The Academic Thread

[Hickory]

Went to the art museum today! (half of the trip was interesting, other half wasn't. I finally got another look at the Asian collection, I've been wanting to for a while!)

[Skyblade]

Really thankful for my IB exam scores...and being thankful makes me feel better!

Just signed up for another course. I'm already worried.

PM me if you need anything.

[Banya]

I just ordered my fall textbooks a few days ago.  They should beat me home.  I've been on summer break for four months, and I have two weeks remaining until classes start.

[Banya]

*bump*

How are everyone's semesters/trimesters/quarterlies going?

This is how conversation went in my small group (a portion of my church group) on Tuesday:
Leader/Friend/Fellow Senior: "Icebreaker!  Let's talk about our first days of school."
Freshman 1: "It was good, I think.  I got lost once or twice, but I liked my classes.  I think this one class is going to be really hard, but it fits into my distribution requirements, so I'm getting it out of the way now.  Otherwise, this semester should be fine."
Freshman 2: "I'm not sure about one class, but it relates to this major I'm considering, so we'll see how it goes.  I'm also taking this class and this class, which sound super interesting.  I have one class with a friend from high school, so I get to see her often, and we can study together!"
Freshman 3: "I love my professors, so I think I'll love my classes.  My classes are one right after the other, so I'm like gogogo all over campus from like 10 to 4, and I had to bring a granola bar for lunch.  That's only two days a week, though, and my other days are pretty chill, with lots of time for studying, so I'll be all right."
Me: "I went to all my classes, so you could say I'm off to a strong start."

[Skyblade]

I hope you all are doing well.

I used to be enthusiastic about school. I liked learning. I really liked extracurricular activities. Now my fire is out, and I don't know how to get it back.

[Hickory]

I'm doing fine. Power of the Pen is going to be my main extra curricular activity after the end of the soccer and field hockey season, I'm running for student council (secretary), I'll ask for Mock UN possible candidates tomorrow, and I'm doing soccer. I've got a great start. (This is all slightly hilarious/stressy for me, since I was put in school a year early.) I'll be trying out for the fall ply this year, and hopefully I can master the Vivaldi piece I'm playing in orchestra.

Ninja'd: Sky, what extra curricular activities do/did you do?

[Skyblade]

Thank you for asking, Sage. I truly appreciate it.

I'm most involved in flute/piccolo playing. I'm in our band, do UIL Solo and Ensemble, take lessons, and am President of our (little) music organization. Here lies my biggest passion, and yet I'm getting unenthusiastic about this too. *Shrugs*

I also do a technology organization, NHS, and a writing competition. Among others.

So Power of the Pen is an activity, cool. What's it about?

[Hickory]

Competitive writing. I love it. The overseer gives you a prompt, you write a story about it to the best of your ability. 40 minutes, highest grade 5 lowest 1. If you ever want to complete you'll need stamina and a good hand, it's only written submissions. (Some competitions, I think, allow you to come along and "shadow write" as an unofficial contestant, and they will give you a score but they do not comment on it like they do for official contestants). It's a day long thing.

Anyway, why are you not enjoying flute?

[Mhera]

Honestly, my school is not going well right now I'm on a half load for the time being (it's easier on the principle (my mom)), so it's hard to get into the swing of things, and I've been (almost) literally running myself into the ground lately. Hopefully that'll all change for the better soon, though.

@Sky: Senioritis?

@Sage: That's neat. What sort of prompts do you get? (Like an essay, story, etc.)

[Hickory]

I'll post one of my favorite writings that also is a pretty good example of a 4 or 5. (I'm pretty sure.)

The prompt is, "Describe a door that is closed to you."

Spoiler'd for length

"Get in there- no, stop, you silly girl. I said get in! IN!"

He kicked me, sending my body flying back into the room. Before I could rise again, he had slammed the door and locked the three dead bolts.
"Let me out! Now!"
"Shaddup! One more word and you and your family will suffer more than ever before!"

I bite back my retort and glance around. Two other people have been tossed into this room, but they didn't resist like me. Mother and Father observe me through hollow eyes, long since starved into submission. Sitting cross-legged, I dig the dirt out of my fingernails and attempt to comb my hair with my fingers. It's grown long since we were yanked from our normal life and tossed into this prison. I contemplate my position as I put my hair back into a ponytail for probably the hundredth time that week. The grimy door in front of me stays as closed as ever, locked to me and my family.

It had been a pretty easy life before then, our middle-class house, my private schooling, my dad's job as an accountant for several prominent people, and my mom's small corner store, which we turned a large profit off of. I had lots of friends, and, unlike many other Japanese my age, was very popular at school. Whenever we saw a homeless person or someone wandering the streets in a tattered suit, my father always said, "Count yourself among the lucky. The door is closed for them"

Then the military came to call.

I had been in my room, sketching out a view of the front of the school (I had always liked the scenery there) when I heard a knock. There was a couple minutes silence, then my father called out "??" (please wait a moment) and eased himself up from the chair. Peering into the hallway, I saw him hurrying to the front door, where I could see shadowy figures past the frosted glass. My mother, also looking into the hallway, noticed me watching and gestured for me to go back into my room.

There was a crash from the front door, and I could hear splinters of wood hitting the floor. There was a softer thump, and I drew farther back into my room. I heard smaller crashes from the different rooms, first Father's study, then he and mother's room, then the kitchen and dining room, the bathroom, and finally-

"Stay where you are."

I looked up. Three intimidating, armed men dressed in a green uniform were standing in the doorway. I had seen them around town, their numbers progressively larger. I knew from the looks Mother and Father gave them that they must be bad.

"Come here."

One of the men detaches himself from the group and grabs my arm, yanking me to my feet.
"You're coming with us!"

I had gotten one last look at our old home, before being shoved into the back of a truck. I could see men boarding up the destroyed doorway. Locking me forever from my life.

[close]

Obviously, that was a practice thing I did on my iPad, otherwise I wouldn't be able to write the Japanese character, let alone know what they mean.

[Banya]

@Sky: Senioritis?

My thoughts too.

@Mhera: Do you think your school load will pick up soon?  Also, what do you mean about the running?

@Sage: That was a great short story.  Do you ever think you'll take one of your writings and expand it into a longer story?

[Skyblade]

Well, in that case I seem to be getting senioritis early. I wonder what that says about myself

[James Gryphon]

It says squat, other than that you're overworked. I developed that several years before what would have been a senior year.

[Skyblade]

Thank you James, and I know how you feel because I had "junioritis"

[Hickory]

@Sky: Senioritis?

My thoughts too.

@Mhera: Do you think your school load will pick up soon?  Also, what do you mean about the running?

@Sage: That was a great short story.  Do you ever think you'll take one of your writings and expand it into a longer story?

I don't know. I find myself to be better at short stories, however, then I am at long pieces of writing. (this is why the first, say, five chapter of my first forum fanfic were so unconnected)