Sandystorm

Sandy. A storm of the physical sense.

A storm the reporters obsess over.

The largest since 1988.

I’m not particularly concerned.

The real storm is in my head.

A homework hurricane.

A “how-can-I-possibly-do-this?!” cyclone.

A storm of epic proportions.

A gale that blows my mind.

A tempest-like tornado of topsy-turvy twists and turns.

A windstorm of work, work, work.

An exercise elevated.

A blizzard of busywork.

A stress-induced racket in my head

That I can’t seem to catch a break from.

How much is too much?

If the wind is blowing 75 miles per hour

And you can’t handle it?

How big will this Sandy-storm get

Before people start dying

Of sleep-deprivation, stress, and sorrow?

I don’t know.

But I won’t let myself be concerned anymore.

I’m tracking this storm,

Making a plan and preparing for the power outages

And the aftermath that is sure to follow.

Milena's Blog: Redemption Songs

This is actually one of the coolest posts I've read yet!
"Milena's Blog: Redemption Songs:      The funniest things happen to you on the Metro. I guess its just one of those places where the unexpected should be expected. Or maybe ..."

The Vote: Push for SMOB Voting Rights Still Going Strong

Last night I attended a Student Advisory Council meeting. This organization is headed by the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) John Mannes. Its purpose is to have a focus group of MCPS middle and high school students to evaluate youth-related issues in the county. 

One of the topics on the agenda was SMOB Voting Rights. For those of you who don't know, the SMOB is a voting member on the Board of Ed, but he/she cannot vote on the budget. We are trying to change this. Last year our bill got all the way to the MD State Senate, but it never got put to a vote due to a senator making special orders to postpone the it.

So this year we we are getting organized. We have created a two year plan in which we will lobby for SMOB voting rights to PT(S)As and hold candidate forums. We also plan to get more support within the Senate by talking to the person who will take Senator Brian Frosh's seat (he must give it up because he is running for Attorney General).

I have high hopes for the future of SMOB voting rights. Hopefully the work that I contribute to this initiative will pay off by 2014.

To get more information from the SMOB, like SMOB 365 on Facebook and/or visit http://mocostudent.org/

Homecoming...TBH

Homecoming 2011

Homecoming 2012

Homecoming. The word everyone is so obsessed with for the entire month of October. What am I going to wear? Who am I getting ready with? Who am I going to ask? What time should we arrive (because if you arrive too early, you run the risk of being "too eager")?

Why is everyone so obsessed? I guess it's because this is the high school formal dance that you watch in your favorite 80's movie. You put yourself in Molly Ringwald's shoes and you just have to make the perfect dress that will show the popular boy just how much you're worth. You picture yourself as a Teen Witch who dreams of being popular. Unfortunately, that reality only exists in the movies.

Blair's Homecoming is over-hyped. Those of us sophomores through seniors know this. However, the freshman aren't clued in.

Last year I must admit I had my dress picked out the month before. I knew exactly how I wanted my hair, my shoes, and my night to go. When I arrived at the dance, I was disappointed. No one else was taking it this seriously. How embarrassing. In protest of the way things were, I decided not to dance and I sat down or stayed out of the way for the majority of the night.

One major factor to my boredom at Homecoming last year was also due to the fact that I didn't know anyone but the people in CAP Blue Group.

This year I still planned ahead--I can't help it-- but I went to homecoming with no expectations of how the night would go.

I ended up having more fun this year than I did last year. I danced, and it was fun. I talked to my friends, and it was great... despite the fact that my feet died around 10:30 from my not-yet-broken-in red heels.

County Council Youth Town Hall

Last night I attended the Montgomery County Council Youth Town Hall Meeting-- a forum where students in Montgomery County have the opportunity to directly address County Council members about youth-related issues. I attended as a Press Correspondent of the Student Advisory Council, run by Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) John Mannes, and a Public Relations General Deputy of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.

I expected to only see my friends in SGA at the meeting, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of students from Burtonsville Elementary School, as well as members of the Gandhi Brigade, S.T.E.P. (of the MoCo Recreation Department), and even a MoCo resident who attends a private school in Virginia. It was great to see such a diverse group of students present at the meeting, though it was a decrease from the approximately 400 last year to this year's 100. Despite the small turnout, council member Valerie Ervin was "impressed that [we] decided to participate."


The SMOB, John Mannes, kicked off the Q&A with a very complex question about the county's allocated funds for education. Though the council insisted that they exceeded maintenance of effort levels, Mannes showed proof that the "local funding of public education is down ten percent in the last decade."

A Student Advisory Council Press Correspondent brought up another large issue. The Shady Grove Bus Depot may be removed and north county school buses will have to be stored in school parking lots. This would potentially cause a morning parking lot traffic problem and limited parking spaces for the schools' night time events. The Council politicked their way out of the question. President Roger Berliner was also condescending towards the young lady who asked the question.

Concerned students also asked the council questions about the achievement gap and support for minority students. Council member Valerie Ervin, a former Board of Education member, stated, "The socioeconomic future of our country depends on [the success of Latinos and African Americans]."

The Youth Town Hall was a great opportunity to discuss important issues with the County Council; however, it would have been more effective if they had answered questions honestly.

What a Father Should Be

My Dad and Me

What should a father be?

He should be dependable and strong.

Strong as a mountain bashed by a determined wind

What should a father be?

He should be supportive and caring.

Caring as the sun who rises to please Mother Nature

What should a father be?

He should be confident and courageous.

Courageous as a knight defending his princess from a deathly dragon

What should a father be?

He should be responsible and selfless.

Selfless as the rain that pours down to nourish the earth

But my father, he is none of these things.

He is as weak as the pebble that is tossed in the wind.

He is as distant as the cold, dark moon.

He is as fearful as the man who runs from the dragon.

He is as selfish as a drought,

A drought that takes and takes again, but gives nothing in return.

But my father is slowly learning

Like a young child being taught manners for the first time.

He will fail and make little attempt to repair the broken ties.

Progress is progress

And I should be thankful for it.

But being thankful is hard

After being scarred for so long.

And all that I can do

Is try to forgive.

Perfection is Unity: The Persuation of Propaganda

My group's film is set in 2032 in a world where grades are everything. Everyone in the film is convinced that in order to have a "perfect" life, they must get above a 5.0 GPA. Our propaganda poster is a picture of Julia, the figurehead of the school, is the epitome of of perfection. The slogan "Perfection is Unity" is included on the poster to make students feel equal and encourage them to get good grades.