Senior Fun Day

A time old tradition for seniors in high school is to have a senior skip day. This unofficial holiday is a designated day, by students, where all the seniors decide to not attend school. While this has been something that seniors have done for a long time, the tradition has changed a bit for a number of high schools. In order to keep students safe and out of trouble, Senior Fun Day has been implemented into the high school schedule. This day is designed to let seniors have their day outside of class, but it is organized in a way that all the seniors can bond together and have fun. While some people still decide to skip Senior Fun Day, I had a good time socializing with many of the seniors as well as a select few of awesome teachers! Our day included eating, playing, eating, playing, and a little more eating and playing. While our time away from school was about four hours, the time flew by because we were all enjoying ourselves. Besides the normal football, frisbee, soccer, and other sporting games that were played, there was also a sumo wresting station and a bungee race. In the first picture the individual in red is a male, and then one in blue is a female. While the idea of flattening a female friend is something guys may think of, there is no time better to do it than when surrounded by a foot of padding. These sumo wrestling suits provided seniors the opportunity to strengthen many friendships. Also the bungee race was exciting because it involved racing as well as being whipped backwards at the end of the race. Also the facial expressions were priceless from everyone that did the bungee race. Overall Senior Fun Day marked the end of what is known and a start to a new beginning.

Prom!

At the end of the year there have been many fun activities that have been taking place. For many, however, prom is the grandest event of them all. From delicious dinner and desserts, to fancy clothing, hair and nails, there is a classy look that goes along with prom. For many of us male high schoolers there are not many opportunities to dress in a tuxedo and have a pretty lady by our sides, but prom is a time where people dress to impress and put on a good showing. This year I was honored to go to dinner with individuals from the Partners Club. Just like any other event that the Partners Club has, there was a lot of fun and laughter throughout out dinner. While we didn't go to the classiest of restaurants, the Golden Coral was a nice place to enjoy a good meal with friends. With prom being one of a few commencement activities for seniors, I was glad to spend time with people who have meant a lot to me over the last four years. Between food, laughter, good looks, and dancing, prom was an event that I will remember for a long time. These three pictures are just a sampling of the elegant outfits and filled-out smiles that were present within our group. For a night filled with class and friends, I feel I can speak for the lot of us and say that a good time was had by all!

Funny Faces

There comes a time at the end of senior year in High School where students begin to check out of their daily routines and start to daydream about the future; many people call this Senioritis. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: laziness, skipping class, not doing homework, and wearing sweats all the time. Along with the these wonderful traits of a Senioritis come an increasing need to relax and have a laugh with friends. In the pictures above there are a few images of me and Nathaniel Knapp in our final weeks of High School. Since we have both been very active through academics, sports, and clubs, there has often been stress within our lives. The realization, however, that free education is coming to a close and we are going to have to start caring about grades more, because we are paying for classes, is something we are finally realizing. This realization that our lives are taking a major shift has caused the two of us to take a step back from the rigorous schedules we have, to enjoy some extra fun. As pictures are worth 1000 words, we have both taken a liking in taking funny pictures. As I have blogged before about the innocence of children, again the characteristics of not having a care in the world and being able to enjoy life, are things that these images portray. While the last four years have been full of some stressful times, the final days of High School have been great for reminiscing about the fun we've had throughout the years. These last four years have been a great time in my life and I can't wait for the opportunities that are to arise after High School.

Childhood Innocense

Every month I have the opportunity to hang out with a group of kids while their parents are off having a nice, peaceful getaway. Through my church, Trinity Presbyterian, we offer a "Date Night," where parents can drop off their children and get some time alone. While watching the kids, I can't help but admire the innocence that they all possess. In the first picture one of the boys is beaming with pleasure after he was spun up in a swing by his fellow buddies and then let go to spin about. The smile on his face speaks volumes to how much fun he was truly having. The next image represents the typical, "little rascal" tactics of young children. Both the boys in the second picture are filling shoes with rocks and getting a bit messy. While they were all supposed to keep there shoes on...I couldn't help but admire how adorable they looked while putting rocks in their shoes. The last picture was taken just after eight o'clock and you can tell that the little girl looks a bit on the sleepy side. While she is looking a bit tired, it was nice to see the simplicity of the lives of her and the other babies that we were watching. Although the job of raising kids is one that many adults get tired of at times, it is hard to dismiss the innocent personalities they convey.

Partners Club Track

Throughout my four years at East High School I have been privileged to be a part of a group of people who know how to have a fun time through all aspects of life. This group I am referring to is the Partners Club. Over the years I have been able to befriend many people through this club and have made friendships that will last a lifetime. One of our primary activities as a club is sports training and competition. In the past month and a half the Partners Club has been training for track and field. We compete in the 4 x 100 meter relay, 100 m dash, shot putt, and long jump. While our training program is not as much of a time commitment as many, we get down to business and train hard when we need to, but we also know how to kick back and have some fun! In these three photos you can see the smiles that are present on all the faces of the athletes. Smiling is one thing that runs rampant throughout all of our activities in Partners Club. One of my favorite people to take pictures of is Linda Willie, who is in the first picture. I have been able to work with Linda for the past two years and I would say she is one of the happiest people I know! With a smile like hers you can't help but smile yourself. Throughout all the training, competing, and partying, Partners Club has been one of the most educational and inspirational groups I have ever been a part of and I thank all those who have been involved in the club through the years!

Abstract Nature

Throughout our day to day lives there are often things that are overlooked in nature that provide beauty. This beauty is something that can be seen if one takes a step back, bends down to look from a different angle, or gets a bird's eye view of a situation. In the two photos above the pictures are taken of water and snow on the windshield of my car. When magnified, the droplets of water in the lower right-hand corner of the first image display reflections of me taking this photo. The idea on focusing in on something small like a rain drop displays something that often goes without being seen. For me the second image depicts the universe, with asteroids moving about through space. While others may look at these pictures and have a different interpretation, the possibilities are endless when looking at nature in a new way. While the idea of looking at something from a different vantage point is something that seems easy, there are many things that go unseen due to the hustle and bustle of our daily routines. Whether it be looking at rain and snow on your windshield, or looking through a waterfall, I challenge everyone to go out in nature and find something majestic that you may not have seen before.

Young Athletes Program

The Special Olympics Young Athletes Program offers elementary school students the opportunity to participate in sports activities in order to get them involved with other classmates their age. This program helps to start relationships between students with and without intellectual disabilities at a young age, in order to start friendships that will last a lifetime. Since our society often is unaware about the "abilities" of individuals with intellectual disabilities, it is important to break stereotypes at a young age and promote the equality of all peoples. In these three photos you can see one event that was held to promote the Young Athletes Program. These photos illustrate the fun that is had when students with intellectual disabilities have the option to train and compete in sports. Through my work with these students, I see the abilities that are represented in others, rather than their inabilities that are often pin-pointed by others. The ability to laugh, smile, and treat others with respect is something that I feel each of these children possess and if that is a "disability," than I think it is something that shouldn't be scoffed at by others. Through the work of the Special Olympics organization and volunteers, there are programs like the Young Athletes Program that harness the abilities of other and help to break down stereotypes behind "disabilities."