Banneker Reponse 2010 AP Question 2

Slaves and stuff.

Orwell Response

          "Politics and the English Language," was an interesting passage. I enjoyed the points Orwell made in his exposure of phrases and terms that have lost or gained meaning throughout the years. I especially took note of his mention that when a certain phrase is used so much, it actually is mistaken to mean literally what it's implied meaning was. As in, a phrase, when taken literally makes no sense, but everyone understands the meaning.
          Orwell's intense vocabulary was present during this passage. In his examples, I found many words I  had no understanding of. Furthermore, in his regular writing I was impressed as well to a certain extent because I found new words that I could not infer the meaning of based on god old context clues.
          This passage was an interesting read, and I thought it was beneficial to read in a group, because I did not feel terrible about not understanding 100% of the words, because I was able to talk immediately with my peers.

Research Paper Intro Post

1. State your topic briefly: The effects of cycling on knee health in junior riders.
2. Summarize what is controversial about your topic: There are some schools of thought on whether the sport damages or strengthens the knee, and the UCI has rules regarding what gears juniors are allowed to use, which many people debate about (whether the rules help or not).
3. State what kinds of resources you will be using to conduct your research: A lot of internet stuff, because I don't think people write books on this topic, but I'll find something in print. I know a really professional physical therapist in LA that may also be of help.
4. What is your emotional investment in this subject? This paper?: Ever since I left swimming I've needed something else to obsess over, so I'll be quite interested in this topic, and the paper is needed for me to graduate from high school, and I plan on attending college, so this is a relatively important piece for me personally.
5. If this is a popular topic (one that has probably been done in the past), what are you going to do that will make your treatment unique? If you believe you have a fresh idea that no AP student has ever tried, why do you believe this?: I do believe my idea is a new one, mostly because no one else races bikes, with the exception of one student last year, but he didn't cover knee health in his paper.
6. Do you have any questions about narrowing your focus, researching, or anything else that I can answer?: I'm not completely sure my topic is narrow enough, and I'm feeling apprehensive about being able to find half of my sources in print.

Personal Choice: Rwanda Cyclists are Coming!

          Jacques Boyer was the first American to race in the Tour de France, but more importantly, he has been helping the people of Rwanda ease away from the genocide of their past, through cycling. He started and has been maintaining a Rwandan racing team named "Team Rwanda." He has been involved with Project Rwanda, a program based on getting bikes and other aid to people in need of help in Rwanda. His idea of having a cycling team in Rwanda comprised of both Hutus and Tutsis, the races of people that had been locked in a terrible genocide for about 40 years, was groundbreaking. The fact that the team worked well together, and even had a member attend the Olympics this year for the mountain bike race. The conception of the team is groundbreaking, and it serves to show that the human race can overcome any obstacle as long as both sides are committed to working through it.
          Why am I so interested in this? Well, first of all, BIKES. And, as one might be able to infer from the mysterious image displayed above, Rising From Ashes. Rising From Ashes is a film that documents Team Rwanda and what they do. The film covers the ideas behind the team, what they stand for, and the journeys their athletes must make in order to overcome the obstacles of the past. The film will be shown here in Napa in early November, but what is even more exciting is that two of the Rwandan athletes will be flying over to Napa to promote cycling and their movie, and ride around Napa to get a feel for American cycling.

American cycling has a lot of intense mountains to climb

          They will be showing the films at a few high schools around Napa, but so far Napa High School hasn't committed to participating, and I would like to change that. So, hopefully my wonderfully charismatic attitude and charm, or my immense modesty, will convince the staff to show the movie and take part in a presentation about the world's issues. Essentially, they will be talking about how if these athletes in Rwanda can overcome genocide, why do we even have crime and violence in America, where nothing of that magnitude has occured since the unknown devastation of Natives hundreds of years ago?
          I am really excited about the two Rwandan guys that will be visiting Napa, they have expressed interest in riding the routes that I ride weekly, which means that I may be able to go for a few training rides with them. They also seem to want to see what the Napa High Cycling Club is, and will most likely want to go for a few rides, and, being world class athletes, they will be valuble mentors for all of the riders on the team, even the coaches.
          Overall, after discovering what their story is about, I have enormous respect for the Rwandan cycling team, for they have made me reflect on how amazing cycling is as a sport. I truly believe now that cycling can be a medium of change in the world, because it is a sport in which the athletes can talk, joke around, work incredibly hard, and grow together with. The sport has had a large impact on Rwanda, and I hope that this film will have a similar effect in America. Either way, I know this has made me understand how powerful a force cycling can be.

Younger Brother?

Do I want one? I guess so.

Personal Statement

Rough draft, but I don't think it's too bad.

I Want a Husband

Yep.