PHYSICS CARTOON

GLO Parent Review

Angelica,
 You did a good job on creating the website. It was easy to follow along and well put together. I really enjoyed your project icarus, nice too see you have a passion in something other than food. I am so proud of you Angelica. I agree, you have improved a lot this year mostly academically. You have also improved a lot with your confidence level through cheer and other activities, i hope you keep it up! I enjoy looking forward to you achieving your goals in the future. Good to see that you are studying hard and creating your assignments.
-Mom
http://www.wix.com/anjellybean96/happy

Brainy Flix (balk)

Journal 1,2,3,4.

Angelica Faylogna

May 16, 2012

English: Project Icarus

From attending gymnastics classes for a few years, I have grown a passion into cheerleading. I started cheering only for the experience, never would I have thought it would be this important my life as it is today. To challenge myself, I am assigned to help choreograph the Sophomore class's end of the year leader. This is a big step for me because for cheer I am always learning dances, never do I ever have to make my own. To help me with this I am thinking of maybe talking to my coach, Travis Mukina and fellow teammates on advice to how I should put this together and maybe a few pointers on how to get me started. What I'm looking forward to this experience and hopefully getting answers to questions of, Am I good at what I do? or By what I do, am I able to show of it? Will I be able to make my own routine?, or Am I capable of doing what I do on my own? My intentions through this experience is to find a bigger picture as to why I do what I am passionate about. I guess for some people a sport comes natural to them, and for me I found myself interested, but basically will I be able to push myself to represent what I am able to come up with, what I am made of, and showing exactly what I can do to contribute.

Dance is an art. Some show their passion expressed in the way their body moves, others through being forced into learning how to. You can only call yourself a dancer if you absolutely love it. Anyone can move their body but not everyone can dance. Being able to move your body gracefully, on the right count and match the right move is a gift, not just memorizing the steps, but being able to feel it in your body. It's able to take over you, as if everything comes naturally, you don't need to try. It can come as an unexpected talent or one that you might have made, worked on, practiced until proven perfect. Dancing can be a statement. It can say a lot about a person, by the way they handle learning a dance, or how they dance, in variety of different styles. A young age I've had multiple minor experiences in jazz, hip-hop, or ballet. Although I've never stuck to a specific one and improved from there on, until I encountered it through cheer.
Not much people consider cheerleading a sport. Everyone thinks it consists of jumping, flipping and dancing. Little do they know how much effort it takes to make up a 2 minute routine. Perfecting it always the hardest. For everyone to be able to look as if the whole team is one form and it's movement to be a unison step. I myself did not think of it this way at first. MY passion started in the 8th grade after taking a few gymnastics classes. I attended once a week. From when high school started I went for it and attempted to try cheerleading because of its gymnastics background that tied into it. I wanted it for an experience, not knowing what to expect. Never would I have thought I would learn so much. How many new things I had to learn. What really challenged me was it's dancing portion. I was always so difficult for everyone to be on the same level, for everyone to match when doing a dance. People who were to watch us wouldn't think so, but it takes a lot of practice for everyone to get and and match each other. I always encounter problems where I would stick out from the formation cause I wouldn't be able to get a dance move right. That has always been a problem for me, I am so stiff when I dance. I can say I have improved a lot throughout the time I started. That is why I am looking forward to testing out the waters and actually taking a step further and branching out to trying to choreograph the class leader dance.
To come up with a dance is not the easiest thing. I haven't had that experience myself although I helped and seen how the production of it flows. In cheer each move has to be tight, by that meaning every move must be sharp in order for everyone to look the same, from that there are a lot of moves we have to reconsider to whether it is appropriate or not. From there every count must be occupied. Everyone has to move the same in order for the whole thing to flow, if one person forgets a step people might start colliding during transitions in the dance. In every 8 count we usually add in a ripple which seems to be the trickiest things because everyone is doing the same move but in different counts so it gets a little difficult to catch on and stay on your designated count without getting confused and following some in from of you. The dance are always at a fast pace. Cheer music is always that way. That is why is is really important to condition every so often to make sure we wont be too out of breathe in the whole routine because not only do we dance, we also have to do a cheer, maybe a chant or a motion sequence, a few jumps, transitions and tumbling. By still staying sharp, yelling from you diaphragm. Staying on count because if one person screws up so might another and there goes the whole team's score. For the littlest flaws is where judges dock off points. Everything has to flow and hit exactly, if it's not perfect it shows how much you actually practiced and the effort that was put in. Although i think the dance is one of the most important portions because that is where your team can be original, you won't see as much people with the same moves as you of the same cheer in it. That is something you can wow the judges with how you are able to use everyones skills and come up with something amazing, something that'll leave a statement or trademark to the crowd. For them to remember you as as a threat to any other team.
Although I previously mentioned asking Coach Travis to help me out, I honestly didn't think it would be appropriate around this time since cheer tryouts are happening during this week. I don't think he would be up to giving me an advantage because he did mention before the tryouts started that he would not be holding any private lessons. I know he's about as close to a professional to help me out with this project but I have found a bunch of people to help me with my project. All are from cheer, and some I've met through gymnastics, but I guess because I am focusing on my improvement on the dancing portion of my abilities, I asked mainly my two friends Marissa and Dajane who actually were in charge of coming up with all our dances to the routines we performed for competition season this year in cheer. They are really talented. I have known them for only a year but we are close. I trust them giving me constructive criticism.They will help me with the brainstorming portion of coming up with the choreography of our sophomore leader. We meet up almost everyday after school already for cheer practice so either during the beginning or end of practice is when I will ask them to give me some pointers about the whole dance I'm making, which would be probably a single 8 count routine and repeated steps, which should be simple. I also asked a few people to help me with a video I am planning to make into showing how I have improved and the steps we come up with in cheer, with that I have asked my friend Eryn for permission in borrowing some footage she actually filmed during our season this year. And Sierra to allow me a copy of a few clips she filmed of me whenever I improved during practice. I have also came across a few youtube tutorials and cheer techniques and dance moves involving the exact music we are using for the leader. I have specific links saved onto my computer.

In my many experiences of sports and clubs ranging from jazz, hip-hip, ballet, karate, and volleyball, there was never a real connection into it. I never had that itch to wanting to always be in practice or class trying to get better and improving on my skills. I never really felt dedicated to anything. Until I came along cheerleading is about the same time I started seeing my whole life differently. What started as just a good experience after attempting to expand my interest gymnastics, I found myself drawn to a new connection not only with the sports but also with each and every one of my team mates. We have that sort of bond with each other where we all think alike, our intentions of why were okay with giving up our weekends, after school, and summer. You become that into it, through the excitement of the crowd when you're on that cheer mat to the way we are constantly learning new things and improving. It not considered a routine but more of a skill to perfect and grow on from. I think that's what made it my passion that it is to me today. Why I absolutely hate the thought of the sacrifices I chose to make to participate, although I do it anyway because I could never imagine my life without it. It keeps me motivated to stay on top of grades, inspired to keep on improving, and the ambition to always staying positive no matter the circumstances. Project Icarus has inspired me to take it to the next level. What started as an experiment has become a growing interest in my life. The more and more I am eager to get better and master my skills. I think that's what made my project a lot more enjoyable to do, I was learning how to create my own self. There was no one for me to follow directions and orders from, It was all me calling the tricks and moves to play. I was the one not only in charge, but I was the one everyone had to look up to as the member who knew exactly what to do through having experience with this kind of work. It was fun to teach a few moves here and there little by little the dance would come together. I think the only regret I have to this experience was the poor convenience everyone had to participating. Not everyone could show up to be a part of it. Although I appreciated the effort of those who did manage to have some spare time to come out and help with the leader. It was a great experience, i felt like it gave me confidence to try and branch out a little bit further into choreographing other small jobs, or maybe another leader or music video sometime in the future.

In my impact activity, I am going to play a video I put together that features my skills and improvements Ive accomplished from almost the beginning of my cheer experience until today. I have footage on how our cheer team put together, practiced and perfected our routine for competitions and accomplished in getting a lot of winning including 4 first place and 1 second place awards. A few clips of my tumbling skills considering I started off not even knowing how to do a single round off to begin with, to the back handsprings, jumps and tricks I learned along the way. And most importantly I added in the leader seeing exactly what I came up with. I honestly can say its not that much, maybe a single 8 count dance moves, but it was something. As I said before, never had I made a routine on my own, which I think portrays a stepping stone I encountered in expanding my passion and talent. Im not too sure how long the video is at the moment, I estimate roughly about a minute 30 seconds because Im still looking around for more footage I might have taken throughout the season as well as talking to Marissa and Dajane again about any feedbacks they thought of about how I did choreographing the leader, and also if anyone else on the team happened to have taken a few videos of our improvements during the season. Although mainly, I intend on make the video directly on dancing. Depending what kind of footage I'm able to get, most likely I'll pick out only the dancing portions of our cheer competition routine. I'm thinking of creating the storyline into a timeline of our process on how exactly how we did it. Which is a bunch practicing to perfection. From the footage I already have, I trimmed a lot of it out because they were mostly of us having a good time and screwing up. But I do have enough to fill out the rest of the video with the leader, which I'm confident will be a really entertaining video. Can't wait to show it!

History Research Paper Final

Angelica Faylogna

May 16, 2012

History Research Paper

The Ku Klux Klan is defined as “a secret organization of White Protestant Americans, mainly in the South, who use violence against Blacks, Jews, and other minority groups.” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Ku+Klux+Klan) It is one the of most popular controversies in America today. Presently the KKK is still a frowned upon group that upholds its trademark in history of being such an unaccepted belief. Of its past, present and maybe future intentions, it is but a matter of opinion to whether the KKK is entirely a negative organization or if their intentions mean well. Of its past history, the decision to whether or not the KKK had more of a bad impact than good on society is fairly right. Presently, the controversy within its organization is still a conflict. Its influences to society today plays a huge role in whether their message should be classified as terrorism in the near future.

Of the many significant events that have happened in it's past history, the KKK has become a well known organization that it is today mainly by it's leaders. The people that has made it possible for the KKK to even be able to kick start their movement with it's plans for the future. A good example would be a man named Robert Carlyle Byrd. He was a United States Senator fromWest Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010. He was the longest-serving senator and the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Congress. In the early 1940s, Byrd recruited 150 of his friends and associates to create a new chapter of the Ku Klux Klan According to Byrd, at only 24 years old at the time, a Klan official told him, "You have a talent for leadership, Bob... The country needs young men like you in the leadership of the nation." as stated in a 2010 article discussing of his death at the age of 92. Flattered by his abilities being recognized jumped at the chance and had brought KKK up to a new level. Also to David Duke who is probably America's most famous unapologetic racist and anti-Semite, written in an official website of himself, called DavidDuke.com. "Our clear goal," he has said, "must be the advancement of the white race and separation of the white and black races. This goal must include freeing of the American media and government from subservient Jewish interests." He opposes integration, calls himself a "white nationalist", and his political perspectives are colored almost entirely by race.

The KKK had associated with three time periods in America.The first Klan was founded in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee, by six veterans of the Confederate Army. They named it after the Greek word kuklos, which means “circle”. The name means "Circle of Brothers." The KKK wanted to restore white supremacy by threats and violence, including murder, against black Republicans. In 1870 and 1871, the federal government passed the Force Acts, which were used to prosecute Klan crimes. Prosecution of Klan crimes and enforcements of the Force Acts suppressed Klan activity. With the contribution of openly active paramilitary organizations such as the White League and the Red Shirt helped white Democrats to regain political power in all the Southern states by 1877 due to the injustice going on around the time.

In 1915, the second Klan was founded in Georgia. Its membership grew most rapidly in cities, and spread to the Midwest and West out of the South, preaching, "One Hundred Percent Americanism.” (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0859145.html). It focused on the threat of the Catholic Church, using anti-Catholicism and nativism. During the mid-1920s, the organization claimed to include about 15% of the nation's eligible population, approximately 4–5 million men. Although by the criminal behavior of leaders, and external opposition brought about a collapse in membership, which had dropped to about 30,000 by 1930, stated for an article names “The Second Ku Klux Klan” in 2005 focusing mainly on the key points of the event. Some local groups took part in attacks on private houses and carried out other violent activities generally in the South. It finally faded away in the 1940s.

In the 1950s and 1960s the "Ku Klux Klan" name was used by many independent local groups opposing desegregation and the Civil Right Movement. Several members of KKK groups were convicted of murder in the deaths of civil rights workers and children in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. In article labeled, “The Klan Rides Again” they say today, researchers estimate that there may be approximately 150 Klan chapels of 5,000 or more members nationwide. A large majority of sources consider the Klan to be a "subversive or terrorist organization". In 1999, the city council of Charleston, South Carolina passed a resolution declaring the Klan to be a terrorist organization. A similar effort was made in 2004 when a professor which name was unlisted due to preferring to stay incognito at the University of Louisville began a campaign to have the Klan declared a terrorist organization so it could be banned from campus. In April 1997, FBI agents arrested four members of the True Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Dallas for conspiracy to commit robbery and to blow up a natural gas processing plant.

Economically the KKK has from the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses, as written in a 2007 article labeled, “The Everyday Economist”, we find that individuals who joined the Klan were better educated and more likely to hold professional jobs than the typical American. Surprisingly, they found few tangible social or political impacts of the Klan. There is little evidence that the Klan had an effect on black or foreign born residential mobility, or on lynching patterns. Historians have argued that the Klan was successful in getting candidates they favored elected through a process targeting a crowd and their ability in persuading into convincing those around them to also follow along. They had a natural talent to touch the hearts of a crowd and speaking to them in a way that was strongly believable. Statistical analysis, however, suggests that any direct impact of the Klan was likely to be small. Furthermore, those who were elected had little discernible effect on legislation passed most likely in the south, rather than a terrorist organization.

Politically, the purpose of the KKK soon developed into a paramilitary force used to oppose the Republican governments set up in the old Confederate States and used to stop Freedmen (ex-slaves) from voting, attempting to register to vote, and from trying to hold elective offices in the southern states. When the KKK became too violent, Nathan Bedford Forrest, who served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret vigilante organization, ordered it disbanded, but the violent element in the KKK continued, until the government passed the Force Acts and the Klan was extinguished in 1872. In 1915, William Simmons founded the twentieth-century version of the KKK after viewing the film, Birth of a Nation, which glorified the history of the Klan. The new Klan was not only anti black, but anti Jewish, anti foreign, and anti-Catholic. “The Klan actually became a respected part of the Democratic Party and reached its peak of political power in the 1920s, when membership may have been as high as 4.5 million, including many prominent business and political leaders.” (http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/09/the-ku-klux-kla.html). The Klan declined in power when the Grand Dragon, was found guilty of second degree murder in the death of a young women whom he had taken to Chicago with him. In an attempt to lessen his sentence, Grand Dragon David Stephenson turned over evidence to the government revealing the corruption of the Klan, the names of politicians the Klan had bribed, and other illegal activities of the organization. In the 1960s, the KKK briefly rose again to try and opposed the Civil Rights movement. After numerous deaths and disappearance of civil rights workers in the South, and the burning of black churches, and the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, the Klan fell apart. Today, there are small splinter groups of the KKK but no one large national organization.

The Ku Klux Klan was originally a social fraternity, organized by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first Grand Wizard of the Empire, in 1867. In the 1920s Klan is best described as “a social organization built through a wildly successful pyramid scheme fueled by an army of highly-incentivized sales agents selling hatred, religious intolerance, and fraternity in a time and place where there was tremendous demand.” (http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/kkk1.html). Many books have been published since involving the KKK. A couple are of authors who've has experienced the cruelty of its organization, some of inspired novels involving the KKK, and other that focus mainly on it's background and practices. The content of it is not always kid friendly although it does get a message out about the opinion everyone might have about it. A few of New York Times Best Sellers include, A Women of the Clan, which is about the racism and gender in the 1920s and an informational book called, Freakonomics, written between a collaboration of authors and journalists who focus on discussions involving issues such as the KKK. Also the media is used to promote a lot of opinions and protests about this issue. In a website that defends the beliefs of the KKK called the Knights Party, they actually encourage you to join their organization and also provide facts to exactly why they think their beliefs are harmless, they mention gathering dates and activities.

Of its beliefs, the KKK emphasizes how their beliefs are Christian based, stated in a few articles based on their practices, they show that they don't believe in abortion although they do say they are against interracial marriages. They preach white power or supremacy of the white race and are generally against African Americans, and of Jews, Muslims, Immigrants to America, Asians, Homosexuals, Catholics, as well as others. They view whites as the pure race and believe the world would be a better place if whites were still allowed to control things fully. In the early days of The Klan they began wearing the traditional white robes and hoods to both hide their identity and make their night rides more dramatic. The burning of the cross is an important practice of The Klan and has a deep meaning. It represents the light of the cross banishing the darkness and ignorance. The fire is to remind them them of the ability to burn or cleanse the land of evil and impurities, as The Klan says, it's meant to worship and empower Christ and his followers not show disrespect or hatred.

The KKK once again is a popular controversy still today as shown in many articles today. With it's organization presently quiet and hardly active in society today, it is still considered from a majority of citizens a frowned upon organization. It's beliefs although claim to be of harmless intentions, has left a trademark in society today as violent and dangerous. Not much people in their right minds would ever attempt to walk the streets in a white robe like the KKK's uniform, although believe it or not there are those who attend gathering just and common and casual in public facilities similar to a catholic or christian church. It's hard to believe people today are still full support of this organization, claiming it to be the more dominant group, superior to any other. In showing how there are those who are quick to point fingers and not everyone is as accepting to the differences we all have between each other. 

Journal #4

In my impact activity, I am going to play a video I put together that features my skills and improvements Ive accomplished from almost the beginning of my cheer experience until today. I have footage on how our cheer team put together, practiced and perfected our routine for competitions and accomplished in getting a lot of winning including 4 first place and 1 second place awards. A few clips of my tumbling skills considering I started off not even knowing how to do a single round off to begin with, to the back handsprings, jumps and tricks I learned along the way. And most importantly I added in the leader seeing exactly what I came up with. I honestly can say its not that much, maybe a single 8 count dance moves, but it was something. As I said before, never had I made a routine on my own, which I think portray a stepping stone I encountered in expanding my passion and talent. Im not too sure how long the video is at the moment because Im still looking around for more footage I might have taken throughout the season as well as talking to Marissa and Dajane again about any feedbacks they thought of about how I did choreographing the leader, and also if anyone else on the team happened to have taken a few videos of our improvements during the season.

Journal #3

In my many experiences of sports and clubs ranging from jazz, hip-hip, ballet, karate, and volleyball, there was never a real connection into it. I never had that itch to wanting to always be in practice or class trying to get better and improving on my skills. I never really felt dedicated to anything. Until I came along cheerleading is about the same time I started seeing my whole life differently. What started as just a good experience after attempting to expand my interest gymnastics, I found myself drawn to a new connection not only with the sports but also with each and every one of my team mates. We that sort of bond with each other where we all thought the same, our intentions of why were okay with giving up our weekends, after school, and summer. We were just that into it, through the excitement of the crowd when you're on that cheer mat to the way we are constantly learning new things and improving. It not considered a routine but more of a skill to perfect and grow on from. I think that's what made it my passion that it is  to me today. Why I absolutely hate the thought of the sacrifices I chose to make to participate, although I do it anyway because I could never imagine my life without it. It keeps me motivated to stay on top of grades, inspired to keep on improving, and the ambition to always staying positive no matter the circumstances. Project Icarus has inspired me to take it to the next level. What started as an experiment has become a growing interest in my life. The more and more I am eager to get better and master my skills. I think that's what made my project a lot more enjoyable to do, I was learning how to create my own self. There was no one for me to follow directions and orders from, I was all me calling the tricks and moves to play. I was the one not only in charge, but I was the one everyone had to look up to as the member who knew exactly what to do through having experience with this kind of work. It was fun to teach a few moves here and there little by little the dance would come together. I think the only regret I have to this experience was the poor convenience everyone had to participating. Not everyone could make it to put it together. Although I appreciated the effort of those who did manage to have some spare time to help with the leader. It was a great experience, i felt like it gave me confidence to try and branch out a little bit further into choreographing small jobs, or maybe another leader or music video sometime in the future.

This I Believe

It's a fact that you never truly know who a person is unless you've walked in their shoes. You will never know exactly how a person is even if they can be the closest friend you have. Especially when it comes to the problems they deal with. Obviously everyone has their fair share of problems to deal with because no one said life was easy. It can be by the way we chose to deal with them or even how we seem to hide them from others. Although no one can see, hear, or feel just how much pain someone can be in besides our own. Compared to a smile, happiness is something quit obvious to tell from a person, it could be a complete stranger but it still would be that easy to witness the kind of joy they have inside them. The way our mind categorizes how we feel, its amazing that we can turn a feeling into the way it controls us in a smile, a laugh, a frown, or a cry.

I never really understood how powerful someone's cry could be. Not by their voice, but of either the different signs it could tell. The emotion in it, you could be surprised, excited, angry or upset. You won't really know unless you ask. That night at the hospital I never felt so cold, it wasn't the air condition, or the tiled floors, it was chills in my body after having to ask my mom what was wrong, why my brother had the stay there for the night. That moment when time freezes, all you can feel is your chest drop and your throat tighten while you try to come up with words to respond when really an you want to do is fall, crouch on the floor and hope this feeling passes. That you can just sink in the tears you cry hoping they give comfort, that the pain of almost anything could be healed by the touch of someone stroking you back as you take it all in. As if everything was a dream, as if this could never have happened, as if something like this wasn't supposed to be that way. How many times do you get a younger sibling, something so precious was being introduced to you, then later having to find out by a bunch of strangers that there was a problem. The dreams you pictured with that brother or sister doing things together when they got old enough to walk and run with you, play and fight with you became a blur. No one could possibly understand what went through my mind that night. The flashes of thoughts that raced through me as I tried to picture what was going to happen next.

No one ever pictures the worst for a new born. I was in the 3^rd grade, and at the time all I cared about what that he came out a boy. I prayed long and hard for many years for a sibling, no one understood how important that wish was for me. I said it specifically and repeatedly, “I wanted a brother!” Not like I didn't love a sister any less, I just wanted a brother the even out the family ratio, my mom, dad, me, and a brother, its just sounded cooler that way. More that excited was I when my mom finally told me about it. But what made my life complete was her delivery day. I could barely concentrate that day at school, I would tell all my friends every minute that passed before the school bell rang for dismissal. My dad came to pick me up & take me to see him at the hospital. He name is Aedan, seeing him for the first time was a dream, not only that, but a dream come true. I wanted no pet, or any other kind of toy, I waited almost a good year for this beautiful brother. Life seemed complete. Just like I mentioned earlier, everyone gets their fair share of problems. Well, after a few weekly check ups for him, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, it hit me. Not just me but us, my family, the dose of complication that just had to happen. The doctors informed us that he was developing slower than normal. He was weak for his age and weight, the diagnosed it as muscular dystrophy and a whole list of words I could never learn how to pronounce, read or spell. All that mattered was that something was wrong. I

It was a tough phase for my family to take it, I didn't even seem to mind that mom and dad would take out their frustration on a few little things I did knowing it had nothing to do with me. Everyone was mad, upset, sad, crying was at a normal basis in my household. What I can say is that from this experience I learned how to grow up fast. It was me putting this family together. Through the strength I gained through Aedan. Learning how to be independent, how to chose to stay positive if I wanted anything to get better from where I stood. I wanted to be able to give an example on how I could still look at any angle of life and see goodness. To be able to stay happy, and look forward to a new and brighter day, finding a way and even solution to work around the challenge brought upon us instead of watching my family just sit and let time fly beneath their feet. To let them watch their friends enjoy life without them. Soon afterwards my positive thinking rubbed off on everyone else. Aedan is now 6, he is a happy little kid. Actually he's a little more intelligent that I ever was at his age. It astonishes me when I see him actually enjoy doing math problems and homework, which is apparently his favorite subject. It's not difficult for me to trust, but it is difficult for me to stay faithful and hopeful for the future that someday soon he will take his first step on his own and walk and play with the kids outside without a care in the world. I know that day will come because I believe in trusting the Lord in anything no matter how hard the circumstances seem to look.

At this very moment as I'm writing this paper, I feel almost the exact same pain that struck me the first time. The tears roll down my cheeks naturally when I bring up this experience. Even if it's been years ago, it wouldn't matter, the same kind of feelings I have will always be there, because no one knows but me, in my perspective how this experience felt like. With it, I am more conscious about judging who has it worse or if hating life is really that necessary to imply in a sentence because I know for a fact I will never know how hard someone has it. I know what it feels like to look around and see the worst of life, no one else but me, though everything happens for a reason. I can only judge myself when it comes down to it, life is what I make it, on how I manage to handle any obstacle it has for me. I think with this, it has made me a stronger person today. I'm in control to how I want to overcome any obstacle handed to me, life can be the easiest thing if I chose to treat it that way, or the worst if I let the little thing take over me. I expect the best, because I deserves the best, no one can tell me otherwise unless they've experienced the challenges I overcame, this I believe.

Journal #2

Dance is an art. Some show it with passion, others through being forced into. You can only call yourself a dancer if you absolutely love it. Anyone can move their body but not everyone can dance. Being able to move your body gracefully, on the right count and match the right move is a gift. It can come as an unexpected talent or one that you might have made, worked on, practiced until proven perfect. Dance can be statement. I can say I've taken up a few dance lessons of variety of different styles. Experiencing jazz, hip-hop, or ballet. Although I've never stuck to a specific one and improved from there. Until I encountered it through cheer.
Not much people consider cheerleading a sport. Everyone thinks it consists of jumping, flipping and dancing. Little do they know how much effort it takes to make up a 2 minute routine. Perfecting it always the hardest. For everyone to be able to look as if the whole team is one form and it's movement to be a unison step. I myself did not think of it this way at first. MY passion started in the 8th grade after taking a few gymnastics classes. I attended once a week. From when high school started I went for it and attempted to try cheerleading because of its gymnastics background that tied into it. I wanted it for an experience, not knowing what to expect. Never would I have thought I would learn so much. How many new things I had to learn. What really challenged me was it's dancing portion. I was always so difficult for everyone to be on the same level, for everyone to match when doing a dance. People who were to watch us wouldn't think so, but it takes a lot of practice for everyone to get and and match each other. I always encounter problems where I would stick out from the formation cause I wouldn't be able to get a dance move right. That has always been a problem for me, I am so stiff when I dance. I can say I have improved a lot throughout the time I started. That is why I am looking forward to testing out the waters and actually taking a step further and branching out to trying to choreograph the class leader dance.
To come up with a dance is not the easiest thing. I haven't had that experience myself although I helped and seen how the production of it flows. In cheer each move has to be tight, by that meaning every move must be sharp in order for everyone to look the same, from that there are a lot of moves we have to reconsider to whether it is appropriate or not. From there every count must be occupied. Everyone has to move the same in order for the whole thing to flow, if one person forgets a step people might start colliding during transitions in the dance. In every 8 count we usually add in a ripple which seems to be the trickiest things because everyone is doing the same move but in different counts so it gets a little difficult to catch on and stay on your designated count without getting confused and following some in from of you. The dance are always at a fast pace. Cheer music is always that way. That is why is is really important to condition every so often to make sure we wont be too out of breathe in the whole routine because not only do we dance, we also have to do a cheer, maybe a chant or a motion sequence, a few jumps, transitions and tumbling. By still staying sharp, yelling from you diaphragm. Staying on count because if one person screws up so might another and there goes the whole team's score. For the littlest flaws is where judges dock off points. Everything has to flow and hit exactly, if it's not perfect it shows how much you actually practiced and the effort that was put in. Although i think the dance is one of the most important portions because that is where your team can be original, you won't see as much people with the same moves as you of the same cheer in it. That is something you can wow the judges with how you are able to use everyones skills and come up with something amazing, something that'll leave a statement or trademark to the crowd. For them to remember you as as a threat to any other team.
 I have found a bunch of people to help me with my project. All are from cheer, and some I've met through gymnastics, but I guess because I am focusing on my improvement on the dancing portion of my abilities, I asked mainly my two friends Marissa and Dajane who actually were in charge of coming up with all our dances to the routines we performed for competition season in cheer. They are really talented. I have known them for only a year but we are close. I trust them giving me constructive criticism.They will help me with the brainstorming portion of coming up with the choreography of our sophomore leader. We meet up almost everyday after school already for cheer practice so either during the beginning or end of practice is when I will ask them to give me some pointers about the whole dance I'm making. I also asked a few people to help me with a video I am planning to make into showing how I have improved and the steps we come up with in cheer, with that I have asked my friend Eryn for permission in borrowing some footage she actually filmed during our season this year. And Sierra to allow me a copy of a few clips she filmed of me whenever I improved during practice. I have also came across a few youtube tutorials and cheer techniques and dance moves involving the exact music we are using for the leader. I have specific links saved onto my computer.

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Journal #1

From attending gymnastics classes for a few years, I have grown a passion into cheerleading. I started cheering only for the experience, never would I have thought it would be this important my life as it is today. To challenge myself, I am assigned to help choreograph the Sophomore class's end of the year leader. This is a big step for me because for cheer I am always learning dances, never do I ever have to make my own. To help me with this I am thinking of talking to my coach, Travis Mukina and fellow teammates on advice to how I should put this together and maybe a few pointers on how to get me started. What I'm looking forward to this experience and hopefully getting answers to questions of, Am I good at what I do? or By what I do, am I able to show of it? Will I be able to make my own routine?, or Am I capable of doing what I do on my own? My intentions through this experience is to find a bigger picture as to why I do what I am passionate about. I guess for some people a sport comes natural to them, and for me I found myself interested, but basically will I be able to push myself to represent what I am able to come up with, what I am made of, and showing exactly what I can do to contribute.