I’m sure that plenty of people will be blogging about this soon, but last week eighteen students, including five students from this blog, went on the honors ski trip.
We all packed up Monday morning and made the six hour drive to Yosemite in two school vans filled to the brim with snacks and camping equipment. I hadn’t been to the snow in five years, so needless to say I was ecstatic.
I had also never skied before. Here is where my actual blog starts.
For many years, one of Charles Darwin’s theories has been contradicted by recent research. Darwin believed that when an invasive species entered a region where a closely related species already existed, it would not likely be successful because of the competition for resources. “Instead, we found the opposite pattern with amphibians,” said Reid Tingley, a biologist at the University of Sydney in Australia. “When frogs and toads and salamanders invade an area where a similar species exists, they are more, not less, likely to establish themselves.” one explanation for this phenomenon is because for amphibian, if their close relatives are already doing well in the region, it is a positive sign for the new amphibian that is also a suitable region for them. The research could help conservationists to predict the risk levels of introducing specific alien species into a new region
Soccer is a thinking man’s game. I have heard this saying over and over again and when thinking about it I find that it is really true.
I have been playing soccer my entire life and I have always been slow. My first step is quick but it goes down hill from there. Because of that I have had to find ways to level the playing field.
I have found that the most successful way is to physically level the playing field. An elbow placed correctly to the head will at least make the opposing player avoid you at all cost. This might seem incredibly dirty but I don’t think so.
A referee’s job is to call the game. If he catches me being to physical then he will punish me and I am sure I will deserve it. If he does not catch me then he is not doing his job. A ref is part of the game and players need to play him just as much as they need to play the ball.
Getting away with fouls requires a few different skills. The first is awareness. As a player you need to know where the ref is in relationship to the foul you are about to commit. If his line of sight is right there then chances are you will get caught.
The next step is the actual foul. How hard and where are the two key questions. The answer to those depends on what ones goal is. If it is to hurt the opposing player (which I strongly oppose) then one should aim for what ever soccer player needs, their legs. A stomp on the foot will cause a lot of pain without putting a player out of the game.
My whole goal in intentional fouling is to put the opposing player off of his game. Soccer is a game that requires full mental awareness and having a severe pain or the fear of pain can throw a player off.
The best situation to foul is one in which the chances of getting punished are small. I cannot remember the last corner kick I defended that I was not grabbing an opponents jersey. I can be almost certain that a ref will not call a penalty for a shirt tug but the grabbing of the shirt is a huge advantage for a defender.
The third step is the follow through. If the opponent goes down after you fouling him then just keep walking away as if nothing happened. If you are quick to react the ref will be very suspicious. Even though refs aren’t supposed to make calls based on something they didn’t see, I know from experience that they will. Make the other player look crazy, like they are writhing on the ground for no reason.
This all might seem like it is dirty and un-sportsman like. I have been told more times than I can count that fouling is bad. But to win sometimes you have to do it, and its all about what you are willing to give to win.
If you want to see how its done (mostly quite poorly) watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40V4QWemII&feature=fvst
In the modern game of soccer there are many fouls. As a player you have to evolve with the game and fouling is part of that evolution. The trick is getting away with it. It is not easy but once you perfect it you are at a huge advantage.
Female artists always inspire me and Lykke Li is no exception.Li’s music is classified as indie.
Originating from the small european country of Sweden the female artists music has now progressed world widely. Through her songs we see influences of her european heritage and swedish roots.
Lykke Li’s music is excellently varied. She has slow songs such as “Tonight” for those who need to relax and quirky up beat songs like “Get Some” for those who prefer the busier melody. Thousands across the world enjoy her music with it’s soothing tones and quirky attitude.
Her became known after her song “little bit” in 2007. The release of the song followed on to numerous remixes which included a debut by the well-known hip-hop artist Drake.
Although Lykke Li has had many of her own songs she has also collaborated with many other artists such as Primal Scream, Kleerup and Royksopp.
Releasing her new album “Wounded Rhymes” on the 25th of February 2011, her latest single “I follow rivers” is proving to be a hit among indie lovers, appearing on popular blogs and sites.
In my opinion Lykee Li is different from artists and that is what I love about her. She’s unique and doesn’t try to impress or conform to the stereotypes, releasing great songs that are easy to listen to and put one in a great mood.
“>”>
In the past 5 days I have seen some of the most magnificent sights I have ever seen. India, Africa, Egypt and Europe have all hosted idyllic spots for my eyes yet none of these places compare to Yosemite.
After a cross country skiing trip into the beautiful peaks of the Sierra’s I can now express my happiness to be living in California.
The looming granite structures dusted with snow and blanketed in pines have made me realize the expansiveness of the state and the beauty that exists in our world.
My trip to Yosemite has opened my eyes to the life that my parents have chosen for me and although I miss the old times, I can safely say that I am happy to be here.
As much as I do not like to admit it, I can now say that I am pleased to be an inhabitant of America.
With the window to my next four years open and the endless possibility flows in like the rays of sun through a dark room, I ask myself, “what do I make of the previous three?”
Like many of my colleagues in their final year of high school, I too have had the fortune of anxiously tearing open a letter to read the words dedicated students wait to see since they began the process oh so many months before, “congratulations, you have been accepted.” At this moment, one may experience a leaping sensation in their heart as the rate increases.
Some may not be able to breathe or speak with excitement. The eyes may start to smart as tears of joy flow freely like persistent waterfalls and some may reveal a small grin while feeling their own sense of great emotion. Maybe you’ll jump maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll scream, maybe you’ll break into random song. Maybe you’ll hug the first person you see. For those of us in boarding school, the cell phone on your dresser drawer rings continuously for hours as family members and friends congratulate your impressive accomplishment. You try to take the moment in while at the same time you try to express yourself, and as you celebrate, you know that for the moment, the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders.
Today I’m another one of those lucky people. I’m a person who an institution of great prestige said “yes” to. 14,000 other hopeful applicants completed the process with me and the fact that I made it makes it that much sweeter. Did I mention that it’s my #1?
I came back from the Honors Ski Trip in Yosemite National Park to find an email telling me of my good fortune. The email was from the University of San Francisco. I can yammer on and on and on about each and every detail of the process and the story behind it like I usually do but however, this is not my prerogative.
The significance of this to me is that the chapter of my life lingers as I am about to turn the page. It is the feeling that you get when you’re waiting in a train station you hear your train coming down the tracks, and you think to yourself, “could it be? finally, in this moment, MY train has arrived.” Now it seems that all I have to do is step on. It is a new beginning taking me to destinations not yet treaded and not yet known and not just to San Francisco.
Times like now only add the incentive for me to count down the days until we as a senior class commence under the hot sun of an early June day to accept our diplomas. Yet I can’t help but think back on the past three years and question them, reminisce on them, ponder them, and to contemplate my exact emotions. I can’t say that I approve of all that’s gone down since I came to OVS as a 15-year-old, but for now, I try to stay away from senioritis, keep the grades up, and think about all the future holds while trying to live in the present. Still, it’s hard to keep your head in the moment when your mind’s a million miles away, or in this case, just up the state.
She was at the top of her game. When she stepped out onto the stage the audience roared with excitement, but most of all inspiration.
Christina Aguilera’s career started off at the top of charts with consecutive hit singles and
She began, at an early age, as a member of the world famous Mickey Mouse Club and blew everyone away with her “powerhouse” voice. Almost instantly her career built up to complete stardom. The Latina songstress caught everyone’s eye, or ear, when asked to sing the theme song for the 1998 Disney cartoon, Mulan and the publicity led to a successful debut album and suddenly she was the girl that everyone wanted and wanted to be.
After her fame had been set in stone she continued to come out with songs that blew our minds and wrenched our hearts. One album entitled Stripped featured poetic lyrics that reassured an unsure and self-conscious crowd of doubtful
Every time she opened her mouth the most beautiful, powerful sound came out.
On Sunday, March 6th, Manchester United faces Liverpool. This might sounds clichéd but this is the most important game of the season. That was said about the Chelsea game and it might prove to be true but I am hoping United can move on.
After the heart breaking loss to Chelsea last weekend, this is a key game. If United win, they have a chance to guarantee that they are 3 points clear of Arsenal. But Liverpool do worry me. They might have lost Torres but they gained Suarez who is a real danger.
There are 10 games left in the Premier League season and every week the pressure will rise. I still believe that it is a two horse race between Arsenal and United.
On March 2, the federal Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Eastern Cougar from the endangered species list to the extinct species list. Since 1973, the Eastern Cougar has been on the endangered species list. According to the record, the last time humans saw the Eastern Cougar is in Maine was in 1938. The Eastern Cougar’s habitat stretches from eastern Ontario and Michigan eastward to Maine and southward to Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri. However, they are such a ferocious animal which will threaten many domestic animals, so they are human’s hunting target. During the past 5 years, scientists cannot find any evidence which can show that the Cougar is in active, and the amount of their prey, deer, has largely increased. So many of the evidences have shown that the Eastern Cougar is extinct. In addition, one of the Eastern Cougar’s relative, Florida Panther, is also in danger too. there are only less than 100 of them left in the States, so the Fish and Wildlife Service has put this species under protection under the Endangered Species Act.
I promise,
that this was never fake.
Don’t you wish that I
was forgotten in the wake.
I promise,
to leave you behind.
I promise,
to turn my eyes blind.
I promise,
to break my own heart.
I promise,
to stop at the start.
Cross my heart,
Hope to die,
Stick a needle in my eye.
Cross your heart,
Prepare to die,
Stick a needle through your lie!
I promise,
to learn to breathe again.
The line I’ve walked
has reached an end.
I promise,
that you won’t feel.
I promise,
that your heart won’t heal.
I promise,
that you’re the reason why.
I promise,
that I can never lie.
Cross. Your. Heart.
OVS Journalism Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.