching it on mute)

If you aren't a hedgehog after seeing those pictures and watching the video, then I suppose your name belongs on my "I Hate" list. 

Just kidding! 

I Love...

Today when my lunch table filled out their data match quizzes, we all gave each other input on every question. When I asked which color described me best, several people at my table instantly replied with "yellow!" I looked at what traits yellow represented, and they were "approach with caution." Seriously? My friends believe that I need to be approached with caution? I was very offended, and before I went off on them, I realized a few things make me less-than approachable. I thought of my most recent blog post, where I went off about everything I hate and how other can avoid doing these things so they won't annoy me. Maybe yellow isn't completely off.. Now, I wish to rectify this situation. I am going to dedicate a whole post to things I love! (Luckily no one can see my face right now, as it is in a grimace- just kidding!).

Here it goes...maybe now that people know some things about me they can approach me and strike up a conversation? I can't promise it'll go well..

I love...


Popcorn. I LOVE popcorn. It's my favorite food. I could eat it every single day and I would never get tired of it. However, I cannot do this, because I like good popcorn. No 100-calorie pop or kettle corn, I want butter lover's popcorn. Obviously this sounds like the fattiest thing in the world, and that's because it is, and that is why I do not eat popcorn everyday. I do treat myself when I go to the movies, though. Do NOT plan on going to the movies with me without getting popcorn. Seriously? When you walk in it smells like heaven with a little squirt of butter on top, and really I'm supposed to ignore that and watch the movie without a greasy face or palms? Not happening. And no I do not wish to bring popcorn with me. I don't even care, i'll dish out the $6.75 for a large popcorn. And I'll get my  moneys worth! I get my large popcorn, eat the top off (those are all the good pieces, naturally), then refill it. I also dump all the popcorn out at the end and get myself a refill for the road. Because this doesn't seem disgusting enough, I do always get butter and salt. I think it's pretty obvious. I. Love. Popcorn.

Hedgehogs. My lifelong dream is to own a hedgehog. They are adorable. I don't even mind that you can only pet them in one direction, they basically sleep all day, and you never rarely let it out of it's cage, I want one! They're the greatest palm-sized animals ever. I would most definitely carry my hedgehog friend around with me wherever I go. And I'd name him Ralph.

Shopping. I'm sure this is no surprise to anyone. Shopping is my life. You could drop me off when the mall opens, and pick me up when it closes and I still wouldn't be sick of the mall. Why is it so amazing? I don't even know. I love coming home with a handful of shopping bags and knowing I have so many new things! I'm actually having a bit of a withdrawal right now because I haven't been shopping in a while. Thank you in advance for everyone's support during this difficult time. Here are some of my favorite places to shop: Easton (this has a pretty good weight on why I like OSU), Polaris (ditto), Crocker Park (such a lovely place), Beachwood, and Strongsville Mall (Mr. Maas spends a lot of time there). I know everyone reading this is chomping at the bit, so here are some of my favorite stores: Nordstrom, Sephora, H&M, Forever 21, Victoria's Secret, Knuth's, National Jean Co., Pitaya, Nola True.. I could go on and on. I shouldn't even try to say all of the places I shop online. Let's just say, it's a big issue when my credit card is stored on some online shops. Bad news.

Hello Kitty! This isn't really something I should like. But I do. This obsession only started about 2 years ago, and it's really hit the ground running. You never realize how much Hello Kitty stuff exists until you start receiving it as birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Valentine's Day presents. Honestly. I have HK posters, jewelry, lunch boxes, stickers, post-its, lanyards, cards, nail files, nail polish, gumball machine, gummies, stuffed animals, folders, and coloring books. I also have reusable bags, crayons, markers, highlighters, pens, pencils, balloons, pajama pants, shirts, everything. And don't worry, my room doesn't look like the very scary HK themed room that Carly Cott featured on her blog last week. Even though it's an unhealthy obsession, I do a pretty good job keeping it under wraps. I wish I could pinpoint what it is that draws me to HK, and I really think it's because she gets dressed up for every single holiday. There's Halloween Hello Kitty, Christmas HK, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Hula HK, French HK, Japanese, Spanish, Irish, honestly every single thing there's a corresponding Hello Kitty figure. And I love it.

Lettuce. Its crunchy, it's delicious. It goes good with everything! I love lettuce. I've probably tried lettuce with most foods, and I haven't found something that it does not go with.

Sleeping. I love sleeping. I don't do it nearly as much as I should, but when I sleep, I sleep HARD. Yeah. I don't mess around. Waking me up when I'm asleep is not a great idea either. One time, I was woken up and the combination of being half-asleep and confused just caused me to break out in tears. And by "one time," I mean this has happened on several occurrences. I just get so sad.

TV. I love having the shows I watch every day. I seriously don't even know what I would do if I didn't have my TV, cable box, and DVR. They've helped me through a lot. I know a lot of the things I'm saying make me sound like the laziest human being on the planet, but I am not. I really do more than eat popcorn, shop, sleep, and watch TV. Those pastimes just aren't the ones I love.

Honestly, I'm having a difficult time thinking of more things. I've thought of 10 things I could add to my list of things I hate, but no, I can't even think of SEVEN things I love. I might as well embrace my color yellow. WARNING: Approach me with caution. This is depressing.

Ralph and Edward (I wish)