"You're a Child" - Robert Long

     As some of you may know, I tend to have a pretty thick skin. Words don't really "hurt my feelings" nor do they usually put me down. There is one thing I can't stand, though. That is being called a "child." 

     While, yes, I may be young and inexperienced in life, that doesn't make a "child." Personally, I've had my share of tough times and low moments, and I know that tons of you can definitely relate. I feel as if that gives me some sense of leeway towards the title of "child." 

     As defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a child is a young human below the legal majority or someone who acts immature and/or irresponsible. Some may think I act out sometimes or can often seem immature, but that doesn't earn me the title of a "child." Adults often think of this word as a true fact, due to their age, but most of those adults don't truly think about what the word "child" means mentally. 

     Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. 

The Meaning of love- Austin Cottingham

The meaning of love is very controversial. When the word love is used it could mean many different things. It could be used in the way of saying that's cool and I like it, or to display emotion in a deep and understanding way. Love means to me something special, almost like a word you would reserve for someone you actually admire and enjoy, rather than saying it loosely. Just like how the last essay used a word so much that it became an insult rather than a compliment. Words are often misunderstood and taken to far. Love is one of the words that should be used lightly and reserved for someone you cherish and value. Some people may argue that the word love is used to display that you care for something or think that something is cool. Love is also associated with grief, joy, happiness, trauma, and caring. When it comes to the word love its just a word that takes a good meaning and it could be used in many other ways.

My Favorite Teacher-Grant Smith

       Don't try and tell me you've never had a teacher that you didn't love. I mean, yeah, they can get very bossy and cranky at times,but not all of them are bad. Usually people have at least one teacher they liked enough for them to consider them their favorite teacher. No matter how rough school is, we all have a favorite teacher.Well, that teacher for me is Mr.Ware.

        Mr.Ware taught me math in elementary school and I will never forget the impact he had on me. Mr.Ware not only taught extremely well, he made class time very interesting and fun. He would always tell jokes and talk about different presidents and how horrible/great they were. Secondly, Mr.Ware really liked me as a student. I think Mr.Ware and I had a friendship as well as some other students. He definitely had his favorites and made sure people knew it. He was very aggressive and would not put up with any trouble. I liked that about him.

         One thing about Mr.Ware that made him my overall favorite was his ability to make me feel confident in myself personally. For the first couple of times I had Mr.Ware in class, I was scared to death of him.In the fourth grade,he quickly knew that when I started crying when I didn't know how to tell him I was confused about his teaching. He then realized that I was one of the good kids and I think from then on he thought of me as a favorite. He would always motivate me to do my very best and others too.

          I will always remember Mr.Ware. Especially when I'm president one day. He left my school career as a motivator for me to do my very best. I will never forget the impact he had on me and what that did to help me get to where I am and where I am going to be.

My Favorite Teacher- Victoria Chamberlain

     Honestly, I could say something good about every one of my teachers I have ever had. They have all left an impact on my life whether it be actually teaching me something in class or teaching me a life lesson. It is really hard to pick just one favorite teacher, but a teacher that has left a huge impact on me is Mrs. Bolin.
     I only had Mrs. Bolin for one year back in 9th grade. I was taking EAST for the first time, and I honestly had no idea what it was when I signed up for it. Sometime during the first two weeks, we were all assigned classroom jobs. I believe we had to fill out some form with what position we wanted. In this form, we had to explain why we would be fit for the job we requested. It was a lot like a job application now that I think about it. I signed up for the classroom photographer. I have always loved photography and I really wanted this position so I could learn more about how higher end cameras work and editing software.
     After a couple of days, we found out what jobs we got. I was ecstatic when I figured out I was the classroom photographer. This meant I had to take photos of what we did in class and edit them to make them look more appealing if needed. I took this job very seriously. I LOVED it. I was doing something I loved and getting a grade for it.
    A couple of weeks of doing this went by and Mrs. Bolin started complimenting my photos. This made me really happy because it's something I'm very passionate about. I remember one time she suggested that I take senior photos for kids who couldn't afford professionals. These compliments led me to getting into photography more seriously and that's when I started bringing my camera with me everywhere I went.
     Another thing that Mrs. Bolin did that stood out to me was when I signed up for my first 5K. I signed up for that sucker about two weeks before with little to no training. On the day of the race, I was extremely nervous. I didn't know how I would do. I finished the first lap and I was exhausted. I started walking until I looked behind me and saw Mrs. Bolin. She gave me some tips and words of encouragement. I ran with her the rest of the way and she told me that if I would've kept my pace the whole time, I could've finished with a 20-25 minute timing.
     Mrs. Bolin's words of encouragement always pushed me to work to my best abilities. Before writing this post I didn't think I was going to get back into running or photography. I'm out of shape and my camera's broke, but I think I'm going to go out on the track tomorrow and even start saving up for a new camera. I will never forget the kind things she has done and said to me. Those are things that will stick with me forever.

My favorite teacher- Ethan Boatman

I have liked almost every teacher that has taught me but my favorite teacher would be Mr. Ware. When you think of a person u remember the most about and learned a lot from I think about him. He was not only a teacher that taught me a lot, I also just enjoyed going to his class everyday. 

Mr. Ware was my 4th-6th grade math teacher. A lot of kids didn’t get along with him very well but for some reason me and him got along really well and he liked me a lot. He always talked about his grandkids and how much he loved them. He helped me grow up as a person and also as a student. And I could never thank him enough for what he did.

I think he is a really good guy and I appreciate him for how much he taught me. He is my favorite teacher and probably always will be. If I could see him in person right now I would thank him for how much he has done for me.

favorite teacher - alexis courtney

   Erin Gibson is hands down my favorite teacher. She isn't my favorite teacher because she gave me candy when I'm in her class or because she never gave a failing when I deserved it. She was the type of teacher that is able to teach you more than whatever class you are taking.
   Not only is Ms. Gibson one of my favorite teachers, she is and will always be one of my biggest role models. We started out with a rocky relationship because I was only in the 8th grade when I had her for the first time. As any other 8th grade girl, I was VERY annoying, but we got through that year. I also had her my 9th grade year and that's the year we grew closer. I went through a really hard time in my life. I cried in her class at least one a week. Not gonna lie, Ms. Gibson probably thought I was a freak, but it kept happening and I didn't even know why. Something about being in her classroom and the conversations I had with her made me rethink everything. One day after class I stayed and talked to her about EVERYTHING. Ms. Gibson is a very faithful women of God and that is one thing I love most about her. Everything I was going through, she knew what to say. At the end of the conversation she told me she would pray for me and if I even needed anything she would be there for me.
   Well not too long ago, Ms. Gibson was diagnosed with Cancer. Let me tell y'all, she is one of the strongest people I know. I texted her saying that I was praying for her and that I love her. Her reply was "God's got a plan for me. I love you too, sweetheart." Now for someone going through that and to be able to say something so positive is inspiring in itself. She has taught me that no matter the situation, you have to look for the good. The good things are always there, you just have to dig a little bit harder sometimes.
   Ms. Erin Gibson is my favorite teacher and biggest role model all into one. She is such a kind-hearted person. She is such a joy to be around. If I could be half of the woman she is when I get older, I would be one heck of a women.

My favorite teacher- alexis boatman

      What is your favorite teacher in school? Well some people may say that their favorite teacher was their P.E. teacher or somethings like that because you really don't do anything. Well, when I was in the fourth grade I fell in love with science. My fourth grade science teacher is my favorite teacher.
      My science teacher was Mrs. Waddell. She was a great teacher. Before her I never really had like a science teacher, we just kind of learned it a little bit because we didn't have a specific teacher for it. But, Mrs. Waddell knew how to teach science. I just love all things science, well expect Chemistry. She would let us do projects and things like that and that was so fun for me. Ever since that science class I always look forward to having science each day, because it is so interesting and she was so inspiring to me.
  My fourth grade teacher helped for my future. She made me realize what I want to be. I want to be a nurse and help others that are in need.

My favorite teacher -- Cailey Qualls

      My favorite teacher was my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Ronna Qualls. I don't call her my favorite teacher just because I am related to her. She showed all of us kids love. You could truly say she liked all her students, and she would do whatever she could for them. Well if she didn't like all her students you sure didn't know. I just remember being excited to see Mrs. Ronna because I enjoyed her class, so much. She always tried to make class fun.
    Mrs. Ronna had one of biggest hearts. She would do everything she could to help a student. It didn't just have to be a student either it could have been a adult. She went out of her way to make sure we knew what we were doing and class, and was always patient with us. Mrs. Ronna was also related to me. This might be why I carry such a strong bond with her, and just think the world of her.
    Mrs. Ronna will always carry a special place in my heart. She had such a big heart, that was open to everyone.  She still teaches, so I hope she is impacting students lives like she did mine. I am sure she is. 

My favorite teacher -Anna mason

          my favorite teacher would be my 6th grade teacher Lenita Fox. Mrs.Lenita loves each and everyone of her students like her own kids. She had the biggest heart of anyone that I have ever met. She was the type of person that could always put a smile on your face and you always knew that she truest cared about you.
          After teaching my 6th grade class she decided that she was ready to retire. This made everyone so sad knowing that the lower classes wouldn’t get to have her and see how awesome of a person she is. I use to be someone who was super shy like wouldn’t talk to anyone at all. She helped me overcome my shyness and be confident in who I am. When someone would be having a bad at school she would do everything she could think of to cheer them up. She loved all of us so much that she called us her baby foxes. Till this day she still keeps in contact with my family. Here recently my grandpa had passed away due to cancer. She happen to hear about what had happened and called my mom to talk to both of us and tell us how sorry she was to here and how much she loved us. She even sent us a note that she wrote with some homemade cookies. She is someone who truest cares about everyone and has the biggest heart.
         Mrs.Lenita is similar to the teacher in the book because she would never let you give up she always wanted you to be your best. They both truest cared about their students and loved them. She also wants to see us all do big things.

Family - Elijah Couch

      The definition of family to me is the people who are there for you for everything big or small. Family is extremely important to me.

       My family extends to more than just the people I am related to. It also extends to the people at my old church and really close friends. My family has been with me through all of the hard times. They were with me through cancer and chemo which was definitely the most difficult time in my life. They taught me about Jesus and about what is right and wrong. I wouldn't be who I am today without my family

        Family ain't just the people you are related to. Family is anyone who has stuck with you through thick and thin. I love my family and I know I sure wouldn't be here without them.

My Definition of Love - Courtney Tucker

Love. Let me say it again. Love. That word is tossed around in our society like a football during Friday Night Lights. Everyone in the world defines love as something different. Some describe it as someone having your back when things get tough. Others describe love as society's way of tricking us into reproducing. My look at love is something that I think is completely and utterly amazing. In my opinion, you cannot define love. Love to me is the little things in life. The butterflies you get when you see the person you love or blushing when that person does something that reminds you why you love them. Love is letting someone have the ability to tear you down with their opinion of you, but trusting them not to. Love is waking up every day with the same person on your mind and going to sleep the same way. When you find the right person, love will bring out the best in you. Love is trusting one person with anything and everything. All in all, love is accepting each other even though we are not perfect. Amen, hallelujah!

Tyler Peaster - Happiness is Objective

Happiness is Objective

(#2 pg. 118)

Happiness. Everyone thinks the word “happiness” has one definition. I mean, it’s simple, happiness is being happy! Smile on your face, warmth in your chest, but happiness is very objective. 

Everyone assumes they know exactly what happiness is. It is sort of hard to explain, but you just know when you're happy, right? Well, people often forget that we are all different. “Happiness” has different thresholds for everyone. For some people, a lack of stress can cause them to be happy. For others, it is obtained by being out with friends. Some get happiness from their hobbies, like sports and video creation. Happiness isn’t guaranteed by these examples though, the amount you need of these examples affects your happiness as well. Many sports players aren’t happy after all the games, they are happy after the games they won. However, others are satisfied knowing they tried their best, even if they lost. 

But there’s still a question, what defines happiness? Is there one definition that applies to everyone? Well, a dictionary would tell you yes, but I say no. While happiness may seem to have similar effects on everyone, it does not. What may be a normal mood for you may be a great mood for someone else, your normal mood is their happiness. Someone else’s happiness could even be your sadness. Happiness is objective.

Beth - My Favorite Teacher

    Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I love music and that I love singing. It's possible that some may have heard me humming or mumbling a little tune whilst walking down the hall, or even felt ignored because I had my music playing too loudly through my earbuds to hear what they had to say. Some of my closer friends have heard me sing, whether it be me goofing off or actually trying to sound good. I wasn't always as open with my voice as I am today; it took one year and the help of one person to get me to come out of my shell.
    My favorite teacher was my 9th grade choir teacher, Drew Warren. His job was to somehow teach thirty plus kids how to sing in-tune, in-time, and to give us a little music theory. He may have only taught here at Riverside for one year, but he taught me things that changed my views on myself and others.
    Firstly, he taught me that no person can really use the "I can't sing," excuse. Any voice can be developed to its full potential and sound beautiful with practice. On the opposite spectrum, not all voices are suited for a particular piece. I remember him telling me that my own voice would fit well in the categories of R&B, gospel, and anything with soul. I think that little lesson has influenced my music choice a lot, as I went from listening to mainly alternative rock to acoustic R&B. Perhaps the most important thing he taught me was that I was good enough. Not just in the musical sense, but good enough for anything. He helped me find this hidden confidence within myself that I never knew I possessed; in that same regard, he guided me to my voice. Suddenly, I went from being the quiet kid in class to being apart of the discussion.
    Fortunately, I still get to see Mr. Warren a few times a year at various music events such as All-Region and Choir Camp. I always remind him of how much he's impacted my life, and of how much of a jerk he is for leaving after just one year.

My Favorite Teacher -- Ella Servadio

     My favorite teacher is my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Donna Britt. This woman has been through a lot in her lifetime, but she always remained so optimistic. She taught me so much more than how to properly punctuate a sentence. 

     Mrs. Britt had this infectious energy about her. You couldn't help but smile anytime you walked into her classroom. She had this way of grabbing your attention while teaching, even if she was just sitting at her podium lecturing. One day, while we were having devotional during her class, she just stopped and began to cry. She said, "Boys and girls, no matter how hard school gets or how hard life gets, know the Lord will guide you through it. Take this from me, never once has He left me." This really stuck with me. I remember this moment so vividly. Every time I get stressed about how much school work I have, or I think about how much better my life could be; I always remember her saying this. 

     I will always have a special place in my heart for Mrs. Britt. She was always so uplifting. She really impacted me throughout my eighth-grade year. She's retired now, but I'm sure she's still imparting her wisdom on students any time she gets the chance. 

Bryce Despain - My Different Name.....Kinda?

So I know many of you who are reading this would ask me why exactly would I change my name. Well, I have some good news for you, I don't really want to change my name, but if I had no choice, then I guess I would. The question is, what exactly would I change my name too? This is a very difficult question to ask someone, even for me, this is because you really have to think about what you would want to change your name too. This is mainly difficult because you get to pick your name this time instead of your parents because they named you at birth when you had no choice or options over your name. If you got to pick your name out instead of your parents, what would you name yourself, and would you give yourself a meaningful name?

Personally, if I had to change my name from Bryce, I would change it to something meaningful and not stupid. However, I know that the whole point of this essay is to tell what you would want your new name to be. But I can't seem to find a name that I like that is not only meaningful to me but also sounds like a cool name. So with that being said, if I had to change my name to something else, I would change it to something that meant "hard-working." You may ask why exactly, and to you, I simply say that it not only describes me but it also describes my work ethic wherever I am at.

For people that know me really well, I have always been a hard worker, at pretty much anything. For example, at school, I always try and do my best on all of the assignments that my teachers give me. People constantly ask me how I am able to focus so much on my work at school always getting it done on time and manage to do everything else going on in my everyday life. I always tell them the exact same thing, as soon as I get home I go straight to work on whatever assignments I need to do. Typically I do this because of numerous reasons. Two of the reasons are because I'm responsible, and I am a hard worker, but I also do it for one last reason. The third reason is that I don't want to have to worry about doing assignments at the last minute and procrastinating when I can just do them as soon as I get them from my teachers. Most of the time when a teacher assigns something on google classroom, I usually get it done at school, or as soon as I come home. For example, many of you know that TJ recently assigned a 4-5 page MSA in APUSH that is due October 17. I started my MSA on August 23 and I finished it on August 29, which is today. The good thing about this is I have it done two months early and don't have to stress about it now, however, I have to do his other three MSA's. One of these MSA's is in APUSH again, and the other two are in his Arkansas History class. Anyways, I guess what I'm saying is that I am a very hard worker and would rename myself after something that meant hard working. If you got to pick your name out instead of your parents, what would you name yourself, and would you give yourself a meaningful name?

Tristan Smithee - Success

The word success has many different meanings. Different people view success on many different things. Some see success as how much money, your job, or even your house. Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Success happens when you reach the point you want to be at. It could be your grade. For example, when you reach an A in a class, you have reached a level of success. Success should not be determined by other people, you should determine your own success. Your house, how much money you make should not determine if you succeed in life. Sadly, that is how we judge if we succeed. I personly would succeed by how I act, if im nice, or if I was good person. I view success on if you personally made a difference in your own life, or if you made a difference in someone else's life. Success can mean very different things to everyone. In our own way we will all succeed.

Halee pt 11

Wow, y'all, I did it. I cranked out 11 posts in less than a week. It was kind of fun actually. I don't mind writing and coming up with new things. So I need to raise my ACT score by 2 points to get into honors college. I think I have until December which is a HUGE relief. I thought it was September but I just got an email from Arkansas State saying that I have until December. Yay. So I've spilled a lot of guts in some of these and let y'all in on my life. If y'all are kind of weirded out or think I'm weird, I totally understand. My life is much different than some of y'all's. That's okay though. Nobody should be the same, yet people make fun of others for being different. If we were all the same it'd be really boring and it'd get REALLY old after a while. If I knew someone who was just like me I probably wouldn't like them very much. Me and my boyfriend have similar tastes and enjoy doing the same things, but trust me, he's A LOT different besides some of those things. I'm glad he is. If we thought the same way, had the same jokes and humor, believed the same way, looked at the world the same way and had all the same friends, it'd be really annoying. We both LOVE football, hunting, fishing, food (especially food), music and each other (ew I know). But if we were the EXACT same I couldn't handle it. I'm really glad we're not. I'm really glad I'm not the same as anyone else. The difference in everyone makes them awesome, and awesome is cool. I enjoy writing and he HATES it. I love history and he could care less. He likes working on cars and I wouldn't do it even if you paid me. He does it for fun. We have a lot of similarities, but also a lot of differences. I keep repeating myself, but I really am glad nobody's the same. Y'all are all different and have your own personalities, and I can see them. I don't really know y'all yet, but I've figured out y'all's personalities being in class with y'all for a period or two. Through the way y'all carry yourselves and y'all's attitudes, I can see. It's nothing bad, in fact, y'all are really funny. Anyway, I made it through 11 and I'm so proud of myself. I guess I'll go comment on some of y'all's posts so I can get full credit. Bye.

Halee pt 10

I really like country music. Thomas Rhett is by far my favorite, but Dustin Lynch is really high up there too, along with Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood. They're my favorites. They all have amazing voices and the way they got to the top is so cool. I saw Thomas Rhett last July in St. Louis and in October, I'm going to see him again AND Dustin Lynch. I cried when I got the tickets. I was so excited. I didn't think I was going to get to go, but my parents surprised me at Christmas. I really cried like a baby. It was the best present I received. I'm so so so excited. Anyway, when I was younger, I didn't really listen to country music, but one day, I came across Hunter Hayes, and the rest is history. I don't know, I guess when I was in Montana I was really missing Arkansas so that's all I listened to. Glen Campbell sings "Arkansas Farmboy" and it reminded me of my Papal and just being in the South and I'd cry everytime I heard it. I was really struggling with being so far away from home. If I could choose, I'd never move away from the South again. Until God calls me somewhere else, I'm not leaving. I don't think I could do it. It would be torture. Listening to country music is home. It makes me remember when I was little and all I wanted to do was play outside in the heat, roll around in mud and play football. It makes me remember July 4th cookouts, fireworks and Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." It makes me remember how my uncle would fix ribs and barbecue and at Christmas we'd all be together celebrating and loving each other. I missed that for 3 years. 3 YEARS. 3 years of my life I'll never get back. I guess it was worth it though, because we saw people get saved and their lives were changed. I think we may have left an impact. Whether it was good or bad, it was still an impact. When we went to visit, people ran up to me and hugged me and we hung out and played mud volleyball. I do miss them sometimes, but I'm much much happier to be home. All of that said to say, country music helped me get through those 3 hard years. That music, no matter how many people hate it, helped me remember that there are good things. It did so by reminding me of home, friends, family and love.

Halee pt 9

I've cranked out 4 or 5 posts so far today. I don't see how y'all waited all summer to do these in one day. That was a bad choice. I've had about 3 weeks and y'all had 11. Anyway, I think I'll talk about my school year so far. Math is awful, but that's nothing new. Science is really fun, which I'm surprised about because I've never enjoyed it or been good at it. Arkansas history and civics are both really interesting because I LOVE history. It's my favorite thing to study. Just everything about it is so intriguing and fun. English is fun and pretty easy. English is also one of my strong points, so it's not hard to have fun with it. I'm in a mindfulness class so that's a good way to help me relax at the end of the day. If I didn't have time to just sit and chill out for 30 minutes I probably wouldn't make it for the last period. I'm also in oral communication, but don't get me started on that one. I don't mind public speaking or anything like that, but it's almost too quiet in there, which I like, but it's TOO quiet. I have Grant and Ethan in a couple classes and they're funny so if I'm upset about math or the loud freshmen in civics, I go to AR history and they lighten the mood. Then, I have them again after lunch. Y'all are cool, but don't let it get to your heads. I don't like big-headed people. Everyone else in my classes are cool too. Nobody has been bad to me yet, and that's really shocking to me since that's all I've known for the past 4 years. In Indian culture, 4 is the number used for something being finished or completed, so maybe I had to go through 4 bad years in order to have good years now. If I only had to go through 4, I guess it's worth it to have a great rest of my life that I won't have to struggle through like I've been doing. If you're reading this and you're going through bad years, or you've been going through more than 4 bad years, you'll make it. Don't give up. If I did like I wanted to, I wouldn't be here. So, whatever y'all really think, y'all got this. If you think it's going to be bad, it'll be bad, but if there is some hope, some is enough for there to be a chance, and if there's a chance, then it'll happen. A small chance is better than no chance. Wow, I'm rambling. This has been my motivational speech and my call to action is: DON'T GIVE UP. YOU CAN DO IT. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. I believe in you. :)

Halee pt 8: the TEA

So I guess I'll talk more about my boyfriend now. I know, ew right? I don't care. So I went to Brookland for 5 years of my life. He also went to school there. My dad started football there and coached it for just as long. He also started peewee football and yep, my boy played. I was always around during football practice and helped at peewee games. I went to the same church as him for probably 3 years, too. It's called Journey and it wasn't very big at the time. No, we had no clue who each other was. We didn't know each other existed for the 5 YEARS we co-existed in church, football or school. It still blows my mind. Looking back, he requested to follow me on Instagram but I declined it because I didn't know him. Oops. I moved to Montana and lived there for 3 years, and when I was going into 10th grade, I met him that summer. He came up on a mission trip to help with a Vacation Bible School camp that I always helped with. My mom had told me that there would be some boys around my age coming, and I was like oh cool maybe they play football or something. They rolled up to the camp and I was running around doing stuff and playing football and volleyball and whatever else there was to do before all the campers arrived. I walked up to him and said, "Hi I'm Halee. Are you from Jonesboro?" He said, "Yeah, I go to Brookland." I said, "NO WAY! I went to Brookland for 5 years." We were so confused as to why we didn't know each other, especially when he told me he played football. He didn't know my dad was the guy who started football at Brookland. We were shocked. Anyway, I proved to him that I could play football and that he couldn't catch, but what else is new, right? We started talking and I told him about how hard it was to be living around people who hate you and let you know it everyday. He told me about how he also had an abusive ex who manipulated and hurt him. We could related on so many levels. Fast forward about a month later and I go down to Arkansas to visit family and we meet up to hang out. He asked to date me and I was telling him it'd be so hard to be so far away but he said we'd make it. Well... 2 years and a month later (today) here we are. 2 proms, tons of football games, lots of fishing, lots of laughing, lots of food, memories, concerts and fun and some disagreements, but we're still here. We dated for a year while I was in Montana and he was here. 1,600 miles, which is about 26 hours one way apart has helped us with trust and loyalty. Being with him has been one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned about trust, loyalty and love. I'm sure not done with him yet. This one has been my favorite. 3 left.

Halee pt 7

So I'm sitting here watching my dog chew on a hanger and throw a tennis ball to himself. It's really funny and saves me time so I can do this. Occasionally, he'll come up to me and want me to play, but I tell him I can't since I'm doing this. Obviously he doesn't understand, but when I say, "Get your toy," he runs towards his toys. It's really funny. His name is Bear and he is 7 months old tomorrow, the 28th of August. He's torn up more hangers than I can even count. He's so full of energy that it exhausts me just trying to keep up with him. He's going crazy right now and won't listen so I have to put him up so I can do my work. He's usually pretty good but he is still just a baby. He's like a 3 year old in human years. We got him when he was 6 weeks old so we've had him for a while now. I've watched him grow and become such a big boy in so little time. He really is the sweetest thing and his ears are like silk. They're so so soft. He loves water and baths. Sometimes, he'll just run into the bathroom and jump in the bathtub so I'll turn on the water and let him splash around for a little bit. When I take him to the park, he heads straight towards the water. It's so much fun just watching him play and swim around. He's so little in that big lake. I bet he'd be a pretty good duck dog if he'd just learn to listen. He'll pick something up but he won't want to bring it back to you. He just wants to sit and chew on it and then he'll just leave it. He is still a baby, so maybe he'll get there eventually. And then there were 4.

Halee pt 6

I have a lot of homework to do. It's kind of fun and I don't mind it, but these blogs are just long. I still need to comment on y'all's blogs so sorry I haven't done that. I doubt anyone is even reading this besides Mrs. Larkin, though. It's alright. So I guess I'll talk about fishing. I go fishing a lot with my boyfriend, Colby. He's really into it and I've always enjoyed it, but going with him is way more than going by myself. He knows all about the baits to use for different spots and fish and whether or not it's sunny or dark and whatever other conditions there are. He's not really into much other than fishing, hunting and trucks and stuff like that. He's a yee yee boy and I like that about him. I go fishing pretty much anywhere you can find water with fish in it. My dad never took me when I was little, so I just had to get into it by myself. My boy is eager to take me and he's pretty good. He likes bowfishing, too. He goes frog gigging a lot. I've never been but I'd love to. It seems like so much fun. Just stabbing frogs with a long pointy stick and shooting fish with a bow and arrow. Living the yeehaw dream down here in the boonies. I'm really glad I'm from the South, or else I'd be creeped out by people like me and my friends. People in Montana curled their noses up at me when I talked about what noodling is and gigging and all of that. They just didn't understand. It's so good to be back around people who actually know how to have fun. It's been fun. I now have 5 left.

Halee pt 5

College and high school football season is right around the corner. I am so so so excited for it to start. Football is my favorite sport, but I've never played. My dad would never let me. He was the head coach and he thinks he was trying to protect me but if I had started at the same time all the boys did I think I'd be okay. In fact, I started playing earlier than any of the boys. Ever since I was 3 years old, I've had a football in my hand. Baseball, too. I really like baseball but football is still my favorite. Anyway, I've played longer than any of the boys I know and I'm sure I know more about the sport, too. That's what I grew up on. That's all I used to know. Before I could even count to 100 I knew about football. I loved it, and I still do. Any time there's an opportunity to play a quick game, I jump to it. Every fall I get excite because 1) there's football, 2) my birthday and 3) hunting season. Notice I said football first. When I went to Brookland, I played football at recess with all the boys and I told them what to do. They listened. Sometimes my dad would watch from his classroom window and when I got home, he'd tell me that I made good passes or ran really fast. I was so proud. At football practice, I'd throw with the quarterbacks and fill in on the line when they practiced blocking. I had so much fun. I loved every second of it. Even when it was 100 degrees outside I didn't care since I was having so much fun. Thanks for listening. I have 6 more.

Halee pt 4

I've decided to ditch the idea of putting my personal writings in here. My head hurts too bad to think. I know it's from staring at these Chromebooks all day everyday. In this essay, I will talk about why screens are more damaging than they are helpful. Computer vision syndrome occurs when one spends extended periods of time on a computer, which stems from glare on the screen, poor lighting in the workplace, improper computer brightness and color or a combination of all of the above. Studies have proven that the backlights from our computers make us have late-night headaches and migraines, groggy, lethargic and fatigued after waking up, less able to concentrate during important projects and reduce our body's amount of sleep by one hour. I can testify that I experience ALL of these. You may ask, "Halee, you're on your phone in the summer, so how can computers be hurting your head?" Thank you for asking. These computers hurt my head more than my phone because I am using them much longer than my phone. In class, I am not on my phone, instead, I am either on a computer or watching a computer. As I am typing, looking at the keyboard provides so much relief for my eyes. Just looking down from the screen helps my head feel so much better. I do not like the idea of using computers in school. There, I said it. I'd much rather prefer using pencil and paper all day and hand writing everything over being on a computer. In the dark, you can turn the brightness down, like I am now because I'm suffering. In the bright classroom, however, you have to turn the brightness up just so you can see the screen. Between the fluorescent lights and blue screen, I get MAJOR headaches. I even have to take medicine for it, and my doctor recommends I don't look at screens so often, but that's kind of hard when you have to have a computer just to do school. I just really don't like having to be on them all the time. It kills my head. I just fell asleep before typing this (since it's on a bright computer it's not writing) because I can barely keep my eyes open. I have 7 more blogs to type. Wish me luck.

Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/flux-review

Be Positive-Grant Smith

      Are you a positive person?Being Positive isn't always an easy thing. Most people don't learn how to be positive. Well whomever you are and whatever you do, it is always the right choice to be positive.
        Positivity ignites happiness and more people tend to like positive people. When we are positive, we stand out from people who aren't. When people are negative, they tend to bring others down.Negativity ignites nothing but problems such as fights and conflicts. It's often easier to be negative instead of positive. The easy route is to often be negative. Most people don't receive enough credit for being positive, and that's why some people choose to not be positive. An example of being positive is when you face troubles. When facing trouble, we have to keep a straight mind,and look on the bright side of things. Whenever you have a chance to have a positive mind, make sure you make the decision to do it.
       Day by day we need to tell ourselves what we need to do to make ourselves and others happy,no matter how bad our day is. Do not be negative, because it can affect others.Others see your actions and sometimes copy them. So be positive,and start a chain reaction of positivity!

Be Happy - Ethan Boatman

Be happy. The definition of being happy is feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. You can never go wrong with being happy.
Good things about being happy is that if you have a smile on your face then it can rub off on another person. Other people actually enjoy to see you happy. It is kind of weird but it is true. Just like being happy can rub off on other people, being mad can as well. If you are always rude and have a bad look on your face then people most likely will not like you and it will just get other people mad. But if you always have a smile on your face then you will attract more people to you. Being happy doesn't always mean having a smile on your face but if you walk in with a happy day most of the time your day will go pretty good.
For anybody that thinks differently all I would have to tell you is to try it. If you tried it one day I can almost gurantee you will be rewarded in a good way instead of a bad way. Try it, I promise you it will pay off in the long run!

Anna Meurer- Be Happy

"Be happy" Well we hear that saying all the time, but how often do we listen to it. Being happy for most people is often times difficult. In life and really in every situation it is easiest to see the negative side of things. If you think about it when you are happy, life is great. 

Having a happy and positive attitude towards things can help you in life. When you are happy most of the time it could rub off on someone else, and then they can become happy. If you think about it when are we the happiest? Are we happy around people who always complain about everything and see the negative side of situations, or are we happiest around people who always have a positive attitude and are encouraging towards us. Obviously we are going to be the happiest around the people with the positive attitudes. On an ending note, I encourage everyone to try to be happy and see the best in things. 

be encouraging - alexis courtney

        To be encouraging is to give support or confidence. It’s important to be encouraging to others. No one wants to be around a “Debby-downer” all the time. Encouraging others brings good energy to everything you do.
        When you are supportive of others, people will come to you about things they need help with. Some people make bad decisions and are nervous about talking to other people about it. If you are encouraging and supportive, people wouldn’t have a problem with trusting you with things. In sports, it is very important to encourage your teammates. As all of you know, my basketball team went to state. One of the only reasons we made it as far as we did is because we were constantly encouraging each other to be the best we could be.
        Encouraging and supportive people are the best type of people to be around. Encouraging others is to have an uplifting spirit. You are giving off good vibes so people can get the support they need.

Vin Boyd - Stay Calm

Staying calm is the one thing I can recommend, only because I’ve had my fair share of not doing so. If you’re like me and you’re highly prone to anxious panic, staying calm is the thing that can help keep your cool. Realizing that you need to take time to consider your options and focus on the present can help you walk out of a situation somewhat unscathed. So I would suggest that you stay calm in every situation you’re faced with, to avoid being panicked or overwhelmed.
I can’t count the number of times I have been in a situation and didn’t stop to think. This has lead to being overwhelmed quickly, moving too fast, taking risks, not thinking about what I’m saying, and messing up. It’s a big fear of mine, to not fit the norm, to not fit people’s standards. I don’t feel in control when I’m overwhelmed. It feels like a wave of blur has passed over me and I can’t focus on what’s actually happening.
I get overwhelmed with small things. I’ll be hanging out with a group of friends when suddenly I’m talking too much because I’m hanging out with people I like! I make a lot of noise, I make a scene. Since fifth grade, I’ve been trying and almost succeeding in controlling my behavior, since it causes so much trouble. I don’t like feeling overwhelmed enough that I’m making these mistakes. It makes me feel lesser. That I shouldn’t be there if I’m just going to cause trouble.
I haven’t really been able to put this feeling into words yet. It’s been a long strive to even control it. And I’m still working on it. I’m definitely not perfect. I still slip up. I’m still too loud. Still too much.
Being calm is part of being in control. You can handle a situation by simply taking a step back and considering what’s really happening. It all comes from slowing down, stopping what you’re doing, and thinking. It’s resourceful to take a break from something, breathe, and stay calm.

Robert Long- My Most Important Day

   My most important day has to be the day my grandmother died. While this is a pretty sad event that occurred in my life, it doesn't mean it isn't important. My grandmother had known me since the day I was born, and I even lived with her for a few years. She and I had a relationship that I've never had with anyone else, and honestly, I'm not sure what drove us so close together. 

   From mid-July to early August, I stayed with my grandma to help with chores and cleaning, as well as to keep her company. It broke my heart to pieces seeing that woman being beaten down by life, but it also taught me an amazing lesson: you need to enjoy the small things in life before the time passes. Over the weeks of her health decline, she still seemed so active and jovial. Despite the constant pain, she still laughed her tongue off while watching TV. She still loved talking to her friends over the phone and reminiscing with them about the "ole days," as she'd say. I wrote a blog post about her over the summer, and the fact still remains: that day will be the most important and remembered day of my life. 

Halee: pt 3

Hey so I haven't had a chance to sit down and put my writings on here, so I think I'm just going to talk some more. I hope I'm not making y'all too bored. I really wish I had some eventful things going on in my life to tell y'all about. Other than working, spending time with my boyfriend and doing homework, nothing is really happening in my life that's pretty cool. I'm going to a Thomas Rhett concert in October and I'm so excited about that. This Friday is my boyfriend's first football game, and college football is right around the corner. In fact, Miami and Florida already played. I'm so so so excited for football season to hurry up and start. It is my absolute favorite time of the year. After football season, duck season starts. It actually starts November 23rd. I'm really excited for deer season, too, but it isn't the same as being in Montana. In Montana, you walk for miles and miles just to get a good look at a deer, elk or antelope. Turkey hunting is really difficult because you can't walk around in the woods or else you'll scare them off. I was sitting against a tree one time with my dad about 20 yards to my right when I heard something. I told him to call and motioned for him to look up the ridge and two hens walked out. My heart was pounding and I was so ready to shoot. I heard the tom and then he walked out. That sucker was HUGE. His feathers flared and I just sat there waiting to get a clear shot. We had two decoys in front of us but that tom just kept on walking after the two hens. I was so mad. I ran after them but by the time I got up the ridge, they were gone. I was disappointed. They probably crossed the fence so we couldn't get to them. I'm still not over it. Anyway, between my dad and I, we killed seven deer in one day. It was so much fun. I really can't wait for hunting season. Football is here, right after that is hunting season, then pretty soon after that we get out of school and I go to college. I really am so excited that I can't stress it enough. I guess I do have some pretty exciting things coming up. I'll try to actually put my writings in here. See y'all.

An Important Day or Whatever- Victoria Chamberlain

     I'm going to start this off by saying that I HATE writing about my feelings, lOvE, and all that jazz and this is probably going to get emotional in someway for me at least. I mean, it is 5am and I'm living off of 3 hours of sleep right now. but you guys know that's nothing new for me.
     The most important day of my life was the day I left my ex boyfriend. It sounds pretty dumb, but yeah. It was very important for me and my mental health. I'm also not going to call out which boyfriend it was, but if you know, you know.
     I had been dating this guy for around a year and I knew I needed to leave him after only a few months of dating him. I always have this mentality of "things will get better, he'll treat you better eventually." We would argue all the time about dumb things, I mean what could high school kids argue about that's important anyways? At first I wouldn't fight back as much. During this time I would cry a lot. I went from barely ever crying, to crying nearly three times a day including while at school. I had a very negative outlook on life at this point. I would get so frustrated with this guy, and I eventually started fighting back. When I did fight back, the name calling began. He would call me awful names and I just.. stayed with him? He also pushed everything away from me. I wanted to hang out with a friend? He all of a sudden hated that friend because they took up my attention. I was trying to eat lunch at school? I better text him back or he'll be angry with me, even though I want to enjoy my food and my friends' company. I need to do homework? Well, I better wait until he's asleep or he'll get mad for not giving him enough attention. Things were awful, and I have no idea how I put up with them. He led me to believe all of my friends hated me and that one of his friends said really mean things about me. His friend never said the things, he just didn't want me to find out about a mistake he made, and my friends didn't hate me he just wanted to control me as much as possible.
     My friends were starting to pick up that this dude was making me unhappy. They told me so many times I'd be better off without him. I would always listen to them, and I agreed with them. I just wouldn't leave the guy for some reason. I'm always scared to lose people in my life, even if they are no good for me. I eventually did leave this awful dude over a summer after he cheated on me. It sucks that it took him cheating on me (not even the first time he cheated either) to open my eyes, but I'm glad I finally did.
    After I let him go, it felt like there was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I felt so free.It was a feeling I hadn't felt in months. I was truly happy with my life again. That feeling is why it was one of the most important days of my life.

 Thank you Jessica, Bethany, Vin, Robert, Austin, and everyone else that tried to get me out of the relationship sooner and looking out for me. I love you guys or whatever.

(Update: It's nearly 6am. Didn't get as emotional as I thought. Still feels great to be "free" from this guy.)

Halee: My Most Important Day

The most important day of my life was the day Jesus saved me. I was eight years old at the time and very intuitive for my age. I always asked questions about why things happened and how things worked. I just wanted to know. I asked questions about history, and topics about things that interested me, such as archaeology, paleontology, the history of the world, where everything originated, why we are here and what our purpose is. I have grown up in church my whole life, so it wasn't very hard to find the answers to the last two questions. I went to pastors and teachers and asked questions, along with my parents. My dad is a history major and he is VERY smart so he was able to explain these things to me. However, you can hear the Good News, but until you accept it, you'll never truly understand the depth and seriousness of the subject. On May 5, 2010 I asked the Lord to come into my life and make me a born again person. I was very young, but 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." Since this day, I have had my struggles and things haven't been easy, but they will never be if you are a believer in Jesus. Matthew 5:11-12 says, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." We should be excited when people hurt us, accuse us and hate us because of Jesus' name. I struggled for THREE years in Montana with people hating me just because I proclaimed the Lord's Name. I have a friend right now who is going through the EXACT same thing because of her testimony. I know the reason why people hate believers, but what I don't understand is why they feel the need to. Obviously I know why, I just hated going through it and I hate watching others suffer through it. I bet there will be people who read this who will also hate me because of the Name I love. Finally, John 16:33 says, "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

Austin Cottingham - The Most Important Day

The Most Important day opened my eyes to what Hellen Keller did and had to go through compared to the average person. She must have done triple times the work to understand things than we must have. It really puts things into perspective, what great people with the will to succeed has done. People like Hellen Keller have existed in every generation, those kinds of people keep proving that more can be done with humanities knowledge and prowess. Some examples of these great people include Einstien, George Washington, Socrates, Great Kahn, and Abraham Lincoln to just name a few. The world has been shaped hugely by these amazing people. What do all of these people have in common you may ask? The will to succeed and keep a level head when others do not. For example, Hellen couldn't see and be deaf, yet she was able to understand people and go to college.  Abraham Lincoln changed the face of America and helped establish some civil living standards. Also, important days happen throughout history, like the day George Washington won our independence from the British. Therefore, important days happen a lot more than we think. We only think about important things when we need too, why not think of important days and events more often? My important days are not near as exciting as other peoples. One of my more important days was when I got almost all a's last year, or when I got my sixteen-year-old license, exciting I know. My point is, important days are what we make of them, not what others think of them. Importance comes from our soul, not others. Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk goodnight.

Most Important Day - Courtney Tucker

I attend Refuge Baptist in Lake City, AR. I remember when I was younger, I would look forward to going to church on Sunday mornings because I knew the band would be playing. I feel as though the praise band at my church is what got me really involved with music. A perfect oppurtunity came up for me about 2 years ago. The piano player in the band was moving off to college. Of course, the band needed a new pianist, as soon as possible. I had heard the news about the piano player and me, never played the piano before in my life, wanted to fill the role. My mom and the praise band leader are good friends and so, in a way, my mom talked me up for the position. My mom and I set up piano lessons with the praise band leader. I caught on really fast and was playing fairly well within 7 months. Now to clarify, it took me 7 months only because the praise band leader only had time for 30-minute lessons once a week. After about 6 months of once a week lessons, I started to join the praise band at practices that they had and still have every Wednesday night. One Wednesday night, the day had come. The most important day of my life is when I was asked to be a part of the praise band at my church. We were playing Amazing Grace. We finished the song and the praise band leader asked me to play that song on Sunday morning. At that moment, I had become an official member of the band I had admired for a long, long time.

Be positive-Anna mason

Be positive is something that everyone hears daily. Being positive is a very good quality to have in the world. Being positive is something I have struggled with all my life. I am someone who has always looked at everything negative. Instead of seeing the glass half full I see the glass half empty. Being positive around others will make them also want to be positive. Because they will see how great you see everything that happens, how happy you are, and just how you will constantly find the good in everything. Sometimes it is hard to be positive all of the time because not everything that happens is good. Just always try to find at least one good thing about a bad situation and it will help you with the situation so much. Being negative has a bad look with it, and no one wants to look bad. When things are going wrong always find the positive in either a situation or in a person.

Be Grateful --Alexis Boatman

    Being grateful is what people say all the time, but do people really understand and do what they are saying? Being grateful is one of the best characteristics of a person, but it is often sometimes hard. Sometimes things happen and you should just be grateful for what you have, because that would make the situation so much better, but it's very difficult.

    Ever since I was little my parents have always taught me to be grateful, see the better things in life because you never know what other people are going through. For example, I always want the better and newer things in life, but I should just be grateful for what I have. I have a great family, friends, and I have everything that I need. Some people don't have all of their needs, like running water and things like that. Often we don't understand that we have it good in this little town of Arkansas. We have water and groceries stores and places like that to get whatever we want, and some places and people don't have any of that. In other countries they have to walk miles and miles just to get water, and it is often dirty. We are considered "rich" if we have running water and clothes, because that is all we need. We don't have to have phones, they are just a necessity. Also, we think that Thanksgiving is the only day that we should be grateful, but that is very wrong. We should be grateful everyday, for everything that we have because it's all we need. 

    I choose to be grateful. I am grateful for everything that I have because everything that I have could be taken away at any point in our life. We are not promised anything in life and that's why I choose to be grateful.

Do Not Procrastinate - Tyler Peaster

Do not procrastinate. Procrastination is a bad habit shared by many students. Procrastination not only stresses you out, your product will be worsened due to the last minute scrambling caused by procrastination.

     When an assignment is due soon, it looms over most peoples’ heads. A student may be out having fun with friends, but any time it gets quiet, all they can think is “man, that assignment is due soon.” For example, I was busy all day Friday with babysitting, and busy all day Saturday with a family reunion. All I could think about half the time was “man, that essay posted by the great English teacher Mrs.Larkin is due soon.” While I wasn’t technically procrastinating since I was very busy, it still had the same effect, stress. I was stressing due to the nearing deadline.

     Stress is not the only effect of procrastination, procrastination worsens the quality of your essay. When a student puts an assignment off until the last minute, they have a much smaller amount of time to refine their product. Think about this way, if you start a large essay a few days before the due date, you can have time to sleep on the essay. This gives you time to improve your essay so you can get a higher grade. When you start an essay, or its final draft, hours before it’s due, the essay will have no time for revision. This may cause a messy, hard to read, or grammatically incorrect essay.

     All of these issues have one easy fix, do not procrastinate. Procrastination is a terrible habit that stresses you out and hurts your product. You will feel proud of your work, and more importantly yourself when you decide to not procrastinate.

Elijah Couch - Most important day

         My most important day isn't the typical most important day. For most people, it's when they met their spouse or their children's births I haven't made it that far in life yet so it isn't one of those. My most important day was when I was diagnosed with cancer. I don't remember this day because I was two years old at this time. I have been told the story of this day and the events after it again and again so I'll try to relay it as best as I can.

          It ain't a happy most important day, but kind of is. If I hadn't been diagnosed I probably would have died. When I was two, my mom realized that something wasn't right. I can't remember what she said it was, but I'm pretty sure it was that I was having frequent headaches that were very painful. She took me to a lot of doctors and they all said the same thing, it is more than likely nothing he might just be sick. One day mom had enough and demanded that the doctor run an MRI on me. They did and they found a tumor on my brain stem which was causing fluid to build upon my brain. They rushed me Le Bonheur Children's Hospital where they did emergency surgery. They put in a shunt to relieve the pressure on my brain and took a biopsy. When the biopsy results came back they said I had brain cancer so they sent me to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital where I started chemo. After years of chemo, treatments, surgeries, and complications all of my tumors are stable. I go back to St. Jude once a year to make sure everything is still stable.

         My most important day was the worst day ever to my family, but if that day didn't go like it did I wouldn't be here today. Even though the day completely sucked I'm glad it happened. 

Cailey Qualls -- Be nice

   Be nice. This is what you hear almost everyone say. It isn't always simple, it definitely takes work. In the past I didn't always live by this, but the past couple years I have really been trying to just be nice. Honestly it is totally worth it. Of course it is way easier to just be mean to someone then to just suck it up and be nice. I know from experience, and I think everyone does.
   I can come up with so many situations in my life were I just decided to take the easy way out, and not think about others. Until one time I realized how bad it made the other person feel. I never really realized it before because it didn't mean anything to me. I started talking to the people I had hurt. I apologized so many times, but still to this day I feel so bad.
    Ever since I realized that I was actually hurting others, I made a point to try and be nice to everyone even when it is hard. I have trouble sometimes, but I just think about the person I don't want to be. With all this being said trust me when I say be nice to everyone, you never know what that person is going through. Also you never know what kind of hurt you are causing them. 

Ella Servadio - Be a Leader

      Leadership is a simple word, but it is not a simple task. It is easy to fall into the ways of the people that we surround ourselves with. Many people find it hard to adjust to a new environment, so they change themselves to be like the people around them. 

      About four years ago, I started playing travel softball in a new town. I knew none of the girls before I made the team. I was so overwhelmed because, as many of you know, I am a shy, quiet person. One girl came up to me and invited me to go to eat with a few of our teammates. I went, and I was quiet at first just kind of taking it all in. Then the girls started talking about players who were not there. They asked me what I thought. I knew if I stood up for the other players, these girls may not invite me places again. I hate saying this now, but I made the wrong decision in this situation. I joined in on the gossip. One of the girls had heard what I said, and she went to the coach. When the coach pulled me aside, I had two options: throw the other girls under the bus too or take full responsibility for what was said. I chose option two. I took responsibility. I apologized to all the girls I said something about and moved on. 

     After this event, I chose to be a leader. I began to choose my own path. I encourage other girls. I am the girl on the team that says "You got it, kid. Nobody better." I try my hardest to keep everyone's heads up. I encourage you to choose leadership. Stop falling into the ways of the people around you just because it is "cool," and you want to be like everyone else. Help other people, show them they can count on you to pick them up when they fail. Be a leader.

Bethany Tucker - Choose Optimism

    Choose optimism even when in most, if not all, cases it's easier to see the negative sides of things. The entirety of a situation cannot be and should not be judged based on one limited perspective. Broaden your mind and think about the good that comes out of every scenario. A common example would be to think of yourself caught outside in the midst of a downpour. You have no umbrella, no visible shelter, and perhaps you're wearing your favorite pair of shoes. You're supposed to think, Things could be worse. Right? Personally, I feel that even this mindset allows for doubt and negativity to creep in. Maybe, instead of reflecting on your own feelings, look around and see how "your" situation is affecting others. Perhaps to your left, there are children outside dancing and giggling under the rainfall. To your right, a stray dog is eagerly lapping from a puddle because it's the first drink he's had in days. There's always more to a situation than what's impacting you.
    Choosing optimism doesn't just apply to your environment. It can also appertain to the people you come across in your day-to-day life. I fondly remember my last trip to Memphis when I was still using crutches to get around from place to place. As my family and I made our way down the sidewalk, a homeless man approached. He donned tattered clothing, and sported a scraggly white beard. He was thin and unkempt. "What happened to your leg?" He inquired, but his broken speech made it difficult to understand what he was saying. When he pointed to my leg, I finally made the connection to what he was trying to ask. I briefly explained that I had just had surgery a week or two prior, but I was healing pretty well. We continued to discuss my well-being for a few more moments before he began walking away. "I hope you get well real soon. Have a blessed day, young lady." Were his parting words before he continued in the opposite direction. It's very easy to assume the worst of people based on their appearance, but even the kindest souls can befall misfortune.
    Optimism doesn't mean the same thing as naivety. I simply advise that you think differently, positively, about the ordinary situations you find yourself in on a daily basis.

Tristan Smithee- Most Important Day

As humans, we all have one special day that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I have many important days in my 16 years of life. One would be the day I got my first dog, the first day of kindergarten, when I got my first horse. But important days do not always have to be happy. My most important day was not exactly the day I was the happiest, in fact it was the day I was saddest, the day my mom passed away. That day would end up being the day my whole world changed. I’m not sure for the better or for the worst quiet yet. 

I know it is strange for the most important day of my life being a sad day, right? Anyway, it will forever be one of the most sad, but important days. September 20, 2017, was the day my life turned completely sideways. As I woke up around seven o’clock that morning I was not expecting to get the news I did. My grandmother, aunt, and uncle were all standing at my bed and was crying. I knew my mom was in the hospital, and was very sick. I automatically assumed the worse, my assumption was correct. I cried all the way to the hospital and was surrounded by the people I loved once again. But I would not be the same. As the week went on we had the funeral and it was one of the hardest things I will ever have to do. The second most important day would have to be September 25th. The day we buried her. I would not be where I am without the support of my friend and the rest of my family. That day was the worst day I have been through in my sixteen years on earth. I however, no longer worry about her, as I know she is watching and now pain free. 

This was the most important day in my life. I loved my mom so much. I guess every kid does? I will forever remember this day and try to remember it is the day my mom went to be pain free, in a beautiful place. I know she is still with me and watching. Even when I am all alone. 

Bryce Despain - Most Important Day

Many people have had "important" days in their lives. Some people would say their most important day was their wedding day, or the day that their kid or kids were born, etc, but none of that has happened to me. Honestly, I haven't really had that many important days in my life yet, mainly because I'm so young, I mean I'm only 17, but still. However, I have had some important days of my life as well, they aren't as interesting though. The most important day of my life was when I got my Bullmastiff Onyx. Well, it's one of the most important days of my life.

I first met Onyx one day right after school, and when I say right after school, I literally mean right after 8th period ended. I was in the 8th grade, and when the bell rang for the school day to be over, I got out of my seat and left Mrs. Fenner's room. After that, I then walked out to the car rider line to wait for my mom to pick me up. After a few minutes of waiting, my mom showed up and when she pulled up, I opened the front passenger side door and in the seat was Onyx. When I first saw him I didn't know what to do because he was so weird looking, like he had wrinkles all over him, and still does. I guess it is because he is a Bullmastiff. Anyways, I got in the car and started asking questions to my mom and stuff, and she said he was two months old, and for a two-month-old dog, he was huge. He is now two and a half years old and is super tall and long, especially when he lays down on a bed or something. If you saw my dog you would think he was mean, but he is a gentle giant, believe me.

Anyways, I know it doesn't sound like an important day, but it is an important day for me. For anyone wanting to know as well, I also have three other dogs, Chopper, Abby, and Maggie. I just wasn't surprised by all of them like Onyx was with me, because I was actually there to get all of them when I wasn't with Onyx, it was an amazing day.

Halee pt 2: Writing

I really enjoy writing. It's my favorite thing to do in my free time, other than spend time with my boyfriend. He's great, and actually inspires some of my writings. Friends, family and complete strangers influence what I write about, as well. Pretty much everything I write about is about other people, and not me. When I do write about myself, it's about how others have impacted me, both positively and negatively. When I open my journal and sit down to write, I never plan out what I'm going to write. It usually just comes to me as I go. I write what I feel. If I'm happy, I'll probably write about something I love. When I'm sad, I'll probably write about how I feel at that time and why. I tell stories, write about love and write letters that the person I'm writing to is never going to read. I enjoy it and when I feel down, it helps me feel better. It's also really calming, and when I'm stressed out, it helps me relax. Usually, I listen to Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Satie or Chopin when I write. They're all great composers. Beethoven is my favorite, though. Ever since I was little, I've loved writing and classical music. I think the two go hand-in-hand in a way. You have to be able to write in order to compose, and I think composers are great writers. I mean, how else would their music still be enjoyed and widely known today? Their music has been able to withstand nearly 400 years of changing genres, new genres and evolving taste in music. Don't even get me started on Moonlight Sonata or the Gymnopédies. All of these men have shaped music to what it is now, and writing helped them do just that. They changed the world by introducing something new and beautiful and something that can be built off for generations to come. That's what I want to be able to do with my writing. I want to help change the world. It may be insignificant, boring or just flat out bad, but I want to be able to help someone. Anyway, all that said to say, I love love love writing.

Halee part 1

Hi. My name is Halee and I doubt anyone other than Mrs. Larkin will read this, but hi. In the last year, I moved back to Arkansas from Montana. I lived there on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation for three years. It wasn't always fun, and most of the time I didn't enjoy it very much. People weren't the nicest and it was always cold. It was around 30 degrees or so in the summer sometimes. In the winter, it was torturous. It got down to 70 degrees below zero windchill. You couldn't do anything when it was that cold. You're not supposed to go outside because if you do, you'll probably die like one of my classmates did in January of 2018. It was tough. The community took it really hard. The hunting was awesome, and the game was HUGE. Deer, elk and buffalo taste AMAZING, especially the young meat. Pheasant tastes pretty good too. The mountains are beautiful and the fields are so wide open you can see for hundreds of miles. Until you actually go to Montana and experience the vastness of it, you'll never truly understand why it's called "Big Sky Country." I sure didn't understand until I experienced it first-hand. The fresh air was wonderful and helped me breathe better. Even though we were at a higher elevation, sitting still made it easy to breathe, but exercising was HARD. I played volleyball, basketball and ran track, so sometimes it was harder. In the summer, there were wildfires, and the smoke from those fires almost suffocated you. There were specific warnings sent out telling people to not go outside and keep pets inside because the smoke was almost overwhelming. It was very hard for me, but writing helped me through a lot. Since being back home, it hasn't been easy the whole time, but again, writing helps. I'll probably put some of those writings on here for anyone to read so I can share the thoughts I had during that hard time. The bad did drown out the good very often, but some of my best writings came out of that time. I just want some of those writings to have the possibility to help someone else. Enjoy!

Blogosphere: Episode 12- The Finale- Robert Long

   Welcome to the final episode of the Blogosphere with Robert! Today marks the series finale of the Blogosphere, and I can officially say, this whole blog thing proved to be a little more fun that I had expected. At first I thought how dumb this thing seemed to be, no offense    Mrs. Larkin, but now I think I enjoyed writing each of these posts more than I realized. I still have my comments to give, but I hate to say, my time here is pretty much over. I do, again, want to thank those who chose to read my blogs rather than others. It means a lot that you took the time out of your day to come to this website and read my pieces of junk, especially the camping one. That was literal garbage.
   Nonetheless, I want to say that my summer has been the most eventful summer that I've ever had. The rollercoaster of emotions and events took me for a wild ride, but I'm glad to report, I've made it through, keeping my sanity at a fare level.
   As for the upcoming school year, I'm not sure what it'll behold, but I have faith in it. I've been waiting to see so many of you, even you Leka.
   For the ones who stuck by my side through thick and thin, I want to see you the most. From my best moments and the congratulations to the worst moments and the prayers, it all meant so much. Knowing that there are people in this world I can call friends and family makes living in this rust bucket of a world that much better.
   Over the course of the next few months, I can only hope that my life will improve through age and life, and I wish to see my friends by my side. Thank you all so much for reading this final episode of the Blogosphere with me, Robert. Bless you.
   (Now an excerpt from my newest novel, "Sunsets on Hope.")
   No, no,” the nurse gave off a slight chuckle. “It’s nothing like that. You, most likely, had a small anxiety attack- nothing to be worried about. If worse comes to worst, you can always see a doctor outside of school. They probably wouldn’t do too much about it, though, but it is an option. And since this is your first encounter with an anxiety attack, I would suppose so anyway, it is most likely due to some kind of stress. Has anything been going on at home or in school that could be causing all this extra stress?” she asked me. I just sat there. I could tell I had that look on my face that makes it seem as if I was trying to think of something, but, in reality, I was just thinking of not saying anything. “Mrs. Henson?”

Blogosphere: Episode 11- The Semi-Finale- Robert Long

   Welcome back to the Blogosphere with Robert! This episode is the last one before our series finale. If you've made it this far, I want to sincerely thank you for sticking around. Today's topic will be about Netflix.
   Here lately, I've put aside my writing and definitely not this assignment, to watch some Netflix. I'm usually not the one to sit around and watch a show, and I rarely have the time to enjoy a movie. Luckily, I've been able to take it easy these past few days and I've logged back into my Netflix. Of course, I jumped right back into where I had left off of my show, the Outlander (a very good show if you like a little history mixed in with some amazing drama and even some romance). I'm not too sure what made me grow to the liking of these types if shows, but something constantly seems to drag me back. I'm always intrigued with how the drama and action always ties back into actual historic events such as the Jaconite Revolution that ended in the deaths of millions of Scottish people and the genocide of the Scottish Highland Culture and society. Or maybe it's how accurate the producers can make the death of Prince Charles Stuart of France seem, even after literal decades have passed. It's not even just this show that seems to use these tactics to draw my attention towards it. Show's like House of Cards used insane political moves to pull me in for more each episode until I had "accidentally" watched the entire series in a week. Yeah, the whole series is like days of continuous watch time. I honestly felt like I held the political power to rule our entire country. The Outlander made develop a spot on Scottish accent and forced me to want to duel everyone who cut in front of me at Walmart. At this point, I think I was born to be Scottish but something happened during my heredity stages and I was mixed. Those crazy storks are always dropping people off on the wrong places...
   Thank you so much for reading this episode of the Blogosphere!

Blogosphere: Episode 10- Robert Long

   Welcome back to the Blogosphere with Robert! At this point, my mind is fried beyond belief. So who knows what the topic for this episode will be? Not me. I'm probably just going to ramble about something until I run of things to say about it, then switch it. Like this:
   I think I've officially developed a gambling problem. It's not even the fact that I lose money, it's the fact that I'm sk good at it, at this point I'm afraid to stop my luck streak. The other night I was at a friends house. I, along with some other friends, met up at our friends house to watch movies and be lazy for a little while, but it ended up being something quite different. We didn't watch a single movie, nor even talk about one. When we first got there, we chowed down on some chicken wings and fries his mom had cooked us. They were delicious, may I add. After stuffing our guts with goodies, we played some Mario Kart, like true friends. Soon after that, we got bored at went to the store. There, we yoinked a jug of milk for his mom and one of the others guys grabbed a pumpkin pie. Why? I have no clue. We drove back home and stood around in his kitchen for a bit, deciding what to do next. Then it hit us: let's play some poker. I was enthralled. We played some "Texas Hold Em," a card game involving betting chips and very sad people. I, however, was feeling lucky. Placing chips and cards carefully. Calling the bluffs for what they were. Challenging each of my former friends and future opponents. I didn't win all the games, but let's just say, I was constantly racking in more chips than I had bet (in simple men's terms, I was winning). I seemed to learn my friends moves rather quickly, compared to them learning mine. A slight chuckle meant one was toast. A quick glance at my cards meant one was contemplating all existence of life. The quiet sigh from one meant he knew he couldn't win. I had full control of the table, but not myself. Big yikes. Thanks for reading this episode of the Blogosphere!

Isn’t This The End? - #11 - Vin Boyd

I’m pretty sure I’m the only one giving up on a good night’s rest in favor of finishing all this up. Robert hasn’t posted Episode 9 of his Blogosphere. I’m honestly a little worried. (Robert, I’m rooting for you.)
I’m scared to start this school year. Too scared to sleep, too scared to play an outfit, to scared to finish off these posts. Once I do, that means I’ll have to put the phone down, take a shower, and then go to bed. And wake up at 5:30. And actually get ready for the first day of school. It’s overwhelming.
I’m scared to do anything wrong, just in case I don’t have time to fix my mistakes. I don’t feel like a kid anymore, able to make mistakes and learn from them. I feel like everyone older than us is forcing life lessons on way too early, before we’ve experienced anything remotely life changing and adult-ish.
God, what am I gonna wear tomorrow? I feel like pockets are a requirement. That’s not such a weird thought, is it? I feel like pockets will help me get through the first day of symbolic prison. They’ll be my emotional support pockets.
So jeans? I asked some people what they were wearing, because I’m just an anxious person, and they said a jacket? How could you even fathom wearing a coat in this weather?
But I get it. Comfort clothes for a probably less-than-stellar first day. I wish i was that brave.
It’s been such a struggle finding shorts long enough to accommodate the school dress code, it’s honestly ridiculous. I just wanna be comfortable, man. It’s no fair.
Less than one hundred words left before I can go to bed. Or lie in bed worrying about tomorrow. How can I get the peace of mind to get a good night’s rest now that everything’s been done? It’s been a wild day. Submitting every single journal entry in the span of 24 hours. Not all of them were written this late, buuutt... I can say most of them were. It’s been thrilling.

Blogosphere: Episode 9- Robert Long

   Welcome back to the Blogosphere with Robert. This episode is going to have a lower energy than all of the others. At the time of me typing this in my notes, I was on the brink of tears for the first time in years. I'll let the July 18th Robert tell you what happened...
   Today is, handsdown, the hardest day I've had in my whole life. My past weeks have been filled with joy and pain, but nothing compares to the grief and sadness I've felt over the past two days. As I've mentioned multiple times in my other blog posts, I moved in with my grandmother recently due to her steady health decline. Today, all that has changed. My grandmother passed away on Tuesday, and I didn't know there was a pain such as this on this Earth. My heart has grown heavy and sad, and at this point I'm not sure how to feel. I know she passed from natural causes in her sleep, but I can't help but feel there was more I could do. I'm sorry to those who find this post a bit sad and heartbreaking, but I felt as if this a big, if not the biggest, event of my Summer 2019. A man showed up here yesterday and assured me that if something like this were to happen, she'd be in a better place. A part of me wants to believe that, but an even bigger part of me just wants to hate something. I'm not too sure what, though.
   So that was the post I had planned to paste into the Blogspot on the same day, but it has just sat in my notes since then. I am aware that this was a rather sad episode than the others, but as mentioned above, it was a major event of this summer  and my life in general. I also want to take this post and use it as a thank you to those who wished me their best condolences and prayers. I also want to say this: no matter what we show on the outside, it's the feelings of each individual that truly show how life strives within each and every person. Thank you for reading today's episode of the Blogosphere!

-----Grant Smith #11 Goals For Summer 20'

Summer of 2019, you were the best summer I've ever experienced. This summer was full of ups and downs. Mostly ups, but if you read blog number 8 you could add that to the downs. This short,hot, and enjoyable summer brought me many new friends. I made friends places I never thought I would and I am so thankful for that. If it weren't for the ALL the friends that I have, this summer wouldn't have been so fire. So since this summer was amazing, let's make this school year amazing. You know, until next summer. Speaking of next summer, I want to add summer of 2020 to the list of best summers yet, so I have set some goals. Next summer, I want to, well, of course, make more new friends, but also maybe try something new. Trying something new isn't always bad. Now that I think of it, I think I might try to go on a trip somewhere. Not like a crazy trip, the lake is crazy enough ,but maybe just like a chill trip. A trip to the Ozark Mountains sounds pretty cool.I could go trout fishing somewhere where there are no drunk people trying to steal things from you. Or Maybe go hiking or sight-seeing. Maybe even go on a mission trip somewhere. Who knows what may happen next summer. I got a feeling that next summer might just be even better than the one I just had. But to get to next summer, we have to make it through fall,winter, and spring in school. So try to stay safe and make good grades. I say that like I'm not the one who needs to hear it the most. Seriously though, let's make this school year great with tons of school spirit and lots of energy for making the best out of ourselves. The more fun we make this school year then the faster it will come and go towards summer. Time flies when you are having fun.

Blogosphere: Episode 8- Robert Long

   Why are we here? What is our purpose?
Welcome back to the Blogosphere with Robert! Today, we dive down into the deep questions of our existence and try our best to answer them the best way we can using logic rather than religion.
   I know, I know, this might be a controversial topic, but I don't have to many better ideas left in my feeble mind. Let's get started, I suppose.
   I want to start off with the big question of the universe: why are we here? Many believe that we, as humans, are here to serve some great purpose and leave the world better for our future generations until they repeat the same cycle. Others like to "see the world as it is." They don't believe that we have a purpose. They think we're here for nothing except the sole purpose to rot and feed the plants that clearly do more than we do. I don't necessarily agree with the second group, but I do see where they are coming from. From a physical perspective, it does seem our only purpose is to live and breathe on this earth until we die and leave behind our carbon footprint. Where I feel they are wrong is the mental perspective. From the mental perspective, many believe that once we do reach the end of our rope, we are lifted up to be reborn and recreated so we shall return one day as a new being with new flesh and a pure soul. This is the utopia most tend to believe, but I have seen myself more times than not standing in the middle of these two sides: on the line of "what happens when we die." Are we lifted up or laid down? There is no way to truly know which side is right and which is wrong due to the lack of knowledge of life after death. For all we know, it could be a perception created by the world to ease the mind of the what happens after the day your heart beats it's last. The one thing I do know is that whatever happens after death, only we can prevent wildfires @SmokeyTheBear😉