A Legacy of Kindness and Pereseverance

Tradition Tradition. These two words perfectly illustrate the impact of To Kill A Mockingbird on The American public education system and American Literature.

 Harper Lee takes a simple story set in a poor Southern town and sucks the reader into a story full of integrity, racial discrimination, and love. The story helps keep alive our nation’s past mistakes in order to help us avoid repeating them. By studying To Kill a Mockingbird High school students learn of the evils of bullying and the affect of an individual on a community.

            The description of the trial of Tom Robinson provides an example of our country’s legal system as well as showing the injustice and cruelty of racism. Racism can be directly related to bullying in school. It is the stronger person or group picking on the smaller or weaker group.

 In Harper Lee’s book the majority is the Caucasians of Maycomb and the group being picked on is the African American’s. The African Americans did nothing to deserve being persecuted and hated but because they were a minority and because the white people believed themselves to be superior Tom Robinson was convicted to satisfy the majority.

 By humanizing Tom Robinson and those who defend him, Harper Lee gives depth to our Nation’s past that would otherwise go largely forgotten. As High school students continue to study To Kill a Mockingbird they not only realize the negative affects of bullying but also the good that they can do in their community.

            The small community of Maycomb is forever changed by Atticus Finch’s choice to put forth his best efforts in defending Tom Robinson, despite persecution from members of the community who were once his friends. At one part of the book a mob has gathered outside of the Finch’s house and things could have gotten ugly.  Rather than being cowed by the number of people of against him, Atticus boldly declared “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till the truth’s told…. And you know what the truth is.”

However, despite Atticus’s best efforts Tom is convicted. What may have appeared to have done little good has forever altered the community and strengthened his ties with his children.

Atticus Finch and Mr. Robert E. Lee Ewell will forever remain as an example of hero and villain. Just as these two characters have changed my life, they can change yours. As high schoolers study To Kill a Mocking Bird the number Atticus Finches will grow and continue to have an increasingly good affect on our American Heritage.

Cyber attacks and Nuclear Arms

If I lived in South Korea I would definitely be in support of the development of nuclear arms. During the Cold War, the policy of Peace through Strength served to not only race America ahead technologically but to also prevent an all out war with the Soviet Union. It wasn't a reduction of arms, but rather the upper hand that lead to the diffusion of the Cold war.

I believe that if South Korea has concrete means of retaliation, North Korea will be much less likely to attack. It does not make sense that a nation would attempt to attack some one who could retaliate in a much harsher manner

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/world/asia/as-north-korea-blusters-south-breaks-taboo-on-nuclear-talk.html?pagewanted=2&src=mv

The fact that Cyber attacks have "moved to the forefront" of the US's concerns with China is saying something. China has extensive nuclear arms and over two million people in their army. The fact that cyber space attacks ranks alongside our national debt and nuclear arms throughout the world must mean that there is even more attacks than the government is letting onto.

Cyber attacks are just another form of espionage. I don't think asking China to regulate crucial American Information intake is going to work. Rather than trying to weaken China's cyber influence we should focus on strengthening ours.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/world/asia/us-demands-that-china-end-hacking-and-set-cyber-rules.html?hp

Cancer claims Chavez and North Korea flexes its Nuclear muscles

Wow! I had no idea how unstable Venezuela was until I read this article. You should read it. It's definitely informative.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/americas/hugo-chavez-of-venezuela-dies.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Communication is the lifeblood of civilization. If the media and press do not keep people informed, rumors fly like dangerous bullets and pandemonium reigns. I think that everyone would agree that Venezuela is an excellent example of leaders using communication to gain support.

 As stated in the above article, Chavez utilized the media as one of his greatest assets. Up to the point where he was no longer physically able, Chavez faithfully appeared on television and radio in order to communicate with The Venezuelan people. Now that their leader has fallen silent chaos has ensued. Although I view Chavez's work as one of a modern tragedy and wrong, I feel that he was an excellent example of using language to gain support.

"Peace Through Strength"

I feel that the best way to deal with North Korean aggression is national strength not polite international warnings. America's strength is a result of reliance on the hand of Providence as well as military strength and technological edge.

During the Cold War, the phrase "Peace through Strength" drove America's foreign policy. As a result of this policy a shooting war never commenced. Reduction of arms on the enemies side only make attack that much more tempting. If you were able to steal your neighbor's Ferrari without retaliation the only thing between you and a new car is your moral standards. Conversely if you thought you would be imprisoned for sip stealing at a 7-11 you would not put your mouth any where near the rim of that cup until you were safely in your car. Although these examples our small I believe that the same principles apply to nations. 

Peace is most likely to be obtained as America strengthens her nuclear arms and air force technology not by cutting her nuclear arms down to below 3000 and politely asking a someone who hates everything to do with freedom to put their guns down.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/world/asia/north-korea-warns-of-pre-emptive-nuclear-attack.html?pagewanted=1&src=mv

It's Me

Ian
The eldest of 8

30 waist 34 length (pants)

Hair like a porcupine

Monkey ears

My sister's name is Daphne

My look alike is Jesse

Levi is next

Followed by sallow faced bright eyed Meredith

Meredith was the youngest until Gideon

Portia became the baby Until

Wyatt

I adore siblings (sometimes)

diving in the ocean is unbeatable

and the idea of life after death is essential

I feel

like a string bean strung tight

like a cat purring near the fire

like a chauffeur

Who gives 

occasional compliments

sarcastic remarks

his all, sometimes

Who fears

Up chucking into a toilet bowl

being bowled over by an avalanche

after being mauled by a bear

Who would like to see

The mysterious ocean floor

The bloody Colloseum
The boundless barrier reefs

Who lives

Among chaotic youngers

While spouting laughter like a beached whale

With 3 meals 4 snacks a day

Boggess

10 places I will visit before I die

1. Florida
2. Nauvoo
3. Alpine
4. Idaho
5. Rome
6. American Fork
7. Salt Lake City
9. Highland
10. A tropical reef

The 10 things, places, people etc, that make me the most happy

1. Lake Tahoe

2. My grandparents house

3. The temple

4. My mom

5. My dad

6. My siblings

7. Reading a good book

8. Listening to music by the Piano Guys

9. Swimming

10. Making a basket

10 of my greatest fears

1. Death
2. Throwing Up
3. Getting Kidnapped
4. Being lost in the mountains
5. Having a sibling die
6. Getting an -A
7. Being mauled by a bear
8. Being eaten by a lion
9. Getting cancer
10.Killing someone in a car crash

10 things I should have learned by now

1. That homework doesn't do itself no matter how late you stay awake
2. Procrastination always comes back to haunt you
3. You don't need the TV on in order to babysit siblings
4. You should always have an emergency stash of candy when your babysitting (the candy works as currency)
5. A short sleeve polo shirt is not warm enough in subzero temperatures
6. Parents really have my best interest in mind
7. That writing your poetry response the morning it's due isn't as effective as the night before it's due
8. How to breath underwater
9. How to make a basketball shot
10. How to play all the hymns in the hymn book

10 Things I should have learned by now

1.  Homework won't do itself no matter how late you stay up
2.  The TV does not have to be on in order to babysit
3.  Scout Camp is always more fun in Hindsight
4.  That a short sleeve shirt is not warm enough in sub zero temperatures
5.  It takes just as much time to do homework late as it does to do it on time
6.  Procrastination comes back around to bight you
7.  How to play all the hymns in the hymn book
8.  How to breath underwater
9.  That saying to myself "I won't forget" doesn't always help me remember
10. Candy is Currency while babysitting

10 objects I can't live without

1. Books
2. Bread
3. Brothers and Sisters
4. Lungs
5. Water
6. Air
7. The sun
8.A homework organizer
9. Heart
10. Blankets

10 things I know to be true

1.  The Book of Mormon is true
2.  The Gospel brings joy into my life
3.  Families can be together forever
4.  That Christ lives
5.  That there is a God
6.  My name is Ian
7.  Hurricanes are scary
8.  Air conditioning is a huge blessing in my life
9.  The sum of the interior angles of a triangles = 180 degrees 
10.Life isn't easy it's worthwhile

How to Drive a 15 Passenger Van

The first car I drove on the road was a 15 passenger van.

My family and I were on our way back from Stake Conference when my mom realized that I had just recently gotten my driver's permit and that I could legally drive home.

 

My dad pulled over to the side of the road and I tentatively walked up to the driver’s side of the car and cautiously stepped up into the driver's seat. Sitting roughly four feet above the ground Honda civics looked like they wouldn’t stand a chance against the roaring monster I was about to pilot. (This was some comfort to me because I was seriously worried my family was about to be killed in a tragic car accident at the hands of an inexperienced driver).

 

Step one Turn the Car On

The car was already on when I traded places with my dad, so I did not have to start with this step.

First you take the car keys and insert them into ignition. Once the keys have clicked into the ignition you turn the keys in a clockwise motion until the engine revs to life.

 

Step two Make sure the parking break is NOT on

 

It's always embarrassing when you are backing out of the school parking lot and your parking break is screeching like a rusty hinge (not that this ever happened to me or anything).

 

 

The parking break in our van is located near the driver's left knee in order to disengage the break you pull up on the release.

 

Step Three put the car in Drive

 

This step is of vital importance if you intend to go anywhere.

 

The shifter is located to the right of the steering wheel. You need to reach over and shift the car from park to drive WHILE KEEPING YOUR FOOT ON THE BREAK!!

Step four check mirrors

 

Look at your side and center rear view mirrors to make sure no cars are coming and then glance over your left or right shoulder to make sure no cars, people, or cats are in your blind spot.

 

Step Five signal

Reach over to the signal stick located on the left side of the steering wheel and signal which way you want to go.

 

Step six

Cautiously and confidently accelerate to the flow of traffic as you merge onto the road.

 

 

 

Important Notes

Vans tip easily

Never start driving without an experienced adult with a license

Don’t drive without a driver’s permit

This post was written by a 16 year old

 

 

 





How to Walk Upside Down

 

It’s amazing the things you can learn in third grade when you don’t have homework. Seriously Homework definitely is a deterrent to developing useless yet entertaining talents.

Handstands are  a great talent show trick. You get to see the audience from a new perspective and they get to see a most unusual spectacle. However before you make a fool of yourself in public it is important to first master it in private.

First step is to gain arm strength. It’s pretty hard to keep from cracking your head against the ground if one pushup is your idea of a workout.

 

Step the second Kick Off!!!!!!!!!

This is one of the hardest steps. It takes a lot of practice to get the right amount of force to get yourself vertical without falling flat on your back. (This will probably happen several times)

Once you have successfully kicked up to a hand stand you should begin trying to sustain your time upside down.

Step III In order to increase your stay upside down you should practice doing a handstand against a solid object such as a wall.

You should find a wall and then kick up into a handstand with your back against the wall.

In order to increase endurance you should stay upside down until your arms feel shaky and your face resembles a tomato.

Step IV

Once kicking up into a handstand becomes as easy as  making mac and cheese you are ready to move a way from the wall.

You should not begin this step in a confined space or near anything fragile or expensive. (Your mother may be angry if you do).

In an open space you can begin walking on your hands. Make goals of one or two steps and eventually you can work your way up/down to walking down the school always while people point and laugh.

The Best Blog Ever

I must confess I used to want to be the next crocodile hunter. Being able to dodge striking snakes and to have a boa draped on my sholders on television was almost at the top of my bucket list.


Snakes are Awesome!!!!

Because of my love for reptiles I decided to investigate what type of reptile Blogs were out there. The first reptile blog I found was

http://klassic-reptiles.blogspot.com/

This blog was stupendous. I loved the amount of snake pictures and the tone of his writing. You can tell that the person who loves this blog loves his job.

The words are in relatively big clumps but this blog was definitely my favorite. He seems to be speaking to reptile lovers like myself and I would reccomend this blog to anyone who feels snakes are the coolest animal ever.

 

 

http://365smoothies.blogspot.com

Besides Sunday dinner after Fast Sunday, I am convinced there is no better food staple than fruit smoothies.

This blog had lots of green smoothie recipes. Green smoothies aren't my favorite because I have labeled them as mushy gushy health food, but maybe I should give them another chance.

The woman who did the above blog has many recipes and I can tell she is passionate about health food, but I found her writing rather boring and lacking in plot. However to her credit I did not find any blaring grammar mistakes.

Despite the writing the display made it a very appetizing blog. The top of the blog was decorated with a vibrant splash of orange and yellows accented my fruit and the multi colored text provided for a  bright and all a round wholesome appearance.

Like Mark Twain, this Blog takes a satirical view of things
http://stuffbyupeoplelike.blogspot.com/

This Blog about what BYU people like is something only to be investigated when you have no homework, you need a good laugh, you need a new perspective on college, or for a blogging assignment.

There's no doubt about it. This blog had style. The witty writer uses college experiences and college norms in an effort to help upcoming BYU students to transition into BYU life and to get with BYU norms.

Normally I would find blogs without many visual aids boring but this one was an exception. As far as I could tell this blog only had two visual elements but It had plenty of humor. The speaker was offering tips to BYU students on how to fit into BYU life while making fun of BYU life.
The blog stayed true to its title and theme and had a very distinctive tone. It didn't make BYU seem very inviting to upcoming students but in reality I think the real audience was current BYU students who wanted a satirical spin on their everyday life

 



I-Thou

 "The inhumanity of man toward man is our greatest sin."
-Ellen G. White
I agree with Ellen G. White that there times where man is inhumane to each other. However there is also those Christ like moments in history when a person looks beyond themselves and truly loves and cares for others. When we look beyond ourselves we not only are able to see others the way Christ would have us see each other but also we become less caught up in our own problems. By simply realizing that the center of the galaxy is not wherever I happen to be I can become a much greater influence for good in other's lives.

From Finals to Freedom

            I feel like I am an egg that got flipped out of the frying pan and into the freezer. After the stress, sleep deprivation, and overall grumpiness that Finals entails the trips to the college campuses felt as if we had been teleported to Shang Walla. Shang Walla consisted of three visits to the amazing college campuses of BYU, UvU, and U of U.

          

          Our first field trip was to BYU. My 6 hour BYU experience began with a campus tour. We trekked up to the top of the Spencer W. Kimball building where three real life college students (in their natural habitat) pointed out various buildings and explained what activities or classes happened in them. Despite the frigid air my desire to become part of the BYU tradition burned even brighter.

           

         UvU had my favorite tour guide. Her positive attitude and knowledge of the campus overcame my skepticism and gave me new perspective on UvU. The institute, class sizes, their leadership programs, honors programs, and of course Jamba juice were all facets on this newly recognized gem of a campus. I liked how the tour was mainly indoors and enjoyed seeing the colorful pipes running overhead like Giant pieces of stretched taffy.  Despite the stretched taffy overhead I didn’t get the same feeling that the college would stretch me as much as BYU would.

         I along with McKay had to swallow some (but not as much) BYU pride when we went to U of U. I must confess my views are slightly biased but I will try to give an impartial review of the campus. The Library for one was very impressive. The cool technology, plethora of white boards , and of course the womb chairs scored an 8.5 on the rector scale of awesome. The intriguing glass meeting rooms and the fact that you could write on the glass walls was definitely the highlight of the day. UofU overall appeared to be a great school and it scored high on the list of medical schools I would want to attend.

         

 

        The college campus experiences not only gave me new insights on nearby colleges but also insights into myself. I don’t know exactly what major I will be studying but I realized even more, my dream of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. However, sometimes this dream grows distant as the seemingly endless days drudge along. I need to not let what is most tempting at the moment prevent me from getting to where I want to most. By looking at the big picture and remembering that I am a son of God and that I have a special purpose in this life, life will have much more meaning.

​I’m just a regular high school student, but then again so are millions of other people. Although the environment and culture I am surrounded by may be very different from other students there are also many things I have in common with other students. I have experienced the stress of finals, the fear of wondering if an essay is due next period, and the relief of the weekend. These experiences are small but if they help bring  someone closer to Christ then it will be worth it.



My thoughts on Elder Ballard's talk "Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet"

In Elder Ballard’s talk Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet Elder Ballard said “In many cases it is with words that you will accomplish the great things that you set out to do.”

This quote provides amazing insight. When I think of greatness I often think of historic military leaders in ancient Rome and Greece, but in reality we too can become great through use of words. Words can be used to build up or tear down others. By helping to build up others we not only help them to become great but us as well.

​Another interesting quote from the above mentioned talk describes the rapid growth of modern technology. It states “This is the world of the future, with inventions undreamed of that will come in your lifetime as they have in mine.”

​It is sometimes hard to maintain inner peace in a world of rushing and clashing ideas.However, it is exciting to think of the possibilities that modern inventions could hold. Maybe there will be a teleporter, a way to breathe underwater, or a way to visit space at a low cost. Whatever inventions may come it is reassuring to know that the Lord’s Principles will never be outdated.

 Augustus

My Perfect Day

My perfect day would not involve waking up at 6:20 and frantically trying to get ready for school and print off an assignment (that was today). My perfect day would begin with me waking up aboard a helicopter directly over southern Florida. After stretching, I leap out of the helicopter and stretch my new wings. I plunge for over a thousand feet before pulling up in a sharp loop and soar 10,000 feet up without effort. I spiral down at mock 5 and pull up just above the waves. My toes brush the top of the waves and I inhale the sharp briney smell of the ocean. The ocean wizzes past as I speed to a Disney cruise liner where I land for a lunch of tropical smoothies and crab. The crab digests as I float on the tropical thermals and I feel hungry again by the time I land in Disney World. After a quick snack of Disney's finest I ride Space Mountain until closing. On the very last ride of the day, I wake up.