Student Success Statement

"I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong."

-Abraham Lincoln

Reflection:

I think that this emphasizes something that I really like, which is to side with your instinct, your morality, your principles. When you feel that something is ethically wrong in what you do, then you have the obligation to abandon that type of person, or type of environment. You choose who you surround yourself with. You choose what is right, and make your judgments based on what you believe in. I think that a mentality like this is exceptionally important.

April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day

• April Fool's Day is on April 1st.
• The purpose of April Fool's Day is to kind of, make a "fool" out of someone, which usually means to prank people, or do some kind of practical joke. This can also include lying about something to get a strong reaction out of someone (i.e. Jon tells Mara that her favorite boy band broke up, then after she gets worked up, Jon yells, "April Fools!")
• There is little known behind how April Fools Day originated, only theories. There is the idea that this special day was established following the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar, whilst others insist that it was made because of the arrival of spring. Pre-Christian cultures celebrated this fools day on May 1st, so others believe that it occurred due to this tradition. At the end of the day, they remain only theories, but it stands that today this is a widely celebrated day simply for fun.
• There are several pros and cons to this holiday:
• Pros:

1. People get to have a laugh
2. It's the one day of the year where mischievous behavior can be socially acceptable.
3. Friends and family can mess around with each other.

• Cons:

1. Pranks and practical jokes can get people hurt, physically or emotionally.
2. Those who are subject to practical jokes can get  reasonably angry.
3. Some go too far with their pranks, and cause some serious damage.
4. It's hard to take serious news with the off-chance that it could be a prank (i.e. boy who cried wolf).

I found a couple pictures of interesting pranks that anyone can use, so long as you don't get caught! :)

Student Success Statement

"Character is higher than intellect."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Reflection:

Character is undoubtedly higher than intellect, although I also know that I place intelligent people at a much higher personal pedestal when they are intelligent, that is not the only thing that matters in a person. If one is very intelligent, that doesn't mean that they are necessarily of good character, they probably have even at one point lost respect for others because of a lack of character. I think that when one has good character, they can surpass intelligence, because they are good, honorable, hardworking individuals with a moral duty and an established sense of principles in regard to what is right and what is wrong.

Health Sciences Librarian

Duties and Responsibilities:
Health science librarians help find information and do research for personal and/or professional use.

Salary:
They typically make an annual wage of $55,370, which is about $26.62 per hour.

Education:
The majority of those in this field need a master's degree for library science, but other positions require additional certification or degrees in difference fields.



Reflection:
I've never heard of health sciences librarians before, but I don't really think I'm cut out to be any kind of librarian. I can be a bit disorganized, so I really wouldn't want to jeopardize the use of quick looking up of books because I don't know where to place a certain book. Although I enjoy libraries very much, I'm more of a visitor than an employee in that sense.

Student Success Statement

"I trust that my hard work will pay off."

- Tyler Haws

Reflection:

I can relate to this. I remember four years ago I was starting to look what one would call "overweight". As I entered middle school, I suddenly became incredibly self-aware in this department. I started doing P.E., which entailed physical activity I wasn't used to, and I couldn't pass my runs at first.

I couldn't pass my half mile under five minutes, and I was coming increasingly close to the time restriction for passing the mile. 

Then, I saw people around me. The royal blue shorts and the gold shorts, special shorts in P.E for those who were deemed the "best" or the "fastest" of the school. Suddenly, I had goals.

I started working hard, going to the gym as often as I could, joining sports after school, anything and everything that would have me doing exercise. I became so fast, that my mile times went from just under 12 minutes to under 8 minutes. My half-miles went from over five minutes, to under 3 1/2 minutes. I was running so fast that many people couldn't keep up with me.

I know first hand that hard work does pay off. I most definitely can agree with this man, Tyler Haws.

Bento Boxes!! Oishii-desu ne?

Something that I've always been interested in doing more in-depth research about is making bento boxes.

For those who don't know what bento boxes are, the easiest way to define them is simply by saying that they are the Japanese equivalent of packed lunch boxes. Except of course, bento boxes are more than just a small grilled cheese sandwich with some apple juice. Most of the time, bento boxes consist of white or fried rice made into cute figures, an assortment of vegetables or fruits, and some type of accompanying meat. However, what you place in a bento box is entirely up to YOU.

I've seen a lot of anime (Japanese animation, for those who want to be more specific) where bento boxes are usually made for a guy by a girl who has a crush on him, or maybe a wife for her husband, or a mother making one for her children. Either way, bento boxes have always caught my attention, and I really want to make some.

Some examples would be:

Notice how healthy they look? Not only do they look absolutely delicious, they also inspire the use of more healthy foods. They look really cool, and so, for this post, I decided to look up a step-by-step so we can all make one. I borrowed this from http://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-bento/ in case you'd like a fuller description on making bentos.

First you need:

• A bento box (lunch box)
• Silicon baking cups or dividers
• Colorful picks and sauce containers

Make sure you divide the meal proportionally so that you provide an even balance for a healthy meal.

Choose nice colors! It makes the meal more appealing.

Last thing you should be aware of before you start making a bento box is to PACK YOUR BOX TIGHTLY. 

Pack your heavier foods first then add lighter foods on the top. Don't forget to add fruits or vegetables to fill in any empty areas.

So, Step One: Add carbs

Fill the bento about halfway, it doesn't necessarily have to be rice, remember, you can put what YOU want.

Step 2: Put proteins

Any kind of protein source should be packed into 1/4 of the box. If it's possible, try to add two dishes.

Step 3: Put vegetables and fruits

The vegetables and fruits should fill in the other 1/4 of the box. Also, try to add two dishes. If you have more dishes, put them in separate containers.

And that's it! For more instructions as to food preservation and pre-preparation, PLEASE use the link that I included. The guide is very interesting and I'd like it if you all tried it out! :D 

Student Success Statements

"True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what's right."

-Brigham Young

Reflection:

I suppose this is true. If someone goes around doing what's wrong, eventually they begin to lose independence and freedom. Suppose you are a good person, but then you commit a crime and become a fugitive. By choosing to go down the wrong path, you've ultimately lost all the blessings that you once took for granted. Now, you have no freedom, and the law will hunt you down and put you where you belong: jail. 

St. Patrick's Day

Who was St. Patrick?
Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland during the fifth century.

What is the purpose of St. Patrick's Day?
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in commemoration of the Roman Catholic feast day of Ireland's patron saint.


Why is St. Patrick's day designated when it is?
St. Patrick's day is always celebrated on the 17th because that is the day on which Saint Patrick died.

Why a certain color on St. Patrick's Day?
There is a specific color attributed to this day because green is one of the colors on the Irish flag, and has been used in several revolutionary groups in history.

Other information of interest

• Did you know that originally the color used for St. Patrick's wasn't green but in fact blue? I found this very weird to imagine, having everyone walk around in blue instead of green would be very different than what I'm used to. 
• Also, apparently St. Patrick wasn't even Irish! He was only a missionary that converted many of the Irish to Christianity.

Video Summary

In a high school football game in Michigan, a football team planned to not make a touchdown, with a specific goal in mind. There was a special-ed student, Keith, and they would make it so that he would make the touchdown. 
It became the kind of experience where they made everyone's day, and many people were surprised by the sentiment, they'd never even considered doing something like what the football team had come up with. 

In all honesty, I'm also one of those people who wouldn't even consider the idea of helping out someone else. I'm probably a bit selfish as I say this, but good actions like those don't come to mind naturally. I'm not used to contact with those who are mentally or physically deficient, and I hope I don't come off as rude when I say that I do catch myself avoiding those types of people instead of approaching them.

Nevertheless, stories like these never cease to amaze me. They're quite common when it comes to sports, and Mr. Haymore has shown us quite a few of them. I often wonder if I'll ever have the good kind of ulterior motives and help out a kid, similarly to the way this football team helped Keith.