Anytime I think about it, my thoughts are either “I would survive” or “there’s absolutely no way I’m putting myself through all that.” If I really think about it, I believe my chances are not completely down the gutter.
I consider myself a mildly athletic person. I’ve played soccer and run track. These are sports that involve a lot of running and jogging, which you would assume would give me high endurance; you would be wrong. Although I play soccer, I would say I have bad endurance, and long runs make me wanna die. Probably another reason wouldn’t wanna survive the apocalypse.
Actually, now that I really think about it, the chances of me wanting to survive the apocalypse are completely down the gutter. Like, what’s the point? All you’re doing is surviving and trying to avoid the unavoidable. At the end of the day, either zombies, starvation, isolation, or betrayal is taking you out.
Archer is my friend. He saved my life on the weekend. I was in my bed thinking about another weekend at OVS dorms, which are very comfortable but don’t have much excitement. Then my savior, Archer, said he could take me out this weekend, and I was thrilled. I leaped out of bed and started to dance all over my room.
When Archer picked me up, we went to his house before going to McDonald’s, where we ordered some nuggets and fries. After that, we hung out for the rest of the night and woke up on Saturday. On Saturday, we drove to my haircut appointment and sang karaoke. We also ate super good food and ended the day at the golf course with our friend Alex.
Archer is so amazing because on Sunday, he took me out to dinner with more friends and we got sushi. We then threw a football in a park, and I did a backflip off a swing. What a day.
I thought it would be nice to write a letter to my future self in four years, when I won’t be a high school senior, but a college senior.
Credit: Google
Dear Future Brownbeans,
Right now, April 15, 2026, I am writing this blog and giving you a snapshot of my day as a high school senior. My day started at 6:45 am. I went to the bathroom and got ready for the day. I skipped breakfast because I had a heavy dinner. After I finished getting ready, I went to Yearbook, and Mr. Schude reminded us that our Yearbook is due in like 2 hours. Next, AP Stats. I have no idea what is going on in that class. Then a snack break! After, I went to English where we watched a movie and did the Wordle. Next, Lunch! I had fajitas with rice, beans, and salad. Then, we had a student council meeting, pretty boring. Later, I went to Psych and started working on this blog. Soon I’ll have sports, with dinner and tutoring coming later tonight.
Now, onto my questions.
How is college? Did you meet a lot more people? Are you still friends with people from high school? How would you rate your happiness on a scale of 1-10? Is college actually a lot easier than high school, or were people lying? Does your room have AC? Was the new building worth having the smaller dorms freshman year? Is the food only good on admitted students day? Are you tired of Acai bowls yet? Are you and Emely still roommates? Are you going to become a lawyer? Starbucks barista? What was it like voting for the first time?
Whatever you are doing, I bet you are really happy and living your best life. See you in four years!
I’ve tried to be on my tanning grind lately. It’s so random for this time of year, but I’m not complaining. It was just winter, yet somehow it’s been staying so hot and sunny lately that it genuinely feels like summer already. I’ve been. trying to make the most of it, going out during prime UV whenever I can. Sometimes I even feel defeated if I don’t sit out because of school or other reasons.
I’ve become so dedicated to the routine that I will try to avoid anything that involves being inside during peak tanning hours. I can’t risk missing the small window when the sun is in the right spot, especially since the recent heatwave. My favorite part of the process is getting inside and seeing my fresh tan lines; it makes the hours spent lying out feel so worth it.
I know I’m not the only one who absolutely hates the whole process of sitting around waiting in the blazing heat for hours. It feels like it takes forever, and staying still is the worst part, but the results are always worth it in the end. There’s something about having tan lines that makes life feel a little better, especially when the weather is actually cooperating for once.
It’s been nice to slowly gravitate towards summer. Even though it was just winter and it’s technically spring, being able to sit in the sun and get a tan will always boost my mood. I’m definitely going to try and keep up with it as long as the sky stays clear, because it looks like July in mid-April, and it’s the only thing getting me through right now.
Let me paint you the picture: it’s Monday, back from Spring Break, not a single kid played a minute of baseball over that week-long period, and we have a game that day. As a manager, what do you do in that situation? I’ll tell you what decision manager Hank Pankratz made, the correct one. Early in the morning, he came up to The Hebrew Hammer and said, “Aye kid, you’re on the bump today.” As I shuddered with glee, I proceeded to stop smiling, and it was time to prepare myself for the grueling challenge that was Newbury Park Adventist Academy later that day. On the ride over the hill to NPAA, I had my headphones on full blast, helping tune into that state of flow. When it was game time, they had scored an early run on me from two errors. But errors or not, I put my head down and got to work, I struck out 17 hitters with my furious fastball and my catastrophic curveball, the other 4 outs, you ask? All made by me, 2 groundballs at me, one pickoff beautifully executed by Cole Huey and me, and one insane play where I ran all the way past first base to field the ball and flip it for the out. All that while only allowing 1 walk, 1 batter hit, a handful of errors, but ultimately no hits allowed, my first no-hitter of the year, and my 3rd in high school. The Spuds found themselves triumphant in a 4-1 win, followed by a 19-2 win on Wednesday against Hillcrest Christian. What a week for the fellas. And following in the footsteps of my mentor before me, Derek Mendoza, I kept the tradition alive of no-hitting Newbury! Go Spuds, baby.
On paper, F1 is a very standard and generic sports story filled with familiar narrative and character cliches. An old, grumpy veteran reluctantly working with a younger, cocky rookie, eventually growing to appreciate the people around him and rediscovering his love for a sport, is not groundbreaking storytelling for the sports genre. And yet, the cast and presentation elevate the viewing experience beyond this basic premise.
Brad Pitt and Damson Idris have such magnetic and charismatic chemistry that made their seemingly cliché dynamic a delight to watch unfold. Their acting and rapport were certainly a primary factor that contributed to the film’s enjoyability.
Furthermore, all audio and visual aspects of the film are breathtaking, amplifying the intensity and excitement of the racing sequences to their utmost limit. The cinematography and directing were particularly miraculous, leaving me questioning how they were able to pull off what they did with the camera.
However, my biggest issue is the romance subplot between Sonny and Kate. Much like Top Gun Maverick—another film directed by Joseph Kosinski—scenes that serve to explore the protagonist’s relationship with their love interest ultimately drag out the viewing experience without contributing much to the rest of the narrative. The bloated 2-hour 35-minute runtime could definitely be condensed if these scenes were reduced or even removed entirely.
Despite its flaws, F1 holds a special place in my heart. The movie came out during a time in my life when I, too, was questioning the worth of a sport that was once so important to me. I believe that this film played a significant role in restoring my fleeting passion for this sport. The “flying” scene and “it’s not about the money” quote stick out to me in particular; sometimes, we are drawn by a purpose beyond mere winning or recognition.
I think by the end of the year, I will have officially lost all motivation to study, even if it’s for a quiz. Even when I have opportunities to study or do homework, such as in study halls or during free periods. I still choose not to. I wish I could bring myself up to have just a little more motivation. Sometimes it feels like I’m doing badly in school because of it. Especially since tests and quizzes are what school is all about. I don’t remember the last time in class when I actually learned something interesting, unless it’s history. Sometimes I feel like certain classes are useless. I think to myself, how is this going to impact my life in the future? Well, it’s not. Because half of what I’m learning now is information I’m never going to use. Though sometimes I do enjoy school, even if I hate to say it, I enjoy the people, some of the classes, and just being social with a schedule. When I’m on break, it’s the best thing ever, but sometimes summer can get a little boring. I think worrying about colleges at my age doesn’t make sense because I’m still so far away. I just want to get out of high school because it’s a drag.
May 1st is in seventeen days. I have seventeen days to decide where I will spend the next four years of my life. Where I will sleep, where I will study, where I will meet new people, and hopefully where I will thrive. Considering factors like housing applications and looking for a roommate, I’ll probably need to make a decision much sooner. Over spring break, I toured both UC Santa Cruz and Santa Clara University. I was sure that I wouldn’t like SCU and that I was going to commit to UCSC as soon as I got home. When I began walking around SCU, I was pleasantly, but inconveniently surprised; I actually really liked it. On the drive home, my mind changed; I loved SCU, and I was sure I would be attending in the fall. Later that day, when I finally saw UCSC, my decision was again complicated. I loved both schools. Each one was gorgeous, but in vastly different ways. Seeing the people on both campuses, I feel as though I might fit in better at UCSC, but the consistent rain and shade may make me a bit depressed. SCU has D1 sports, which could be fun to watch, while UCSC only offers D3 sports. SCU’s party scene is definitely more lively as well. SCU was smaller and much easier to navigate, but will I be sick of that after four years? UCSC dorms are pretty bad, and they only offer communal-style dorms, and none of them have kitchens. Since there are no kitchens, students are forced to get a meal plan, and I’ve heard the meals are pretty terrible. Santa Cruz, the city, is absolutely perfect, though. There is so much to do, it’s right on the beach, and just absolutely stunning. Santa Clara, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as charming. SCU is more prestigious, and they offer great suite-style dorms, and even the communal-style dorms are decent, and they have better dining hall food. There are better post-graduate opportunities, and the housing crisis isn’t as severe as it is in Santa Cruz. The pros and cons point to SCU, but is it the right choice? There are so many factors to consider and it makes my head hurt. I don’t want to make the wrong choice, and I want to thrive and be happy. I wish somebody would just tell me what to do with complete confidence in positive results.
Over spring break, I did almost nothing except play soccer and work. I worked 4 days last week and made over 600 dollars, and I would have made more if so much of it wasn’t taxed. I also played a soccer game this weekend, and it was the quarter finals, but we unfortunately lost, and now we’re out of the state cup. It was a game we should have won, but the refs were so bad, and we ended up going into penalties because we tied, and all my teammates suck at taking penalties, and only my teammate and I scored, and everyone else missed. We need to practice penalties, which is something that we literally never do. Other than soccer and work, I tanned the rest of the break on the days that had good UV. I also hung out with some friends and went to Ventura to go to the beach and to In-N-Out.
Prom is actually ragebaiting me. Why are all the braiders in my vicinity not available? Every braiding salon is booked from now to June. I’m looking for someone close and not too expensive.
I really wanted to get my hair braided for prom too, but it wasn’t until recently that I realised I don’t have money. My funds are nonexistent; like, every time I open my wallet, flies come out.
In this situation, I really wish I were a nepobaby.
I would kill to be able to call up a stylist and drop 500$, just like that. My hair would look fresh 24/7, seven days a week. It would also be so fun to switch up styles every few days.
You would think that after spending months learning how to do multiple hairstyles, I would do my own hair and everything would be so much easier, but I would rather not.
So if there is a braiding Gof out there, please have someone cancel their appointment or get in a mild accident that prevents them from going.
OVS Journalism Blog 
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