Uglies: by Scott Westerfield

    So this blog post is a bit late due to our lovely friend Isaac, but I had to get it in sooner or later. I had already lost power at my house by the time I arrived at home on Monday night. I live right on Bayou Manchac in Prairieville, and our power lines can't put up too much of a fight. However, all this free time has given me a chance to read a lot more of Uglies, the first of a futuristic series by Scott Westerfield. I have now read 3 hours and fifteen minutes, counting from Monday through today.

    After reading the first few pages of Uglies I was immediately making connections. The book made me think of my life as a teenager, and how everyone wants to look as "perfect" as possible. Now granted not everyone worries too much about their appearance, but most girls and guys my age like to look presentable for their friends. In Scott Westerfield's futuristic world there is much more technology and science present, but the society and separation can easily be connected to my everyday experience. Everyone is considered "ugly" until they reach the age of sixteen, at which point they are put under an advanced version of surgery and become the ideal "pretty" person. This is similar to the life most kids ages 11-14 go through in school or sports. If you are better looking, or better at a sport, or in any way of higher class than the people around you, people will respect you. At the same time people will be jealous and afraid, but all together being "prettier" is better.

   So far Scott has made this point clear, as his characters Shay and Tally discover that being "pretty" can change you. Yes, people will look at you in a different way, but you will become different on the inside. You think highly of yourself as well.... i'm definitely hooked on the book and will continue spend these Dark Ages following the girl's journey.

-Stealing wifi for a few hours from my nice little grandma ;)
Mckenzie

In Defense of Swim Team: A Swimmer Girl's Manifesto

OK! I have been so ready to write this post since Dr. D put it on her blog!
First of all, the reason I chose swimming as my topic to defend is because I am currently a swimmer on the EHS varsity swim team. We have been practicing since the start of the summer and I have personally been swimming since I was 5 years old. I love swimming! It's not my all-time favorite activity, but definitely my best and favorite sport. Being on the swim team at Episcopal is like being in one big family, we all are great friends whether we are 10 years old, or in our final year of high school. Everyone has a certain event and stroke that they are best at, and everyone has a personality that sticks out. During November of last year I got to travel to the Swim State Championships with the team after qualifying in the 100meter freestyle. It was definitely one of the best and most fun experiences of my life!

But getting to state and just being on the team each day takes a lot of hard work! And let me just say right now that almost everyone I know will and has said that swimming is not a sport. It's been said that swimming is not challenging, doesn't take strength or muscle, and that no one would want to be on the swim team because it's "so lame". ahem... WHOA there! Let's just back up a second here. Swimming is actually the SPORT that works the most muscles in your body. Every morning I wake up aching in different places and wishing that Coach hadn't added that second 800 yesterday. (yes that's right 800, as in 32 laps people... top speed) It's also a fact that the average person cannot do a flip turn. That's the transition between laps where you flip and push of the wall to start your next 25 yards. Plus, swimming takes extra hydration. Being in water all of practice may seem more relaxing of cooler than running in the hot sun, but you sweat and work just as much in the pool as you do out of the water. Not to mention our drylands workout twice a week!

And finally, the swim team is no groups of nerds. Everyone that swims is an all around great person! We have baseball players, soccer players, tennis players, actors, artists, musicians, honors students, and just great friends. We all have a great laugh when we are together and all work hard to achieve the best in our sport! Last year our girls team placed second at the Louisiana State Championships, the first time EHS girls have placed since 2002. This year, we'll be bringing home 1st!

-A girl with swimmer's ear... Mckenzie

Summer Reading

     Over the summer I read Fear, by Micheal Grant. It's the fifth book in his series, Gone, and I chose to read it because I really loved the previous four. The series takes place in modern California, where one day all the adults and children over 15 in a certain area just disappear. The kids under age 14 are left on their own to survive in what becomes a very scary city. I think what drew me to this series in the first place was the whole science fiction appeal. I read the first book, Gone, during the summer between sixth and seventh grade. Ms. Guarisco had recommended it at the start of the year and i decided to make sure i put it on my list. 

    Once i had read the first book I was hooked. I loved the suspense that it left you in with one cliffhanger after another. I also really enjoyed the characters, because they were so close in age to myself. I could literally relate each child in the FAYZ (as they call the adult-less city in the book) to a friend of mine in real life. Thinking about the characters in that way made it all the more interesting and fun to read. These books are just so hard for me to put down... I read through Fear in 5 days! 

Starting this week I am hoping to begin reading The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan. I love the Kane Chronicles series as well. :)

Expectations

    This year seems like it's going to be very busy! The new schedule is great, teachers are nice, and i've already made a couple new friends. I normally like English class, and I don't think this year will be any different. I'm looking forward to reading Macbeth and Lord of the Flies, and I like reading poetry. Writing poetry...not so much, but I guess i'll see how that goes. I understand all the routines of the class and think they will be fine once i get used to them. Being in high school brings a whole new workload, but i'm ready to try my hardest. 

     Outside of English I have lots of other things to focus on this year. I'm taking the AP world history class and just reading the syllabus was intimidating. I also have swim practice after school five days a week, and varsity level practice is a bit harder... I compete on a dance team so pretty soon I will be at competitions every other Saturday as well as practices 4 nights a week. So it's a lot to cope with, and i'm not left with a lot of free time. But no matter how many things I have to get done everyday, i'm already enjoying high school.