Christmas. I used to love Christmas. When did we stop? Is it about the presents? Is it about Jesus? We all have our opinions. When I was little, I used to love Christmas. The presents, the good food, family, did I say presents already? Anyways, we all used to write Christmas lists every year, right? They included ridiculous things. Things such as hamsters, puppies, and even a trip to Disneyland. When did we stop making lists? When did we stop baking cookies? When did we stop writing letters to the North Pole? When did we stop getting excited? When did we stop? When did Christmas become casual? It became just another holiday. When we were little things were simpler wouldn’t you agree? Just ask for what you want and for the most part your parents would get it for you. Maybe it’s just because as we got older we got more considerate. Considerate of our parent’s bank accounts, considerate of our parent’s holiday stress levels, or maybe not. Something I do know is that something has changed. Even for me personally, Christmas just doesn’t excite me as it once did when I was a child full of holiday spirit and eagerness to just exist. This is not meant to be negative, please don’t take this the wrong way. I believe that growing up we have taken on a different perspective of Christmas. As kids, we were most excited for presents. Now, we get the chance to appreciate family and friends. This is because we truly know what Christmas is about since we are older and (I hope) wiser. So, that being said, when did we stop? About the author: My name is Delaney and I enjoy long walks to the fridge, watching YouTube, hiding half of my face with Snapchat filters, and poetry.
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The War on Drugs was officially initiated in 1971 during the Nixon Administration as a means of cracking down on the production, distribution, and use of psychoactive drugs. On surface level, this doesn’t seem like such a bad thing, in fact, it seems like a great idea to take action against the usage of narcotics by Americans, who could ever imagine that there could be anything wrong with trying to save lives? Unfortunately, this policy has resulted in an almost complete disaster, and has created problems that you would probably never hear about in any D.A.R.E. program. Here are the top five negative consequences of the War on Drugs.
5. The cost. $50 billion is spent per year to combat illicit drugs and it has caused taxpayers to foot a trillion dollar bill since 1971. More money is spent on state prisons than on public colleges and universities. 4. It actually helps criminals. The prohibition of alcohol during the 1930s created a black market that gave a complete monopoly to mobsters, which is how the Mafias of America came to be. The same thing reigns true for the sale of marijuana. It can’t be bought legally in most states, so criminals and cartels are the ones who make all the money. 3. Perpetuates racism. When it comes to being charged with drug use, black men are 13 times more likely to be arrested than a white man, sometimes 57 times in some states. Latinos and African-Americans also make up more than 75% of drug law violators in prison. 2. It has caused unnecessary violence and death. The drastic, militaristic action performed by the DEA has caused thousands of accidental deaths and also gave birth to Narco-Terrorism, where Drug cartels also take up arms and commit violent acts of terror in response to armed conflict. 1. It’s counterproductive to stopping drug use. The War on Drugs has been more focussed on punishing those addicted to drugs, rather than helping them. The vast majority of those who use drugs are usually undergoing great emotional pain that they can’t afford treatment for. Our solution to helping those afflicted with drug addiction should be a means of rehabilitation and reintegration, not incarceration and alienation. 1. Camping-
My top favorite activity that I enjoy is camping with my family. One reason I enjoy this is because I like being outside and sitting around the campfire with my family. Also, I like how we all can enjoy what’s around us without any electronics besides our phones if we even have service. 2. Baking- My second favorite activity I enjoy doing is baking. All the time I will bake for my family even if there isn’t a special occasion going on. Baking also is a big stress reliever for me. Anytime I feel extremely stressed I will always turn to baking to help relieve any stress I have. 3. Hiking- My third favorite activity is hiking. I have never been hiking until this year with a friend. At first, I wasn’t sure about, but I ended up really enjoying it. It was really nice just to walk through the woods and look at all of the nature around us. 4. Reading- My fourth favorite activity I enjoy is reading. I enjoy reading because it can take you on an adventure. Although, the books I enjoy the most are love stories. Sometimes I will also read a book before bed if I cannot fall asleep. Usually if I end up reading one right before bed I will start to get tired and eventually fall asleep. 5. Crafts- My fifth activity I enjoy is making crafts. One of my favorite crafts is making a wreath out of fabric. One Christmas I made five different wreaths for some relatives, and I loved seeing their faces when they saw them. They said that was their favorite Christmas gift they have received that year. 6. Painting- My sixth favorite activity is painting. I enjoy painting because you can make anything you want to. Also, I think it is really cool how you can just take a bunch of different colors and make an image out of them. 7. Bowling- My seventh activity I enjoy is bowling. The best part of bowling is going with friends and family. When it is snowing outside and you have nothing to do you can go to the bowling alley and bowl. It’s fun just to go and hangout, but be competitive with each other at the same time. 8. Cards- My eighth favorite activity is playing cards with my family. At first, I wasn’t very good at playing cards, but as I kept playing them I got better and better each time I played. Also, it is very fun to play at parties and family gatherings throughout the year. 9. Vacations- My ninth activity I enjoy is going on vacations. Every year my family goes on one. Each time we go we choose a different destination. I love to go to different places I haven’t been because I can see new cultures that is different than mine. 10. Christmas Lights- My tenth favorite activity is looking at Christmas lights during the holiday. Every Christmas we go and drive around the neighborhoods around the town. I love seeing the different lights and what people have come up with to put in their yards or on their house. I hope after reading this you have found some new activities you think you might enjoy. Remember to always try something new even if you think you will not like it. Meet the Author: Hello. My name is Kaitlynn Ronnebaum. I’m 18 years old and I have a brother whose name is Austin. Also, I have two rabbits that are pets. Their names are: Thumper and Mynx. Hi im Chelsie. My life, if i don’t say so myself, is kinda like a reality tv show, i embarrass myself so so much. If my life had to be a TV show, it would definitely be ridiculousness because i always find myself either falling, saying something i didn't mean, or simply just being stupid and regretting it later. Let's begin by saying that these are very few of all. This stuff happens on a normal basis. I always find myself cringing to myself, gritting my teeth in embarrassment, or simply just keeping my head down to avoid anything else going wrong. Without further ado, let's begin. *cringe*
Let’s begin with a simple and sweet one. So you know that in between stage of you saying hello to someone and the time they pass you so it’s just really awkward because you don’t know what to say to them in the inbetween time? Yep, that happens everyday. Okay, let's go back to my freshman year, let's begin by saying that my freshman year, i tried my very hardest to look good every day. So, of course, i would wear a dress very commonly. Well, of course, you know how this is going to end. I had a “crush?” on a senior boy. Shocker? And i was walking outside in front of them, by accident kinda. Us not talking, because what? Making conversation with your crush? Crazy you. So i walked outside, it was windy that day. My hands were super full, there's no way i'm pulling that dress down. So my mindset is that, if i walk fast, itll do me justice. So i start walking really fast and the next thing i know, my dress by my shoulders. Ugh. on the topic of a dress, this is sophmore year. Im sitting at lunch and it's time for me to take up my tray, so i get up and i start walking. I notice that my dress is caught on my chair and its up. So i right away shove it down. I walk away and felt the air of my dress coming down to my leg. So basically, anyone on that table definitely saw things they didn't want to. Great. On the topic of the lunch room, this is this year. It's the first week of school and i'm super excited to talk to everyone. Making my way from table to table, i decide to go back to mine and start eating. So here i am walking back, after having a great conversation with some popular people and i slip on MEAT. SCHOOL MEAT. just what i wanted. Thankfully i didn't fall all the way down and i caught myself. Looking back to see if anyone saw me, the whole lunch table is laughing, Almost 5 months later, they still bring it up to me every time i see them in the hall that i fell on mystery meat. Tune in next time for more embarrassing moments, i'll make sure to make more for ya. Author: Chelsie Walsman #10- Monkey Haircut A simple video of a monkey receiving a haircut has become one of the most abstract memes on the internet. People have been cutting the picture into others, creating an odd sort of collage meme. #9- You know I had to do it to ‘em The legendary dudebro, the boy with his arm crossed, standing on the sidewalk. That image has inspired multiple renditions and edits and has circulated the internet (and is still circulating) as a meme. dit. #8- The Babadook is an LGBT icon Sometimes, Netflix makes mistakes, but none of them are as memorable as the time they listed the Babadook under the LGBT Movies category. Since then, it has been a common joke that the Babadook is actually a gay icon and has inspired multiple artistic adaptations of a gay Babadook and, of course, memes. #7- Crash Bandicoot’s Woah One of the internet’s favorite things will always be funny audio, which Is exactly what this one is. A youtube streamer had dubbed the simple phrase “woah” over the popular video game character Crash Bandicoot. It has since been the inspiration for many video remixes and memes. #6- I’m in 2017 while this dude’s in 3017 This meme is reminiscent of bad life hacks, consisting of images and tweets of people demonstrating interesting— and rather dumb —solutions to everyday problems, claiming that they are “living in 3017” because of said technological advancement. #5- Dancing Hotdog You already know who it is. Unless you’re socially reclusive and have never used any social media besides Facebook, then you’re definitely familiar with one of Snapchats greatest feats: The Dancing Hotdog filter. This filter spawned a dancing hotdog wherever your camera was pointed and was the object of fixation for many of this years memes. #4- Nothing but respect for MY President Earlier this year, a girl had cleaned Donald Trump’s Hollywood star and tweeted an image with the quote, “Nothing but respect for MY President.” With the rise of the “Not My President,” protests, many would make sure to mock the tweet when visiting the Hollywood stars themselves, claiming that those like Pitbull, Britney Spears, and even Shrek were their respected presidents. #3- Rick And Morty Fans Fandoms have always been known for attracting negative outlooks, but the following of this popular adult cartoon really takes the cake. Many of which claim to be infinitely smarter than others because they watch and understand the show. It’s really quite comical listening to how their “grasp on theoretical physics” helps them better understand a comical television show. So far, many have come to make memes, typically forming as an exaggerated imitation of said fans, and it’s certainly an interesting and hilarious take. #2- Elf Practice Everyone has seen the classic Rudolf the Red Noise Reindeer movie, in which one of the elves dreams of being a dentist. His dreams, however, prevented him of doing one very important thing: going to elf practice. Around the holiday time, this meme has gained a lot of attention and is commonly seen combined with other popular memes. #1- Zootopia Pro-life Comic Recently, a Zootopia fan comic has surfaced all over social media. The reason why? This comic is about abortion. A deep and emotional argument between the two anthropomorphic protagonists, Nick and Judy, occur when Judy reveals she wants to get an abortion. While the original version of the comic is wild enough, many have been avidly altering the content and creating some honestly hilarious memes. Spawning right at the end of 2017, this serious topic covered by children’s cartoon characters has stole both my heart and the number one spot on this list. About the Author: Hello, I’m Cassidy and I’m an avid meme enthusiast. I like long walks on the beach and staring directly into the sun. I have been using memes to fill the emotional void in my heart for practically all my life, so I would certainly consider myself an expert on the subject. Thanks for reading. I've been asked this question many times, in many sorts of different ways. Some people ask because they are actually interested; others just ask so they can give their two cents on it. And to be quite honest, I’ll take either person asking. I vividly remember my first YoungLife club. I had just gotten surgery on my leg for my ACL, so I was on crutches. Might I add that club is very fast moving and you never know what to expect. There I was, a freshman with my two friends in the back of the crowd standing up with my crutches. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable. We also had to go outside for an activity at a park; again, I was crutching around with the two friends I came with. Embarrassing and VERY uncomfortable. Basically, my first ever club experience was not a life changing moment. But I did show up the next week, and the week after that. I was very off and on with YoungLife freshman year. A part of me felt like I didn’t belong or that I wasn’t cool enough to talk to the upperclassman. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The upperclassman were super nice and wanted to know me. Also, shoutout to the best YL leaders ever. I wouldn’t have kept coming if it wasn’t for them. Everyone was so cool. I was overwhelmed. One of my biggest regrets was not putting myself out there more my freshman year. However, freshman year was a year that was personally hard for me, so I took a break from going to club. When sophomore year rolled around I was ecstatic for club to start up again. Now my first club as a sophomore was pretty amazing. Friends that I made freshman year were coming and we all had a great time week after week. I started to get more involved and build so many connections with my leaders and new people. I would still have times where I wouldn’t show up for other activities or when I had bad days. That summer going into my junior year, I had the chance to go YoungLife camp. And it was hands down the best week of my life. All I felt that whole week was happiness. After camp, I knew I wanted YoungLife to be a bigger part of my life. Now that I’m a junior, YL is a pretty big and special part of my life. I have made unbreakable bonds with my leaders. I never miss a club, even if I had a bad day. My relationship with Christ has grown tremendously. All of my best friends go to YoungLife. I’m a WyldLife leader (which is a YL but for middle schoolers). And I even want YoungLife to be a part of my career in the future. And most importantly, I’m the happiest I have ever been. So, to answer your question, I YL because it has changed my life and I’m forever grateful. About the author: My name is Jennifer Speer. I enjoy Chipotle, YoungLife, my friends, softball, and music. This year the Batesville Men's Soccer team went to regionals. We sadly lost 1-0 but we left everything out on the field. As a kid all i wanted to accomplish for my soccer career was for me to win sectionals at least once. My Freshman year we Lost First round to a team we could have easily beaten 1-0. I thought that would be the best chance i would have at getting to my dream. So when the season ended i was really sad. The next year when we came back i found out we had a very good starting line up. I thought we had an even greater chance at winning despite knowing our rivals had a good team too. We won most of the games that season so that got my hopes up even more. When sectional time came around everyone was pumped and ready to win. The team beat the first two rounds which advanced us to the finals. The team we were facing was our rivals, the East Central Trojans. We put up a tough fight but in the end they were a better team than us, We lost 3-0. Going into my junior year i didn't think we had any chance at winning. Then Suddenly a miracle happened. The trojans were moved up a division. This meant we wouldn’t play them in sectionals. I felt like we had a chance now and so did the team. Throughout the season we won a lot of games. We didn’t win every single game but most of them. Then sectionals came around. We defeated Franklin County After A penalty kick we made in first half. We knew we could've done better but we were happy we got the job done. We then played a team that was as good as us, The Lawrenceburg Tigers. They won almost as many games in the season as us so we knew it would be a tough game. throughout the game we put up a tough fight. We ended up winning 2-0. My dream finally had come true. This was probably the happiest moment of my life. After that day i began to wonder how far we could really go. The following weekend we had regionals. This was where the teams that won their sectionals come to play each other. We were 1 of 4 teams. Luckily, we got the draw we wanted and played a team that we knew we could beat and the two good teams played each other. Cardinal ritter came out on top of the two good teams. We just had to beat Heron High Schools team. We destroyed Heron 5-0. This got all of our hopes up because we were apart of the team that made it the farthest for batesville. That night we face Cardinal ritter. They were a rich school from indy that plays elite soccer. They were fast and communicated very well. Our team overlooked that and just saw a team that would compete with us. The night of the game our team was no longer a couple of guys getting together to play soccer. We Became a family. The game was very rough, fast paced, and they controlled it a lot. Our defense did an amazing job at stopping most of the shots and our goal keeper did even better with stopping the ones that got through. With 12 minutes left in the half they had an amazing header slip through our defense and into the goal. It didn't affect us at all it just made us work harder. We knew we could still come back from it. Throughout the game we had many shots on the goal. But we could never get one into the goal. After the game it was a sad moment for a lot of us. But our fans were still proud of us and treated it sort of like a win. They cheered us on every single second of that game and the teams very thankful for them. We played our hearts out in that game and left everything on the field. Im very thankful for the seniors that made it possible for my dream to happen. I will never forget this day because it was when i got a whole lot of brothers that care for me as much as i do for them.
Author: Alex Weberding |
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