The future - charlie payne

I've always been adaptable. I'm seeing my assmates posting about being worried about the future, about what college they'll go to, about whether or not they'll ultimately fail any their ambitions. To preface, I'm definitely not saying that I'm not worried about those things. I have goals set and I have a specific few colleges I want to attend and an impossible amount of things I want to do in my life, but I also realize that sometimes I won't get exactly what I want and I have a fairly well developed skill of coming to terms with it when that is the case. Maybe this comes from having two brothers and, being the oldest, I've been trained to always be the "bigger person." Whatever it is, I'm happy I am that way because I am much more easily pleased than most people I know. All that being said, however, I will push for what I want and be assertive when I am passionate about something. When I transition into my senior year I want to retain the passion I've developed for my personal pursuits, academic or otherwise, and I want to develop new skills and enhance the fraternity I feel with my friends. Ultimately, I'm excited to have new experiences and keep moving on in my life, as cliche as it sounds.

Jesse Konopka, Assignment 24: The Future

So, this year. This year really went by fast at first, slowed down at the end though. I really had fun this year. Spent a lot of time with myself, and while I know I complain about not being interested or kind of lonely a lot, I realized I really needed this time to myself this year. Last year I had a lot of outside distractions going on, and this year, while there are still distractions, it's me distracting myself and that I can handle. For the future, I think I need some more time with these "outside distractions". I really think I need to get out there more and spend time with other people, even if they are distracting at times. I really need to start setting goals for college, career choices, and the future in general. I've never really been very good about setting goals for myself, and now, I believe, is the perfect time to start. Overall, this was a good year. I enjoyed myself a lot. Here at the end, however, I'm not sure what's going to happen. Things have been going on, and I'm a little worried. I just hope I can make it through. Still, it is my own fault. I spent a little too much time with myself, and let it get in my way.

Assignment 25 - STRESS!! - Optional

This is a Makeup Blog Post.  If you have a score that is less than a 30/30, this will replace that grade

Inspired by Keanu Gomez

As high school students, you are becoming more and more involved and in control of your school life as well as your "real" life. You face the many challenges of being a high school student in the Liberal Arts Academy as well as the growing responsibility of independence. Many of you are about to experience the dreadful two weeks of multiple high stakes tests as well as your Final for US History. To get through these two weeks and other weeks like these, how do you manage all that stress? What are your stress relieving activities? Are they effective? 



Minimum of 150 words.  Due on May 11th @ 11:59 pm

The Future-- Raiffa S

I don’t keep good record of things: assignments, responsibilities, memories. Which I guess is a bad thing for when I get stressed out about that thing I was supposed to do but only remembered at the absolute last second. But it also means I don’t dwell on my successes or failures for too long passed the initial rush of emotion and the reflective aftershock. And I like that. It means I have more room for my plans of what’s next and I don’t have to deal with the crushing feelings of all my insignificant mistakes. Cause really, all those stupid things I’ve done or thought I did are just that, insignificant; and calling them failures gives too much credit to my ability of risk taking. Over this past year I think I’ve started to figure out what I appreciate about teenage life. I’ve solidified a lot of the relationships that are meaningful to me and stopped trying to live for those that aren’t. And i’ve upped my cliche-ness at least 80%. Next year I hope to focus more on what I want and to stop letting my needs become second to the needs of others. I think learning to do that will be important before I can become an independent person somewhere far from here. As usual, I have a lot of expectations for the summer and for senior year but my record keeping and motivation will probably ruin those as they approach. Eh, I’ll always have Netfllix.

Assignment 24: The Future - Thomas Stokes

I've always been told that the next year of schools will be the hardest. This year was definitely harder than last year. This year I am taking 5 AP tests, and I can't begin to tell you how stressful that is, but we'll get back to that. One of my biggest successes this year has got to be just how much I've learned. Freshman and sophmore years, sure I was in schools and I was learning, but this year has been so different. This year, I really learned about things outside of school. My interest in space exploration and planetary science reignited and I did research on SpaceX's and Boeing's plans for the future of manned space flight, and on a more down to Earth level, learned how to do basic maintenance on my car. As far as my failures go, there are plenty of tests or assignments that I've forgotten or didn't do so hot on that I wouldn't mind second chancing, or there are always the opportunities that I missed. Each opportunity you don't take is failing at each one. Or so I say, and that's why I try to take on as many as I can. That's why, literally right before writing this blog post, I signed up for 4 summer programs, a small mechanical engineering clinic, and even my first job. Today was my sign-up-for-summer day. As far as goals go, I hope to learn how to liquid cool a computer, and get that job! I plan on just reading all about how to liquid cool a computer, not sure if I'll have the funds to do it though, which is why I'm looking for a job!

The Future- Mikaela Gatewood

I've always had a bit of a problem with the future. It's a scary concept; the potential to possibly fail or under-succeed is more than paralyzing. Towards the beginning of this year, my biggest issue was this constant pressure of "the future". I spent ungodly amounts of time worrying about where I would go to college, what others would think of where I went to college, whether or not I would do well in the major I chose, if I would be employable once I earned my degree, or if I would end up being a massive failure. I spent so much time caught up in the details of what I would do later in my life that I didn't focus on what was going on around me. Ultimately, it just hurt my relationships with those around me and turned me into one living ball of anxiety. What I learned from that though was that it's going to be ok. There is a very small chance that I, or any of us for that matter, are going to end up in a horrible situation. We will get jobs, we will succeed, we will be ok. So now, with this new found knowledge, I plan on relaxing my senior year. I still fully intend on keeping up with school and college applications and the likes, but the amount of time I spend focusing on things that won't matter until 10 years from now will hopefully be reduced to zero. This summer I'm going to be attending GSA for Architecture + Design (something of which I'm probably too proud of, but for someone who thought she would fail at anything she tried, this is a big deal) and spending time with my mom as she moves to New York. Next year is going to be new and different and full of facing "the future", but I'd like to think I'll be able to handle it this time around

Perfect Playlist- Mikaela Gatewood

A playlist for taking naps at 2 pm on a Sunday afternoon

1) Still Together- Mac Demarco; Mac Demarco's music is laid back in general. But with the use of only an acoustic guitar and Demarco's raw vocals, this song is especially sweet and light hearted. The song ends with Demarco attempting to wake his girlfriend Kiki up (assumably who the song itself is about), giving it an endearing personal touch.

2) Sunday Morning- The Velvet Underground; aside from the name obviously contributing to the theme of the playlist, Sunday Morning generally reminds me of the lazy resting moments. Quite often everything in the world can seem to catch up to you all at once, and it's when you take these quiet moments that you find solstice.

3) Petulia- The Kooks; I've loved this song since freshman year. It's a simple love song with beautiful metaphors. It's sweet and well thought out, probably one of the reasons why it's stuck with me for so long.

4) "Let's Play"/Statue of a Man- Mutual Benefit; Andrew showed me this one actually, which might be why I like it so much. Other than that, it's a good folksy song that has great vocals. It reminds me of the kind of song that would play in the background of a movie where the main characters were walking through a field or forest. While that might not be your type of scene, I find it quite nice.

5) I Think Ur A Contra- Vampire Weekend; While there are much better Vampire Weekend songs, this is one of their only slower songs. It's an interesting end to their second album, and an interesting end to this playlist. It gives off almost an eery vibe, while still managing to put you at ease. I mainly listen to this when I want to stare off into space and day dream for a while.

In general, all of these songs could probably put you to sleep. None of them have a super upbeat tempo and most are acoustic, or at least close to it. What makes it perfect for a Sunday afternoon nap, however, are the sweet and simple messages that each of them relay. To me, Sunday's are your time for sleeping in late, sipping hot chocolate in bed, and appreciating the sun streaming in past your curtains. All of these songs define the day's simplistic and beautiful nature, at least for me.

Assignment 24 Ian Harrison

This year kind of flew by for me, so it hardly feels like much happened. Everyone told me junior year was supposed to be some kind of big deal, and yet here I sit, unable to come up with anything to answer this prompt with. I suppose this was just an uneventful year for me, not much different than any other year. I got way to into some TV shows, endlessly thought over and criticized every movie I saw, listened to all the new albums my favorite bands released and discovered some others, hung out with friends, did my homework, etc etc. I'm sure some cable news reporter could find a sensational story hiding in this morass of time, but I honestly can't. As they say, no news is good news, so in conclusion, this was a good year for me. As someone who's rather complacent, I enjoy having an uneventful year.

The Future- Kayla Beebout

Junior year.  You know, I’m not totally sure how I feel about it yet.  Maybe after I analyze it more, I’ll be able to figure it out.  Successes… I would say keeping straight As, making it into GSP, doing well on the ACT, becoming Lead Consultant for the Writing Center, and surviving junior year are all successes. Failures are a bit harder to talk about, but I think that at times I became too stressed over everything, which could be a failure.  Also, I failed to make it into GSA, which was ok since I got into GSP, but since writing is so important to me, it still felt like a big deal.

This year, I’ve learned how to combat pressure, and what is worth stressing over—although that knowledge doesn’t always stop me from being anxious over the small things.  But I know now that just sitting quietly, listening to music or maybe reading a little, can help me calm down, and that knowledge is amazingly helpful.  I’ve also learned how my innate determination (some might call it stubbornness) and perfectionism can actually push me to be the best I can be.

This summer, I’m going to go to GSP, and hopefully I’ll get into the Creative Writing focus area (that wish probably doesn’t surprise anyone reading this).  Other than that, I really want to spend some time with my close friends who I don’t go to school with, since the school year makes that difficult.  I’m hoping to make a lot of progress on my novel and read more of the books on my classics list.  I’m going to work on piano, hopefully finishing my book of music from The Hobbit.  Of course, I’m also going to enjoy just relaxing, spending time outside, making a futile effort to tan, and being home with my family.

As far as senior year goes, I’m hoping to keep my GPA up, be accepted to my favorite colleges, have a successful year running Beta Club, and have a great Senior Mentoring Project.  Academically, I’m planning to work as hard as I have this year, which should help me with my first two goals.  As for Beta Club, I’m hoping to start planning over the summer and to get to know the new officers so we can start the year strong.  For my Mentoring project, I’m going to keep to my schedule and use every resource I can to make sure it is a success.

So, junior year.  Overall I think it was a success.  I think I’ll be able to look back on it and remember everything I accomplished and learned without much regret.  I’m on a good track, and it looks like senior year will be even better than this year!

The Future

It's been said time and time again but junior year really is HARD. I've never had to work hard in school but all of a sudden I find myself burdened with heaps of homework and studying every night. My grades aren't really where I want them to be but they are close so I'm hoping that a little extra hard work over the next few weeks will help. The most upsetting grade is probably physics because my teacher is just crap and the only way to get a good grade in her class is to cheat, which I'm not really willing to do. I also am never one to blame it on the teacher but I will go ahead and be honest and blame it on mrs. Drake. I don't feel as though I've had many failures or taken many risks. I do wish that I hadn't missed so much school around spring break because I'm still making it up. I feel like this is the first year of highschool/of my life that I've really excelled socially. I've made a lot of new friends and I've had a pretty active social life. Therefore, I think that my summer is going to be absolutely incredible. I don't have too many solid plans but I will definitely be doing some research with an archaology professor from UK and I will be doing an internship with the speaker of the kentucky house. For senior year I want what we all want: to get to take it easy for a second. I am taking challenging courses but I've let myself off the hook a little bit in terms of how difficult the classes are. The class the I'm most looking forward to is TV radio in which I am not going to slack off! I'm really excited to have access to good equipment and to be able to come up with and create some interesting things. I also, like everyone else, want to get into a good college, of course this would ideally be an ivy but I'll be happy to go somewhere that fits me and that offers a good program of study for me.

Assignment 24: The Future--Amir Abou-Jaoude

 Rent is not one of my favorite musicals, but during the song Seasons of Love, the company assembles on stage and sings, "Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year?"

With this prompt in mind, I began to think about how to measure my junior year. In many respects, it began at the Governor's School for the Arts this summer, where I studied creative writing. It continued with a successful speech season, a good ACT score, some essay contests, and the Keep It Real contest. Now it ends with five AP tests and some more final exams.

Still, a year cannot be captured by a resume. As I have passed these milestones in the school year, I have learned how to take the derivative of the function, how to figure out the current going through a electric circuit, where the term "carpetbagger" comes from, why King Louis XIV embodied the French state, and how to properly analyze a passage. For my film class, I have made PSAs and further  explored the language of the cinema.

Beyond this academic knowledge, I have also learned some life lessons as well. When I took the CATS test in 4th grade, I got a proficient in practical living, and I hope I have improved that score this year. I had my first extended stay away from home at the Governor's School for the Arts and have tried to become more independent. One of my goals for the summer, however, is to learn how to drive, since that is the defining sign of independence.

My summer is wide open. I plan to write a screenplay or two, finally find the time to make my short film, and maybe attend a summer camp. My family plans to take some trips, but we haven't decided on a destination yet. I will probably go tour some more colleges, because I have realized that there is not that much time until I have to apply to schools.

As far as the future is concerned, I would like to finish my high school career with honors and leave Henry Clay with a good reputation. I want to major in art history and maybe film and eventually become a film director. One of my life goals is to win the Palme d'Or, but this is not why I want to tell stories cinematically. I have a great passion for film and film history, and I want to pursue this love. Indeed, I have seen some good movies this year--Richard Linklater's Boyhood, Ranier Werner Fassbinder's The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, and Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother among them.

Perhaps the most important thing that I have done my junior year is established relationships with people. At the GSA, I talked about drama and music with fellow artists from across the state of Kentucky. I've enjoyed talking to Mr. Noger on a daily basis as we explore history and current events. I've been inspired by the some of the achievements of my classmates. All and all, I feel as if I have made another step towards my dreams this year.

That's how you measure the time in a year.

The Future-Andrew Hardy

People repeated to me over and over again "junior year will be your hardest." and they were right, but in different ways than I'd expect. As the semester draws to a close, it will probably be the first one where I got all A's. I did well on the ACT, and I feel like the things I've accomplished outside of school are significant-at least to me- and worthy of some sort of acknowledgement (whether they'll be in the form of a college acceptance, I'm far less certain.) But these are hollow victories. My obsession with getting into a "good" college, as I'm sure is the same for everyone in the academy, is to have sense of success, accomplishment, and contentment latter on in life.  And with these more abstract goals in mine, I'm just as much a failure as an F student. The most integral aspect of our lives, human connection, remains just as large an enigma to me as ever. I don't know how to hold a productive relationship, or what I want out of one. And while I'm aware of how everything I want to accomplish in life requires the help of others (my amazing mentor Dr. Yan comes to mind), I'm also constantly reminded how I feel let down by others in other aspects of my life, such as my musical interests.  The fact that this makes me all the more selfish does nothing to diminish the constant sense of emptiness I have. I guess we're supposed talking about the future, so I'm excited for doing something important for once.

Assignment 20 - Jacob Faulkner

How to play monopoly
Everyone knows monopoly is a death wish for anyone who try to play this. The game lasts a lifetime and often ruins relationships between the players. These are some how to's on when you get the urge to play Monopoly.

1. Try not to. It's not that great of an activity.

2. If someone calls a certain board piece, just let them have it. Don't discuss it. Try not to call dibs on a piece though, it's better to just talk it out if someone else wants it. It's a very minor part of the game.

3. Do not form alliances. It just turns to a World War situation when someone gains allies and enemies. Just let things go solo the way they are.

4. Buy most things when you first land on them, but ask first if anyone wants it. Someone already might have property on one of the colors you landed on.

5. Try to lose on purpose to make it go faster. No one wants to play a board game for 4 hours.

6. Don't play it. Try to talk people who want to play it out of it. "Lose" the game somewhere. Just don't play it in the first place.

The Future - Alex Wyllie

My year has been great. It has passed with a speed that upon reflection seems unbelievably quick, even as the few remaining days drag out before me, as I, and many of you begin our preparations for the most arduous tests that we will take this year. I am of course, talking about the AP exams, of which I am taking six. There can be no overstatement to their difficulty, especially in numbers, but I believe that all of us who try shall succeed, as we all have seen these tests on the horizon for quite some time now. My year has prepared me well, I do think, as we now enter the final stretch of review. And after these monstrous behemoths, we have a straight run for the finals and the seemingly sudden end of another year of high school before we part ways only to be reintroduced in our fourth and final year of high school. 

For those curious to know what I have accomplished in this year, of which seems to have been far too short to have really happened, I have challenged myself with five AP classes - including this one of which you know all about as my presence alongside you in here has indicated. I, as have many of you, have taken AP Physics - for my basic knowledge of the natural sciences would be incomplete without, AP Chemistry - for if I can not survive two concurrent science classes this year then there is no chance of my survival in three maths next fall, AP US History - in which we are all saddened by Mr. Pope's decision to retire at the end of the year as many of us wanted to take his AP Macroeconomics class, AP Calculus - for every advance in mathematics is an advance towards the coming plethora of work available to me in this digital age. My last class, almost an AP in its own right for the work that I have invested into it both inside and out of class is Latin 3, of which many of you are aware I have taken far beyond the norm, as I now preside over the Kentucky Junior Classical League, and with a dedication unmatched in our state, I seek now to further that cause to its ultimate. And so, this summer, I shall lead the Kentucky delegation to the National JCL Convention in San Antonio, Texas, where I hope we shall seize victory in some aspect of competition and at the very least enjoy ourselves in all of our endeavors. I shall also be journeying much further from home as my family travels to Iceland that very week before, for the reason of finishing giving our gift to my nana for her 70th birthday as she and my grandfather continue to show that old age will not slow them down.

As for next year, I shall be taking a full load of classes, undaunted by the additional requirements of the Senior mentoring project, as I finish a program of courses that I have set upon myself that will allow me to travel to the college of my choice with no shortening of my stride. Among the classes that many of us shall be taking (those being AP English Literature and Composition and AP Calculus 2), I shall be (hopefully) taking AP Physics 2 despite having fulfilled my science requirements, AP Statistics - as I have heard it is far better to take that now than in University, AP Computer Science - as I intend on pursuing said field beyond High school, and last, but most certainly not least, AP Latin 4, in which I shall continue the translation of Vergil's Aeneid I have so recently begun this year. And without a doubt, I shall make this coming year of JCL the greatest in recent history, as much as for my own wishes as for the duties of my office require. I expect this coming year to be all that much harder than this current one, but I look forward to it with great enthusiasm, as I hope many of you do as well. For one very short year, we will be the top of our totem pole, before we return to its very base as university freshmen. For one very short year, we will embody the aspirations of the incoming freshmen, and I do hope we will be a great positive influence on our school, as much for our sake as for theirs. And so, with high hopes for the future, I, and all of you, shall continue our lives past this great coming event, as many of us journey into uncharted waters, both personally and academically. But for now, my rambles have continued on far too long, and so with all due haste, I shall bid you farewell, until my next post.

Right Now- Charlie Payne

At this very moment, someone is sitting alone in a restaurant crying because "African Queen" came on the radio. This used to be his girlfriend's favorite restaurant, and for all he knows it still is. She really did make his heart go "tingalingaling" back when they were together.

At this very moment, someone just finished watching The Iron Giant with their friends and is now in the bathroom sobbing uncontrollably. He sacrificed himself for the betterment of a society that not only rejected him, but actively tried to destroy him, and saved his best and only friend's life in the process. A story of doomed love at its purest.

At this very moment, someone is driving to a place they've never been and thinking about the last time they read "On the Road," when they were on vacation at the beach. Did the rucksack revolution ever really burn out? Would it look stupid to get a quote tattooed that also happened to be in Kurt Cobain's suicide note?

Fictional character, fictional life - Charlie Payne

The first thing that comes to my mind is Indiana Jones. Cliche, but who has a better life than Indiana Jones? His job is amazing, and allows him to travel all over the world. Who wouldn't want to go to Nepal and fight Nazis, or Cairo on a quest for the Ark of the Covenant, or India  searching for a mystical stone that promises fortune and glory? Jones was also blessed with incredibly good looks. Even his female students at the fictional college he teaches at are all in love with him. Despite all this, however, Jones remains one of the most intelligent adventurers in film history. He always knows what to do in any given situation, and thinks quickly to figure out how to execute his plan. He also is incredibly authentic and never hesitates from new experiences.

Perfect Playlist : Charlie Payne

Songs to listen to out of your car in the parking lot of a coffee shop with your friends at night

Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
Uplifting and rebellious, this track a testament to Springsteen's songwriting chops. Appropriate both when playing softly at your dad's office Christmas party and oozing from your car windows on your very first teenage road trip to a place only two hours away. You play this song and your friends make fun of you for singing along.

Rap Phenomenon - Notorious B.I.G.
The song was blessed with a voodoo power to posses its listener as soon as the kick, well, kicks. One immediately stops everything and starts to nod and people over 30 lament the fact that they weren't a skateboarder in 1990's New York City. You play this song to make hipsters think you're gangster.

Grievances - Daniel Johnston
"Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light." You play this song to bathe in Johnston's heart-wrenching authenticity.

As We Go Up We Go Down - Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices' frontman Robert Pollard propelled them through the 90s using the four P's of rock n roll: pop, punk, progressive, and psychedelia. This song is an Absurdist cry to erase the limits on your creative mind imposed by the institutions around you. Pollard was drunk when he wrote this, but that doesn't mean anything.

リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー - Macintosh Plus
The only song to truly survive the death of vaporwave is the song you play while you have a conversation with someone you didn't already know, and they laugh at the Diana Ross sample.

Last Donut of the Night - J Dilla
The closer of this list plays after your friends leave and you drive home in a guarana-fueled daze. You listen and think about cops and high school.

Assignment 24: The Future

You're done!  - well almost
Your Junior year (nearly) OVER.
Tell us about it.
Successes? Failures? Lessons Learned? Risks taken? Mistakes made? What will you do in the Summer?  What do you want for your Senior year? How do you plan to reach your goals?

Minimum of 150 words - due on Sunday, April 26th at 11:59 pm

The Perfect Playlist - Keanu Gomez

Whenever I do homework or read, I find it harder to focus while listening to music with spoken words in them. So I usually listen to instrumentals, most often, piano music.

The first song would be River Flows in You by Yiruma. This song probably gained most of its popularity from being called “Bella’s Lullaby” from Twilight. Although repetitive, the song is very calming and presents a very beautiful melody from the piano.

The next would be the piano version of Miracles in December covered by a Youtuber pianist named Joyce Leong. I’m not really a KPOP fan, but apparently this cover was based on a ballad sung by a KPOP group named EXO. After my friend showed me the song, I almost immediately fell in love with the somber, yet sweet melody of the piece. 

The third would be Gone by Jim Chappell. After hearing it as background music for a show my mom watched, she encouraged me to listen and learn this song. It’s a very jazzy, sad, bittersweet song. Even though it’s a piece that I played for my grandfather during his funeral, I still enjoy hearing it.

Next will be my favorite classical piano piece by far, Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp Minor by Chopin. Words cannot really describe the extent to which I admire this piece. I don’t really know what about this song I like so much, but the melody and the climax of the piece really appeals to me. Maybe after listening to this song hundreds of times, I can become a step closer to learning it in the future.

Last but not least will be, Heartsong by Jim Chappell. Being known as a jazz pianist, Chappell’s piece always have a touch of jazz mixed into the modern, contemporary piano styles. In contrast to the other pieces in this playlist, this leans towards the happy side, leaving me with a more positive emotion by the end of the playlist.

Assignment 23: The Perfect Playlist-Keionna Bailey

This is the playlist for when you want to dance or single along to the old school 90s music.
1. Can you stand the rain by New Edition:  This song is just great for when you want to act out the lyrics when you're singing. Because its a guy group everyone does it together and its really fun to sing karaoke
2. My prerogative by Bobby Brown: The first time I heard this song was when I was watching one of my favorite movies Love n Basketball. The part of the movies was set during the early 90s and they were dancing to this song at their prom. Its a good song to just groove to.You dont have to be the best dancer, you can just do move your shoulders to it.
3. Every Little step by Bobby Brown: This is another great Bobby Brown song that I like to dance to. I like to just move my legs and feet to this song. I usually just end up all around the room when I dance to this song.
4. Poison by Bell Biv Devoe: This is song you dance to when you're with your friends and everyone is having a great night. You end up meeting another random group of people that you've never met before and everyone is just feeling good.
5.End of the Road by Boyz II Men: Whenever I listen to this song I'm usually in my feelings and I'm singing along and I act like I'm in the video with the guy group.

Fictional Character, Fictional Life - Keanu Gomez

Although I think that my favorite character will change depending on my mood, right now I would choose Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach. I don’t know how many of you are avid anime fans, but this show has aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in the past, but I’m not sure if it’s still there though. Anyways, in almost every show, I admire the character that is the most composed and calm. Even in the midst of battle, Byakuya is able to maintain focus and strategize. He is one of the captains in the Soul Society and is thus obviously powerful and intelligent. In Bleach, the protagonists are usually the soul reapers who are basically soldiers who wield swords with many different powers and capabilities. Byakuya has a sword named Senbonzakura, which translated from Japanese I think means a Thousand Cherry Blossoms. Its special ability is to break up into thousands of tiny blade fragments that can slice and dice anyone who gets in his way. With such an awesome power and an admirable personality, if I could become a fictional character, it would be Byakuya.

The perfect playlist for falling asleep

1. Mary by Alex G. This song has the perfect mix of quiet low-fi vocals and slow steady beat. Alex G's monotonous voice creates the perfect sound that is both soothing and loud enough to block out background noise. The lyrics are sort of disturbing but the sound is great for the occasion.  

2. I can't get no satisfaction by Cat Power. This rendition of the famous, upbeat and noisy song is the exact opposite of the original. Power's version is slow, soft and melodious without being dull or depressing, it is just slow enough to gently lead you into sleep. 

3. Catfish by Waxahatchee. Again a slow and melodious low-fi gem, Catfish is slightly sad but hopeful at the same time and creates an ideal dreamy and relaxed tone to set the mood for sleep. As soon as the first chord is strummed, I immediately begin to feel sleepy. 

4. I think I love you by Waxahatchee. This song is just like Catfish but even softer and  more melodies. 

5. Sunshine by Low. This is a great sad core rendition of a happy seeming song but the slow beat and quiet vocals are perfect for sleeping. 

Perfect Playlist-Andrew Hardy

Songs to Explore Large Buildings and Build Small Fires

1. Andro- Oneohtrix Point Never

Enter through a small sideways passageway. The ambient hum-resembling chants- clouds your thoughts. You have no time to appreciate the contributions Tim Hecker and William Basinski did to allow this project of Daniel Lopatin to haunt you so. You can only focus on the dim columns and decrepit doorways you pass through.

2 Sunbather-Deafheaven

Although it would be appropriate, steer away from Sleep, Pallbearer, Electric Wizard or other doom metal. Instead let the shoe-gaze inspired Deafheaven push you forward. The steady roar of George Clark's vocals and the backing guitars and drums fall upon your ears like the darkness falls upon your eyes. Let the lone piercing melody lead you to construct a large pile of debris during the lull. As the song returns to a roar set it ablaze.

3. Easy Easy-King Krule

Small flames lick the dirty rubbish pile you've assembled. You hold out your grimy hands and rub them together. The darkness is cold. Take a moment to respect your respite. The sad baritone wails away. The heavy throbbing bass guitar pounds through your ear drums but it's the only thing to hold onto. The reassuring fire in Archy Marshall's bleak voice.

4.Holding- Grouper the ashes around so that the fire will not reignite. Walk through the beleaguered building and head towards the exit. Your footsteps match the piano chords-plodding. As Liz Harris's ethereal voice echoes through your cranium try not to let your thoughts linger on what you're leaving behind. The loops and fuzz so distinctive of Grouper's earlier work are gone, but it only isolates you and her voice more.

5 How I Regret That I've Done Wrong- Simon Joyner

Stand in the wet grass and stare back at the solemn squatting building. As the quiet guitar and chimes come in take a moment to reflect on all the things you saw tonight and all the other nights on the past. Lament all the songs you chose not to listen to and all the moments you haven't had. As the bass comes in and Joyner begins singing turn away and head home.

Right Now - Keanu Gomez

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe there is a guy who is extremely happy that they are overcoming their allergies to one of the most fun-loving animals in the world: dogs. Ever since I was a child, I wasn’t able to spend any time with dogs or visit houses that had dogs in them. Actually, now that I remember, I think I was allergic to animal hair in general. I had the same super annoying allergy symptoms to dogs and cats. Usually, my eyes would always start to develop an irritating itch or I would feel an almost asthmatic shortness of breath. But now ever since I’ve been hanging out with a friend whose family has a dog living in their house, I think I’ve began to miraculously develop an immunity. During the past few times I’ve visited their house, after about one hour of being there, my eyes would start to itch, my breathing would become irregular, so I would need to take an allergy pill and put medicine in my eyes. Today, however, I noticed that my allergic reactions to the dog were very minimal, so I decided to step it up a bit and I tried to bond with him. It worked well, no itchy eyes, barely any change in breathing, and all the while I got to play with one of the most fun dogs I’ve ever met. Hopefully, if I keep visiting him I will soon completely overcome my allergies.

Assignment 23: The Perfect Playlist Tora Sellers

Everybody enjoys fighting bears every once in a while. But doing so isn’t an easy task…without a good playlist. With the right tracks, anyone can realize their full grizzly bear stomping potential. Here is what I personally listen to when out in the forest pissing off grizzly bears:

1. Don’t jump right in with maximum hype; instead, get warmed up with “Shabba” by A$AP Ferg. It’s up tempo enough to be called hype, but this track isn’t as hype as other trap music can potentially be, so it is the perfect first track on any hype playlist.

2.It’ll be near-impossible to battle 100 grizzly bears at once if you don’t first build yourself a god complex. Kanye will be sure to put anyone in a universe-destroying mood with “I am a God” because…it’ll literally make you feel like you were the sole entity that breathed life into those bears; therefore it’s only right that you should be the one to annihilate them. 

3. Now it’s time to get down and dirty. The trap beats of Waka Flocka Flame’s “F*** the Club Up” are hype from start to finish, allowing maximum adrenaline to rush through your body as you disintegrate the skulls of 5 grizzlies at once.

4.It’s time to lose yourself in an ecstatic trance fueled by a bloodlust only quenchable with the feeling of grizzly bears insides dripping out of your hands. Listen to A$AP Ferg’s “Dope Walk”, in which Ferg sounds like he has literally gone insane from a hype-overdose. You may think, “I’ve already heard enough A$AP in this playlist!”, but you would be wrong. First, tracks from Trap God are radically different from those off of “Ferg Forever”. Second, and more importantly, when fighting grizzly bears, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ENOUGH A$AP.

5.Finish off strong with some Gucci! March out of the forest triumphantly to “Chasen Paper” as you leave behind a bloody battlefield of 100 dead grizzly bears. You have just emerged victorious over 100 vicious, full grown bears with nothing but your bare hands and an iPod with this playlist! You deserve to be rich! Now get out there and make some guap, son!!

Assignment 24 -- Jacob Faulkner

The number one success of this year, and, in my opinion, and it'll be the best success of my life, I figured out how to look good. I look great now. I dress nice, and I found a way to work my face and hair. One year ago, it sure wasn't that bad. Two years ago? Not rocking the personality game, mostly because I was rocking the slime life. Gross. Gross. Three years ago? I don't even remember what I was rocking, but from the pictures, I can easily tell I wasn't rocking much. It was also middle school. I count that as an excuse. Middle school? Gross with a capital g. Anybody in middle school is gross with a capital g. Middle school is like something you have to pick up but it's really nasty. So you get like, the cooking gloves, you get a gas mask, you get a big pair of pliers and you pick it up, and you take it. But it doesn't make it any less gross and unwanted. Failures? Not picking up that study habit I said I was gonna do. Or the work habit in general. However, I did this on time, so that's a plus. Cool.

Assignment 23: The Perfect Playlist--Amir Abou-Jaoude

Opera is an art form which has enjoyed great longevity--it has been around for about four hundred years. Although opera composers have always sought to tell a story through song, the way they have done that has changed over the years. In a sense, the history of opera reflects the history of the world in that it is a window into what people thinking when an opera was first created.

Whenever you feel that you want to brush up on your opera knowledge, I have created a playlist that traces the history of the art form through five key arias and melodies.

1. "Che faro senza Euridice"--Christoph Willibald Gluck, 1762

Opera has existed since the 1600s. In its earliest days, opera was an intimate art form, and singers would tell incoherent stories for a small audience of upper-class men and women. Gluck fundamentally changed the art form with his opera Orfeo ed Euridice, based on an ancient Greek myth. Opera would no longer be just a series of arias strung together randomly. Instead, arias and melodies would fit within the larger context of a story. Short pieces of music would string big show pieces together. This famous aria from Gluck's landmark opera represents the emotional high point of the work. The song is made all the more emotional by the fact that Gluck has used the story to build up to it throughout the opera.

2. Prelude from Le nozze di Figaro--Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786

Mozart adopted Gluck's ideas of opera, and in this popular work, he tells the story of a young barber and his pretty wife working for a womanizing count. Mozart's romantic comedy got him into trouble with Europe's royalty. It seemed that he was making fun of them on stage. However, Mozart's prelude is revolutionary. Before Mozart's time, composers would write random melodies that had nothing to do with the opera as preludes. They assumed the audience would like to hear a little music as they chatted amongst themselves. However, in this prelude, Mozart introduces us to the musical themes of the opera and prepares us for what we are about to hear in the opera. What Mozart did was apply Gluck's philosophy to a small, "insignificant," part of the opera. His music marks a further step away from just a series of arias. Mozart is moving towards telling a story with music.

3. Prelude from Tristan und Isolde--Richard Wagner, 1859

Wagner took Gluck and Mozart's innovations one step forward. Like Mozart, he introduces all the themes of his opera in this prelude. However, Wagner also introduces the "leitmotifs" that will tell the story of the opera in the piece of music. Wagner attached "leitmotifs"--little themes or pieces of music--to characters and ideas in his operas. In Tristan und Isolde, Wagner created individual themes for the two lovers. Other themes symbolize their passionate love and their melancholy deaths. Wagner wanted to be able to completely tell a story through music, and he sets up his leitmotif approach in this prelude. Furthermore, the prelude opens with a large chord of dissonance--a step away from the melodious nature of Gluck and Mozart's music.

4. "Dance of the Seven Veils" from Salome--Richard Strauss, 1905

Strauss--perhaps best known for his Also sprach Zarathustra music--was a disciple of Wagner, and he too was interested in integrating the music of an opera with the opera's plot. However, Strauss's major innovation in Salome concerns the types of stories that could be told in opera. Strauss chose to adapt Oscar Wilde's version of Salome to the opera stage. Wilde's play was erotic and grotesque. During this piece, played towards the end of the opera, Salome  dances before her father, King Herod, in order to receive the head of John the Baptist. The eroticism present in the music and the story of the opera proved too much for some--the opera was banned on stages throughout the globe.

5. "I am the wife of Mao Tse-tung" from Nixon in China--John Adams, 1987

Opera became involved in a kind of crisis as the 20th-century wore on. As opera houses shifted to reviving works from Gluck, Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss, there was little room for new composers to find their operatic voice. In 1987, John Adams wrote this work, based on Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, for the Houston Grand Opera. This aria features a singing Jiang Qing, and the monumental story of the opening of relations with China is depicted through music. Gluck, Mozart, and Wagner discovered how a story could be told through music, and Richard Strauss pushed the limits of what could be told in an opera. John Adam's work proves that even recent historical events can be interpreted through this age-old art form.

Hopefully, this playlist will provide you with an insight into the world of opera.

The Perfect Playlist- Kayla Beebout

This playlist is for when you know you’re going to be doing homework for hours and you need some epic music to help you along.

1.       I am the Doctor by Murray Gold.  This music has a perfect blend of gentler, flowing passages and bold, loud ones.  It’s very happy and upbeat, which helps get you started on whatever it is you have to do.  Then the more dramatic moments start making your heart rate speed up and suddenly you’re scribbling your homework down furiously, because it has to be really important if this music is playing, right?

2.       Avengers Assemble by London Music Works.  I absolutely love this song because it automatically adds a dramatic flair to whatever you’re doing.  Doing math homework?  This song will make you feel like the answers to those math problems will save the world.  This song adds a heroic element to this playlist.

3.       Skyrim Theme by Peter Hollens (feat. Lindsey Stirling).  This is an amazing version of the Skyrim theme done by an a cappella artist and a violinist.  Peter Hollens is immensely talented, and puts lots of work into his covers.  He and Lindsey performed the entire song using only layered tracks of his voice and her violin.  The music is already inspiring as it is—it was designed to be the theme of an epic fantasy world, so it would have to be.  It brings a strong, ancient Norse element to the playlist that reminds me so much of all my favorite stories.

4.       Courtyard Apocalypse by Alexandre Desplat.  This song is sad and dramatic and makes me feel like I’m doing something immensely important.  I love the way it carries the dire stakes of the scene it was written for, and yet can still translate to other situations.  It adds just a touch of sadness to the playlist—enough to make it feel dramatic without making you cry all over your homework.

5.       The Lighting of the Beacons by Howard Shore.  I have loved this music since fourth grade—in fact, it made this scene in The Return of the King one of my favorites.  It starts soft and unassuming, then builds to add a sense of dramatic tension, then bursts into a loud, triumphant melody.  It’s really good for when you’re on the home stretch because of this feeling of triumph. 

All of the songs in this playlist share dramatic undertones which I find energizing while working.  Also, the fact that these are all wordless songs (well, Skyrim has words, but they’re in another language, so it doesn’t count) makes them less distracting.  In fact, I find them helpful for blocking out white noise around my house.  The order of the songs in this playlist reflects my mood while working: first I’m alert and upbeat, but get more tired as the work goes on.  At last, I know I’m almost done and feel a sense of relief and triumph that I got everything done.

Assignment 23 Michael Dickson

My "perfect playlist" is supposed to... well... pick me up I guess. The songs it contains create a sense of optimism, hope for the future, and imbue a strength to move along.

My first song is "Wings" by Jeff Williams. Wings is a slow, mournful song. It is sung in a first-person perspective from a mother who has just died, leaving her child alone and confused. The song, sounds rather depressing at face-value, simply based on the tempo and key signature, but when you listen to the lyrics she is telling her daughter that everything will be okay in the end. This is exemplified in the chorus: "dry your eyes now baby, broken wings won't hold you down. You'll take flight soon baby." I chose this song because of its tender, loving voice as well as its uplifting message.

The second song in my playlist is "Human" by Christina Perri. This song focuses mainly on how she can fake being okay. But only for so long. The chorus sums this up well "But I'm only human, and I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human, and I crash and I fall down." I included this song because I oftentimes have a bad habit of faking that I'm okay because I forget that it's okay to not be okay (which is the title of a great song along the same lines but which, unfortunately, didn't make it into this playlist) and this is a good reminder with excellent vocals, as well as beautiful instrumentals.

I'm probably going to get judged hardcore for this, but frankly I don't care. Idina Menzel's performance of "Let It Go" from the film Frozen is not only a beautifully composed musical piece, it also has a meaningful and inspiring message, and it is for these reasons I've chosen to put it in the third spot on my playlist. The overall message is to just stop. Stop hiding, stop hating yourself, just 'let it go' and be happy with who you are.

Nearing the end of my playlist is "F***ing Perfect" by P!nk. I hadn't heard any of P!nk's music until someone played Perfect for me. I loved it. The music isn't my usual style but I ended up liking it, and I love the message it sends. She talks (sings?) about rejecting all the things in the world that say you're not good enough, you should "never ever feel like you're less than perfect." It is this message paired with its moderate tempo and fluid musical transitions that have put this song in the fourth spot in my playlist.

My final song is one of my favorite songs, ever, of all time, and this song is "Move Along" by The All-American Rejects. This song... oh my god I love this song. Its punk-rock ish sound is amazing and gets my blood flowing. But more importantly is what it actually says. The most basic version of the message is that things will get better, you just have to "move along." It is this message which puts this song at the end of my playlist.

Now, the order of the playlist is just as important as the songs themselves. If you'll notice the songs increase in tempo and key signature as the playlist progresses. This is because when I start listening to this playlist I'm feeling pretty down on myself, so the soft beginning helps to warm me up, and by the end I'm pumped up and not really sad at all. Also, the first few songs are about just being okay, they're soothing. However as the playlist goes on the message changes to not just being okay but pushing whatever blocking me out of the way and moving past it all.

And that, is my perfect playlist.

Perfect Playlist Assignment 23 - Jacob Faulkner

The perfect playlist: the playlist to play way too loudly through your earbuds when someone annoying is next to you

Keep Away!!! - The Aquadolls
The name should be self explanatory. About 50 percent of the song is just, "Keep away!" A very fun song made by a very fun band, and I recommend them for anyone who wants a good summer band to listen to. If you blast this song, whoever is being that obnoxious oliver will probably get the message.

No Mercy - Makthaverskan
This band has a lot of, "I hate you a lot," and, "I love you a lot," songs. This is one of the most, "I really hate you a lot," songs. I recommend this band if you're looking for a new band that is continues to make music that sounds very similar to Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasure." This song's chorus will probably the most sensible thing to understand from anyone's ears, and mostly the lyrics are just cursing out whoever they are referring to in their song.

Oh My Darling, Don't Cry - Run the Jewels
This band is a force of nature that likes to scream in your face. This song is a very pure example of their yelling. This duo kind of reminds me of Sully and Mike from Monster's Inc., or C-3P0 and R2-D2 from Star Wars. Killer Mike has more of a flow, but isn't as violent and loud in his lyrics. El-P has worse flow, but his lyrics are often more crazy, and definitely unique. This song has creatively aggressive lyrics, all about giving a big screw you to whoever the audience is. And in this situation, that audience will be that one annoying person.

Spread Eagle Across the Block - Death Grips
Death Grips has never been shy with their music. With MC Ride's violently yelled raps against Zach Hill's drums that just have a sense of, "You are terrible," to them, everything about Death Grips comes off as some kind of large insult to the world. Spread Eagle Across the Block is no different. While it does have the, "I hate you," feel to it, it also has more to it that will make that one guy go away that isn't based on the hateful tone of the song. It also has a lot of gross lyrics about having sex with music. It will make that annoying kid go away one way or another.

Tamale - Tyler, The Creator
This song is the perfect ending song to this playlist. The song is basically Tyler just saying he's doesn't care, and that he's pretty much a dick. This song is what you need to put the icing on the cake of the, "go away," mood. Maybe the person thinks, "Man, this guy listens to really weird songs," and isn't getting the picture. With Tamale's disgusting lyrics along with the passive aggressive tone it has, it shows that you, yourself, are just as much as a dick as Tyler is. There is no way they won't get the picture, and they'll have to leave.

Assignment 20, Jesse Konopka

Honestly, there really isn't anything I can do well enough to write on how to do it. I guess I could write an "how to" on being mediocre at everything, but that just seems too lazy and obvious. I don't think I would deserve any credit for something like that. I could just pick a random subject because I need to get it done, but that would just be boring. I really want to do something interesting, but I just can't. I guess I'm just not interesting enough of a person to write something interesting. I guess I could just not do it, but I really need to. I guess I'll just put it off until I can think of something, but then I might just not get it done at all and I've been through that option already. What should I do? 

And this has been my set of instructions on how to overthink everything to a pointless level that ends up simply wasting time.

Assignment 19, Jesse Konopka

The one piece of advice that I was given that really stuck with me was a quote from Mark Twain given to me in a card and was not meant seriously. This quote was "Why do tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow just as well?" This advice doesn't stick without me because it is something I follow, but rather, it makes you think. Does this advice make sense? I mean, why should you not put something off if there is no downside to doing it later? Many people will argue that it's procrastination and is therefore wrong, but is it? By doing it later, you get other, more urgent things done sooner. It seems much more effective to do things this way than to do the more urgent things later. So, how much truth is there to this statement? This question is why this piece of "advice" has stuck with me.