Category: school

Lincoln, an Immortal Legend

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Last night I dreamed about one of my favorite historical figure – Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of America’s greatest heroes due to both his incredible impact on the nation and his people. Served as the 16th President of the United States from 1861 to 1865, Lincoln was the first Republican president in America.

Born in a poor cabin in Kentucky in 1809, Lincoln grew up in frontier Kentucky and Indiana, where he was mostly self-educated. In the mid-1850s, Lincoln left the Whig Party to join the new Republican Party. In 1858, he went up against Senator Stephen Douglas, in a debate for the U.S. Senate. Lincoln lost that election, but his spectacular performance against Douglas made him a contender for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination. (“Miller Center”)

After his election, Lincoln vowed to preserve the Union. He eventually raised an army and navy of nearly 3 million northern men to face the south army during the Civil War. One of Lincoln’s greatest achievements is the Emancipation Proclamation 1863, which intended to free the slaves in the South. “Although the Proclamation did not free all slaves in the nation, it was an important symbolic gesture that identified the Union with freedom and the death of slavery.” As part of the Proclamation, Lincoln also urged black males to join the Union forces as soldiers and sailors. “By the end of the war, nearly two hundred thousand African-Americans had fought for the Union cause, and Lincoln referred to them as indispensable in ensuring Union victory.” (Bio.com.)

Even though he was assassinated in 1865, Lincoln is still considered as the greatest President in American history on the moral and political character of the nation. He was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to preserve, protect, and defend it. Therefore, Lincoln is an immortal legend in human history.

I could not remember what really happened in the dream but I can clearly recall that he told me that he had nothing to do with vampires.

Relay for Life

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

As the school year comes to an end, OVS is taking part in one last community effort. Relay for Life of the Ojai Valley is less than a month away. The event will take place on May 31, and the campus is abuzz with fundraising efforts.

OVS has many cancer survivors amongst its faculty and within the families of the students. Last year, the school managed to raise about $10,000 because of this. For a school of about 100 students, this is a remarkable achievement.

So far, we have exceeded our goal of $1000 by $700. The students continue to join the effort of fundraising cancer research. When the day of the event is finally here, we will have students, faculty, and family members walking for 24 hours.

For such an important event, OVS is throwing their all into it. Though we are a small school, we can make a valiant effort. To help our effort, or join our team, click here.

Colleges

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

I’m at the end of my junior year, and along with all the other juniors in my school, I have begun the process of applying to college. Every time I talk to someone, and they find out I am a junior, they ask me if I know where I want to go to school.

The truth is, I have no clue. I have ideas, but how are you supposed to determine the atmosphere of a school from a website?

College seems like such a daunting prospect to me. I hear stories of people doing nothing but partying, but that’s not the type of environment I want to be in. I want to have fun.  I want to make friends. I want to have an internship. I want to learn about my major.

I am at an advantage, I think, because of my experience at boarding school. I am already fairly independent, and I am not afraid to be away from home.

And so begins the process of essays and filling out information, traveling to visit schools, and deciding where to spend the next four years of my life. Almost every junior and senior goes through this process. I just hope I am able to pick the right school for me.

Jack the Cat

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I just finished my favorite story this year, which was about a cool little thing – oh no, the coolest little animal – Jack the Cat.

Before I did this story, Jack was just a friendly cat to me. Whenever I see him, he just meows to me as if he is telling me he is happy.

This time, I got chance to really get a closer look to this small thing. Finally it came to my conclusion that Jack IS the coolest cat ever!

Jack is a cool student.
As soon as school starts, Jack will come out and choose his class. He enters the classroom, lies on the ground and pays full attention. However, he is really hardworking because according to our math teacher Mr.Queen, Jack does not turn in his homework on time and he never takes any tests.

Jack also frequently comes to the library. He will get up on the tables, he will use somebody’s computer and he will sniff books. Does he really read or understand the contents? Who knows.

Jack is a cooler friend.
He shares his happiness with people by meowing to them. He is confident and even more comfortable of being a member of the community. He walks to people and request their attentions. Then he looks at you and you can feel his feelings pretty much. He is always there to cheer people up and inspire the community.

Jack is the coolest cat.
He wears his shiny golden fur and patrols around the campus.
Jack has embraced nearly all the qualities not only as an animal, but moreover, he builds up the special bond with humans and becomes an essential member of the school.


Jack is like a student at the school and he makes our community feel like home.
I’ll miss this special “classmate” a lot after I leave the school.

Unison

indigoshellLeave a comment

You stay up late the night before, preparing a presentation for that class you hate.

Everyone has to present. Everyone was assigned one section of a rather specific topic, and was told that they would be presenting on that specific day.

So the day comes and all your classmates quietly meander in, as if reciting the material to themselves.

Then the teacher comes in and starts the class.

You exchange a glance to the classmate to your left. What about the presentation?

The person to your right catches your eye. Did I read the homework sheet wrong? Were we not supposed to present today?

Eyes wander the room and relieved grins are held. Everyone almost telepathically nods at each other, thinking in unison with each other, you say nothing, I say nothing, we will all say nothing.

And thus, the presentation deadline has been extended.

Honors Ski Trip

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

For the past three years, I have signed up to go on the Honors Ski Trip. Every year it’s just as much fun, if not more.

We start the week on Monday with a six-hour van ride from school to Yosemite. As awful as that seems, the drive really isn’t that bad. On Tuesday, we normally go skiing. This year, we did a seven mile loop.

It’s safe to say that towards the end of the ski I was seriously considering sitting down and not getting back up. Nordic Skiing, if you’ve never tried it, is way harder than you think.

On Wednesday, we set off on what was supposed to be a hike of a little more than a mile long. We ended up hiking three and a half miles of what felt like vertical switchbacks. Basically, we scaled a mountain. Five days later, my calves are still just a little bit sore.

On Thursday, we went on another hike, which was really more of a walk as everyone was so tired from the day before. We did however lose the trail, and wound up bushwhacking through the redwood forest for a little bit.

On Friday, we packed back up and set off on the six-hour van ride back to school. Upon arriving and unpacking the vans, I’m pretty sure everyone just about crashed.

Although there wasn’t as much skiing this trip due to the weather as there has been in years past, it was still really fun. For me, the trip isn’t about the skiing or the hiking. It’s about the time we spend together in the cabins, hot tubbing and playing inappropriate or Chinese card games. We all laugh and have fun. We hang out with people we normally wouldn’t when at school. It’s not a trip you have to go on with your best friends — you can go by yourself and it will still be just as much fun.

The Right Stars

indigoshellLeave a comment

Up on a large hill, or a small mountain (wars have been fought), you would expect the view to be utterly amazing.

And it is.

The mornings can surprise you; you may walk into a cloud of mist with the sun shining through powerfully and cloaking the campus in gold. Some days the sky is a magnifying glass to a sun, blinding white, and permanent sunglasses are needed by everyone.

Nighttime is difficult. The campus lightly shines in yellow, star-like lamps that scatter almost randomly across stairs or walkways, and often overpower the stars.

To stargaze on campus means you must search high and low for the best, unlit spots. There are two areas that I have concluded to be the best spots for the right stars.

The first spot is the lower field, or the big field, while we’re playing glow-in-the-dark capture the flag. I have found out that, if I just stop what I’m doing and lay down on my back, the rest of my team will follow. If you lie down on the right spot the campus lights will not hinder your eyesight, and the stars will shine to their full extent.

The second spot, an easier spot to reach, is the newly built staircase. At night when the sun has fully set and things are quiet, perhaps at 9pm or so, there is a particular step on the staircase that you can stand on and the trees around you will block out the campus lights. Then, if you look up, it looks like the stars are framed by the trees.

No I did not sneak out of the dorm at 9pm to watch the stars.

Break

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

You know that feeling when you’ve been going strong, getting everything done in time, and doing a bang-up job of it, and then all of a sudden, BAM, you’re sick, exhausted, run down, and ready for a break?

Yeah, well that happened to me about two days ago.

I’ve been doing pretty well in school, and I’ve actually been ahead of my work for once, which never happens. But all of a sudden I got really run down, and now I can not wait for break. Thankfully, there’s only one more day.

And even more exciting, I’m not going home to Aspen, Colorado, but to Santa Monica, which let me tell you, is a heck of a lot warmer right now. My plans for break aren’t anything crazy, but my dad is driving out with my dog, who is a total sweetheart and who I can’t wait to see.

I can’t wait to see my dad either of course.

I plan on relaxing as much as I can, and eating a ton of food. And then the week after break, I’m going on the Honors Ski Trip. The ski trip is led by the headmaster, and we spend a week in Yosemite cross-country skiing and hiking. It’s a blast, and turns my one week vacation into two. By the time I’m back in school, I’ll be ready to kick my schoolwork’s butt for the next five weeks, before I break down again right before spring break.

Rinse and repeat.

Dancing Queens

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Once the music starts, our bodies are not ours anymore. They follow the music beats as they were born to dance.
Everyday we practice in the Chem Lab, everyday we sweat, we laugh – we are the dancing team.

I was so lucky to have a chance joining our first dancing team at school before I graduate. I have always hoped to have dance team as a choice of sports.

Since the season started, twelve girls joined the team led by Mrs.Beverly. We came for different reasons. Some of us just love dancing, some of us came for losing weight. No matter what reasons they had, I was still glad to dance with a large group like this.

As a team we have been working on their own choreographies for both interest and a preparation for the upcoming musical. With our passions towards dancing, we learned and practiced movements involving various cultures as well.

Most of the girls have never danced before, and this became their first time working within a group which has marked as a great experience for them. Even though we are in different skill levels, we still contributed our best to the team.

As for us, the most important part for us was that we were able to use the sports time to get a head start on the dancing scenes for the musical, which we do not normally have time for. We choreographed “Dancing Queen,” “Medieval Dance,” “Men in Tights” together. And we also did a short performance during the basketball halftime game.

I personally love dancing.
I always believe that dancing is a way to express my feelings instead of speaking them. It gives me courage, power and helps me forget all the sadness and depression.
I love dancing. It is more than just the body movement. It embraces every piece of you and you will easily get lost in the music.

I will miss dancing with my friends.
My every dancing team has become one of the most unforgettable memories for me through my high school years.
Thank you all for dancing with me.

“When we dance, everybody listens.”

Nightmare

indigoshellLeave a comment

It’s a horse. Can you guess what colors plague their minds the most? It’s black. The dark color that overpowers all, that can swallow up anything lighter that dares to power through.

This horse is all black, smoking, shimmering, not hidden like Conscience but not sharp like Shadow. Her socks are grey, her hooves pulse, she plods along, following me, aiding me. Her name is Nightmare but she is Hope. She is Beauty. She is Power.

She, in her huge Gypsy form, is difficult to see. Hope shows up the least and they can see no Beauty in this world. This world is destroyed. Corrupted. Shattered. Gods know what plans the world has for lowly humans.

Nightmare lives on. She, in her huge Gypsy form, fights Shadow and Conscience and will never let Hope and Beauty die. Her Power is immense, never weakening, but one day she will die.

She feeds on Hope and Beauty, and they are on their way to extinction. The good powers of this world, the bright sunlight, the clear winds, are being swallowed by the seething black haze that eats all.

Nightmare has left me and begins to die.