Thornton Academy – AP Language 2018-2019

The best breakfast food is always a highly debatable topic. Breakfast enthusiasts everywhere seem to have strong feelings about which particular meal option should come out on top. There also seems to be a strong divide between the positives and negatives of hot versus cold breakfasts. In all the confusion, one option is commonly overlooked. The true breakfast MVP, is none other than a quick bowl of cereal.

For starters, cereal is the easiest and fastest of all breakfasts foods to prepare. All an individual needs to consume cereal is some type of bowl-like container, a utensil, and most likely some milk. It is also an easy ‘on the go’ food, and can be purchased in pre-packaged containers that can be eaten in a vehicle or at school or work.

Additionally, cereal is a food that is suitable for the entire family. Whether this is referring to an endless variety of types and flavors, or accommodating a variety of health restriction criteria, such as multigrain, low carb, low sugar, or vegan choices. A large family spanning age groups/generations, personality types, and personal preferences can all be pleased with a different cereal.

Often times, the magic of cereal for breakfast is forgotten because of it’s outdated reputation. Cereal also still has a bad reputation for being an unhealthy, or lazy, breakfast options. The truth is, that big time cereal producing companies such as General Mills have come a long way in making progress over the past decades in the quality and health benefits of various cereals. Cereal can no longer be considered a tired parents’ easy way out, but instead a nutritious and efficient morning food choice.

Thomas Edison is is the man whose name is most widely associated with the invention of the film camera. However, the idea and invention of the film camera and art of moving pictures came from a man other than Edison, a man whose name has been erased from the history books, the true father of cinematography: Louis Le Prince.

Louis Le Prince was a French inventor who was the first to come up with the idea and actual execution of the modern film camera. However, due to numerous obstacles that he encountered, such as pending patents that yielded loopholes, and his mysterious disappearance in 1890, in which he boarded a train that he never got off, his name was rendered near obsolete. Instead, Edison got credit for Le Prince’s invention, years after Le Prince had published the idea.

Ominously, Le Prince’s seemingly convenient vanishing does raise some questions. Is it possible that Edison, a man known to have been egotistical and edging on nefarious, had Louis Le Prince disposed of? A wild theory, certainly, but due to the timing of Le Prince’s disappearance, which happened to occur whilst he was boarding the train that would bring him to filing the patent that would officially put his name on his film camera, and the subsequent accolades Edison was able to receive following for the camera, one that could be at least based in reality.

Regardless of what really happened to Louis Le Prince, his lack of recognition and his sudden vanishing are nothing short of tragic. Had he not faced patent battles or completed his journey in order to stamp his invention with his name, he would have been the man we know today as the true inventor of the film camera and the first films, not Thomas Edison. Unfortunately, however, the case of Louis Le Prince remains cold, and he may never be awarded the true credit he deserves.

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Three years ago, while writing my new year’s resolutions, I decided that my main goal would be to slowly eliminate procrastination from my life. Three years later, it seems like the jinx of new year’s resolutions has embraced my goal. Nonetheless, I have made up my mind that it is time to tackle this problem step-by-step.
The “lack” of concentration is actually the transfer of mental energy to other activities. I can recall numerous times when I have allowed myself to temporarily delay the assignment at hand for other activities, such as watching an episode of a series for half an hour, chatting with my friends, and going for a walk. These activities are essential to maintaining my well-being; however, finding a balance among all these important things in life, including employment and education, would increase the satisfaction even more. If making yourself feel good for a little bit means stressing a lot afterwards as deadlines are approaching faster than an airplane landing on the runway, it is time to consider if such leniency is worth it; many of us are aware of the negative impacts of stress on our health. Therefore, my first suggestion is: when you create a daily to-do list, do your best to account for your time for entertainments, socializing, and your own mental recharge (which all vary among individuals) as well.
In addition, our working capabilities are the most efficient when we focus on one thing at a time. If you focus on studying for a certain amount of time, chances are you can achieve more progress than if you were to multitask. As a result, when you are finished with your tasks, you can enjoy your free time without having to worry about how much workload you have yet completed. My second suggestion would be: focus on one thing at a time; take short breaks in between to breathe, stretch, and drink water. (electronic devices are not recommended due to almost irresistible temptations)
Last but not least, I would like to urge those who are going through similar struggles (and myself) to remind ourselves of our priorities. Yes, enjoying “cheat” days every now and then feels great, but if procrastination becomes a long-term habit, one day it can contribute to determining your character. Of course, we all have different values and visions for ourselves. Ask yourself, “What do I want the most?” Once we form an answer, we can harbor more realistic expectations for ourselves. My last suggestion is this: ask yourself, “What will benefit me in the long run?”

As I am sitting in my room, the music softly playing and my thoughts scrounging around to find an interesting topic for my blog post, I look all around. My room is small but you can see a consistent theme of relationships. Notes from friends, cards from family members, old trinkets from past memorable experiences and pictures of the years gone by. Relationships could be considered one of the most important things in our lives.

The people we love, spend time with and are surrounded by have one of the most influential roles in our lives. They can shape our thinking, influence our mindsets and mold us into who we are. That is why it so important to chose your friends carefully, making sure that your relationships are healthy and beneficial for both you and the other person. Maintaining good relationships means that you will never walk through life’s trials and tribulations alone. You will share victory and defeat, knowing that you will never be alone.

But relationships are hard work. Without effort and commitment you are risk of losing or pushing the ones that love you the most away from you. At the end of the day life can get very lonely, so make sure that you are maintaining good relationships. Then your vision doesn’t ever become too dim that you can not recover and you will always have those hands to hold you when you stumble and lift you up on shoulders when you have the greatest successes.

Over the course of the school year, stress is an all too familiar emotion for students and teachers alike. Juggling anxiety and assignments is a difficult task, and if, like me, you’re bad at managing stress, the added pressure will only worsen the situation. Fortunately, if you have a pet, an unlikely remedy is waiting right at your house.

        Petting, or simply being around, a cat or dog has been proven to lower blood pressure, which is directly related to stress. In a 1999 study, a group of 24 hypertensive New York City stockbrokers who got a pet were found to have significantly lower blood pressures in stressful situations than the group that didn’t. In addition to helping you keep calm in times of stress, animals can help improve your mood.

         Cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone and is produced by the adrenal glands, has been shown to decrease in level greatly after interaction with a pet. Furthermore, petting an animal increases the beneficial hormone oxytocin, which is linked to relaxation and happiness. In fact, this is one of the main reasons that animals are used in therapy.

         Though extended time spent with pets tend to lead to the greatest stress relief results, even brief moments around an animal can reduce anxiety. According to one study, there was a 37 percent reduction of anxiety in patients who spent a short amount of time with a dog before a treatment that they were nervous about. Even if you have little time at home, a few moments together with a pet may help significantly.

         A proven stress reliever, pets can be helpful in times where grades and due dates are constantly lurking in the back of our minds. So, when you get home after a particularly chaotic day, consider spending some time with your pet: it might just help you relax.

In today’s society, many screens are involved in how people live their lives. These screens differ from large screens on a television to smaller screens on a cellphone. However, there is one screen time activity that seems to annoy people despite our society’s reliance on screens. This activity is video games.

Video games receive a lot of backlash due to some pretty rude stereotypes. When people think of a “gamer,” they will likely form the stereotypical image in their head of an overweight, greasy, chip-eating man. People see video games as a waste of time because they require no skill and that there is no use of it in “the real world.” But who said it needed to be realistic? People use their screens for many forms of entertainment, so why is there such a stigma on video games?

The stigma around video games is unnecessary and somewhat rude. And it’s not older people who dislike all types of screens and technology, it’s younger people as well. People wonder how a video game could be entertaining, but the same thing could be said about cell phones or movies. It is all entertainment and people can entertain themselves with video games if that is what they choose. If I want to watch a movie for entertainment, then I can, and if I want to play a video game for entertainment, then I can.

If there is no stigma for people who frequently use their phones or watch movies, then there should be no stigma for people who play video games. Video games are used for entertainment, just like any other screen, so video games should not be treated like they are any different, and nor should the people who play them.