Tug of War the Next Olympic Sport

The Winter Olympics just finished but in the next Summer Olympics, I think they should revive Tug of War so it can be an event again. Let’s begin by talking about the rules of Tug of War. When competing in Tug of War you have a rope and in the middle, it’s marked red. From either side of the red mark, it is 13 feet away there is a white line on the ground. In order to win you need to make sure that the red middle line crosses over your own white line by pulling. You can have a maximum of 8 people on your team pulling. These people have to be under a certain amount of weight chosen by the category. There are referees and they can call three different commands. The three commands are “pick up the rope,” “take the string” and “pull” to start the round. This competition could take place with the track and field events like it used to in 1900-1920 Olympics. Tug of War is like any other sport, why can’t it be in the Olympics? Tug of War is just another sport for working on teamwork and synchronization. If you are not synchronized then your team won’t be as strong pulling the rope. It also helps you gain teamwork because of that. These are the reasons I think Olympics should bring back Tug of War.

High School Musical 4

When I was little I was obsessed with Disney Channel, I was pretty much addicted. My favorite thing to watch was High School Musical 1, 2 and 3. High School Musical is pretty much what it sounds like, A bunch of kids in high school breaking out in to song at the most random times and then going on with their day like nothing happened. It may sound dumb to some people but it was my childhood and I still to this day know every song from every movie by heart.

So the reason I am writing this post is because one day i'm just going to forget High School Musical and I really don't want that to happen so this is why I think there should be a High School Musical 4. In all the movies I noticed that there are so many stereotypes but I think they do it to show that just because you might be good at one thing does not mean you only have to do that. In the movie Troy Bolton is the main character, he is the basketball star at his school. Over winter break he meets Gabriella Montez and they sing together, little did he know she was going to be attending his school in the spring. Gabriella convinces Troy to Audition forthe spring musical, Troy does it for her but he has to hide it from his friends and family because his "thing" is basketball. Troy and Gabriella come from 2 totally separate worlds. I am not going to spoil the rest but basically what I am saying is these days people are so stereotypical and need to
try new things for themselves not because it is what is popular.

If there were a High School Musical 4 I think that it would remind people that they can be themselves and not have to worry about anyone else judging them. Some people might think that this is a terrible way to remind people of this but I think it is a fun way and I want kids now days to experience the joy I got from watching it as a kid. That is why there should be a High School Musical 4.

Mixed (Up) Martial Arts

Taekwondo vs. Karate

Taekwondo and Karate are two different sports often mistaken as one. Before we start, I would like to make it clear both are sports. In fact, they are both in the Olympics. Karate will debut in the 2020 Olympics. Taekwondo has been an Olympic medal sport since 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

Taekwondo and Karate are martial arts. Taekwondo is all about self defense and may (but only occasionally) involve the use of weapons. Taekwondo originated in Korea. Karate is also the defense of oneself but without the use of weapons. Karate originated in Japan.

People often see Taekwondo, but they don't know it. They assume, "Oh, that's Karate, right?" The answer is no. Because Karate is a more widely known sport and can look quite similar to Taekwondo, people often think of them as the same. The images at the top are of the two sports, but you wouldn't know which is which. If you are wondering, the one on the right is Karate the one on the left is Taekwondo.

The word Karate comes from its two parts: "Kara" meaning empty and "Te" meaning hand. This is why you never see people practicing Karate with weapons. Karate is a sport that focuses on defending yourself without the use of weapons. Using your power to defend yourself. Karate emphasizes hand techniques with some knee and elbow strikes and some kicks. There are four main types that are used today. The four main types are Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, and Wado-ryu. Of the four types the most popular is Shotokan.

Taekwondo is a martial art focused on head-height, fast, and spinning kicks with some blocks and punches. It is also a martial art of self defense. Taekwondo headquarters are in Korea, and the place is called Kukkiwon. Taekwondo broken down is "Tae" meaning foot, "Kwon" meaning hand, and "Do" meaning art. Taekwondo has many elements that you can practice. You can spar (fight), learn and perform Poomsae (a set routine of Taekwondo movements), practice one-step sparring (self defense techniques that include blocks, throws and strikes), and learn and practice sparring steps (to use in a in-action fight).

Taekwondo and Karate have many similarities. They are both martial arts, have a relationship to self defense, include kicking, include punching, and don't commonly use weapons. But they are also different: they come from different places, include some differing parts, and have different main aspects.

Now that more information was given on the two topics, I hope that you can understand some of their differences and similarities. Taekwondo and Karate are two different sports but are often seen as one. Although Karate is more well known and popular than taekwondo, I prefer Taekwondo and think that it is pretty awesome. (Think about giving it a try!) Taekwondo and karate are not the same, but both are amazing!

Sources:

Karate info: Karate image the basics Other stuff Popularity The difference

Taekwondo info: TKD image the Basics Other Stuff Popularity

Off-White and how it shaped my life

Lately, I have been greatly influenced and inspired by fashion. This interest interest has been powered by my grandma,  my best friend, and my dad, as well as the internet. My dad is good friends with a Russian fashion retailer called Leform. While my grandma has introduced me to fashion design, my dad introduced me to off-white, through Leform (Leform.ru). This brand later influenced me to do my own garments, mainly based and insp
ired by this brand. Off-White is won by a lot of celebrities like Lil Uzi Vert, but mainly promoted by the internet, calling it “hype” or “hypebeast."

Off-White, although using simple “crosswalk” or arrow patterns as well as quotation marks has shaped how I view fashion. They have some interesting garments ranging from belts to insane coats and sweaters. It is also what powers a lot of conversations with my dad and best friend. Off-White was much like a revolution in my life and in my interests.

Virgil Abloh, the creator of the brand has had a tough but very inspiring story. His professors had always told him he can’t become anything, yet he pushed through and created Off-White. Virgil also worked as the creative producer for rapper and designer Kanye West. Off-White’s popularity boosted after the 2017 Nike Collaboration. The main idea of the collaboration was to make the sneaker seem human. The collaboration boosted the popularity of the brand and created the hype around it.

Soccer Culture: More Than A Game

Soccer Culture: More Than A Game

When you think of soccer you might imagine a handful of little kids running around and having fun on a saturday. However, for many people it is a gateway out of their community or even their life. Many people, especially in developing countries, look at soccer as a way to escape. This may seem bizarre but this dream isn’t that far-fetched.

Let’s look back 20 years at Argentina, a developing country. A young boy named Leo loved to play soccer. He played soccer for hours everyday because he didn’t have anything else. Despite his lack of height, he established himself as one of the best youth players in the world. Then he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. Leo’s family could not afford his medical treatment. So Barcelona, one of the largest soccer clubs in the world, offered him a contract where they would pay for his treatment if he played for them. At age 13 Lionel Messi was leaving everything behind for his future in another continent. He quickly made his way through Barca’s youth program ( kids as young as seven competing to become the next world’s best ). He made his debut for Barcelona as a 17 year-old. Lionel was making millions of dollars and assimilating tons of fame before he could even legally drive. Nowadays, Lionel Messi is a household-name having won a record-tying five Ballon d’Or awards .

Even though the soccer system in the U.S. is a lot less extreme than the ones in europe, it still is very intense. Many soccer teams in the Development Academy have at least five, 2-hour practices a week. They often go to showcases all over the country . If you choose to play a different sport as well, competitive or not, you will be kicked off the team.

When I was a little I played REC soccer from ages 4-7. Then as an eight year-old I decided to switch to club soccer. I played at the same club for five years. Last spring, my club was moving to the Development Academy league. I decided that the dream of soccer being your life, was not mine. I wanted to play soccer for fun, and just have a good time. I switched to a club call Lincoln Youth Soccer, which is more focused on just playing soccer. When I changed clubs I thought this team would not be very good because it is very small. It turns out I was wrong, after tryouts I didn’t even make the best team. Then I worked my way up to the best team and now I start every game. We ended the Fall season 10 and 0 and champions. This season we moved up a division and are currently third in state. As a result of us moving up I had the chance to play my old team. My new team won, 4-0. I realized I made the right decision, I was having more fun playing soccer then ever before. We were also winning more than ever before.

Last week my team played a friendly game against A.D.F. We lost 4-3. After the game our coach informed us that one of our opponents players is being recruited by FC Porto, one of the best teams in europe. I was amazed that someone from Portland could be recruited by a team on the other side of the world from such a young age.

This year I have come to the conclusion that soccer means something different to everyone. For some people soccer means a fun sport they used to play on Saturdays. For some like me, it means a sport they have and will play and love but still, they play to have fun. For others, it is a path out of their community or even their life. What do all these people have in common? They all love this game.

Why Fortnite is so addicting

The main reason Fortnite is so big is that of the community, and how much hype the game got being released on July 25, 2017. The game is mostly a meme. If you scroll through your Instagram feed you will not find one account without a Fortnite related meme. People like memes. Memes are addicting the see and addicting to look and find. Especially if the meme is something that you can relate to. For example take this meme here, that Mir kindly DM'ed me. As you may see Arnold Matthew Perlstein is very sad and doesn't want to go on a field trip to the main island in Fortnite Battle Royale. We all know Mr. Perlstein from the infamous show, The Magic School Bus, where kids go on rides in a so-called, well, you guessed it. Magic School Bus. Poor Arnold. This is a relateable meme because mostly everyone knows about Magic School Bus, and of course in Fortnite Battle Royale, there is a bus. Almost like it was a setup. So many juicy memes made from this piece of artwork known as the game Fortnite.



But, that's only one of the reasons people want to jump on the hype train and play Fortnite. Another reason why its so addicting is because of how fun it is. You have 3 objectives and those are too, kill people, grab loot, and get the heck out. Your main objective is to win the game obviously. but the problem is that you are up against 100 people. Now, not trying to brag or anything but I have 16 wins, 11 wins in squads, 4 in duos, and 1 in solos. I'd say I'm quite experienced having played the game for 3+ months. It's kind of sad when you think about it. Not gonna get into that. Anyways, people just keep playing to win. It's kind of a trend now. If you look up a regular kids school schedule, you will notice that homework is the first priority, (obviously) and then second is fortnite. This is the future right here. No matter what we do, gaming just keeps coming back to haunt us. We will always dream about the 1# Victory Royale, and when we reach it, our dreams become bigger dreams, we tell our friends, Now, our friends have higher expectations for us. "Wow, this kid has like 3 wins shes like a god at fortnite" this is the kind of attitude you will find living in 2018. I believe that so many people play just because they want to be cool because that's just how it is in this world currently. I've photoshopped a graph pyramid to show what is going on in fortnite.

 At the top, we have Pro Player teams, such as C9, TSM, etc.
Nearing the bottom below Pro Players is streamers that play games like this for a living. Some streamers are TSM Ninja, TSM Myth, and C9 Shroud. Below streamers are gamers that enjoy the game and play it for fun and for wins, these are people such as myself, the list goes on and on. Below that, are the people that call themselves "gamers", and do play games, but they only play them because their friends do and they want to be like them. Below the "gamers" are the Noobs. The noobs, aimlessly walk around not knowing what to do, but they do come from other games. They are attempting to get to get better. I respect them. Then last we have Instagram followers that have no idea what the game is and they only play it because they are forced to by their friends and by the way the world works these days.


But by far the most addicting part of playing fortnite, is playing it with your friends, and having fun leveling yourself up, and completing challenges for in-game loot and currency. The in-game currency in Fornite Battle Royale is called V-bucks. V-bucks are used to but loot from the Daily shop, or used to buy items for special events. Now, V-bucks are very expensive in real life. If you do the math 1000 V-bucks is $10.00  meaning that one V-buck is equivalent to 1$ so, if one legendary skin is 2000 v-bucks you'd be paying $20 for one skin you will use once and then because its a special event you will unequip it in the future. In my opinion, this is dumb. That's why fortnite created the battle pass. In the battle pass you get to unlock for 950 v-bucks (<$10) it includes more than enough v-bucks for you to buy your favorite skins. This is a great choice for Epic Games to do this because it makes players more involved in completing quests and getting xp. And they gain a lot of money. You also gain skins that are free and other emotes, dances, backpack gear, and loading screens.

All in all, I would totally recommend playing fortnite no matter if you're a noob or not. You'll still have to get the hang of it and eventually you'll love the game. Fortnite works on practically anything. PC, some macs, Xbox, and ps4. Thank's for reading me!

Having An Older Sister

I have the most amazing older sister. I can’t imagine life without her. She always has my back, and I try my best to have hers. She is supportive of my decisions, and helps me with my homework. I feel like having an older sister, or just a sibling in general can be portrayed as annoying or bad. Well that is not always the case.

There are different types of siblings. There are mean sibling that probably still care about you, but maybe not as much as others. There are step siblings that could make you feel like you are siblings by blood or not. The other type of sibling is type of sibling that I am so lucky and grateful to have. This type of sibling is nice, kind, loving, supportive, involved, and cares about you a lot! My point is that there are a lot of kinds of siblings and such a wide range.

It is really nice to have an older sister. I can talk to her if I have a problem and vice versa. We can share memories, good and bad. We go through a lot together, and it makes talking really fun.

Back when the American revolution was happening the average family had 1-6 children. Some families had over nine if they could afford it. Many of the older siblings would have to babysit the younger ones, and once the child was old enough they would have chores to do. I think that this would be a life that is a lot harder than the life that most people have. It would also probably mean that siblings wouldn’t know each other as well and wouldn’t be as close.

Things have changed since 1873 though. The average family now has 1-4 children not 1-6. This has also changed how much families are connected. Which also affects the siblings connection. I think that with less children siblings can be more connected and sisters are more meaningful.

Other Relative Blogs: - https://worcult.blogspot.com/2014/01/being-middle-kid-at-ellis-is-not-as.html
                               

How well do we really know each other?

You know those people that you see everyday at school or work, maybe you talk to them sometimes or say hi in the hallway, you might have known them for a few years now but do you really know them? Oh you do ok, what’s their birthday? What made them laugh the most? Where are they from? Were you surprised by how little you knew? No ok, well are you really sure about your answers or were you just guessing?

Earlier this year my peers and I had to do an activity in class where we each wrote down three things about ourselves that most people didn’t know and then had to read at least one of them aloud to the group. It was pretty easy for me to think of what to say because I was new to the school and I had only known these people for about 2 weeks, but as people started to read their answers out I was surprised by how amazed their classmates were, these were people who had known each other for a good few years now and yet they were still surprised by the things one another were telling them. To tell you the truth I was also surprised by what people said. That day I learned so many interesting things about my classmates and it got me thinking, I wonder what would happen if we took the time to really get to know the people in our lives?

Everyday we make tons of assumptions about people without even realizing it, we look at someone and infer things about their lives, job, where they are from and never bother to check if what what we believe is true. We see people and make stereotypes about them giving them labels such as rich, smart, stupid, popular, troublesome, dangerous, rude. We somehow think that people always fit into one category or trope and that everyone like them is the same but imagine if we actually spoke to one another and took the time to listen to the stories people have to tell. I think  that even if we knew just a little bit more about the people in our lives we would have a greater appreciation of them.

Especially now with social media we are fed lies about people and think that by scrolling through their instagram we can know everything about them. Think about it, you’ve just seen a picture of someone, they are in a beautiful, place with their friends, laughing having fun, looking amazing, but this is just one edited aspect of their life. They chose this picture to let the world see an image where they looked the best and in the nicest location and lighting, it could have taken them forever to get the perfect angle and background. Social media is a window through which we are permitted to view others “lives,” but only the most beautiful parts glossed over with smiles and fake laughter.  We can’t know a person just by seeing what they want others to see.  Knowing someone is about being there for them not just in the picture worthy moments but when they need a friend, someone who’ll listen to what they have to say, support them and help them realize that they don’t always have to be perfect, because life isn’t perfect.

Who was a better inventor Leonardo da Vinci or Thomas Edison?

Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison are both very famous and popular for there inventions, but the real question is, Who is more iconic and who is a better inventor? By better inventor I mean, which has invented items with more ingenuity and more skill and thought used to create that invention. Lets start out talking about Leonardo da Vinci, known more popularly for his architecture skills and his paintings, But he has made lots of inventions that improved modern day life by a whole new step.
Some of his inventions are..

• The Flying Machine
• Parachute
• Anemometer (a device that measures the speed of wind)
• The clock
• Scuba gear
• Revolving bridge
• Triple Barrel Canon
• Giant Crossbow

Leonardo da Vinci has created lots of other minor inventions that have also helped society. But, as a military engineer he made lots of inventions designed for military purposes. His creations are mainly based on physical objects that he created manually. Which is very different from Thomas Edison who thought up lots of different concepts, but tinkered with what he had and made some inventions that could be considered even more evolutionary. Some of his inventions are....

• The light bulb (in my opinion his most important invention.)
• The movie camera
• The Phonograph (audio player)
• Kinetoscope (shows the illusion of motion.)
• Electricity Distribution 
• Tasimeter (measures infrared radiation.)
• Carbon Microphone 

Thomas Edison's biggest invention is definitely one of the most famous inventions. The incandescent light bulb has made a entire new renovation for the world. The light bulb lit up the night. Now to get to who is the better inventor. Leonardo is someone that I have known about since I was very little and has played a bigger role in my life so far myself,  I would choose Leonardo da Vinci. There are also aspects of what they invented that also show that Leonardo could be considered a better inventor because he has made lots of important inventions and a few not so important ones, but Edison 

has made one enormous invention and a few not so important ones.

That is why I believe that Leonardo da Vinci is a more historic and 

important inventor.

Social Status Based on Athleticism in Middle School

I go to a school that is very focused on performance, including in sports. My school has always been a big representative of Soccer and Basketball. If from the start of Middle School or Elementary School if you played one of these sports then you would have a higher chance of being liked or included in more dramatic areas of the social side of Middle School. Such as more known crushes, or just more information about the type of drama that usually goes on with the more "popular kids" in Middle School. They also give you the opportunity to play sports that do not grant you as much of a following with whatever you do in Middle School, such as Tennis, Chess, Track and Field, Cross-Country, and Volleyball. Although some people do still have a high reputation regarding social status while playing these sports, most of the people also play or have in the past played soccer or basketball. This "social system" also affects new kids in Middle School. Because all of the new people who have recently or currently played soccer and basketball tend to be more involved in drama

Golfing with Family

           Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get dragged out of the bed at the crack of 10, and be told by your dad that your going to play golf? It happens to me a lot. Unless it is really cold or raining, I hear: "Come on get dressed. We are leaving in 10 minutes." It's not that I don't like Golf, (well, sometimes I hate it) but at times, it is the last thing I want to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning doing. I know the reason why my dad wants me to do it, because of all the time at home spent doing homework and other responsibilities, he feels I don't spend enough time with him and Golf changes that. However, sometimes we just want to leave the house. I sometimes object, because I don't want to go. He doesn't have any of it. When we go, we normally start out at the driving range to warm up, and then we will start. We always walk the course, so it means I have to talk to my dad. It isn't bad once we get going. Sometimes we talk, about life, or I will catch him up on what's happening at school, or sometimes we listen to the Willamette River rushing by.
           I am good friends with one of the Golf Pros there. His name is Brandon. Whenever we go to the club, and into the Pro Shop, he says something like how The Tank is back in action. I have played with him and some friends I know a lot. Even though I'm with friends, and a guy who has called me The Tank, it isn't the same as playing with my dad. A year and a half ago we had a bet. If I beat him three times, head to head, 18 holes, I would get a new set of Golf clubs. It took me a year and three months. I finally beat him. I realized something that day. I realized that playing 20 times in a year, which is basically 60+ hours of golf, it is fun playing for something. We play for something sometimes now, but I've never won. His end of the bargain is always that I have to play more with him. I don't mind much anymore. It is fun. I still don't have the clubs though, but he said we would get them. I have all of these memories of playing with him over the years, and sometimes my grandpa, who can beat us both. They are always good no matter how much I don't want to play at first.

Picture: Waverley Country Club 16th Hole Green Here

Skiing, My Passion

Ski Jump 

Skiing, weird to think about sliding on two planks of wood. Well thats how it all started.(https://www.skiinghistory.org/history/evolution-ski-shape)  Well compared to what we have with the fancy carbon fiber, and overly waxed bottoms. When I think skiing I think, fun with friends and the cold. skiing means fun, speed, memories, and wipeouts, of corse I don't do wipeouts (totally sarcastic.) One of my best memories while skiing is when I was going off a mildly small jump and i hit the little flag on the side, I WIPED OUT. Of corse My friends all saw it and still make fun of me for this. But you now get how the memories go while skiing, you will hold on to them for a long time. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to ski, I find it very fun and I get if you are scared. But there are such things as lessons. I know I am just getting at the same thing over and over again but I really want to emphasize that you should try skiing for memories, and for the overall fun of it. Ok but back to the skis, these matter. How many ski types do you think there are? 1, 2, 3, even 4? Well there are at least 9 (https://www.mountainheaven.co.uk/blog/an-introduction-to-different-types-of-skis/) 8 mentioned here but they have missed some such as telemark, or just general twin-tip skis (the standard rental skis.) Then you get into size and that is for a whole other blog. I will however get into the bindings, where is where you can get kinda weird not as weird as all of the skis though. You have telemark bindings which let you move your heel (not normal in skis) or rental bindings which are very heavy. When I call them the "rental bindings" that means the standard bindings in rental skis.

Telemark skis

What if it was "draw" instead of "write?"

Rather on a glowing computer or an old fashioned sheet of paper, you write a lot in school. And I mean a lot. Essays, poetry, lab reports, paragraphs, random blog posts, slideshows. At the end of a typical school day you will probably have started at least two rough drafts, finished your essay about that one book you can’t even remember the name of, and have a really bad hand cramp. But what if school wasn’t like that? What if it was different? What if instead of this:

The girl sat in the emerald green grass

The wind rustling her hair

As a shooting star flew past

It was this:

Graphite

What if instead of a teacher telling you to “write an essay”, a teacher would tell you to “draw an illustration?”

For starters, the school supplies list would look a little different:

Digital

And it would probably cost more than the usual school list, because art supplies can be fairly expensive. Yet you don’t have to buy a pack of pencils that costs one hundred dollars, you could get the cheaper brands, like Crayola.

Instead of kids holding their pencils like this to write their ABCs:

They would hold them like this, to draw the ABCs:

But most importantly, drawing in school inspires and nurtures creativity. I believe that we don’t incorporate enough art into day’s curriculum. That doesn’t mean that we necessarily need to replace writing with drawing, but I think that we definitely should integrate more art into our everyday school lives. Art can inspire and motivate people, and we need something that will do that in our world right now.