Exploration 6

Hot spring day where it never felt so good to take my dirt bike for a ride on the slightly muddy trails behind my house where its just right so you could let the RPM's rise with the muddy rooster tail behind you without spraying your back. Riding up and down the trails like any other day became a little interesting when I saw my friend at the top of the hill where our high school is as well as our football/soccer field. He yells to me where I think I hear "Help me!" With the yell being under the sound of my bike and outside my helmet I immediately turned off my bike to confirm his comment. After the motor has silenced I yelled back "What did you say?" gratefully he said "Hey man." After my heart pounding from my friend potentially being in trouble I was relieved to hear that all he said was Hey. Before I got to respond to him I saw a shadowy figure approaching him from behind passing right in front of the sun making it impossible for me to figure out who it was. Once I heard the figure yell "Hey who are you!?" I knew exactly who it was. It was my assistant principle at the time and I knew he was out for blood when he took his first stride down the hill toward me and my bike. Snapping into action I kicked my bike to start once, twice, three times now the AP was a few yards closer my hearts pounding faster. Hearing his voice once again yell "Stop! Stop!" I knew it was time to go so I kicked and kicked listening to the 20 year old motor slowly start to flood, he was about ten yards away and closing when my bike fired up. Stomped into first and dropped the clutch for a good get away letting the RPM's reaching their highest point then to second gear where I knew there wasn't a chance I would get caught, I made my get away  with my heart racing and my face red as could be in fear that I would be caught on school property with an unregistered dirt bike. Time and time again passes when I pass by that spot and I can't help but to chuckle to myself on how much that had to of looked like a movie seen where at the very last possible moment the man gets away.

Exploration 6

    Our lacrosse season had had its ups and downs through out it entirety and everything we had accomplished up to this point had landed us at this spot.  It was just the second game in the tournament, but it meant more to us then just that.  We were matched up against our biggest rival Worthington Kilbourne High School and we were out for revenge since they embarrassed us at home during the regular season.  This was our chance to get back at them at their stadium.  This sole reason this rivalry exists is because my high school, Thomas Worthington had to split in half because it was becoming to big and that's what made Kilbourne.  It's basically the same scenario as the Baltimore Ravens splitting off from the Cleveland Browns.  Nothing mattered more to our team then this game here.
      The game had started and from the very beginning it had the making of becoming a very good game.  The game was pretty even between both teams all the way into the fourth quarter.  Thanks to our lock down defense we got the ball  on offense with 5 minutes left in the game.  Our best midfielder on the team gets the ball up top and drives it down the right side, spins back to his left, shoots and scores to put us up by one goal.  The stands went crazy because they could see a upset in making and it was almost in reach.  Everyone settled and all the players got ready for the next face off.  The whistle blew and our midfielder won the draw, ran it down the field and shot the ball right at the goalie making it an easy save.  There was only 1:30 left in the game by this time so the pressure was definitely on.  Kilbourne attempted to clear it by throwing the ball down the middle and out of nowhere one of our midfielders intercepted the pass and took it one on one with the goalie and scored. 
     That was the straw that broke that camels back.  We had successfully beaten our rivals and knocked them out of the tournament the earliest anybody had in the past 6 years.  It was one of my greatest accomplishments during my high school career and it is something I most likely will never forget.

Exploration 6 A Night I'll Never Forget.

Exploration 6

           Spring of my sophomore year of high school I ran into a life decision that would change my life forever. I was with a group of friends and we were consuming alcohol. Very early that morning after we had all gone to sleep I was woken up by a stern voice. When I opened my eyes I was welcomed by two police officers. We had been charged for underage consumption and I had to call my parents to come pick me up.

           It was around 5 am when we got back home after what felt like an eternity in the car. I was in my kitchen sitting at our oval table with both of my parents across me. Emptiness is what I would describe as my feeling. A feeling of being numb, no emotion, no thought, Due to the reason for us sitting at our table this early. Looking across the table at my parents made my heart sink. The fact that I had hurt myself did not concern me but to see the look of disbelief and disappointment in their eyes is what bothered me the most. I had never seen my parents like that before. My mother could hardly look at me and just stared at the table as if she was in denial. I had lied to them about where I was going and what I was doing. My father was a little less surprised about the situation because he had an idea that I had been partying. Still though, when I looked into his eyes I could see the disappointment I had caused. I had no idea what to do or where to start to fix this. My dad then told me something that I have carried with me since that day. He said to me, “ Josh we know that you understand the severeness of this but what do you plan to do to fix it. “ I told him “ I don’t know what to do. Everyone I know is going to hear this and think I am a bad kid.” He looked at me and said, “ They are not going to judge you from this one act. However they are going to start watching you, and its what you do from this point on that going to tell them is this who josh is or did he just make one mistake and josh is really the good person we think he is.”

           I took that and since that night I have tried to live my life that way. This was my sophomore year and I wasn’t doing well in school either I had a 2.5 GPA and was hanging out with the wrong crowd. I took my dads advice and turned things around. My last two years of high school I stopped partying and finished with a 3.8 GPA for my last two years. That one night changed my life for the better. I don’t regret what I did because it is part of who I am today and those words my dad spoke to me have lead me to where I am.

Exploration Six

Brittany Gibson

Exploration Six

 

                                                                   Life and Fate

 

                I was five years old and the youngest in my family. I remember playing with my brother who is two years older than me out in the yard at our old house on the west end day after day. One day my mom and I were on the way to the store. My brother decided to stay at home with my dad. Moreover, it just so happened that particular day my mother’s car was in the shop; therefore, we had to take my dad’s Bronco.

 My mom being only maybe five feet tall had trouble reaching the petals in the Bronco, which was even more important because it was a five speed, meaning she would have to be able to use the clutch petal efficiently so the truck would not stall out. Nevertheless, we were on our way to the store when we start to go over some train tracks when suddenly the rails started going down. Instead of stopping, my mom decided to hurry over the tracks, just then the car just stopped right in the middle of the tracks. My mom had accidently stalled the car.

I could see the train, but it did not seem to be that close. My mom then tried to start the car but she could not get the clutch petal down far enough. I looked up the train is now a lot closer I started to panic and yelled for my mom to do something. She then tried to undo my seatbelt, and I kid you not, the seatbelt would not come off. I then saw the fear in her eyes and knew we were in trouble. The train was hurling towards us and she had one shot at getting the truck to start. At that moment my mom used everything she had in herself and started the truck and we hurried over the tracks barely missing the train.

Moreover, to this very day I stop at every track and never go around tracks if a train is close. Life is a blessing and every day we should be thankful for life and our family.

Explaration six

Brittany Gibson

Exploration Six

 

 

 

                I was five years old and the youngest in my family. I remember playing with my brother who is two years older than me out in the yard at our old house on the west end day after day. One day my mom and I were on the way to the store. My brother decided to stay at home with my dad. Moreover, it just so happened that particular day my mother’s car was in the shop; therefore, we had to take my dad’s Bronco.

 My mom being only maybe five feet tall had trouble reaching the petals in the Bronco, which was even more important because it was a five speed, meaning she would have to be able to use the clutch petal efficiently so the truck would not stall out. Nevertheless, we were on our way to the store when we start to go over some train tracks when suddenly the rails started going down. Instead of stopping, my mom decided to hurry over the tracks, just then the car just stopped right in the middle of the tracks. My mom had accidently stalled the car.

I could see the train, but it did not seem to be that close. My mom then tried to start the car but she could not get the clutch petal down far enough. I looked up the train is now a lot closer I started to panic and yelled for my mom to do something. She then tried to undo my seatbelt, and I kid you not, the seatbelt would not come off. I then saw the fear in her eyes and knew we were in trouble. The train was hurling towards us and she had one shot at getting the truck to start. At that moment my mom used everything she had in herself and started the truck and we hurried over the tracks barely missing the train.

Moreover, to this very day I stop at every track and never go around tracks if a train is close. Life is a blessing and every day we should be thankful for life and our family.

Presentations days and times posted by Mike

nMonday, Feb. 25

qZach and Alicia: Crazy Horse

qBrittany, Dustin and Evelyn: Mt. Rushmore

qAmanda and Keith: NASA

nWednesday, Feb. 27

qPeter and Rob: Superdome

qPerry and Chris: MIT

qBrynne and Don: Cedar Point

qMegan and Shy: The Smithsonian

nMonday, March 4

qJosh and Susan: Vegas

qAlec and Drew: Disneyland

qHenry and Nate Brown: Motown

qNate Boda and Brandon: Bonneville Salt Flats

My "wonderful" grandmother

I had just finished cutting my grandparent’s grass and was in their kitchen when my grandmother walked in. It was the end of autumn which met I had to handle leaves on top of grass, turning a hour-and-half job into about a three almost four hour job. To say I was tired was an understatement.

My grandmother handed me a check for a good amount of money and I asked “Where’s a pen so I can sign this.” In her infinite wisdom she pointed out that once I sign it anyone can cash it. “It’s down the road and I will deposit it immediately.” She gave resistance and I pointed out that now-a-days you can make deposits through ATMs. She knew best in her mind so I headed for the garage door after saying good-bye.

My hand was on the knob when a question came up “Why don’t you ever come to visit except when you cut grass?” So close yet so far away.

 Gee I thought. How about how terrible you are to my grandfather, how you are morbidly depressed all the time and actively seek to bring everyone down to your misery. Or whenever you verbally attack someone and they fight back, they suddenly are the aggressor and you the victim.

Knowing full well this fight would have been like shouting down a hurricane, all I said was “I’m very busy and don’t have time.” It was a safe bet as in her eyes I am still perfect and didn’t want her to think low of me like she does her children. That conflict will not exist so long as my grandpa does.

Again she pushed and I believe I may have slammed the door, fury has a funny way of clouting memory.