Read Across America

Read Across America was a truly great experience. During Read Across America, Mira Mesa High School hosts quite a few elementary schools and have the seminar english students read to them as well as participate in several activities. The kids take a lot out of this experience and as well as the seminar english students participating.

I was privileged to be buddies with three kids during the two days. The first activity we had was at the book stacks where we read to the kids. Some of the kids even read themselves too! The second activity was watching the dance team perform as well as dancing ourselves. The third activity was book activities. The kids also had an opportunity to get their faces painted as well. The fourth activity was coloring . The kids received large posters that they were allowed to color. The fifth activity was readers theater. Our class put on the play Daisy-Head Maize. The sixth and final activity  was "Dr. Seuss says." 

Overall, both the students and the teachers took a lot from this experience and us students were grateful to be abke to participate in such a incredible event.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is day where people celebrate their loved ones and takes place every year on February 14. People do many extravagant or simple things to celebrate Valentine's day. Here are some things you can do with your loved ones on this special day.

Picnic-

A picnic is a perfect and inexpensive way to celebrate Valentine's day. Just grab a few simple snacks, go to the park or beach and enjoy the view.

Movies-

Wether it be at the theaters, or at home, watching a movie with your loved one(s) is a great and enjoyable way to spend the day.

Go out to eat-

Going out to eat dinner may be expensive, but it's a thoughtful and amazing experience and something often done on this day.

These are just some of the simple things that can be done with your significant other on this special day. Enjoy this day even if you don't have a significant other to spend it with!

Super Bowl XLIX

The Super Bowl is the annual National Football League Championship game that has been going on since 1997. The game is played between the winners of the two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The winner of the AFC this year was the New England Patriots and the winner of the NFC this year was the Seattle Seahawks. Hear's a little background on both these teams before they play in the big game.

The New England Patriots are lead by head coach, Bill Belichick and star quarterback,Tom Brady and have together combined for 180 wins together. The Patriots finished the year with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses, which tied for the best in the NFL. Tom Brady finished the year with 4,109 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns and will be looking for his fourth NFL championship that would tie an NFL record if he does obtain it. Another star player on offense, is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who finished the year with 12 receving touchdowns and was named comeback player of the year after returning from an ACL injury. One of the star players on defense, was cornerback Darrelle Revis. He finished the year with 2 interceptions while constantly shutting down opposing receivers. 

The Seattle Seahawks are lead by head coach Pete Carroll and third year pro quarterback Russell Wilson. The Seattle Seahawks finished the year with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses which also tied for the best in the NFL and look to claim their second consecutive super bowl championship. Russell Wilson finished the year with 20 passing touchdowns and 6 rushing touchdowns. Another star player for the Seattle Seahawks offense is Marshawn Lynch also known as "beastmode." Marshawn Lynch finished the year with 1306 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. On defense, the Seattle Seahawks are led by "The Legion of Boom" which consists of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas III, Kam Chancellor, and Byron Maxwell. They helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to being first in points allowed per game. 

Both these teams are incredible on both offense and defense but unfortunately there can only be one winner. With both teams leading the league with the best records in NFL, this Super Bowl matchup is primed to be a great one.

How to Sprint Properly

In order to be successful in any sprinting track and field event, it a necessary to have proper sprint form. With the right sprint form, you can maximize your speed in any sprint event of your choice.

The first step of sprinting properly is the acceleration phase. Your body should be slightly leaning forward until your normal sprinting form is reached (about 20 meters). A good acceleration is crucial to your overall sprint. 

When you are at full speed and in the middle of your sprint, your leg that is pushing off the ground should be folded tightly toward your butt as it comes back in relaxed heeling motion. Your thigh in the front should be coming up almost at a 90 degree angle. Your thigh should be "exploding" up at a fast speed in order to be as efficient as possible. Also your toes should be pointing upward on the leg that is coming up. Also make sure TO ALWAYS run on the balls of your feet to come off the ground quicker.

During all of this, your shoulders should remain relaxed. You're elbows should be coming back at a 90 degree angle and your hands coming forward should slightly be above your shoulders. 

With lots of practice and work, you'll be able to perfect your sprint form in no time and race your way to first place!

My First Surgery

During January 2011, I was diagnosed with appendicitis. I was coming home from piano class when I started experiencing sharp pains in the side of my stomach. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced. I wasn't able to eat nor walk around without being in complete pain and agony. As a matter of fact, when I was laying down or sitting, I didn't feel much better. The next day, I went to the doctors and they told me I probably had appendicitis. 

According to webmd.com, appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix, a tube that extends from the large intestine. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked. The function of the appendix is unclear, but people can live without it. If left untreated, the appendix can burst and spill infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. It is necessary to receive surgery as quickly as possible if diagnosed to remove the appendix.

Before getting the surgery, I was very anxious and nervous because this was the first time I ever received surgery. Afterwards when I woke up after the surgery, however, I was relieved that it was finally over. I still was in pain from the surgery in the couple of days afterwards but I was able to return home after about three days. I spent another week at home before returning to school and was as good as new!

How to Long Jump

Long jump is a track and field event in which the athlete sprints down a runway and performs one jump from a certain point into a sand pit. The objective of this event is to jump the farthest from the designated area/line. Here are some steps on how to perform this event correctly:

1. Find your dominant foot to take off from

Ask someone with you to push you from behind to see which is your dominant foot. The first foot that you take a step forward with will be the foot you take off from when you perform the long jump.

2. Get your mark

It is crucial to get your mark so you can know where to start sprinting and start jumping without going over the designated area you're required to jump from. To get your mark, place your foot on the line from which you're designated to jump off from. Then sprint down the track at the same speed that you will perform your long jump. Count each step as you are doing this and count up to a certain number of steps (14, 16, 18, etc.) Once you have reached those certain number of steps, mark the exact area from which you took your last step. This is where you will start your long jump.

3. Run down the track

Start your sprint from the area you marked when you counted your steps. Take long strides, with your knees up, and back straight. Good running form is crucial to long jump.

4. Jump

When you reach your designated area from which you take off from, make sure to take off vertically. It is the best way to maximize your distance. Get a good knee lift and have your arms back and legs back mid air. When you land, try to have both your arms and legs out in front of you.

Long jump is a very technical and difficult track and field event. As you become more advanced, you learn that little things such as proper sprint form, a good knee lift, having your arms and legs out forward when you land, etc., are crucial to maximizing your distance.

Why are video games so addicting?

I love playing video games. I mostly play sports games such as Madden and NBA2k. Most of my other friends enjoy playing first person shooter games such as Call of Duty and Halo. Video games take up so much of my time and I always feel guilty after I finish playing them. This causes me to wonder, why are video games so addicting? 

Video game designers are always trying to make video games more appealing in order to get gamers to spend more time playing them. According to the article "What Makes a Video Game Addictive" on http://www.video-game-addiction.org, there are several hooks that video game designers use to make games more addictive. These several hooks are:

The High Score

Having a "high score" in a game can keep a gamer hooked on the game as they attempt to beat it. Some games that have a "high score" are Pacman and Flappy Bird

Beating the Game

This hook is found in almost every game. Gamers are constantly always trying to "beat" the game which causes them to stay hooked onto the game until they do so.

Role-Playing

Role-playing games allow gamers to create their own characters and embark on unique journeys. This causes gamers to be emotionally attached to these characters making it harder to stop playing.

Discovery

This hook that video game makers use are usually involved in role-playing games. In games such as Runescape or World of Warcraft, gamers embark on a journey and discover new lands and worlds. The excitement of discovering these lands and worlds is extremely appealing to gamers.

Relationships

This hook that video game makers use is usually found in online games. The relationships that users make in these games causes users to come back to playing these games in an attempt to further build on these relationships.

Although video games can cause gamers to play for countless hours on end and lose touch from reality, they are not all bad. Some video games such as Wiifit are designed to help lose weight and get exercise. Video games can also teach important lessons that can be applied to reality as well.