Oxymorons Anonymous

On Dating Online

2006-05-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Personally I am not sure if I would go for the whole online dating thing but I do see how some might like it. It allows those who do not have the time to go out and date to find someone and still have fun. I have recently browsed the personal ads for the first time and you can pretty much narrow it down to any criteria you may have. I mean I narrowed it down to pretty much my ideal guy except for the whole age thing since I am not really looking for a twenty-six year old guy who still lives at home. It illuminated me into how some people choose to date. Now I don't have a whole lot of room to speak since I have not been on a "date" in well...lets just say I can't remember how long it has been. I see it for its convinence and its direct approach to dating in an indirect way. It takes some of the asethetic aspect out of dating, which I am all for because in the end it is the nice guy who gets the girl, not the cocky jock, unless that happens to be your type of person. I do not think I am one of those is is just going to throw themselves headlong into the internet dating world, right now dating is actually fairly low on my list of things to do. However, if I wanted to try the online scene I know where to start.

A Different Type of Search and Seizure

2006-05-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Searching for things on the internet can be helpful but looking for reliable sources at the proper level is a little difficult. With the online reasearch exploration I found that many sources can be reliable and not that hard of use. My former frequent search engine Google, I learned has many avenues for persuit that I was unaware of like Google Uncle Sam and Google News. They provided me with new and credible information from a search engine that I was already familar with. The Nebraska Access searches pulled up information that was more relavent to me as a Nebraskan. There is allowed me to search for things that would come in useful when presenting information to people from Nebraska. Searching has sure come a long way from the old time going to the library and using a paper card catalog. These different avenues of searching help whe time is of the essence but I still feel that if you have the time going back to the old fashioned books is worth the effort because you never know when you computer is going to misbehave and leave you without internet access or loose all of your online resaerch because your hard drive fried. It has unfortunately happened to me this semester and I have had quite the time trying to replace all of the information that was lost.

Utopia

2006-05-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Across far misty waters
To the edge of time,
A mystery stirred by legend,
Paradise forever.

Lush fields of emerald green,
Dense forests tall and old,
Castles with spiraling towers unfold
Skyscrapers not nor other things of the city,
Silently whispering,
Simplicity.

Untroubled by the hand of modern man,
Unburdened by the past,
Paradise forever,
Utopia,
Eternal happiness.

A Haiku and a Sonnet

2006-05-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Nature

When mom nature calls,
You better go answer her,
So go grab a leaf!

The Moors

Dark and dank, the wayward moors do appear,
With manors old, cavernous, and eerie.
Fog, flatlands, uninviting and dreary,
Ivy-covered history far, yet near,
On the moors, it happens never to clear,
Maze-like gardens posing an inquiry.
Some travelers come by lost and weary
Wishing to be anywhere but right here.
Down long, dusty corridors like a tomb,
Suits of armor stand as sentinels old.
Tapestries tell tales of old and glory,
Antique furniture in room after room,
Now abandoned, but worth a pile of gold,
‘Tis life on the moors, this is its story.

To See the World Beyond Right Here

2006-05-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Beyond far misty mountains
Over lakes and rivers
To see the world beyond right here
All takers and givers.

Hence forth went the adventurers
To dangers yet unknown
To see the world beyond right here,
To fill an empty throne.

Into the caverns, dark and grim,
Our travelers went in
To see the world beyond right here
Removing evil sin.

Past the pit where one has perished
To lush and green forests,
To see the world beyond right here
To find a place to rest.

Gifts to the wayward travelers
Offering hope to come,
To see the world beyond right here
Entrancing some, but none.

Down river now the group shall go
To their destination,
To see the world beyond right here
To imagination.

Betrayal takes the heart of one
Obscuring their true heart,
To see the world beyond right here
And still taking one part.

And now off in separate ways
To achieve the set dream,
To see the world beyond right here
Said the leader of the team.

A Midsummer's Adventure

2006-05-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

Far into the west I went
When midsummer’s eve had come
To new lands of mystery
Thinking of time bar none.

To Russia first, with lots of snow,
St. Petersburg and Minsk
Inside Anastasia’s palace
Forgetting the massacre a risk.

Then on to Aquitaine,
Home of Eleanor so fair,
The land now long forgotten,
But is, nonetheless, still there.

Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Center of music, power, and art
Maria Antonia, Grand Duchess,
To be married one part.

Mary, bloody Mary,
Six mothers did the have,
One father, two siblings
A country not to have.

Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleaves,
Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr,
The wives of Henry the Eighth
Three killed, one died, and two remain thus far.

Elizabeth, the first,
Brought an end to tyranny,
After thy father and brother
And sister who tried to kill thee.

Across the eastern continent
My imagination didst travel
Through the ships sent forth by authors
In pages with stories left to unravel.

The Greats

2006-05-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Rome’s senate in days of old
First attorneys of the time,
Laureates of justice,
Speaking words of rhyme.

Shakespeare, DaVinci,
Dickinson, and Poe,
Greats of their day,
As greats go.

Moving on to greats of now
With words that differ true,
No less powerful today
Being heard by me or you.

FDR, JFK speak words immortal,
Living to say they came,
But seemingly kept in a portal
Bringing hope through flame.

Power

2006-05-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

My hatbox is full
Of memories and such
Things that seem insignificant
But still can mean so much.

My score sheets bright in color,
Covered with dark ink,
To the judges scoring
My speech, what do you think?

Superior ribbons, purple and gold,
Like a royal crown,
Meaning that I worked hard, not quite tops,
But I won’t back down.

Forensics medals, small and round,
So little for the time,
Round after round of speaking,
But speaking words of mine.

Speaking expresses the emotions that wee feel,
The joy, the sorrow, the victory, and defeat.
Competing allows room to improve
Collection trophies, medals, and score sheets.

My voice gives me power,
A will all my own,
To do with as I please
With others or alone.

Change

2006-05-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Prometheus, with thy hammer and anvil,
Build the world anew,
With grateful hearts and honest eyes
To make all things true.

Athena, with thy wisdom fierce,
Illuminate knowledge now
To bring forth skills and thrills
Improving things, but how?

Then, hence now to Zeus,
All powerful and strong,
To fix what has been broken
Knowing right from wrong.

‘Tis not with them responsibility lies
To fix things in this world.
It lies with those who clearly see
How to change the world.

All

2006-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Apollo, keeper of day and night,
Come forth and show they work.
Allow the sun’s gold brow illuminate
The busy streets of Beijing with rickshaws clattering by.
Tokyo’s tradition and industry aloft
To the Koreas then or Vietnam, Australia’s great outback,
The Middle East, Moscow, or mind street Munich.
The world has changed and yet you are still there.
Switzerland, Austria, the great hills and buildings,
The Emerald Isle and Egypt, both jewels in their way,
Chile and Cuba, lands of unique flavor,
Canada, Mexico and the good old USA.
Nowhere the world over is a landscape to be found
That can show who you are in full all around,
So to the one who is it all, I beg to thee once more,
Get in thy winged chariot and fly the world again.

Ruler of the Face

2006-05-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Eyes of purest honey gold
Drawn directly from the comb
Framed by lashes dark and long
Like the everlasting crown
To the ruler of the face
Who sees everlasting grace?
The world at large the eyes doth see
Light and dark a mystery,
A world including us now
All seen from the face’s brow.

The Oxymoron's Interests

2006-05-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Traveling is a favorite pastime of mine. I like to travel anywhere and everywhere. This spring I've had the opportunity to travel several places, including a week in Washington, D.C. in March, four days in Atlanta in April, three days in Louisville, KY in May, and another week in Washington, D.C. in July. All of these trips involve air travel, which is cool--except for changing planes and airlines in Minneapolis! Traveling from Nebraska, I get to visit many airports. It seems no flights are direct! The first trip to D.C. was direct, but the trip to Atlanta involved connecting in Minneapolis on the way to Atlanta and connecting in Denver on the way back. Flying to Louisville, I will connect in Milwaukee on the way there and in Chicago on the return trip. The things I value most are my family, my friends, and my beliefs. My dream job would be an award-winning novelist. I enjoy both reading and writing. Among my favorite authors are J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Robert Frost. The people who interest me most are the members of my family. They always provide amusing situations to record on paper. The issues I am most passionate about are groundwater protection, clean air, and a smoke-free environment. Sports I like--golf, basketball, and figure skating; paying jobs I've held--data processor, quiz bowl monitor; volunteer jobs I've held--Afghans for Kids founder and director, H2Owood Squares founder and director, Operation Clean Air founder and director, No Limits Youth Board, Hall County Tobacco Free Youth Board, Hall County Leadership Unlimited, Inc. Board of Directors, Youth Leadership Tomorrow, Children's Theatre stage manager, March of Dimes Youth Board, Salvation Army bellringer, Red Cross Bloodmobile blood donor, Kids' College instructor, 4-H service projects (there are a lot more since I have donated over 2000 hours in high school alone, but listing everything would get boring!); classes I like--creative writing, consumer auto, newspaper; magazines I read--People, Time, Better Homes and Gardens, Rolling Stone, ESPN, and the April 17 issue of U.S. News and World Report (because I was in it!); newspapers I read--Omaha World Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, and the Grand Island Independent.

A Final Week of Finalization

2006-05-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

As I was completing the final week of school there are all of the ceremonies that I have the pleasure of attending. Lets just start with Sunday, my senior band concert. Now Monday on the other hand, Honors Convocation, where I get recognized for all the scholarships I have received and for my academic accomplishments. It was a shortened day so I had to rush to find something to wear to the convocation during my lunch break. But it was worth it when I got in to the auditorium and saw four people on stage waiting to present me with awards. From the AXA Foundation I received a blown up check for my being selected an AXA Achiever. Then there was the presentation made by the Coca-Cola Foundation. I received a plaque and then presented my speech coach with an educator of distinction award. Then it got to the actual purpose of Honor Convocation, honoring the accomplishments of the seniors. So I got to get up on stage to receive my academic letter and my President Academic Fitness certificate and pin. Then the most boring part for underclassmen...the announcement of the scholarships that seniorshave received. My seat is in the middle of the main section of the auditorium so I had to walk past twenty-seven people on my way up to the stage and past them on my way back and I had made the entire trip before they were done reading my list of scholarships. And the final presentation of the day was to the top fifteen percent of the class. This year they announced us in rank order instead of alphabetically so I was the third on up on stage and had to wait for all twenty six to get up. Then that night was the Honors Banquet and my mom said she was not going to attend to watch somebody else's kid get the scholarship given by the Chamber of Commerce that sponsors the banquet. Well...I was the one who got the scholarship. Monday was a great day and a great way to start the week.

My Time Has Come

2006-05-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

“The time has come the walrus said to talk of many things: of shoes, of ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings.” As stated by the walrus in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the time has indeed come to talk of many things: reflecting on the past; enjoying the present as we are now; and especially looking toward what lies ahead in our future, because today, our graduation day, is the beginning of perhaps the greatest change in our lives, the move from relatively dependent high school students to the independence of the adult world.
In looking to our future, we will first follow the suggestion of the walrus and talk of shoes. Stop for a moment to think about the many pairs of shoes you have. Sneakers, sandals, band shoes, several pairs of flip flops, dress shoes, perhaps slippers, golf shoes, track shoes, soccer shoes, basketball shoes, show choir shoes, show choir boots, and so on. If you are female, the list rapidly expands to include cheerleading shoes, dance shoes, drill team shoes, heels, prom shoes, homecoming shoes from each year you’ve been in high school, winter sports shoes from each year you’ve been in high school, the pink shoes you just had to have, and the lime green shoes dyed to match your new dress. For guys, there is likely a pair of football shoes hiding somewhere in your closet as well. It almost seems that life revolves around shoes. Perhaps it does. Shoes do say a lot about where we have been and where we are going.
Reflect again on your collection of shoes and consider which ones will be going with you after today and which will remain behind as fond memories of the time you spent in high school. Football shoes? Very few, if any, of us will be using football shoes after leaving Northwest. Cheerleading shoes? Not too likely, unless they are generic and not obviously “cheerleader.” Show choir shoes? Perhaps, but definitely not the red cowboy boots. Golf shoes? Probably. Sneakers and flip flops? Definitely! The shoes we leave behind show that a certain part of our life has ended and will live on only in our memories. However, leaving the past behind is not something to regret. It is just a sign of the change in our lives, showing that one chapter has closed and a new one has begun. In that new chapter known as our future, we will don new shoes that will create new memories.
Think about those new shoes that we will be wearing. Some of us have opted for the military so will be issued shoes appropriate to the uniform indicating the branch of service and the specific assignment. Some will be heading to full-time in the work force. Those in construction and certain types of manufacturing will replace flip-flops with steel-toed shoes. Those headed to college will probably see the least new types of shoes added to their wardrobe, but will undoubtedly need to add even more flip-flops because extensive walking across campus tends to rapidly wear soft flip-flop soles to nothingness. However, many in college will instead replace flip-flops with comfortable walking shoes when feet and legs cry out in pain!
So far, we have been discussing the physical aspects of shoes. However, shoes have a much deeper meaning as well. Just like a person who “wears many hats,” a person can wear many shoes. Today we are at a crossroads in our life, where wearing the shoes of a high school student comes to an end and wearing the shoes of independent adults begins.
For some of us, this has been a long-awaited day. For others, it is perhaps a bit frightening to think about walking in the adult world…cooking for yourself, doing your own laundry, paying insurance, renting an apartment, paying utilities, and the dreaded cleaning bathrooms. Most of us can not even fathom the magnitude of the added responsibilities that come with the shoes of a graduate. I think I fit in that category.
Perhaps you have “big shoes to fill,” in following an older brother or sister who made great accomplishments. On the other foot, you may be the oldest in your family, making footprints for younger siblings to follow. Either way, the future is going to be a big change from walking the halls of Northwest. You will need to learn to walk the walk of an adult. How fast you achieve this skill is up to you. The teachers at Northwest have provided you the knowledge you need to successfully fill adult shoes. Now you need to call upon that knowledge to help you in your future. You have the skills to find success in whatever your chosen field may be. All that is required is to think positively, work diligently, set goals, and don’t give up until you attain those goals.As you look toward the future, think about what shoes you will be wearing. Will you be wearing the shoes of success in the adult world? Or will you be longing to return to those well-worn left-behind shoes of a high school life? With work and determination, each and every one of you can fill the shoes in the adult world.

Does That Really Rock My Socks Off

2006-04-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

I often say, "That rocks my socks off," but does that work when I am wearing socks or only when I am wearing sandals. Which is most of the time anyway but that is beside the point, partially. Things that rock my socks off are quite unique. Some of my friends, certain movies, and the occasional joke. The one thing that I can guarantee rocks my socks off is graduating. I have finished high school forever and now graduate in four days. Nothing is more amazing than the feeeling that I have right noow. It is this euphoric feeling. Like I am floating on air. Now I am hoping that nobody bursts my bubble but it may happen anyway. Even then I am on my way to the future that I have been looking forward to for thirteen years. The thing my parents dread because it means that the last one is leaving and my older sister dislikes because I am starting college before she is out of it. My older brother on the other hand could care less about my graduating. For him this week is more focused on finals than his little sister's graduation.

So What Is This Thing Called Life?

2006-04-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

This thing called life, what exactly is it. To be perfectly honest...I have no idea. Life is a mystery to follow that sometimes has the best evidence to what the future is going to hold and sometimes you get a dead end. The one thing that we can be for sure about is that life is meant for living. Like Andy Dufrane said in The Shawshank Redemption, "Either get busy living or get busy dying." Now in his case he was about to break out of jail but the words can still mean something not illegal. They signify that we are either living or dying and frankily, I would prefer to live. It is like if you are not out there living life to the fullest you are just going to go into an existence that is about the same as dying. This mystery called life is continually changing. As a senior in high school, a new change is right ahead of me, the change from adolescent to adult. Now this concept can be pretty scary for a seventeen year old but I am looking forward to it because I am factinated by mysteries. Going off to college is helping me out together the puzzle of my life. When will I complete this puzzle? The day I don't get busy living.

My Deepest Fear

2006-04-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." This line from Coach Carter really makes you think. It really cuts down to what are greatest fears are and that we should overcome them. I remember the first time I saw the movie. It was just something that stuck in my mind after it finished. It helps you to believe inyourself and be yourself because you will then have those around you do the same. There are certain lines in movies that can really change the way people think. For me this is one of them.

Why Things Happen?

2006-04-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

All things happen for a reason whether we want them to or not. I have learned this the hard way. And most of the time I am informed it is no one's fault but my own. Which when you think about it means that a lot of the time we are out there blaming other people for things that happen to us simply because we do not want to take responsibility for our own actions. i must admit I have been known to play the blame game from time to time. This past speech season I heard a speech on passing the buck and how we all should take responsibility in our own lives. The thing I remember most about the speech is at the end of it when it tells the story of how a person sent a message to President Truman an dhe had a plaque made with the message and it sat on his desk as a reminded. It said, "The buck stops here." Does the buck stop in front of you or do you just pass it on to someone else. Well, if you are notably known for passing it try something new and take responsibility for your actions. The sooner this becomes part of your life the better off you will be because you will be living your own life accepting what happens to you and keeps on living a better life because of it.

Being Out of State Rocks My Socks

2006-04-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

In the past month I have been on six flights and two trips, but alas there is more to come. Four days after I graduate high school I get to go to Louisville, Kentucky for three fun filled days as a Toyota Community Scholar. Then I get about a month off before I start leaving all of my high school boards behind. I will finish my term as a member of the No Limits Youth Board, then complete my third Unicameral Youth Conference, and then attend my fifth and final Youth Annual Conference. And this is in a period of about ten days. Then I get two weeks off and the day after my mom's birthday I leave for my fifth and final Rainbow Camp. Then a week and a half later I leave for a five day trip to Washington DC for the Youth Advocate of the Year Awards. I get back just in time to complete my sewing projects for the fashion review and then get ready for college, fair, and the children's theatre I have been a part of for over a decade. Even though high school will be over my life will still be busy for the time being. I loook forward to it with a passion but a nap is always appreciated.

Life is Incredible

2006-04-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

So as a senior in high school you get to know the documents known as scholarship applications really well. At first you think they are kind of fun, then they get annoying, then you learn to hate them, and finally when you get them you go back and think hey that wasn't that bad. During the course of my senior year I have filled out about eighty applications this year. It is easily a full time job but when it comes down to it it does pay like a full time job. This year I have received all three of the most prestigious non-college specific scholar/community volunteer awards. The first would be the AXA Achievement Scholarship, they pick one person from every state to receivr this award. Then there is the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, which is supposed to eb the most prestigious scholars program out there and most recently there is the Toyota Community Scholaes Program, which competes with Coke for the most prestigious program. The triad. Not bad for a girl from the middle of Nebraska. The applications have been a pain in well...you know where but the results have been worth it. Two of the three come with trips to meet the other scholars. There are approximately three million seniors out there and to be considered one of the top is a great honor. This year has provided me with so many incredible adventures I hardly know what to think. These opportunities have been given to me and I plan to take advantage of every one of them. Life is not a fairy tale, we don't all have the magical trips but in the end we can have a happily ever after if we really want it bad enough. Thirteen years of education have lead up to me sitting in a gown made of I don't know what in a gym, walking across a stage and finally getting the all access pass to my future...my high school diploma.

So Who Needs Sleep Anyway

2006-04-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

In the past three and a half weeks I have not gotten more than six hours of sleep any night and for the most part I have been getting closer to three. Well, when you go on trips who wants to sleep. For the past sixteen days I have been living in a dream world. Caught between what is real and what is like a dream. Out of those sixteen days I have only been in state for four of them. In that amount of time I have been in Washington DC for six days, received the Red Cross Youth Impact Hero of the Central Plains Award, competed in the state Science Olympiad Compeition and placed twice, organized and led a youth rally at the state capitol, spent four days in Atlanta, and have had one of the best times of my life. I know teenagers talk about being sleep deprived and how sleep is always one of the things on their mind but for me as a person who is part of the group I realize that although I may be tired beyond normal belief I am have been happier while being tired than I have ever been. It is strange how some of the best things in life come hand in hand with sleep deprivation. Staying up until one inthe morning talking to some complete strangers on the phone of our hotel room, staying up until three in the morning laughing at everything because it all seems funny, or even getting up at four to go catch an airplane back home. The stories are numerous and well worth every second spent weaving the tale.

A Date with DC

2006-04-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am an avid member of the 4-H program and here in my state going ot National 4-H Conference is pretty much the highest honor one can get and it just so happens that this year I was one of the two selected to go. Six days in Washington D.C., well Chevy Chase, Maryland. So here is the first day of my rather unique trip. My flight was leaving Omaha at 6:10 in the morning so I was coming in the night before to stay with my older brother, however two days before my trip I found out that he was going to a concert in Lincoln and would be spending the night at a friends house so I had to ask my grandparents if I could stay with them over night because I was going to be leaving before they left for their annual pilgrimage to Gatlinburg for a church conference. So as I am getting the last necessities for my trip I notice that I only have one of my black heels. Now this shoe has been missing since the beginning of January when I was looking to wear it to a speech competition and couldn't find it so I wore my band shoes instead and suprizingly nobody noticed my shoes until I had finished my last speech of the day and someone asked me if I was in band. So I decided to make a quick stop in the York Wal-Mart to find a complete pair. Now it was about nine when my mom and I got into the Wal-Mart but the jorney was far from over. In the shoe department, I found the Cinderella shoes that havfe light up heels, I was excited so I put them on and was walking up and down the isle. Then I turned and started walking back and fell down and apparently was really tired because I started laughing and could not stop. So those shoes went back on the shelf. I found another pair, some black ones, and they were okay but they made my size 10 feet look even bigger than they already are so I kept on going through pair after pair of shoes and finally settled on a nice pair with a flower in the toe. By the time we exited the store it was ten and we still had two hours before we were going to be at my grandparents house. We got there after midnight and had to explain that I was going to be leaving the house at a quarter of five so it would not conflict with their six thirty departure. So after about four hours of sleep I was up and getting ready for my hour and a half flight. So I load my purple furniture into the car and wait while grandpa drives mom and me to the airport. Once there mom and I get out and grandpa keeps on circling. Inside I go through the whole checking luggage process and stand near the counter to wait for the rest of the delegation. A lady comes up to me and says hi Jami, she recognized my luggage from my description. So I wait while she gets her ticket and then it is time to wait for the guy from Nebraska who is coming as well. Jane, the chaperone, says there he is and I turn around to see a guy eleven inches taller than me walk up. Now I am not a short girl being five eight but I certainly felt it. So he gets ready to go and we proceed towards the gate as we go through the security he gets pulled off to the side and gets the full treatment, the whole time I am laughing. Once on the plane I try not to fall asleep but don't succeed. As we get into the airport, we have a sunny D.C. day. And this is about nine thirty in the morning. Wow it had already been quite a day.

A Viking Goes for a Volvo

2006-03-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

You never know what you may find on the internet. I was just searching for scholarships and stumbled upon an Volvo-sponsored award for people of all ages involved in helping their community. It wasn't a scholarship, just an award, but the nomination form was short, so the person nominating me wouldn't have a real big job to do. One-hundred fifty words was all that went in about what I have done and I didn't think I'd get anything, but since the nomination form was short, the nominator decided to give it a try. About two weeks later, one of the members involved with Volvo publicity called and asked if I would be willing to have my story published on Volvo's list of one hundred heroes. I said, "Sure," and was assured that this in no way, shape, or form meant that I was any closer to the prize, because she didn't have anything to do with selecting the winners. She said that the winners would be chosen by a panel of judges in March, and since this was the first week in February, it would be a long time before that decision was made. Then another few days went by and on Valentine's Day I got a call at four in the afternoon from the same woman saying that I was one of three finalists in the environmental category and one of nine overall. Needless to say, I still can't believe that I am a finalist for a Volvo for Life. I am the only teenager and the youngest person who is a finalist by thirteen years. Volvo sent a photographer who does pictures for Time magazine and Daimler-Chrysler to take pictures of me! I'm sure lots of passersby wondered what was going on in my yard the Sunday afternoon of the photo shoot! One of the things a majority of people I know do is put their name into google and see how many matches come up. The first time I did that, I had around three hundred about me. When I do that now, there are over three thousand! Fame has come and I am not sure what it means, but it came with a good price, $25,000 to the charity of my choice. It is nice to see that I can help those organizations that mean so much to me.

A Journey's End

2006-03-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

This week I have just two and a half days of school, and I have a test each of those days. On the plus side, tomorrow is State speech and I am only slightly nervous, but it may get worse. It has hit me that this is my final chance in speech and I don't want to waste it. Four years, over 160 speeches, and now the end has come. I am ready to leave high school, but I am not sure that I am ready for my activities to be over. Four years of doing it all, and then the time will be gone. I don't believe in the what if's, those questions in life that can gnaw at you because you did or did not do something. I gave up doing that, but that doesn't by any means mean it was easy. Sometimes I want to wallow in self pity about what I should have done, but if I did that, I would get too discouraged to do anything and then I would waste away until I am old and finally die--having missed out on so many great adventures in this life. But I won't do that. I am going to take the adventures as they come at me, because if I don't I lose sight of my fate.

Life in an Egg Shell

2006-03-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Most people think of life in a nut shell. I, however, have too much to fit into a nut shell so I upgraded to an egg shell. Life has been throwing me curve balls and I almost struck out! Things were piling up and I was sick (with a cold.) There are too many things in life that can go wrong and completely kill your sense of self. Believe me, I know!!! But there are also a great number of things that can go well to counter the harmful effects. Life had gotten the better of me and I was down to my last out and I hit it out of the park! Things just seemed to start going my way and life became sweet. There was a goal I set nearly four years ago when I started high school and that was to set myself apart from my older brother and sister and on March 1 one of the things to accomplish that happened. It was at the district speech competition and I had just seen that I had not broken finals in the event I had gone to state in last year. Many would be discouraged, but for some reason I got this unbelievable motivation behind me and went and presented my other event like I never had before. Well...it did the trick. I made finals and thought, "Okay, I need to break the family curse of getting fourth at district during senior year (my sister placed fourth in entertainment and informative her senior year and my brother placed fourth in extemp his senior year.) Fourth is not a good place to end even though it gets you a medal, because in addition, you get the satisfaction in knowing that you didn't quite make it to state. Now my district happened to have the defending state champion in the given event so I was scared like a deer in the headlights. I was scheduled in the fourth spot in the last finals to start. The three speakers ahead of me went and then the judges called my code. I proceeded to the front of the room and started my speech. I was less then twelve words in and my friend Dani started laughing. I got to my third sentence and her dad laughed out loud. I don't know what happened to me, but it gave me the push I needed to give one of the best speeches of my life. Now, just a side note, my event is persuasive speaking--also known as the most boring event on the planet--so to incorporate humor was a shock.
After the last speaker went, I was certain I was in the top four, but I didn't know if I had managed to break the curse of fourth! Awards were scheduled to start immediately following the conclusion of my round. They didn't. There was a tie for the district title and it was down to persuasive to break it. So awards started and my friend Dani got third in her event taking her back to state. Then they came to persuasive and as I was standing on the stage listening to the names get called I was almost shaking. They announced the fourth place winner as the defending state champion and I almost jumped because I was going to state. Then they announced third and then first. My name hadn't been called. First had been awarded and I was still standing on stage. As it turned out, I was the second place that they had skipped over. For the second time in my high school career I had finished higher than third, and also for the second time, it was in district finals. So I achieved my goal. I return to State next week and I broke the curse of the fourth's.

My Selective Service

2006-02-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

As a full blown oxymoron, I have gotten kind of busy; not only with school, but also with my sevice activities. I run three organizations that I founded for different causes that I am passionate about. I started the first one when I was eleven, after my church youth group and I went to the local domestic abuse shelter. I saw that children were forced out of their homes with nothing but the clothes on their back and I wanted to do something about it. So I initiated Afgans for Kids, a program that donates blankets to the Crisis Center for every child that spends time there. That was over six years ago. To date over 400 blankets have donated and over 170 people learned to crochet in the process. My next cause came when I was not quite fifteen and industrial solvents were found in my neighborhood's wells. Wanting to prevent such problems from happening to other neighborhoods, I started H2Owood Squares, an educational classroom activity that I have presented at the Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival for the past three years. In addition, I have created a website which presents a water protection or water fact question each day. I received one of the biggest surprizes of my life when I found out that I was named Nebraska's top high school volunteer for the year 2005 in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The honor gave me a trip to Washington D.C. where I got the priviledge of meeting former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Needless to say, I could hardly believe it and neither could my friends until the picture of him and me together appeared in the Grand Island Independent. Volunteering is very important to me and personally I don't think 40 hours in high school is enough. That's easy for me to say, since I have contributed over 2000 hours, but I don't think everyone would agree with me. But then again, that is just what makes me an oxymoron.

An Oxymoron's Opening

2006-01-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

This is the first installment from an oxymoron, a title I picked up after I made my school's cheerleading squad and was called the "anti-cheerleader" cheerleader. Granted, my friends have accepted the fact I am a cheerleader, but they still crack jokes about it. Fortunately, I have long been a believer in the come back so, needless to say, the jokes are few and very spread out. Life has so much to offer that I often look past my pom-poms and see what else I do (which is a lot considering the severe lack of sleep I have). As an oxymoron, I spend a majority of my time breaking the stereotype, proving to people that you can wear short skirts and go "rah-rah" and still keep a 4.0 average. So to all of those other oxymorons out there, "Welcome. I know where you are coming from and feel it is the biggest advantage and ice breaker you will ever have."