Date: April 30th, 2013
Every year, Polk county has an annual awards show for ITV students in our district. It is held in a church every year and we all crowd the seats, eager for the judges to present the awards. The theme is always carried out beautifully and it feels like the ceremony is a movie itself. TV Productions students submit their best videos to be judged by experienced judges and compete to win and place in certain categories. Some of these categories include "Music Video", "Short Film", "Commercial", "Male Anchor", "Female Anchor", etc. This year, they decided to add a new category which was the "Program Cover Design". The winner of this category would have their artwork printed onto all of the covers of the programs that we receive at the end of the awards show and they would be presented with a certificate and a framed poster-sized print of their work. Since I love to play around on Photoshop, I thought I'd try my hand at creating a cover design for this year's theme: Indiana Jones. I finally came up with a design and submitted it. Little did I know what was in store for me and my school that night!
When arriving at the show, we took our seats in the balcony of the church and the show started. The "Program Cover Design" category was first. My heart was pounding. They called my name and I rushed down to receive my awards, beaming with a huge smile across my face. It was such a happy, fantastic moment! It meant so much to me since TV Productions and designing are my passions.
My school also won the "Commercial" category. My friends made a video about cyber-bullying which was very intense. I was so proud of them and my school because it was hard for us to get back on our feet at first since our all of our equipment and computers were stolen from our TV Productions classroom. The music video that I made along with my friends received third place, which was also an honor! It was about seniors leaving high school, how it's so hard for them to say goodbye, and if one should laugh or cry when the time comes. The "Music Video" category is one of my favorite categories since my dream is to be a music video director one day. I also have been making music videos ever since I was in elementary school. I've always loved making them!
Because of this experience I learned that my class needs to get a head start on our videos for next year so that we can make them as good as possible! In addition, I learned that I need to pick a more touching, effective topic for my music videos with a problem that we can effectively address in a song. I am planning to enter the "Program Cover Design" category again next year, as well as the "Music Video" category along with many others. We have had a very successful year in my TV Productions class and I am so excited for next year's show!
Date: November 20th, 2014
Some areas around our school can get pretty dirty, such as the courtyard, outside of the media center and lunchroom, and in the hallways. To address this problem, our National Honor Society chapter stayed after school at two o'clock in the afternoon and didn't leave until around six o'clock in the evening just tidying up our school. We did this to help make our school a better, cleaner, and overall more beautiful place to be.
We all split up into three main groups: one being those picking up trash around the campus and disposing it into garbage bags, another being those with rags and a cleaning solution who wiped down the windows on campus and the walls in the hallways, and other groups were to decorate classrooms for the holidays and plant new, beautiful flowers around our newest addition on campus: the freshman building. We all rotated groups, but the one I was in the most was the group wiping down the walls and windows and decorating the teacher's classrooms for the holidays. My friends and I had so much fun! While still getting the job done, we played music and we were singing together as we tidied up.
What I took from this project is that our school population needs to have more trash cans placed around our campus so that we can reduce the amount of garbage and litter. If there is a trash can close by, students will be more likely to walk to the trash can and dispose it properly instead of throwing it on the ground. Sadly, there will still be a few students who fail to do the right thing by disposing it in the garbage, but we could at least try to prevent this from happening more. I also learned that doing a rigorous task -- or any task in general -- is funner when one has a friend working alongside of them. My friends and I had such a fun time talking, singing, and playing music while cleaning. In addition, I found a love for helping my school. It was so rewarding to stand back from our hard work and admire the good job that we did. I had a sense of gratification that we saved a lot of work for the custodians. We really helped them out because they usually have to stay very late cleaning up our messes. They were really appreciative towards us and we really put a smile on their face. Even from just working for a few hours, I realized how rigorous and hard their job can be because they clean the school school all day from seven o'clock in the morning and until the late hours of the evening.
I really enjoyed this project. It felt so wonderful to know that we really helped our school -- and our awesome, dedicated custodians.
With being new to cheerleading this year, there were some skills that I had to learn. I was on my school's Junior Varsity squad and I enjoyed every moment of it! Over the course of this year, I had to learn how to fly and do a "half" stunt, which is "a stunt in which flyer stands on two bases hands and is risen up to chin length height. The 'flyer' may put her arms up." (Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cheerleading_stunts) Eventually, I had to transition into a "full" or "extension" stunt, where a "flyer stands with each foot in the hands of a base while her arms are in an extended overhead position. The back can either hold the ankles of the flyer, or support the wrists of the bases if it's legal by your state's rules. In a single based stunt, the base will hold both of the flyer's feet above his/her head, with arms locked." With being without any previous flying experience, flying was a bit difficult for me at first, but I have grown to love it after continually trying. In the past, I have fallen several times but I have luckily had my fantastic "bases" (the girls who hold the "flyer" in the air) there to catch me. In the summer, we went to an abundance of practices and constantly focused on flying. We even went to a National Cheerleaders Association camp in the summer to work on our sharpening up our moves when doing cheers and our flying skills.
While at practice and at camp, I learned so many techniques to help my flying and cheering skills. They taught me to start standing up in my stunt when my stunt group lifts me three-fourths of the way up into a full. I also learned to keep my fists and fingers tight and close together to ensure that my moves are stronger. Finally, I learned to smile more and just to have a good time! I also have improved my flexibility by stretching at home and at Tae Kwon Do and cardio kickboxing practice. This has helped me be able to do a better, higher heel-stretch, where one holds one of their feet in an elevation position with one hand. Stretching has also helped me get a lower, almost complete split.
Furthermore, I finally performed my "full" with my stunt group at a football game in October and I didn't fall! We also have improved our cheers, making our cheers louder, and our moves stronger, sharper, and more precise than ever before. I plan to continue practicing on my skills. Now, I wish to focus more on my jumping skills so that I can have a better toe-touch for next year's cheerleading season. In the future, I need to work on more advanced flying skills to help me prepare to tryout for the cheerleading team when I'm at college. I also plan on trying out for my school's Varsity squad. I have such a fun time cheering and I love to do it so much. I have also gotten so close with the girls on my squad and we have an unbreakable bond. As a final point, I cannot wait for next year's cheerleading season and for tryouts to start!
Date: February 8th, 2013
Hours: 4
Our NHS chapter received the opportunity to volunteer at our local SPCA. We went to address the problem of homeless animals and give them company, as well as helping to clean and renovate the shelter and walkways to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible. Many of the animals there do not find homes immediately, so it is always nice to have people visit to give them company and plenty of affection. There was also some logs, fallen tree limbs, and air potatoes that were crowding the path for seniors to walk the dogs. We removed them and then we spray painted roots and rocks that were sticking up along the path neon orange to prevent the senior volunteers walking dogs from falling.
Along with volunteering, I also learned so much. For instance, I learned that all of the people working at SPCA centers are all volunteers and in addition, all of the veterinarians are volunteers. This was mind blowing for me because to imagine these volunteers not being paid is just awesome. Unlike the pounds, SPCA does not put the animals down. I thought this was wonderful because I believe that all creatures should have a chance to live, find a home, and not deserve to die. They also house many animals and they participate in the "Walk for Animals" event, where "hundreds of two and four-legged friends walk to raise funds and awareness for SPCA florida. This fundraiser helps SPCA Florida provide care, compassion and hope to more than 6,000 homeless animals entering our doors each year and heals and helps 50,000 patients annually through the Animal Medical Center. Participation in Walk for Animals helps SPCA Florida to eliminate animal suffering and to enhance the human-animal bond by engaging the entire community in the welfare and well-being of animals." (Credit: http://www.spcaflorida.org/walk/event-info/event-information.html) Moreover, I became more aware of homeless animals and that sometimes it is a better choice to adopt to prevent them from being lonely. They are all so sweet and I wish I could give them all a home. One day, I plan to adopt a pet from SPCA and give them a home.
It was essentially very easy for me to connect with the animals because I have grown up with the company of many animals all of my life. My father is a veterinarian and has his own animal hospital in our city and my mom is his accountant. When I was younger, I would always stay at their business during the course of the day (especially in the summer) and my dad would call me in to check out some adorable puppies and kittens. He also takes care of some exotics, such as a kangaroo, anaconda, and previously has helped a zoo, treating creatures such as Bengal tigers, jaguars, lions, bears, etc. I would always tag along and get a close-up experience with these exotics.
On the other hand, I live on a farm. My family owns 7 horses, over 14 dogs, 3 cats, fish, rabbits, a dove, a bearded dragon, chickens, quail, etc. and we previously have owned ducks and geese. Ever since I was born and my poodle, Pierre, was given to me, I have had a very strong connection with animals which makes this trip to SPCA a very enjoyable experience for me. I would love to do it again someday!
Date: December 1st, 2012
Hours: 6
I had the opportunity to participate in the Salvation Army event, “I’ll Fight Day”, which is a ‘youth servant evangelism day that takes place all across the world on the first Saturday in December. I’ll Fight Day is a way for one to share the Gospel through practical acts of kindness: like giving out free hot chocolate, returning shopping carts or cleaning up at a mall food court. These acts are done “in Jesus name” for the purpose of sharing God’s love in a way that leads others to ask “Why are you doing this?”’ (credit: http://illfightday.com/) We went over to the Winter Haven Corps. Salvation Army church in Winter Haven, Florida. I participated in this event with the Red Kettle Club (a community service organization in partnership with students’ schools and the Salvation Army), of which I was the Public Relations Secretary for this school year. Our chapter was the third Red Kettle Club in the United States and the first club in the Southern territories!
To celebrate the occasion, our club went Christmas caroling at a local nursing home. We sang classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to the residents there. To make it an even better experience, our friend Veronica attended and brought her guitar along with her to accompany our voices. It was really fun to go visit these elders during the holidays, and they really appreciated it. It really touched me to see how appreciative they were to have us visit because some of them told us how their loved ones and family members stopped giving them attention and paying them visits. This really taught me how one needs to not try to take their loved ones for granted and to always give them the attention they need because one day, they may be gone and one can never get those unspent moments back again. I can apply this to my life because I have older relatives that I don’t necessarily visit as often as I should. Because this activity taught me to cherish them and the time that I have with them, I feel like it can motivate me to drive to their homes and stop by just to show them that I love and appreciate them. In addition, because was so nice and interesting to hear the residents’ stories that they shared with us, I feel like the next time I visit my grandparents, I’ll ask them about their life and to tell stories. For example, I’d request for them to tell me about their life growing up, what their parents did for a living, their life in high school, etc. By doing this and hearing their experiences, I can learn from them and apply what they learned back then to my life today.
This activity really seemed to help and benefit these elders because they were just yearning for love, attention, and just someone to talk to. By singing and talking to them, it put a beaming smile on their faces and they just glowed with an aura of happiness!
All in all, I really enjoyed “I’ll Fight Day” and I cannot wait for the next one!
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