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.