Author: raining17

Power Outage

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It’s interesting how a slight parting from your routine can make such a large impact on your daily lifestyle.

There was construction work being done on Sunday, and the power was out on the OVS Upper Campus from 8-4.

I can probably speak for the all the boarders and say that it was less than convenient – who doesn’t love a lazy Sunday morning, laying in bed and watching a movie.

But as the day went on, there was a tangible change of atmosphere, as students came together and learned how to overcome the change.

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I, for one, spent more time with friends than I would otherwise. A group of friends and I ordered some pizza and sat around talking and laughing.

Fast forward a few hours when I went into the girls dorm lounge. Instead of seeing the five or so that usually hang out there, at least 20 people were there – talking, playing board games and spending time outside.

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Sunday happened to be a rare rainy day, and due to the drought, Californians tend to get pretty excited whenever the sky opens up.

It was pouring, and there were kids dancing in the rain, listening to music and throwing water at each other. While the excitement stemmed from the water, this would be much less likely to happen if video games or movies were options.

Just from the lack of power, kids began spending more time together, playing games and doing more activities together. A simple change of lifestyle spurred new customs, and a whole new vibe on campus.

Santa Cruzin’

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I don’t consider myself a water person – unlike the bounty of surfers and ocean fanatics that I now surround myself with, I grew up inland and only ventured to the cold Oregon Coast 1-2 times each year.

Now in California I have many more opportunities to go swim in the ocean, or just be near the water.

However wonderful my opportunity is to many, even sometimes to me, when I heard I was going camping for a week at Santa Cruz Island, I was less than enthused.

The idea of being surrounded by ocean for five days straight, no matter how clear and beautiful I knew it would be, scared me. We were to be completely isolated – an hour boat ride away from land.

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My trip seemed to be the most popular out of the four – everyone wanted to go, and I even felt bad for taking up a spot when I wasn’t nearly as excited as some who couldn’t go.

Once I was on the boat to the island, standing with salty wind blowing through my hair, watching the island grow bigger and bigger, I began to feel excited. No longer was I wishing I was on route to Yosemite, I found myself looking forward to the next week, and what was to come.

What I thought would be a long, torturous week turned out to be adventure-filled and an amazing time. The ocean, originally the object of my fear, was beautiful, full of creatures, and the best part of the trip.

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Out of all the camping trips I’ve been on throughout my life, this one was the most fun. And not only did I explore caves, but I also explored my limits.

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Palindrome Week

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From May 10th – May 19th in 2015, the dates are the same forward and backwards, exciting mathematicians and systematic people alike. Because May is the fifth month and the year is 2015, the number 5 lines up perfectly.

See for yourself:

5/10/15

5/11/15

5/12/15

5/13/15

5/14/15

5/15/15

5/16/15

5/17/15

5/18/15

5/19/15

They’re all the same, whether you read the date forward or backward, therefore epitomizing a palindrome. A palindrome is usually used in terms of words or a phrase which is spelled the same forward or backwards. For example, “Hannah” or “racecar”.

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A palindrome can also be a phrase, and the longest English palindromic phrase is said to have 17,259 words. It is jibberish though – for it doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to be the same forwards and backwards! The longest single palindromic word in the English language has 12 letters.

Interestingly, single letter words such as “a” or “I” are also considered to be palindromes.

This “palindrome week” phenomenon is set to happen again in June of 2016, beginning with 6/10/16.

From The City to The Country

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After living most of my life in the city, sounds of sirens and car horns are just background noise, and the smell of gasoline simply means I’m home. Now, living here at OVS I’ve learned an entirely new way of life, for I have a better chance of seeing a grizzly bear than a bus.

At home, I wake up to the sounds of garbage trucks and school busses, and I fall asleep to the screech of distant sirens and car alarms. And quite honestly, it’s comforting.

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Now I wake up to birds chirping outside my window, and fall asleep to coyotes howling just a little ways away. And although that sounds beautiful, like some poem or romantic story, those birds are loud! And obnoxious. And constantly make a racket!

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As for the coyotes – who knows what they’re barking about! As far as I know, they could’ve just killed their prey and are celebrating before they enjoy their feast. I’ll take a multiple-ton, killing machine on wheels any day.

I know that both the city and the wilderness come with their fair share of dangers, not one more dangerous than the other. I also know that OVS isn’t actually the wilderness, but compared to the city it sure seems like it! Personally, I prefer living in the city, but life at OVS has opened my eyes to what else is out there.

“Just Being Miley”

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Miley Cyrus, known for being outspoken and drastically altering her appearance, just opened up about her sexuality and her dislike for labels.

When questioned on Facebook about her sexuality, Cyrus announced that not all of her relationships have been heterosexual, though she did not give any details. Cyrus did not come out as bisexual, however – she stressed the fact that she never wanted to label herself as she wants to be open.

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Along the lines of labeling herself, Cyrus declared that she never liked the female stereotypes and expectations, and while she never felt like a boy, she never fit in with girls either. Cyrus simply didn’t appreciate the confinement and what was expected of her, but she has grown to live outside of the conventional expectations.

Cyrus’s progressive thinking along with the action she’s taken has caused lots of uproar. However, the negative attention is unfortunate, for Cyrus is an important advocate for similar causes, and doesn’t care about negative opinions or bad publicity. Simply, Cyrus takes action where others won’t.

Granny Hair

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After an eternity of hair turning gray with old age, and years of people dyeing their hair to hide the gray, that pattern has been reversed.

A new fad, commonly referred to as “granny hair” has taken over today’s fashion. No longer do people need to tediously eradicate all signs of gray hair, for now it is in style.

People much younger than the true age of gray hair are ahead of the curve – embracing the color before it becomes a reality. It is considered to be very fashion forward, and more and more people are actually dyeing their hair to achieve the look. Some truly do end up looking elderly, but most sport the look perfectly.

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Celebrities including Lady Gaga and Kylie Jenner have adopted the new style, and top fashion designers are also styling their models with gray hair.

This newfound liking for hair that originally meant old age is catching the interest of more and more people each day, and continues to spread through modern fashion.

Imposers

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Videos are constantly popping up all over the internet, with titles broadcasting one miracle of life after another. From a child born without a brain to another born with an extra arm, these stories are true to their name.

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However, beyond videos about rare diseases and miracle survivors, the producers of these shows have began to document people who, frankly, are undeserving of the “miracle” title.

From viewing a documentary of a child with a never-before-seen case of dwarfism, one could then be taken to a video about a woman with the most famous butt. People, that is not a miracle of life!

It’s almost as if these unqualified people are taking away from people who truly are miracles. It’s not glory that is being taken away, per say, but the whole point of these “miracle” documentaries is to share the stories of unusual people. If one has a famous butt or some crazy plastic surgery, it’s not really a miracle, and it makes genuine miracles seem less important.

As far as videos about insane body-modification, great – they’re entertaining. However, they shouldn’t be categorized as life miracles, for they are not natural. The whole concept is based on changing oneself, and therefore in no way do any of these people qualify as someone born with an unusual quality.

Summer Lovin’

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As the school year comes to a close, anticipation for summer is high. Seniors have decided which college they plan to attend, and others are simply excited for the year to end and summer to begin.

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For boarders, this can come with mixed emotions. Of course we are excited for the year to end and what the summer will bring. However, as much as we love home, a part of our life is at school.

Day students live in the area, so while they can see friends at school, they also live right by them. Boarders, on the other hand, do not.

I have friends at home that I am excited to see, but I have close friends at school too, and the fact that I won’t get to see any of them for three months is sad!

Basically, I’m excited for the school year to be over since it means school will be done and I get to go home, but leaving my friends is going to be difficult.

Perpetual Addiction

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A constant fight between adults and teenagers is the apparent crisis of technology, and the misconception that teenagers are addicted.

Yes, teenagers use technology a lot. But so do adults! Even if teenagers use it in the form of social media and adults to check email, both are online. Plain and simple.

Another misconception is that the current teenage generation is the first ever to be antisocial. Before we were on our phones, other generations were just as invested in reading books or newspapers, or listening to the radio. Heck, this could go all the way back to knitting by the fire or crocheting a new hat!

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Honestly, the current generation is probably more social than the last, since phones enable us to talk to others and stay connected.

Basically, to say that our generation is the first to be antisocial is entirely false. People have been antisocial, or invested in a certain belonging for as long as people have been on earth!

It’s human nature, people.

As times change, belongings and interests change with them. What’s important, however, is that awareness remains constant.

Waka Flocka Fame

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On April 20th, rapper Waka Flocka Flame announced his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election.

Waka first promised to run in 2012 when he tweeted, stating his plans. Keeping to his words, he is now running with DJ Whoo Kid as Vice President.

This announcement was made on 4/20 – also known as national weed day. And this is by no coincidence. Waka’s first reform as president would be to legalize marijuana.

He went on to announce other questionable changes. Waka would ban people with shoe sizes 13+ from sidewalks, prohibit dogs from restaurants and require citizens to memorize his lyrics. If people didn’t study his music, he said, they’d be sent back to third grade.

A comment which enraged many, was his belief that women don’t need any more rights. However, he would like to raise minimum wage, which would benefit many.

Most citizens would agree that Waka’s political claims are absolutely absurd. First of all, he is known for being ignorant about politics, and is now trying to run for president. His presidential goals are mostly irrelevant to the current issues in the world, and he doesn’t appear very knowledgeable about what he is truly doing.

The epitome of naive, Waka’s path to potential presidency will be a sight to see!

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