Assignment 13 Griffin Coates

In light of the upcoming vote on net neutrality, I thought I would take some time to discuss how vital this vote is to our society. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is a popular name on the internet now, as he is the one leading the charge to end net neutrality. His idea is bold and innovative, but I'm thinking on a bigger scale. Instead of ending the unlimited public's access to the internet, why not end the internet entirely? I mean if we can't have free access, let's not have it at all? Humanity doesn't need this vile plague that has been rotting and corrupting the minds of humans.  Instead of little plastic cards, let's revert back to the Stone Age and pay for our needs in beads and rocks. Humanity could greatly benefit from this. No more internet school assignments, no more hours spent wasted away staring at mindless youtube videos. No more television, Instagram or snapchat. Kids today don't need phones, they need sticks and hoops. Back to the old fashioned way is the only way to go. #makeamericastoneageagain

Griffin Coates Assignment 12

As a college roommate I feel like I'd be a very hard person to live with. For starters, our doom would have to be moderately clean most of the time. I like to keep things clean, but not too clean. For example, I would like it if my desk was tidy but not outlined-like-a-crime-scene tidy. And I hate it when people borrow my clothes (I've had bad experiences with that in the past), so that would be a no-go. I also would want him to know that I'm a very outgoing person, mostly everything I say is sarcastic or said in a joking manner. However, when I say that I need to focus, it means that I need to focus. When I'm studying is pretty much the only time I want to be left alone. So, overall I'd want to make a nice first impression on my roommate, being generous and caring but also knowing when I time to myself.

Assignment 11 Griffin Coates

In my class, I sit next to Cate Clay and Luke DeCastro. I have had previous classes with both of them and they are both super nice and friendly. One thing I know about both of them is that neither of them procrastinate. This is the opposite of me who procrastinates. Luke DeCastro was in my biology class freshman year and he's super friendly. With Chris Beebout and Max Young also sitting in that, we were very productive. During that class freshman year I learned that Luke is super smart and loves to learn. Cate is also very smart, but is very shy at first. Once you get to know her she's a super fun, outgoing person. I also sit next to Cate in physics.  Cate and I also have had numerous classes together and we have gotten to know each other a lot better since freshman year. As for their favorite TV shows, I know that Cate's is One Tree Hill but as for Luke's I have no idea. I will have to ask him sometime.

Assignment 14 Danielle Dutton

     When I was younger, my family used to alternate spending Thanksgivings with my dad’s family here in Kentucky, and with my mom’s family in Texas. Before school got too busy to take off the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, we’d either drive or fly on the weekends and stay with my mom’s mom in Austin for Thanksgiving week every other year. However, since I began middle school, we have only been able to carry on the alternating tradition for Christmas, and we now spend every Thanksgiving in Kentucky with my dad’s family. And that’s where things get interesting. My mom’s family has the same views about almost everything and they steer clear of topics where they know disagreement exists. My dad’s family, on the other hand, is quite a melting pot. I have a very conservative grandmother and a very liberal aunt and everyone else falls somewhere in between. And to make it even more fun, my grandmother just loves to talk about politics. Usually my parents, aunts, and uncles just bite their tongues and try to change the subject, but I can remember a few times where debates have broken out. Nobody has ever ended up yelling or storming away from the table, but a few times the atmosphere has gotten rather tense.

     Other than the occasional political debates though, our Thanksgivings have always been happy, at least to me. Every Thanksgiving I wake up and watch the Macy’s parade with my mom and sister in the kitchen as we get all the food ready. People start arriving at our house around eleven bringing even more food – we do Thanksgiving potluck style. My dad smokes the turkey and sometimes a country ham as well, and we usually end up eating around one in the afternoon. It’s always nice to see all my family at once for at least one day out of the year, and from their smiles I can assume that despite our differences, our family Thanksgivings are always a success. 

Assignment 13 Danielle Dutton

     Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey, Al Franken. Why should we let these great men lose their fame and prestige over something as simple as sexual harassment accusations? Women teach their children to forgive and forget, shouldn’t they follow their own advice? Just because these men made one or two … or several inappropriate and illegal advances on women who were just trying to do their jobs to the best of their ability to get the highest salary their inferior gender allows them, that doesn’t mean they’re bad people. On the contrary, it means they’re true humans. Miley Cyrus, a woman known for speaking out in support of feminism, states that “everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days” and that that’s okay because “nobody’s perfect,” showing that even feminists believe in second and third … and umpteenth chances for these successful men.

     Some may argue that second chances don’t apply in cases where laws are broken. But if that’s true, how come many states allow for atrocious traffic infractions to be expunged from the records of dangerous lawbreakers in return for attending a driver’s course? Even jailed thieves can receive a second chance in the form of probation. They can restart respectable lives, so why can’t Weinstein, Cosby, Spacey, Franken, and all the other famous men who have been accused of sexual misconduct? The women involved should’ve been thrilled and grateful to receive attention from such prestigious men anyway – men so far above them they could only dream of seeing them through a glass ceiling above their heads.

     We must take action against the injustice being dealt these poor men as their careers and honor are stripped from them. To do so, join me in binge-watching pirated episodes of The Cosby Show and House of Cards and tweeting about it with the hashtag #HonorTheAccused. After all, those great men among us didn’t make it to the top for nothing. 

Assignment 12 Danielle Dutton

     I always struggle with the question of whether I’m an introvert or an extrovert. In new environments I’m definitely an introvert, but surrounded by familiarity I’m extroverted. However, I still enjoy being alone occasionally, and I keep to myself about some things even with my closest friends. I’d need my roommate to understand that sometimes I like to be social and sometimes I’d rather keep to myself.

     Another thing I’m on the fence about is organization. I like things to be organized, and I meticulously color code and schedule all of my schoolwork. My room at home is a different story though. Everything has a relative place, and I know where everything is, but admittedly it all looks rather cluttered. I cannot deal with an outright mess, however, in either my space or a roommate’s.

     I’d expect a roommate relationship to be a symbiotic one. I’d expect to share chores – doing laundry, buying toilet paper – equally. I’d expect to be asked before a roommate invited any friends to our room, and I’d do the same. I’d attempt to start talking even before meeting face to face to discuss who’s bringing what to the dorm and begin becoming friends. I’m an agreeable person and can get along with almost anyone as long as communication and basic consideration exist and are mutual.

Assignment 11 Danielle Dutton

I’ve had classes with my seatmate since sixth grade, and we’ve been seated next to each other a few times in alphabetical seating charts. We’ve never really been close, but she’s always been a pleasant and familiar face; I can’t think of a time when I’ve seen her unhappy. She’s friendly and can get along well with almost anyone. She gives her all for whatever she does, whether it be drawing or school or even dancing (and she’s got some pretty great moves). From what I can tell she’s always been good at drawing, as the majority of her papers contain at least one sketch or doodle, and she’s a talented writer as well. She takes German and enjoys it I think – I’ve seen her in Herr Bright’s room after school on multiple occasions. She was on the academic team in middle school, and I remember going to the statewide Governor’s Cup championships with her and the rest of our school’s team in Louisville in eighth grade. Neither of us took written tests during the normal window as I was only on the team for on demand writing which competed at a different time and she did quick recall, so along with a few others in the same situations as us we got a couple hours to wander around Louisville’s Galt House as a small group. This as well as all my daily interactions with her have led me to the conclusion that she’s a unique and agreeable person, and I’m glad to have met her. 

Assignment 10 Danielle Dutton

It was a dark and cold night in October, the month when strange and spooky things seem to occur constantly. My friends and I were in an unfamiliar building with an even more unfamiliar scene lurking outside – a cornfield filled with unimagined perils. We had braved both the gathering crowd and the cornfield in the daylight, but the darkness presented a different challenge. In the light of the building we were safe, but the thought of the dangers out in the dark brought fear tinged with excitement – something we were all too eager to indulge. None of us wanting to appear cowardly, we all mustered our courage, ignored our better judgement, and walked as a pack towards the entrance of the treacherous maze. There we met a gate keeper. She appealed in earnest for us to come to our senses, warning us of the threats lurking within the labyrinth – zombies, axe murderers, monsters of unimagined horror. Thinking ourselves invincible, we pushed on, brushing off the woman’s warning. We soon realized our mistake. Fifteen steps into the maze I caught glimpse of something moving in the wall of corn we were about to pass. I signaled my friends. We stopped in our tracks. I peered into the corn, urgently seeking to make sense of the disheveled figure – a zombie. Its soulless eyes stared into mine. I was at the front of the pack. I was to be the first victim. I took a step forward. The figure remained motionless, eyes still locked on mine. Another step. Nothing. I was almost even with it now, and I thought that maybe since I’d seen it I’d pass unchallenged. I took one more step. The creature lunged out at me snarling and waving its terrible, bloody arms. I was frozen. All I could do was scream.

Assignment 9 Danielle Dutton

In an ideal world we would have no need for war, and everyone would be able to compromise and talk through their differences. Sadly, this world is far from ideal. People are greedy and selfish and world leaders can’t always see eye to eye and in those cases resort to violence. It’s bound to happen because of human nature; however, that doesn’t make it right. It’s not morally right for world leaders to send hundreds of thousands of their citizens to war to potentially die just because they couldn’t compromise. World War II caused over twenty one million military deaths. That’s twenty million families torn apart because world leaders couldn’t compromise. Is that just? I don’t think so. But is it more just than what would’ve occurred had countries not stepped in to stop the Nazis? Maybe. As it was, World War II caused over fifty million civilian deaths, but Nazi domination could’ve caused more. And just as sending millions of soldiers to die for their countries isn’t morally right, neither is idly standing by and allowing a corrupt man to commit genocide. In that case as in most, war was simply the lesser of two evils. But as long as selfish people exist who try to abridge others’ natural rights, world leaders will continue to be forced to choose between two evils. And most of the time, that sadly ends in massive loss of life. 

Assignment 10 - Matthew Kingkade

Zombies are attacking? The first thing I do is gather my family and head to Costco. With a large space and a plethora of food Costco can support us for months. There we will have plenty of TV's to watch and gadgets to entertain ourselves. There is room for multiple families allowing for a small group to band together in order to fortify the building and to do various things throughout the store. The large flat parking lot will allows us to see if anyone is coming and close location to the interstate could allow for easy traveling if needed. Before barricading ourselves inside we would stop at Cabela's in order to gather weapons and other tools needed to fight the zombies. In an ideal situation these weapons would not be needed but having them provides a sense of security and could prove helpful in the long run. Hopefully zombies never attack, but if they do, you know where to find me.

Assignment 9 - Matthew Kingkade

I believe there is a time for war, but only as a last resort. As morally incorrect as killing others may be, in some cases it is necessary in order to resolve a conflict. Before a war begins, however, there must be peaceful efforts made to find a solution to this conflict. In a perfect world these peaceful efforts would work and war would not be necessary, but in the world we live in peace is hardly ever an option. If a country, or group of people is threatened they should retaliate in order to defend themselves. Although killing people is not the best option, sometimes a few must die in order to protect the majority. Sometimes I think that we don't realize how harmful and disastrous war can be, not only to those fighting but also to the whole world. Although war may not be morally correct, and it may be damaging, in some cases it is inevitable.

Assignment 10 Griffin Coates

If zombies attacked, I don't feel like there is much you can do. I would probably take what's left of my family (of course my dog is the top priority) to a grocery store or someplace that sells food to stock up on supplies. Here we would get as much food as we could because it is impossible to know how long we may need to last off of the current supplies. I would also stock up on gas, as it will eventually become a rare commodity and it will be essential to life. Also we would need some weapons to defend ourselves, knives probably wouldn't do us much good. I would head to an outdoor sport's store such as Dick's Sporting Good's to find weapons and ammunition. If we survive the inevitable Black Friday crowds at these places, I would head straight for the country side. Less houses means less people, which eventually leads to less zombies to fight off. The country side would also be a good place to lead a normal life, you could easily set up defenses and keep an eye out for any intruders. As for the question "Would you kill your parents if they turned to zombies?," I would say yes. If they are zombies, are they really themselves? I would say yes. I mean they're already dead, and they are trying to eat you. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Assignment 9 Griffin Coates

I believe that war does have a place in humanity and morality, but only as an extreme or a last resort. There are always other solutions than war, such as diplomacy. To work out a solution on paper and come to a compromise far outweighs the decision to go to war. War is messy, expensive and in most cases makes the matter even worse for both sides. By sending diplomats to foreign countries to solve matters peacefully, countries are saving millions of dollars and thousands of lives. It risks the live's of the soldiers on the front line, it messes with the economy of the home nations and not to mention it risks the lives of the civilians with the possibility of home ground attacks. War is never a good option. However, as seen in the past diplomacy isn't always a solution. Some countries don't want to work out their problems and they see war as the only answer. Once every other peaceful alternative is exhausted, then war is the only answer. If a nation is being oppressed and it's citizens murdered, war should be an answer for that nation. In order to protect our nation's citizens and infrastructure, war is necessary. However unwanted, it is still necessary.

Assignment 14 Harris Hawkins

My thanksgiving includes the normal American rituals. Turkey, football, and "family fun." Every year my grandparents, cousins, and aunt come into town for the special Thursday in November. We start off the day playing a "touch" football game with our friends and family. Fathers and their sons go head to head to determine who the real men of the family are. We play the game at Ashland Park in the morning so everyone is home in time to season their turkeys.
Our family grills the turkey every year which is a bit unorthodox. Kentuckians usually resort to frying the bird, which I find fitting. I typically help my little cousins create homemade butter. Which includes shaking a mason jar for at least an hour. After we feast my family migrates to the living room to fall asleep to a crappy football game. My grandma and cousins go to bed early so we typically wrap up around 9 and do it all over again the next year. Every year I have basketball practice the morning after Thanksgiving and Coach Brown insures we regret the third plate of food we consumed

Assignment 15: Awwwwww Geek Out --to the song Freak Out (College)/ Cover Girl

This is a Make UP Blog Post NOT Extra Credit

We all have something that peaks our “Geek-meter.”  That something where time stops and transports you to a state of Zen.   Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, December 3rd at 11:59 pm

December 3th is the last day to make up blogs 9-15

Chris Beebout Assignment 14

     Thanksgiving—as in the holiday itself—has never really done much for me. The food is nice. The break is wonderful. The Steam sales are GLORIOUS.

     But, you know, there's something that just feels WRONG this time of year.

     Because "thanksgiving" itself requires much from us. Who am I, that I should be born into a stable home in a free country? Who am I, that I should have a healthy body that allows me to experience the fullness of life while others are left lying in the dust? Who am I, that the laws of physics and biology should work in tandem to allow my lungs to take in air and fuel my consciousness?

     Who am I, that I should be capable of possessing faith in the Lord of the universe, or that He should honor His bargain with me at all?

     True thanksgiving is humility. There's no reason why we should have anything we have. We work, sure. But there are always others who work far harder for far less. When looking at life through the lens of undeservedness, of everything being a gift, life gets a lot more beautiful. Scary, but beautiful.

Assignment 13 Harris Hawkins

The growth of panhandlers in the Lexington are is skyrocketing. Homeless people roam the streets without food or water. The problem is not selfishness of the upper class, but rather homeless people's lack of resourcefulness. The upper class has plenty to worry about including golf tee times and dinner reservations. The last thing they need is the added stress of taking care of the needy. Sure the majority of homeless people became homeless due to diseases and unemployment, but they didn't work hard enough, right?
A resourceful homeless person might turn a puddle into a bath. A cleaner appearance will increase their chances in a job interview. Clothes and shelter? A homeless person with any sense would hunt bison for clothes and shelter just like the Native Americans. Native Americans lived thousands of years without homes, so it's not impossible.
Homelessness will be cured when laziness is curd. Everyone wishes they could roam the streets all day without a job or any worries to tend to. But only the extremely fortunate are privileged enough for this.

Assignment 13- Will Gregory

I am here today to suggest a new plan. This plan addresses possibly the most pressing issue of our time. This issue most obviously being the appropriate time to play Christmas music. Some heathens claim that it should only be played after Thanksgiving. They claim that it could get “old” and “worn out”. They somehow claim that by playing Christmas music earlier, it would ruin the magic of the season. They don’t know just how very wrong they are. Christmas music is wonderful! It is the most wonderful time of the year for a reason! How dare they try to oppress us and our Christmas music rights. I believe that if I want to play “All I want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey in the middle of June, not a single should should be allowed to judge me. I say we play it all year round! How on earth could someone possibly not want that? We as a Nation should stand against these fools! So what if we ruin the magic of the Christmas season, WE NEED OUR CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

Assignment 12- Will Gregory

Dear potential roommate,

Hi! My name is Will Gregory. I am interested in finding roommate and would like for you to know a few things about me. I live a tidy life. I cook, I clean, and I do laundry regularly. If there is the slightest mess in our dorm, I will take care of it immediately. I exercise and study regularly along with my classes. I will often be busy with my hectic schedule so an advantage of that would be that you will have plenty of alone time. I am a friendly guy and am pretty accepting of all people. I am always willing to help study or with anything else that may need it. I know a major issue between roommates is music preference and you should know that it wont be an issue for me. I am open to pretty much all genres and would even be open to being introduced to more. I really feel as though I could be a really easy person to live with and would love to make a new friendship with you as my roommate.

                                                                                    Your future roommate,

Will Gregory

Assignment 11 - Lindsey Angel

I'm going to be perfectly honest, as I was reading this assignment's prompt I was a bit embarrassed; I don't much about the real Chris Beebout. I think I can speak for the whole class when I say that most of the time we don't really try to get to know our seat partners unless we previously knew him/her before that particular class. This is something, looking back on, I am ashamed to say. However, what I have gathered about Chris in the past three years of sharing the occasional academy class is that he is a seemingly great guy. Not only does he have a very easy-going and genial personality, making him very enjoyable to talk to, but he also has a great mind. Chris, or should I say "the dash king", is always ready to share his intellect during class discussion, offering a viewpoint not perceived by most. This wit is clear when looking at his track record on the debate team. He has won first place in Congress in our past two tournaments! Congratulations Chris! I can easily say, I see a bright future lying ahead for Chris, in any field he may decide to pursue. His passion, intellect, and good nature are proof of that.

Assignment 10 - Lindsey Angel

What is my biggest fear? If you had asked me this question a few years ago, I would have instantly responded murky water. Having conquered that fear (mostly), I'm honestly not sure what my greatest fear is. Now, don't get me wrong, plenty of things scare me. In fact, just a few days ago, I woke up terrified after having a very vivid nightmare. For the sake of this assignment, however, I guess my biggest fear would have to be uncertainty. This fear has mostly presented itself this year, as my classmates and I have started thinking about our own futures. I don't know where I want to go to college nor what I want to major in, and that simple fact drives me crazy. I'm one of those people that plans out - my day, my week, my month, my year - everything. However, I am an extremely indecisive person, so things like deciding on a college and a major are a struggle for me. Simply not knowing is an even greater struggle. I want my future mapped out, and I want that now. Not knowing what lies ahead terrifies me, because then I can't be prepared. Some say not knowing what's going to happen is part of the fun, I disagree.

Assignment 11 - Will Gregory

My neighbor to my left is Harris Hawkins. Coincidentally, he is also my neighbor to my right in AP US History and behind me in Advanced American Hero in film. From our encounters in class you probably can tell that we get along well but that is actually due to a much longer history that we have as friends. I met Harris some 10 or so odd years ago through our church. He and were and continue to be apart of a small youth community at our church. From a young age, he was always the most fun loving guy you knew. Whether it was in craft class together or at camp retreats he was always willing and ready to have fun and loved allowing others to do so as well. Admittedly, not going to school together and seeing each other at various church events doesn’t build a lot of young kid’s relationships so for many years we remained somewhat distant friends. It wasn’t until I transferred high schools after our freshman year that our relationship began to pick back up and prosper. We went on a mission trip together to New Orleans that summer to help those still suffering from hurricane Katrina. It was on this mission trip when I discovered how truly awesome Harris is. He was so willing to help my father or me with building projects and always brought a positive attitude along with him. He was excited that I was transferring to his school and gave me tons of advice. I was sad to find out that we didn’t get placed in any classes together sophomore year but this year has certainly made up for that. We went on another mission trip this summer and he exemplified the model worker in how he was so willing to help me and those in need. He and I developed a bond over being the only two around that could lift what was needed to be lifted and this bond carried over to this school year. He and I joke around a lot but he always is genuinely caring about how I’m doing and brings a lot of joy into my day. He is an overall awesome dude and I would recommend him to anyone as a seat partner but especially as a friend.

Assignment 9 - Lindsey Angel

As you may already know, I am on Henry Clay's debate team. This past month, our debate topic was whether or not the deployment of anti-missile systems is in South Korea’s best interest. Just as some background, before a debate, each team (of two people) must prepare two cases - one supporting the resolution and one against. For this resolution, I was in charge of writing the case against the deployment of anti-missile systems. Now in my case, I discussed the effects of Chinese backlash on South Korea's economy and security, arguing that a stable economy, and therefore a functioning state, was a more prominent issue than that of deploying anti-missile systems right now. Many times, opposing teams would respond to this contention, with the argument that lives are more important in times of war than economic gains. My rebut was simply that in order for South Korea to be a functioning state, she must have a stable economy to ensure a quality of life for her citizens. In this case, it became a debate of which option was a lesser evil. Does South Korea deploy anti-missile systems and go to war with North Korea, or does she leave her people undefended in hope of reaching peace with the help of China? Either way, innocent lives are put at risk. When at war, they always are. The question is then if war is worth that risk? As a Christian, I feel obligated to say no. As a person, I'm not so sure. Lives are always at risk, even without war. However, war offers the option of liberation and security for countries who desperately need it. So while I believe the purposeful loss of lives is immoral, I also believe that if a country can bring about a positive change, and war is the only option then the end justifies the means.

Assignment 10- Will Gregory

If a Zombie apocalypse were to occur I most definitely have a plan. Firstly I would gather all of the friends and family that I could and load them into vehicles as fast as possible. Then I would high tail it to I-75 and head southbound. I’d get off at exit 62 and depending on time/zombie restraints I would stop at the shell station and gather as much food, water, and supplies as physically possible. Then I’d drive as fast as I could towards the boat dock at Lack Linville in Renfro valley, Kentucky. Upon arrival, my families very cheap and even more redneck pontoon boat will be waiting already in the water. I’d load everyone and everything I could inside of it as fast as I could and head out to the middle of the lake. Upon reaching the very middle of the lake I would drop anchor and breath a sigh of relief knowing that I was safe. The ample amount of lake water would provide my family and I a barrier against all zombies and the plentiful numbers of fish and water in the lake would provide us sustenance even after our supplies ran out. From this place we could watch the world unfold in safety and spend the worlds last days in peace.