Stephan 11: The Inability to Focus

Recently when I was trying to get some work done, I found it nearly impossible for me to focus on what I was doing. I tried to limit as many distractions as I possibly could, making sure that my phone and any possible thing that could draw me away was out of sight, however, I still had trouble focusing. Whenever I sat down to do my work, I just found myself drifting off, unable to concentrate on anything. It was infuriating that I wasn’t able to sit down and concentrate. It felt as if there was a mental block stopping me from concentrating.

Eventually, I just had to step away and just take my mind off of everything. After about a half-hour, I figured that it was time to at least attempt to do my work. Oddly enough I was able to sit down and get all of my work done. Now what puzzled me was could I not just start working the first time. Although I made sure that I got rid of all of my physical distractions, I did not reduce any of my mental distractions. This is what led to me not being able to focus. Now, this doesn’t often happen to me, but I wanted to figure out ways to prevent it before it became too common.

The two things that I came up with was to make a to-do list, so I could focus on what needed to be done and set up allotted times to do each task. I’m hoping that this will solve my focus issues and maybe even my procrastination. That being said, have you ever had a time in which you found it difficult to focus?

Sydney Week #11 Downhill

I know there will probably be quite a few posts similar to this for quite obvious reasons but boy are things going downhill. It seems like in all things both big and small, everyone’s life is just going downhill. Whether it’s worldwide incidents such as the Corona Virus or Australia burning, or the small instances like dropping a freaking block of ice on your phone (aka what inspired this blog post).

I’ve always lived with the assumption that things will always get better. We’ve all seen the inspirational posters that say “Hang in there!” with the poor cat dangling on a tree branch. We’ve been told as a society that things will get better; that life as we know it will get better, but at the rate we’re going I’m not sure if that’s true anymore.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not trying to be pessimistic here, but the world is literally falling apart. I mean, entire COUNTRIES are shutting down or preparing to shut down. This is a worldwide issue that could not have come at a worse time. Even though from a long term perspective things such as prom, graduation, concerts, plays, and sports aren’t that important, it’s still devastating to even think about these events getting cancelled.

Yes, I know that, “you’ll hardly remember graduation in 20 years” or “your best years are still to come”, but I can’t help but be sad that we’re missing so many key points in our childhood. These are supposed to be some of the most exciting and enjoyable years where we have fun with our friends and explore the world, but instead we can barely leave our town let alone our homes.

Even though it may not seem like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel yet, I’m still clinging onto the hope that things will get better. Even through the hardest times, the world has managed to pull itself back together and make things better. What’s been getting me through is just remembering the small things. Whether it's a sweet message, a beautiful starry sky, a smile from a loved one, or the satisfaction of finishing a project (or a blog post), there are countless small moments that make life great, so even when everything seems to be going downhill, there will still be many happy memories on the way down.

What’s something that makes you smile even when you’re mad?

Also if you’re wondering, yes I did actually drop a block of ice on my phone and I’m hopefully getting it fixed soon.

Ryan 11: When failure became my motivation

I have played soccer since I was little and enjoyed it. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to play soccer at a higher level. I wanted to compete with kids at my level of skill and higher to improve my own game. I tried out for a soccer club team near where I lived, a lot of people I knew at the time were on it and I looked up to the team. I attended two days of tryouts and evaluations to see if I was good enough. Later that week, I got mail that said I did not make the cut. Immediately after, I doubted myself and I was hurt. I failed.

I experienced true failure, I went into something hoping and seeking success and fell short. Yes, I put my head down at first, but eventually realized that I was not going to let this loss make me give up. I was determined to play at a higher level to better myself. I had to overcome the self doubt to be satisfied. So I practiced and practiced, with the school team and more importantly on my own. I would always have the ball at my feet. I wanted to try again and possibly make the team this time. I learned that I shouldn’t just re-try I should shoot higher. After the confidence in my skill returned from practicing and training. I decided to try out for a different team yet this one was much higher ranked and one of the most well known soccer organizations in the area, lehigh valley united. So I tried out and I was very nervous, but played well since I had confidence from all the hard work I put in. I ended up making the team which was great. We then went on and  played the team I got cut from in a match. Then we beat them and on top of that I scored a goal which is a feeling I won’t forget.

In conclusion, I faced failure and overcame it. If I would have given up I wouldn’t have ever received that satisfaction of coming back. Now I have learned to see failure as success because it gives me a drive and want to be successful, which I didn’t have before. Failure is extremely hard to combat, but not impossible. It is only temporary while the time you have to work hard and practice is infinite. I learned that from this very experience and I will never forget it. Rejection is not the end, but only the beginning of your comeback story. What did you learn from failure in the past?

Owen: 11 Life is crazy right now!

I think everyone can agree on my title of the blog that life is crazy with the coronavirus pandemic panic. Schools are shutting down, professional sports are being suspended or postponed, air travel is being limited, yet Nazareth is still in school. Although the coronavirus seems to cause problems for the older generation, it is definitely a scary thing to still be operating school and other activities. However, that isn't to say I want the school to close.

The government just put a 30-day travel ban from flights to Europe or back to the US. That's crazy! And on top of that our president may or may have not come in to contact with a coronavirus victim. Following the effect of this virus on our government, it is also taking a toll on our economy. The stock market is at the lowest it has been since the latest crash in 1987! Thanks to COVID-19. The dow jones average is down almost 2,500 points! That's -9.99% passing the 1987 crash by .93%.

Not only is this virus taking our economy by storm it's also taking our professional sports away from us! The NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, and MLS are all suspending their regular seasons as of today. That means there's nothing to watch. Yes, we have Netflix, but being a 16-year-old male I need sports. However, that's not the only live sporting event canceled within the last couple of days. College-level sports have all either been postponed or suspended for two weeks minimum. Including, if not the best college-level live sports phenomenon, March Madness. The tournament that every sports fanatic looks forward to every March has officially been canceled. 

This is where my worry starts to shape. For example, schools in our area are starting to close because of the virus. My worry is not that someone will get the virus, but more so that it will disrupt all of education and sports at our school. My varsity baseball season just started and feels like it might be ending or postponed very soon. 

Hopefully, everything will all calm down within the next month or so and business will go on as usual. 

How do you feel about the hype/ panic surrounding the coronavirus in your daily life?

Liam 11 - Coronavirus

Coronavirus

Yesterday, the Coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Although the term may seem ominous, it only means that the virus is present all throughout the world. This doesn’t really change how we should be defending ourselves against it, but we can’t ignore the virus. It is here, and it will take drastic measures to contain it.

Surprisingly, the most successful response to the virus I have read about is China’s. Since China is such a centralized, controlled state, they have an advantage in preventing the spread of Coronavirus; they can force citizens to remain in houses and have total control of everything that happens within their borders. Citizens are used to government intervention and censure of their lives. They immediately shut down almost everything for two weeks- the incubation period is 2-14 days. Seemingly healthy people can walk around for two weeks infecting others - that’s part of what makes Coronavirus so contagious. As America is a free state often shackled by bureaucracy, we can’t control the movement of the population or shut everything down as easily or quickly, meaning we are at risk to suffer the same fate as Italy. Our best hope is to shut down all but the most essential societal functions--utilities, food, law enforcement, fire stations, hospitals, etc. If people can limit their contact, it is possible to reduce the total number of people sick at the same time. At the current rate, the virus is spreading exponentially, this will lead to overwhelmed hospitals where doctors are forced to use triage to determine who receives limited resources. If we can encourage individuals to isolate themselves to keep healthy people separate, we can slow the spread to a more linear curve, reducing strain on limited medical resources. This is what China did and they have fewer new cases. Italy arguably didn’t act soon enough, their recent countrywide shut down will help. The U.S. is about ten days behind Italy.

Hopefully the virus magically disappears, but we have to prepare for the worst. As Douglas Adams so wisely put it, the first step in any situation is “don’t panic”.

How long do you think it will take for things to start shutting down, and what do you think will happen with the virus?

Mackenna 11: Personality Types

In Junior Seminar, we used this website to determine our four-letter personality type. Although I was

hesitant to take it, I decided to give it a shot anyway. Personally, I don’t think I know myself very well, which made this test a little bit harder for me. However, I would say my results came out to be surprisingly accurate.

There are sixteen personality types total, which I won’t go into because there are so many! I will, however, discuss the four categories that the personality types are divided into. These categories are the analysts, diplomats, sentinels, and explorers.

• Analysts are known to be very intellectual with a natural love for learning.
• Diplomats tend to be more passionate and empathetic. 
• Sentinels value organization and stability. 
• Explorers are known for their crazy energy and their spontaneity. 

Everybody’s personality can fall into one of these four categories.

After taking two personality tests, I got the same type both times: INFP, or the mediator. To be honest, I had no idea what this code even meant until I read the information provided about it. I found it really interesting that this website could determine my personality so accurately just by answering a few questions. According to 16personalities, I have introverted, intuitive, feeling, and prospecting personality traits, hence the code INFP. I thought this was a very common personality to have, but it turns out to be the opposite! INFP’s make up only 4% of the population, which unfortunately makes me more likely to be misunderstood. The website also says some characteristics I have, which are being affectionate, creative, altruistic, and idealistic. Once again, I feel like this was pretty accurate. Additionally, the website lists all your strengths and weaknesses, ideal career paths, friendships, romantic relationships, and so much more!

I also had the rest of my family take the personality test and their results were also really accurate. My sister actually ended up with one of the rarest personality types with only 0.8% of the population! My brother, on the other hand, had some trouble getting the personality that fits him best. He took the test the first time and got a personality that didn’t fit him at all, so he took it again and it was much more accurate the second time. Therefore, I think it’s important to take it twice if you feel as though your personality doesn’t quite match. On the plus side, I think it’s really cool to see how my personality fits with the personalities of my family and friends.

Overall, I think this was a really fun experience and I enjoyed learning about different personalities. Although it’s not always 100% accurate, I would highly recommend trying it out to anyone who hasn’t seen this or experimented with it before. I think it’s so cool to learn more about yourself and the people around you.

What’s your personality type? Do you think it describes you accurately?

Renee 11: Summer!

Because the current climate of our society seems to be overwhelming, I felt I should write about something I´m looking forward to in the future: summer! Obviously, most people are excited about the long-awaited, stress-free break of sleeping in and soaking up the sun, but for me, this summer will be even better because of the new freedom I unlocked this past summer. This year has not been the greatest so far, as most people in their junior year would probably agree. Getting my license, however, was most definitely the best thing that´s happened to me to date, and I cannot wait to take full advantage of it starting in June.

I plan on working a lot more, which sounds boring, but with a means to get there by myself and obtain more hours, there will be more money to spend on other activities this summer. When I´m not working, I plan on going to the beach with my friends on day trips of a sort. This is something I have been anxious to do since I was little. 

Another reason I am looking forward to this is the fact that it is my last summer as a true teenager. This time next year I will be eighteen, committing to a college, and becoming an adult. With this in mind, I know to squeeze everything I can out of the two and a half months of no school and increased freedom. I want to live in the moment and enjoy being a kid while I can. Although I know there are still limitations to driving at age seventeen, this summer will undoubtedly be the best yet.

What are you looking forward to doing the summer before your senior year?

Me in three months!

Emma 11: Museum of Natural History

Last weekend I stayed in New York, and my family went to the Museum of Natural History on our last day there. In the past, I had visited it with my cousin and our moms. I thought it was really interesting when I was little, so I hoped it would be just as interesting the second time around 10 years later. Luckily, I ended up finding everything even more intriguing than I did last time.

First, we went into the dinosaur area, which didn’t entertain me for very long. This was probably my least favorite part of the day. Although dinosaurs are amusing, they can quickly get boring to look at when there are hundreds of models of them that are very similar to one another. However, my mom loves dinosaurs. This meant we had to stay in this area for as long as she wanted to keep her happy. None of us had eaten actual breakfast that morning because most hotels in the city don’t provide a complimentary breakfast like they usually do, so my sisters and I got hangry after being forced to stay in the dinosaur exhibit for almost an hour and half. Finally, my mom agreed to move on from the dinosaurs. We ended up getting lunch there, which I would not recommend because it wasn’t very good.

Although there were many other parts of the museum that I thought were interesting such as the African mammals and Asian culture areas, my favorite part of the museum was the Hall of Ocean Life. There was a huge replica of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling, which I was extremely afraid of when I first visited the Museum of Natural History. This time around I thought it was amazing to see just how large some of the world’s creatures are. The scenes of the ocean animals also looked very realistic. Having so many different types of information about the entire world in one place is a really unique feature that most museums don’t have. I would definitely recommend visiting the Museum of Natural History if you haven’t already. Have you ever been to a museum or art exhibit in New York?

Joe 11: The Dent

First off, I’m aware you all know about the dent in the bright orange Dodge Dart that I drive to school every day. I’m aware that my Smiles and Frowns/life story updates have been peppered with tales of the reasonably-small blemish above the left wheel well. I’m aware that I sound kind of like a clown for making it as big a deal as it is, for the damage isn’t really anything past a slight error in a parking job.

However, in a rather surprising turn of events, that dent has sent me spiraling into reconsideration about a lot of things.

The temporary solution to the issue

Maybe it was the icy sensation of my heart dropping into my feet when I heard the gut-wrenching screech of metal being shredded against a garage entrance. Perhaps it was the fact that looking at the crunched fender left me with the feeling one gets after stepping on their dog’s tail accidentally (except, y’know, 20x worse). You could even chalk it up to my dad, a certifiable man of composure and a “car guy,” taking one look at the damage and exclaiming “OH MY GOD, BRO!” in surprise. I honestly have no idea.

Whatever the cause, I felt awful. In fact, I’ve never been so ready to throw money at a problem until it goes away. That’s saying something coming from the dude who has now written three separate blog posts that allude to how broke I am constantly. It confused me as well. Why did such a minor incident have me reeling for a way to shoot a cannon full of bills at the nearest dent repairman?

I answered my question sort of by accident a few days later. I was talking about our cars with a close friend of mine, and the conversation shifted to why I love mine as much as I do. There were the basic answers, such as “it’s the coolest car ever,” or “because I’ve spent so much time working to keep it, I have a great pride in that 6-speed subcompact chariot of glory.” These are both very true, don’t get me wrong. But for some reason, a third response popped into my brain.

I told her that car gave me the freedom I’d been craving for almost every second of my 16.5 years of my life. I am free to foster a social life, make money, and just go somewhere because the mood strikes. That car gave me that gift, and I love it for that reason.

It harkens back to why I was so horrified by that dent. I’d hurt one of my closest companions. The means by which I live my life to the fullest. And sure I could’ve wrapped it around a tree going 80 on a highway or drove it face-first into a ditch. But walking outside and seeing the fender looking good-as-new was relief beyond compare.

I am happy to report the car is on-track to getting 100% fixed this weekend by the power of my elbow grease, my dad’s knowledge of what do even do, and a sprinkling of jank. The Road Cone will be back to looking as good as the day it rolled off the assembly line. Only lasting downside? I have yet to park in my garage without having to stop, confront my inner demons, pray, and meditate before even considering a parking attempt. Hopefully that goes away soon.

Liz 11: Birthdays

My birthday was this week on Wednesday, and my little sister turned 5 last week. Seeing how we celebrated her birthday versus how my birthday was celebrated really made me think about how birthdays change as a person gets older. I mean the way we celebrate my sister’s 5th and my 17th birthday is obviously gonna be different, but it was an interesting realization

My sister talked about her birthday for weeks before it actually happened. She was beyond excited about it. The night before my sister’s birthday, my mom went out to the store and bought her a balloon and tied it around a bunch of my sister’s favorite cookies. I wasn’t home for most of the day (between school and work), but I know she got a bunch more balloons as well as a cake. My parents also made her favorite food and watched Frozen 2 with her. They didn’t do anything super big, but she had a great time and was telling me all about it the next day.

I didn’t really think about my birthday until about a week before it. I woke up on my birthday with a call from my mom; she had already left for the day and called to wish me a happy birthday and let me know there was a surprise on the kitchen table for me. I went downstairs to find she went to Dunkin’ sometime before she left at 6 am to get me coffee. It was a really sweet gesture I wasn’t expecting because my parents don’t often go out of their way like that for me. After school, I went out for frozen yogurt with my mom and sister’s, while my dad and brother left for Philly. They had tickets for a sixer’s game, which my brother got for Christmas. They asked me if I cared that it was on my birthday before they bought the tickets, but it still kinda sucked that they weren’t there. Anyway, my mom dropped me off at my friend’s house, and we hung out until my boyfriend got off of work. The three of us went out to dinner and had a fun night. Honestly, it didn’t feel different from some weekends I have with my friends.

Why do we make such a big deal out of a person’s birthday when they’re young, but as they get older it’s just another day? Some adults don’t even mention their birthday anymore. I feel if we’re gonna make a big deal out of it for kids, why can’t people of all ages experience the joy I saw in my sister? Because, to be honest, I feel like a lot of us could use some of that innocent excitement right now.

Ryan 10: FBLA

With FBLA right around the corner on April 2, I'm excited to go on the fun trip and compete with other qualifiers. FBLA stands for future business leaders of America because the organization is involved with various business topics. My group qualified last year, we didn't place in states, but that is okay because we qualified this year too.

To qualify for states you have to place top five out of other groups and schools. Each group or individual has to choose a business topic and then choose to do a presentation or a test on it. My friends and I decided to do a group test because it would be easiest. We were right, and we qualified for states, but there is a catch. We placed sixth last year which doesn't qualify, but another group above us dropped out so we were invited to go. The funny part is that the same exact scenario happened again this year. We placed sixth again this year and another group dropped out. The two topics we chose were marketing last year and global business this year.

The competition is in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Most schools dorm in the Hershey lodge which is nice. Unfortunately we didn't get into the Hershey lodge last year so i'm hoping we get in this year because many events are held there. Even if you don't find success in states and qualify for regionals it's still a good experience and fun time with friends. Hopefully we do better this year, so that we can be recognized. What clubs do you do? Does FBLA sound like something you would want to be apart of?

Liam 10 - Theater Drama

Theater Drama

The word defy really sums up my experience with pit orchestra. From defying my mother by doing it, defying my better judgement and agreeing to play clarinet, and as a pit, always defying John’s (the director’s) expectations.

My mother told me I shouldn't do pit orchestra this year. I joined it anyway because I had a lot of fun with pit last year and wanted to do it again, and I have a hard time telling Mr. Hilborn that I can or will not do anything (why I now play 6 instruments in most of the band ensembles). Now that the rehearsal schedule is intensifying as we start to work with the cast, my Mom’s point is becoming more and more valid. Going further with making poor decisions, I agreed to play the soprano clarinet. Even though it was my first instrument, I have both figuratively and literally outgrown it; I moved on to the bass clarinet and tuba, and someone must have moved the keys closer together.

This all goes toward my biggest beef with pit - John Andreadis. Not only is he disliked by a lot of the cast, for some reason he doesn’t like the pit. He has gone as far as telling the cast that most of the pit orchestra was quitting because of the hard music. I could understand his loathing if the pit was bad, but we manage to do well with very hard music despite my ineptitude at clarinet. The only reason I have for his rumor spreading and general nastiness is that the pit is doing so well. Hopefully everything resolves this coming week when we move into the auditorium.

Have you ever defied your parents to your own detriment? Do you know anyone that has an irrational dislike for something?

MeiLi Week 10- Shoes!! Art!! Yay!!

Recently, I've started painting shoes. It started when my friend Jack asked me to do something, anything, on his vans months and months ago. I started, and took months and months to finish them because I wasn't very motivated and I didn't know how much I would love it. However, a few weeks ago he asked me to do something fun on his Adidas Continentals. I asked him what he wanted done, and after talking for a while back and forth and exchanging ideas, we decided it would be cool to paint some of Michelangelo's most famous pieces. I was so excited about it that I went home and painted The Creation of Adam on my super old, super gross vans.

When sitting in history class the next day, our friend was wearing a Kid Cudi x Kanye West sweatshirt, and a new idea was born. I had the idea to paint the album cover on the outside of the shoe. Jack then decided that he wanted the Kids See Ghosts album on the left shoe and Ye, another one of Kanye’s albums, on the other. And that’s just what I did. It took me about two days to finish them, and I'm in LOVE with how they came out. I posted a picture of them, as well as the shoes I did for myself, and had people slide up on my story and ask me to paint theirs. 

I decided that I’m going to start doing custom designs for people as a small business. I need to figure out pricing because I don't want to charge high schoolers and close friends a ridiculous amount of money, and the cost heavily depends on the level of complexity of the design, however I'm very excited to start for real. I had one friend ask me to paint Sesame Street characters on his Yeezys and I love how they turned out, so this idea might just be a success! Has anyone started a small-ish business similar to this that has any tips? I could use all the help I can get. 

P.S. Here are some pics :)

10 Julie - College Fears

I recently started to text more with my friend from Northern Ireland, Matthew. Our main topic as of lately has been college. Matt is in his final year of grammar school (what we know as high school), and he has been looking at colleges since last year. The college process is extremely similar to what American students deal with. The topic of colleges has been brought up because he received his acceptance and rejection letters, and I have started some of my college applications. 

Matt looked at many prestigious medical schools offered throughout Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. One college he applied to was Kings College, but sadly he got rejected. This shocked me because he is number one in class rank at his school, got top marks on all his exams, and is super involved within his school.  

Matt did get accepted to two very good medical schools, but this rejection was like a hit in the face for me. What chances do I have at getting into my dream colleges if someone like Matt couldn’t get into Kings College? This might seem like an overreaction to something that could happen to anyone, but it brought forth my fears of attending college. 

To get into any really good college, specifically in the US, you have to have high grades and be overly involved in your school and community. These two requirements are generalization from what I have seen on college applications and heard from college students. I am currently fulfilling both of these requirements, yet I fear that I am not doing enough. I am doing everything in my power to make myself look good to colleges, yet I know it is nearly impossible to know what puts you over other students.

What is your biggest fear when it comes to applying for colleges?

Kings College

Stephan Nigohosian 10: Optimizing My Studying

Have you ever studied for what seemed like forever, yet when you tried to remember what you studied the next day, you could barely remember anything after or during the test. Now, why is it that even though you put in all this time and effort, the information just didn’t stick for long. The issue with rote memorization, memorizing information based on repetition, is that it is not the most effective study method. Sure it helps you learn and recall facts and develop foundational knowledge, but it does not help a person with developing a deeper understanding of the subject or long term memorization. In this post, I will discuss methods that may or may not help you in your studies.

One method to possibly aid in retaining information is intermittent studying. This is the practice of studying over 30-minute intervals, taking short breaks and rewarding yourself after these intervals. This practice is believed to help a person stay focused on their studies, by breaking up studying into manageable intervals and positively reinforcing these studying habits through a reward system. The reward can vary from a snack to listening to a song.

The reward is meant to give you about a five-minute break so you can come back refreshed and re-energized, ready to take in more information. When I tried this method for the first time, I had my doubts, but I found that it actually made studying much easier for me. I didn’t find myself struggling to retain information as much, and I felt that I was able to stay focused on the material I was studying.

Another helpful and interesting tool that I found was to create a dedicated area of study. When I study for tests and quizzes, I’ll typically study in my room, but I’ll become distracted on some occasions. Apparently studying in a multipurpose room, such as a dining room, bedroom, or living room, as these rooms have environmental cues that distract your brain. For example in the dining room, you eat there, maybe talk there, the activities are endless. Over time, your brain will associate these rooms with these activities, so when you try to study in said rooms, it may become hard to focus on studying if your brain is thinking about the other activities you do there.

This is why it is important to create a designated study space free of distractions. Only use this space to study, so that the only environmental cue that this area will have, is for you to study. I’m currently in the process of setting up a study area, and I’m hoping that this will help reduce the distractions around me.  Are there any methods that you use in order to help you study?