Category: journalism

My OVS Awakening

pikachu041 Comment

Screen shot 2011-01-18 at 8.16.22 PM

Just past the halfway mark in my senior year and reality is starting to kick in. Going into my 11th year at OVS , I have just began to appreciate how greatly it has influenced my life.

The school has been the most steady home I have always had. Who I am today has been developed and impacted from my life at Ojai Valley School, from the people who have shared their knowledge with me, and more than that, their friendship with me.

Coming home from finals last week, I was anxious to see what would come next in all of my classes. I was pulled aside by Mr. Weidlich, who encouraged me to switch out of his English 12 class and into the AP English class. I was happy to challenge myself and move on to a new opportunity for learning. It was that experience, along with several other experiences with faculty members, that made me truly take a moment and think about how lucky I am to be in this place.

I want to thank Mr. Weidlich for being my advisor through my upper campus experience and always pushing me to challenge and tap into my writing abilities. It is to him that I owe my passion for writing because it was created when he shared his passion of writing with me through his English classes.

He has taught me a lot and I really look up to him as a person. Through thick and thin I will always love Ojai Valley School and it will always be a place where I have felt safest and will certainly be a place I will love to visit in the future as my life unfolds.

Tianjin: the Self-Sustainable City of the Future

yrreskrapLeave a comment

The environmentalist trend has struck China with a bang. No, Tainjin is not just recycling and sorting out its trash. Tianjin isn’t just implementing solar power in a few office rooms here and there. Tianjin isn’t just planting trees or building houses with sustainable bamboo hardwood. No. Tianjin is going all the way.

Tianjin is becoming China’s first ever eco-city, meaning entire communities will be self-sustainable. Surbana Urban Planning Group, the company that designed the 30 square kilometer eco-city, is revolved around environmentally friendly construction. Other projects by Urban Planning include construction in Shanghai, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Urban Planning will be finished with the eco-city in an estimated 9 years. The new city is said to be ready in 2020 for a whopping 350,000 inhabitants to experience. The newest energy saving technologies will be used and residents will be able to choose from many landscapes, making commutes a thing of the past.

Australian National Disaster

smackyjackjack1 Comment

 

Many parts of the world are being hit with large and unforeseen storms, but none can match the devastating floods in Australia. The unprecedented amounts of rain have caused major floods that are devastating the country’s economy, environment and society.
The floods in the south of Australia have been going on for  a while, but it just got much worse. One city named Toowoomba has been one of the hardest hit. The floods there all started when a small valley got 6 inches of rain in 30 minutes.  The water then funneled out of the valley and caused a 25 ft. tall tsunami of water to go rushing through the surrounding area.  It rushed through Toowoomba and killed at least 2 people and 70 more are missing or injured.  The worst is still to come, however, because the water is headed towards Australia’s third most populated city: Brisbane.

The floods are also pounding other towns in the north. An area roughly the size of Texas and New Mexico is underwater (That includes many small towns and cities).  The water also is causing environmental disasters. The water has picked up pesticides and other toxic wastes and flooding them into the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s largest and most prolific reefs. The floods have also washed away farms making the cost of food go up a whopping 30% in Australia.

Finals.

YourcupateaLeave a comment

All over the U.S many teens are preparing for that final week of term. Yes, we have reached the dreaded week where we will be taking our finals. Yes many are nervous, yes many are in panic, but don’t you fear because Christmas is nearly here.

The revision may seem extremely stressful, and sometimes you may wish you had a photographic memory, but I guess we can’t always get what we want.

Lets project into the future. In one week the stress will all be over. You will be waking up late, eating good food and relaxing. The merriments of Christmas will have surrounded you, and your house, as you wrap presents, decorate trees and generally have fun to Christmas classics.

Just keep this image in your mind as you revise for these exams. The effort will pay off and you will be rewarded along with the joys of Christmas.

So don’t worry be happy as Bobby McFerrin said, as it will all be over soon!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv-Fk1PwVeU&fs=1&hl=en_US]

Presents.

YourcupateaLeave a comment

Choosing gifts sometimes feels like one of the hardest decisions. How can you determine what will bring someone joy and happiness? There is no way of knowing, except to choose from you heart. Think about what someone would really like.

Yes idea’s and lists help considerably, but isn’t it nice to open a surprise on Christmas day? I have come up with the perfect solution, to solve any gift troubles. Comedy gifts.

Yes it may not be the Xbox or Wii that someone wanted, but it’s a humorous gift that you have sought out specifically for the individual. Surely the dedication and time put into finding such a unique present is worth more than a “one click” from Amazon.

As I grow older I have began to find the simple things in life are of more worth. Those hand-picked gifts that people have purchased specifically for you are of far more value than expensive gifts brought just to feed another’s greed.

I’m not saying expensive gifts aren’t good, but let them be a present that was purchased with love and consideration rather than because of fear of rejection.

In no way am I expressing that we should all go out and buy a personalized Christmas sweater for your friends, just think about what you are purchasing rather than buying because you have to.

Christmas Sweaters

My Favorite Time of the Year

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Artists are making renditions of classic Christmas music. The winter cold is turning the tip of my nose pink. Small beads of lights, strung up in and around buildings, are brightening up the night. A miasma of green and red invade candy wrappers and wrapping paper. This can only mean one thing: Christmas is near.

I can’t quite put my finger on why I love Christmas. My family was never one to celebrate it. I’ve never experienced those huge, family, holiday reunions with a feast of home cooked foods that I’ve seen on television. I remember having a Christmas tree in the house only once in my life. Of course, I still receive presents from friends and family but that is the only form of celebration I have ever had. But the gifts are not what draw me to Christmas.

Read More »

Neutron Bomb

weirdjennyLeave a comment

nullSamuel T. Cohen, who designed the neutron bomb, which intended to kill people but do minimal damage to structures, died from stomach cancer on Sunday.

Cohen  first introduced this bomb in 1958. As one of the scientists in the Manhattan Project, he has realized that the regular nuclear bomb has killed too many innocent lives and numerous of constructions. So this inspired him to invent this new technology.

Neutron bombs use tiny particles which can penetrate buildings without any big damage but kill humans by attacking their nervous system. Moreover, it has shorter nuclear contamination than the regular nuclear bomb. However, many ethicists have questioned that this weapon is designed to destroy only life. Samuel argued that “this is the only nuclear weapon in history that makes sense in waging war. When the war is over, the world is still intact.”null

Natty.

YourcupateaLeave a comment

Natty is a Reggae singer, songwriter with a message. Although he is relatively unheard of, in respect to mainstream music, he has a large loyal fan base from all over the globe. His numerous tours have been very successful with many sell out dates which including his debut at large reggae festival, One Love.

The singer was born in San Francisco, California living there until the age of 1, when he moved to London. American culture has not directly influenced his song writing, although American artists have. His parent’s musical tastes, as well as past and present issues affect much of Natty’s lyrics.

Read More »

A Home Away From Home

pikachu04Leave a comment

ojai
As a senior this year, I have had to adjust to several new changes. I find it hard to believe that the first semester is already almost over. And just two days ago I turned in all of my college applications.

These new things are both exciting and nerve-racking. The next step is finishing up the year, receiving a car at graduation and heading off to college , opening a new chapter in my life. I have been going to OVS for 11 years now and when I think about it, I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.

OVS has prepared me, taught me to be an independent studier, and offered me countless friendships that will last me the rest of my life. I am thankful that my aunt chose to put me into this school and although at times I have detested OVS, I will always appreciate the way it has pushed me and supported me for the most part.

We Aren’t Really Horsing Around..

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

I’ve been riding horses since I was five and there have only been a few years of my life where I wasn’t fully immersed in a riding program. When I came to OVS, I expected the riding program to be just as it was at my old barn, Springdown, but it wasn’t at all. I can barely remember the Lower Campus’ program, but when I came to Upper and I was incredibly pleased.

Horses

It was 2006 when I joined the Upper Campus’ riding program, and since then I can safely say that I’ve ridden almost every horse, jumped every fence, and gone on every trail offered.

Read More »