Jam 1: The Decade is Over???

Over the past couple of days there’s been this meme going around twitter:

Thought 1: Holy crap, a DECADE??

Thought 2: I had a baby. She died.

Thought 3: That’s it.

Those are certainly decade-defining events, if not life defining events. But then I thought, “Well, let’s see what else has happened in the last 10 years,” which encompassed my entire 30s. In no particular order, between 2010 and 2019:

- We bought a house

- We got married

- I assistant-directed two shows, was Front-of-House manager for seven more, and stage-managed one

- I earned my Masters of Education

- I taught 1,208 students (yes, I counted)

- I got three tattoos 

- We adopted three cats

- I started #aplangchat and racked-up 1,418 twitter followers

- We survived two major hurricanes and a freak October snowstorm

- I gained and lost a wonderful Mother-in-Law, and I lost a grandfather. I lost several former students and some friends to suicide and addiction.

- I slept in the woods 11 times, and bought a camper to make it more comfortable

- I read 133+ books (I only really started tracking in 2015)

- I read 16,297ish student papers (yes, I counted)

- I saw 44+ Broadway shows (again, I only really started tracking in 2015)

- I stood up for what I believed at the 2017 Women’s March on Washington

- I attended a fancy black-tie gala

- I had a student teacher

- I got pregnant four times, and none of them survived, while I watched dozens of friends, family, and acquaintances go on to have healthy babies

- I bought 2 subarus (not at the same time, and I only really liked one of them)

- I had five surgeries

- I went to the AP Reading seven times and scored nearly 7,000 AP student essays… and if you add those to my own students’ essays listed above…. Hooooo, boy!

- I met my best teacher friends and kept my best lifelong friends

- I traveled to Cozumel, Washington DC, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Las Vegas, Holden Beach NC, Myrtle Beach, New York City, Nashville, Point Pleasant NJ, Seaside Heights NJ, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Lahaina, Phoenix, Louisville, Kansas City, Madison WI, Sandusky OH, Chicago, Marlinton WV, Berlin, Munich, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Frankfurt, Atlanta, Lancaster, Denver, Finger Lakes NY, and before the year is over, Baltimore.

And yes, I had a baby. 

And she died. 

That is a huge life-defining thing. But it’s not the only thing. When I look back on this decade, it’s so easy to focus on the horrors. But look what I’ve done. Look what I’ve experienced. I am so, so, so lucky.

Mackenna 1: Painting the house

So a couple weeks ago my mother and I sought out a painter because we’ve been wanting to get some rooms painted for a while now. The woman came earlier last week to help us pick colors for the rooms. Since my mother loves cool tones, all the colors are shades of blue, green, and grey.

This week, the painter visited us again to show us the samples of all the paints. The moment I saw them, I hated it. All of them. They were all too dark for the room, considering the fact that the goal of repainting the room was to brighten it up, not make it any darker than it already was. Therefore, we plan on inviting the painter back later in the week to discuss some lighter options for painting. 

As for our ideas, we want to take out the accent wall in the family room and have a solid color, probably a light grey, in that room. We want that color to follow through to the kitchen and the powder room. We also want to redo the living room, which is currently a green shade, to either a lighter green shade or perhaps the same color we have in the dining room (which is a light blue). As for my room, I want to paint it light grey so we can add other colors through the comforter and bed sheets. My sister, however, wants to paint it bright teal or have every wall a different bright color, which sounds like the end of the world in my opinion.

Liz 1: My debate on mermaid reproduction

A couple weeks ago, a coworker and I had a really interesting discussion about mermaids. Specifically, their reproductive system. I know that probably sounds crazy, but we spent about an hour comparing the placement and practically of reproductive organs in fish and humans to try and come up with an idea on how mermaids are born. We even searched on google because there was no way we were the only ones with this question. After some time, we came up with a conclusion that seemed to satisfy both of us.

So, do mermaids have the reproductive organs of fish or humans? If you think about it logically, the only part of the mermaid that is actually fish is their tails; a fish’s reproductive system is not located in its tail. However, a human’s reproductive system is located below their waist. If you look at drawings of mermaids, it can be hard to tell whether or not their tails start before or after the location of human reproductive organs. This is actually when we turned to the internet, because we really couldn’t figure it out. We stumbled across this picture of the anatomy of a mermaid: 

As you can see, this artist concluded that Mermaids are born like humans, and I was pretty satisfied with that. My coworker still brings it up, so maybe he didn’t agree with the conclusion we came up with.

MeiLi 1- The things we talk about in first block that blow my mind.

So, I’d like to start this first post out by saying hi!

I’ve been contemplating what I wanted to write about for this post for a decent amount of time, and I’ve been bouncing ideas back and forth in my head but none of them stood out to me with that “WOW” factor that you sometimes get. I know you know what I’m talking about. But this morning in astronomy class, we spent the majority of the class talking about hypotheticals that deal with our universe. Some of the things we get into and talk about leave me feeling so utterly small and unimportant I just want to go home and sleep for the rest of the day, but today’s topic of conversation had me so mind blown I had a thousand questions in 0.02 seconds. 

We were sitting around talking about Goldilocks planets. If you don’t know, Goldilocks planets are earth like planets that they hypothesize could sustain human life. I asked our teacher if there was actually one that they knew for sure that we could possibly live on and she replied with “I’m not quite sure actually.” So we did some research. 

The nearest Goldilocks planet is called Proxima b. 

It lives in a solar system roughly 4.2 light years away. It orbits around it's sun, Proxima Centauri b, in the zone astronomers call the “habitat zone,” meaning it is the perfect distance away from it’s sun to sustain life. They estimate it to have water on it’s surface and despite some complications they say it could sustain human life. Our class got to talking about how we as a species would get to said planet seeing as it would take over 137,000 years to travel there in the technology we currently have. So how would that work? Mrs. Krause said that we would have to send two astronauts in a spacecraft and they would need to reproduce so 137,000 years later there would be people to land on Proxima b. This is where my head started spinning…

1. The entire family tree would generally be in one straight line since everyone would be having children with their relatives in order to survive. 

2. Because of how DNA (apparently) works, it’s completely fathomable that by the time these people landed on Proxima b they would be a completely new species. 

3. Time works differently in space so these people would all age faster, so how many generations of humans would be born in outer space with no connection to Earth besides their great-great-great-great-great grandparents who are also their aunt and uncle?

4. Our species on Earth today hasn’t been around for the length of time it would take them to reach this new planet

All of this is extremely hypothetical and absolutely insane to think about. The more I research about our universe and all the different proposed theories that we talk about in astronomy the more I realize just how much we don’t know. To me, it means the possibilities of what is real to us vs. what could actually be possible are endless. How much goes on that we don’t know about? Just beginning the thought process on space travel to Proxima b has my head spinning in 100 different directions. And now I’m starting to scare myself thinking about the possibilities. Oops! I just thought I’d share what we talked about so your head could spin a little too :)

Here’s a link to a YouTube video that goes a little more into the actuality of travel to Proxima b if you’re interested!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sGI6UkXShQ

Stephan 1: Stubbornness

Stubbornness is a characteristic that we all experience daily, yet we sometimes fail to notice. It’s odd how it can change our views and causes us to get in our own way, leading to grudges and petty arguments with no end in sight. This can eventually lead to isolation and damaged relationships if we don’t keep this stubbornness in check.

When observing situations, I find it interesting how stubbornness can take over an argument. For example, some of my friends recently got into a petty argument over time management skills. Both of them were pressed for time and couldn’t really do any work. The argument stemmed from person A accusing the other of having poor time management skills, as person B did not finish their work in time while person A did. Person B became stubborn and failed to recognize their faults.

This caused them to deflect their blame onto others, and not take responsibility for their own issues. In this situation, they both ended up attacking each other and failed to consider each other’s opinions. At the same time, each person is hurting themselves because they are not taking responsibility for their shortcomings.

I find it funny that I can see and understand the damage that stubbornness can create in others, yet I fail to recognize the stubbornness in myself. Whenever I look back on the silly arguments I’ve had with my brothers, I realize that many of our disagreements could have been easily solved if we just took each other’s opinions into account. In the end, I need to make a concerted effort to be open to other ideas and listen, no matter how I feel.

Julie 1 - Women in S.T.E.M

My AP Chemistry Class

As a girl interested in S.T.E.M subjects I have always looked upon women scientists as role models. Two of my all-time favorite women scientists are Marie Curie Skłodowska and Mary Jackson. Marie Curie Skłodowska was the first woman to receive a Noble Prize and altogether she received two Nobel Prizes - her first one for Physics (1903) and her second one for Chemistry (1911). Mary Jackson was the first-ever black female engineer at NASA. Both women pushed past the boundaries of gender and made amazing accomplished in the name of science. 

What truly inspires me though is my AP Chemistry class. Every school day at 11:06 a.m. nine women get together to share their love and passion for chemistry. My class consists of our teacher, Mrs. Tina Keim, and eight female students including myself. What was once a male-dominated class has become female-dominated and I am proud to be a part of this group.

At the beginning of the school year, we were able to share our possible career choice. Every girl in my class named a career that involved one or more parts of the S.T.E.M acronym. Though, a majority of the answers were included in the medical field, ranging from researchers to surgeons. I want to become a trauma surgeon in one of the three branches of the military. This decision was not one easily made, but I was inspired by the work of Red Cross nurses during both world wars. 

Imagine the possibilities of firsts that can happen because of those who inspire us. One of eight girls in my Chemistry class could be the first to find a general cure for cancer because of Mrs. Keim’s inspiration. Girls around the world are inspired to push past gender boundaries, to crash the proverbial glass ceiling, and to accomplish the unexpected because of women like Marie Curie Skłodowska, Mary Jackson, and the many others who did not tell them that something is “not for girls.”

Emma I: Lost Ice Cream Cake

At around 8 o’clock customers started pouring in. I was able to handle it at first, quickly giving everyone their ice cream and checking them out. I asked the woman next in line what I could do for her, and she said she was there to pick up a cake. 

I hate when a lot of customers are in line and someone wants to order a cake because it takes 5-10 minutes to finish decorating it, fold the cake box, and put it in the box without smearing the decorations.

I walked to the front display case and bent down to pick up the cake that the woman had ordered. However, she said that none of them were the cake she ordered. This already stressed me out due to the long line of people waiting for me to help them. 

I searched through the various boxes of previous cake orders, trying to figure out if the order was never taken or if someone just never made the cake. Eventually, I gave up and decided that I should just call my boss and tell her the cake was not here. I called my boss, and she told me to apologize to the customer, and give her a cake that was already made. My boss texted my work group chat and asked what had happened with that cake and why it was not made. 

I took the cake the woman wanted to the back room and wrote ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. She paid for the cake and was very understanding. I think she felt bad because of how much time it was taking for me to get the missing cake ordeal situated. 

Once the woman had left and I had taken care of all the waiting customers, I checked my work group chat to see what had happened. I found out that there wasn’t enough room for the woman’s cake in the front display case, so the girl working earlier had put it in the freezer in the back room. I didn’t check it or even think about checking it because the cakes I’ve helped people buy have always been in the front display case. 

My boss made me call the woman and apologize for not looking in the back freezer, but she didn’t even pick up the phone. Moral of the story: I’ll be looking in the back and front freezer for cakes from now on. 

Liam Week 1 - Time

Time waits for no one - sooner or later, the last speck of sand falls from the hourglass that is our day, week, or even life. With such a limited amount of time, it would seem that there would be an exact definition of time well spent. However, every individual has their own idea of time. For some, any time spent working is time well spent. Others relish any time they spend doing nothing productive. I prefer a mixture of both. 

Time management is how we allow time for work and time for pleasure. Some people are better at managing time than others. Successful time managers can find time to complete all of the pressing matters of life and have fun. I find time management to be annoying. I always struggle to manage time effectively, especially when working around activities like marching band. Usually, I end up taking away time from sleep.

Utilizing time well can contribute to a good life. Few people actually master the art of time management early in life. Many people never achieve a high level of time management. There are many strategies to improve time management skills, such as doing the easiest tasks first and setting a schedule. I rarely do these which is detrimental to my time management. I struggle with time management even as I write this post. Distractions pop up everywhere and time is lost easily. All of the sudden I sit down to work and it is well into the evening. Unfortunately, lost time is never gained back, leading to downward spirals in almost every aspect of life.

Kadison 1 - London

When you think of the United Kingdom, most people imagine the U.S., except they drive on the wrong side of the road, have funny accents, and drink a lot of tea. Over the weekend, I got to visit London and I noticed how many differences there are between the two countries.

You probably already know that the cars there drive on the left side of the road instead of the right. But did you know this means that foot traffic is on the left too? This means walking on the left side of the sidewalk, going up the left side of a staircase, and first looking to the right instead of the left when crossing a road. In popular places like London, there are even markings on the ground telling you which way to look when crossing a road. 

Another major difference between the two countries is the food. In the United States, Hershey is one of the leading brands in chocolate. However, in the U.K., Hershey’s actually has to be sold as “chocolate flavoured candy” instead of regular chocolate because there is actually only 12% cocoa in Hershey's chocolate, and Britain requires at least 20% cocoa. The U.K. also has different water choices; if you ask for water at a restaurant, there are usually three options: sparkling, still, and tap. Sparkling is just fizzy water, still is bottled water, and tap is, well, tap water.

The restaurants in the U.K. are also different. Instead of eating and leaving right away, they are relaxed and let you take your time. The waiters are a lot slower to take your orders, the food takes a little bit longer to come out, and they always ask if you want dessert. This especially irritated my dad when it came to waiting for our check. There also weren’t many chain restaurants; I only really saw one or two Starbucks, McDonald's, and Burger Kings while I was there. However, there were a lot of “Caffe Neros” that seemed very similar to Starbucks or Dunkin’.

My visit to London made me realize the small differences that exist between the U.S. and Britain. There are numerous small details that I never would have realized if I hadn't been given the opportunity to visit the country myself. From different charging outlets to unique accents, there are many characteristics that make Britain what it is today.

Ryan 1: My Job

I started working at a food restaurant called Petey's Eatys towards the end of last year. I decided to get the job because I was tired of begging my parents for money every weekend, I wanted to be more independent. One of my friends also showed me his hoodie with the companies logo on the back. I was immediately convinced to apply because the logo was so cool. I'm happy I did even though it has been hard to juggle work, school, and soccer all at once. It's worth it for the money so i'm still working there today.

It's not a corporation job so my manager isn't as strict, for example our uniform is a t-shirt, optional to wear. I used to work with two of my friends and mess around to pass the time, but then they graduated and quit. It wasn't that bad though because the restaurant is between my old school, Pen Argyl, and Nazareth. Therefore I work with people and students from both school districts that I know. We recently hired some new people and one of them was a kid I knew from Pen Argyl which relieved me. Petey's Eatys is most popular for our cheese steaks, sadly my first ever cheese steak came out terribly and my friend who ordered it made that very clear to me.

So far working at this place has been fun and rewarding. Working during high school has taught me to schedule better than ever. Before I started, I was a very picky eater. Now i'd say I've expanded my taste buds to new foods, which is definitely the best benefit. Eating.

Alanna, 1; My Sister and I Got Along: A Memoir

Recently we had the volleyball banquet that we hold at the end of every season. During this, the coach gives a speech about the season, each of the seniors, etc. Normally, during the season, the seniors each pick an underclassman to write a letter to them to read on senior night. Despite the love-hate relationship with my sister, she, surprisingly, picked me to write hers.

Some background on my sister and I’s relationship: we fight, A LOT, we argue, A LOT, we almost never get along, but when we do, it’s pretty great. This year we were not allowed to read our letters on senior night due to new rules made by the athletic director. Because of this, our coach asked us to read them at the banquet. To be completely honest, I haven't thought much into my sister leaving for college because I did not think I would be affected by it. Oh, how I was SO wrong. Just while just writing that letter to her, I started crying. Not going to lie, that threw me off guard because I did NOT expect to miss her. Besides the point, I had to read this letter at the banquet, in front of everyone, and try my hardest not to cry. My goal of this letter was to get my sister to cry though, and I followed through. From this experience, I learned that I will, in fact, actually miss Sabrina and I have no clue how I will live as an only child. Never will I admit to her any of this but Sabrina, don't leave me. :(

Adria 1: Why Country Music is Underrated

Now, I know what I am about to say is going to fire some people up-- but just wait, hear me out first. I promise I will try my very best to change your perspective on this overly criticized genre of music. I understand if you don’t like the sound of country music, but have you ever taken a moment to listen to and appreciate the lyrics? Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Dan + Shay, Luke Combs, Dylan Scott, Zac Brown Band-- these are some of the most genuine artists out there. The lyrics paint pictures of family and love rather than sex and drugs.

Similarly, I strongly believe that mainstream music is corrupting the innocent minds of children and teenagers. The words are anything but wholesome, which is the last thing society needs right now. In times of distress and trouble, we need to turn to songs of comfort and unity-- exactly what country music offers. I understand if it is not your taste or personal preference, but we must all admit that the words in “Life Changes” are simply better than those of… well, anything by Nicki Minaj.

Sydney Week #1 Championships

This Saturday the Marching Band went to compete at championships at the Hershey Park Stadium. Competing at championships turned out to be an amazing and fun experience, and we were even able to win with a score of 96.1! Joining marching band has taught me so much and has filled my life with joy and laughter. 

Throughout this season I have learned many forms of discipline. Whether it’s pushing through practice after school, homework, dance, and then getting little to no sleep that night, or having to stare right at the sun during warm ups. Even though it was difficult, I kept at it, and still had fun doing it.

Now I know that none of this sounds like it would be enjoyable, and it might even sound torturous to some, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. I got to spend most everyday with some of my favorite people, and we got to laugh, complain, and just have fun with each other. 

One of the craziest parts of my whole experience with marching band is that I almost didn’t join. Instead of thinking it through, I mostly joined on a whim to try it out because why not. If I hadn’t joined I would have missed out on so many incredible memories and friendships that I would have never gained if I hadn’t joined. It has changed my view on a lot of things, and has made me more adventurous because I’ll never know if I like something if I don’t try it for myself.

Owen 1: How Autism Has Affected My Brother

Not many of you might know this about me so I’m going to expound on this. Ever since I was very young I’ve always been the big brother. However, I am actually the middle child. I have a younger sister named Lily who drives me absolutely crazy but I love her and I have an older brother named Jacob who goes by Jake. He is a senior here at Nazareth and enjoys almost anything that involves a computer. He is kind, smart, compassionate, and is literally my “big brother.” However, Jake also lives with Autism. He was diagnosed at the age of three when I was just one year old. When I was growing up Jake was very sick. His immune system was weak and he had trouble fighting off fevers and colds that with medicine we all take for granted. He needed special care from doctors in Connecticut and just needed overall my parent’s full attention. 

Many of you might know that Autism can cause children to be less vocal and tend to want to be alone. I never let Jake be that way, even though I am his little brother I always pushed Jake to communicate with his family. When Jake wanted something I was there for him. As time went on Jake started to get better, he was still not as vocal as we wanted him to be but Jake’s overall health skyrocketed. Around the age of seven, Jake had been attending speech therapy about twice a week. Being the “big brother” I had to be, I was there for Jake. I would sit in on his sessions and always urge him to communicate with us. After his sessions, it was almost like he never left the speech therapist. I would ask Jake “How do you say *insert word* Jake?” and finally after years and years of therapy, and his annoying little brother making him play Wii and talk with him, Jake is communicating better than ever. School years go by and wow, Jake is a senior now. He plans to graduate with his class and attend Northampton Community College. Through this story, I want to show that no matter the problems my brother was facing I was there for him, and when he walks on that stage and receives his diploma you know that with no hesitation I will be there. 

Connor 1: Self-Reliance

They say if you want something done right, then you should do it yourself. Self-reliance is an important skill that makes life a whole lot easier. Though relying on others is one of the greatest feelings in the world, it is not a luxury that we can all afford. Some of us can't waste our time waiting for others to fulfill our needs. 

A goal for most people growing up is to reach the point in our lives where we no longer need the assistance of those who are older than us. An issue with this is that some people reach this point before they are actually allowed to live on their own. One of the reasons so many teenagers are so mentally destroyed is because the ages of 13-19 are so crucial to our brain development and it is during this period that most of us feel ready to take on more responsibility, but our ages deny us this opportunity. It's because of this that our self-reliance grows. We get used to being disappointed all the time by those above us who set the rules, that we no longer look to them for things we did in the past.

Growing up, most people relied on their parents for food, water, shelter, love, etc. As time when on, these things become more and more accessible without them. Another case is that parents just didn't supply them at all, so people had to find them on their own. As your basic needs are fulfilled, you start to work towards your bigger needs on your own. Maslow's Hierarchy explains this in a triangle fashion. As you meet your basic needs on the bottom of the triangle, you start to move up until you reach the top where you are happy and your needs are sustained on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. As you grow up, you realize that the only person who can really help you gain these things is yourself. There is a point in nearly everyone’s life where we realize that we just can’t always count on others.

Joe 1- Looking Back On My First Three Months of Driving

August 30th, 2019 marked a day I’d been waiting to arrive for years. A day that had allured me with promises of freedom, maturity, and independence. A day where I would finally be able to take my life into my own hands and venture out into the world alone. For astute readers who have already read the title of this post, you know that this day was the day that I took my driver’s license test.

For months, my heart had been fluttering with suspense, ceaselessly waiting for the chance to earn that little piece of plastic with my face printed on it. In the last week especially, every clock in existence seemed to have been set to “sloth”. However, after endless anticipation and one of the most gut-wrenching twenty minutes of my life, I put the instructor’s car in park and he told me I’d passed my test.

I’d done it. 16-and-a-half years of waiting had culminated at this moment. I was ready to hit the road all on my own. Elated terror hummed through my veins as I gripped my steering wheel to leave the parking lot. As the car inched forward, I wondered to myself how this new freedom would feel.

As it turns out, it was everything I’d ever hoped it would be.

The change was almost instantaneous. I could drive myself to school, cover more shifts at my job, make plans with friends, and even just run to a gas station to buy a bag of chips and a soda for no reason other than “because I can.” I started to take advantage of Study Hall privilege and drive myself home earlier in the day. My mom needs me to drive to the store to get milk? I’m on it. Sister needs a ride to practice? She can ride shotgun. If this was spreading my wings to fly, I was in outer space.

That isn’t to say that there aren’t some drawbacks with being allowed to drive a pile of debt with four wheels and a gas pedal. For one, I finally understood why so many people are always angry at gas prices. Having to shell out 30 dollars every week knowing I’ll be doing it again before I know it does put a bit of a damper on my euphoria (and my bank account). Also being responsible for my own time management, a skill I notoriously lack, can lead to the occasional headache. Nonetheless, I still feel that there is some satisfaction to be found in supporting your own social life and it isn’t long before I find myself right back in my cloud of bliss.

So. Has driving changed my life in these past months? Absolutely. And it has done so in mostly-positive ways. As with all things, it has its pros and cons, but I think the payoff is worth the occasional downside.

Renee, 1; Rex Orange County's Sophomore Album; A Review

I had been anxiously waiting for October 25th to arrive for months, as I have been a fan of Rex Orange County's music for almost two years now. All of his music leading up to this album was a mix of Indie,  Alt-Rock, and some slower songs with a hint of R&B. Pony, Rex's second album, is the perfect medium of all these genres and seems to fit his voice better than any other work he's released so far. 

In my opinion, the best song on the album is one called "Pluto Projector." It starts off slow, and sounds a lot like his older music, and then transitions into a more "pop-like" love song. It showcases his vocals well and it is great to listen for any mood you're in. My least favorite would have to be "Stressed Out," only because it feels too much like pop and not enough alternative for me.

Overall, I would definitely recommend listening to Pony, especially if you aren't a fan of Rex Orange County yet. This is a good transition into older songs, as this album is more mainstream. If you like the bands Cage The Elephant and Foster The People, and even artists like Hozier or Steve Lacy, you will definitely like his music. 

He is also going on tour to perform various songs from this album, and after listening I think I will be buying a ticket. The shows tend to be more low-key, but as he gains popularity they may open up to bigger venues.