We are the Knights (that’s pronounced phonetically - cuh-nig-its - as of the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail) Who Say Cyclic, a group of High School students, all of whom attended 6thgrade at Challenger School. At Challenger, we each gained not only a respect of the English language but also the want to change the world. Our noble mission is to improve America, one step at a time – primarily by improving the U.S.’s tongue and correcting false ideas about how its government functions. To learn more, please visit our website at www.cuhnigits.org.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Colleges.

So. I did a lot of college-checking-out on My Trip, it was pretty intense! Here I'll give my best description of the five I toured. If you are still interested in any of them, I recommend College Board for some great information. Just so you know, all of these are small liberal arts colleges (all around 1700 undergrads).

COLBY COLLEGE
Location, if this is important to you: It's kind of in the middle of nowhere up in Maine. No big cities around. Isolated, for better or for worse. But it's in the middle of Maine, which means lots of outdoor opportunities like hiking and skiing.
Campus, if this is important to you: The campus isn't huge and it's open. I found it kinda sparse, not a whole lot of trees or anything. The buildings are all old - pretty, but you know.
Academics, I hope this is important to you :): The structure of their schoolyear is 4:1:4, which means you take four classes in the fall and four in the spring with January interrupting it with one short term (aka, Winterim. They call it "Jan Plan." It's pretty much exactly the same.). There are lots of requirements for classes you need to take, but this is because they want you being open to all disciplines. So they'll have you, say, take any one Visual Arts class and any one Physical Sciences class in addition to whatever requirements you need for your major. As with every college I visited, classes are writing and discussion based. On my tour, the guide emphasized the support system at Colby- from the time you get there, you are surrounded by counselors and advisers and whatnot who are there to help you make your schedule and deal with the transition to college life and all that.
Student body (This is kinda my pet peeve on summer college tours - there aren't actually students on campus so you don't know what they're like. I always try to get a feel for it though... and it's hard.): Colby is a bad example because it's one of the ones I'm least clear on as far as student body goes. I guess they're just your typical students. :/ Yeah sorry.

BOWDOIN COLLEGE
Location: It's about an hour south of Colby, in the awesome town of Brunswick. It's also about ten minutes away from my uncle's house, which is important to me, because it would be nice to have a support network while I'm 2500 miles from home! It's also practically right on the ocean, which is awesome. Of all the colleges I visited, this one has the best location for me. And again, it's Maine - lots of hiking and biking and stuff.
Campus: The campus is gorgeous! Lots of trees, some old buildings and some new buildings. Plus an underground tunnel under the library :) The campus is a bit bigger than Colby's. Plus since it's on the ocean (and owns some islands) there are ample opportunities for marine biology study, if that's your kind of thing. Plus their athletics building has a huge indoor rock climbing wall.
Academics: It has a normal semester calendar - no Winterim - and, as usual, the classes are small, writing-intensive, and discussion based. Bowdoin's claim to fame, I guess, is its principle of "The Common Good" which means that Bowdoin tries to maintain a good relationship with its community and constantly has students involved in volunteer work and anything else that benefits the community. They've also go the "Bowdoin Outing Club" that gives students the opportunity to do stuff in the wilderness whenever they want. Hiking, biking, rock-climbing, kayaking, etc.
Student body: Oh yeah, and a disclaimer: when you go to tour a college, their job is to sell it to you. Which means they shower upon you booklets with glossy pictures of happy students and whatnot. Bowdoin did a better job of this than Colby, so I have a better - but maybe more idealistic - view of their students. One of their booklets had a list "50 things to do before you graduate" that helped me find out what it might be like there. The list included things like "Eat at a professor's house" and I thought that was pretty cool. So my general impression of Bowdoin students: they care about academics but they don't let them get in the way of experiencing the outdoors. They want to give back to their community. Etc. Yep.

DARTMOUTH
Location: Hanover, New Hampshire-- Which is an excellent little college town, but seriously in the middle of nowhere. Which is probably okay for Dartmouth, since it seemed like academics were the paramount thing. All in all, my least fave location. :/
Campus: It's very nice. Again with the old buildings, a nice quad with huge trees and all that. The library is in-CRED-ible and huge. Disclaimer: I couldn't go on the actual tour for Dartmouth, so we just wandered around with a map so we could hit the main buildings. But they only let official tours go in many of the buildings, so I don't know what the dorms are like or anything. Sorry. I regret it too. The science building looked impressive, and since it's an Ivy League I know the labs and everything will be phenomenal.
Academics: Let me say this again... it's an Ivy League. Lots of funding, they've been the best ever since they were founded, they know how to produce amazing people, and you're around other people for whom academics rule. They have something called "The Dartmouth Plan" that lets you customize your schedule, too - lots of opportunities for study abroad and internships and stuff with actual research companies and all that. Yep, opportunities and resources stood out to me definitely. Also, sophomores have a mandatory summer semester before their junior year. JSYK.
Student body: Focused. Motivated. Outstanding. I read somewhere once that while the workload at Dartmouth is heavy, it's not all-consuming. So I guess they have time for other stuff- I just don't know what that stuff is. Dartmouth, surprisingly, didn't really shower me with propaganda and glossy pictures about how happy their students are. So I don't have even a biased picture of life there. Even their website doesn't have much. So... academics.

NEXT UP, Amherst College. Their tour was the best, and their tour guides were the best! Find out why next time on Colleges.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Heya Chillins.

Life-life-life, am I right? I hope to catch you all before we all dive into the daunting junior year of high school. I know we won't be on the blog much once school starts - and that's only a week from now, for me - so I'm just putting this out here and you can respond to it whenever. Hopefully before long we will have a collection of everyone's answers and we will all be happy keeping in touch! Answer whichever ones you feel like. No pressure. Just want all y'all to say something :)

1. HOW'S LIFE?!??!?! What did you do this summer? What are your plans for the coming year?
2. What classes will you be taking this year? What are you doing outside of school?
3. Any new discoveries for good books/movies/etc.?
4. Newly discovered simple pleasures or things that make you smile?
5. Soap boxes? Rants? Inspirational messages?
6. Goals for the coming school year?
7. What are you excited about? For this year, the next several years, life in general?

I look forward to hearing from you!! :)

Singin' in the rain (metaphorically),
Sol

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Random Poem-Stuff

Hey!  So, no one's really posted any writing for a while, and I've kind of been missing the feedback. Anyone interested in starting that up again?  I have a couple poems I just wrote; I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!
Here is one:


Rainstorm

marbles-
whirling, crashing
   onto the metal sheet 
of streets
and circuses.
            and
mind   won taxies slosh
through cloud-and-window puddles
and the tremblefog tilts,

considering the whirling dancers
      that wrap olive trees in
          silver wire.
above these charging brooders,
   cirrus clouds jostle
impatiently,
the   smell    of asphalt-heated rain

waking their stomachs,
salivating and
stretching for
the
       warming wet
of morning.

Also, how is everybody? =)

Monday, June 4, 2012

Hello...

Hey everyone!  Sorry I haven't been around much.  I've missed you guys!  How is everyone?  And does anyone have book recommendations (especially of the Sherlock Holmes variety)?  -Laga

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Happy Birthday to ODIN!!

...He's on a plane right now, headed to Pittsburgh for the INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR!!! A-MAZ-ing!!! Good luck Odin and happy 16th!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

College Searches

I don't know if you all are as obsessed with this as I am, but I for one am freaking out about college. Luckily there are resources out for the clueless sophomore! I have tested and loved:
collegeboard.org
collegeprowler.com
unigo.com
The latter two, esp. Unigo, have excellent reviews on each college by actual students. It's great.
Hope this helps you guys as much as it's helped me!!!

Dolldelightful: Pink Parade: GIVEAWAY for MAY

Dolldelightful: Pink Parade: GIVEAWAY for MAY: Hi everyone! Here is some exciting news. After an entire month of liking and sharing, we have a winner for the puppy bow. The lucky lady i...

Yummy healthy oatmeal pancakes!

HIII! As you know by now (since I've been blasting it all over the blog... ;) ) I'm quite interested in health food and exercise. Did you know that on the internet, there is not ONE (repeat NOT EVEN ONE) pancake recipe that uses only oat flour!!! I finally decided that if I wanted to eat healthy yummy pancakes I would have to take matters into my own hands. (Mwahahaha...) So, here is a heart healthy, delicious pancake recipe! As a point of interest, oatmeal is amazing because it can be gluten free (gluten free certified oats). It has a great balance of fats, carbohydrates and protein (it's one of the most protein-rich grains known. Quinoa is better for protein, though), has a good amount of fiber, and is low in calories which makes it great for any diet (as in lifestyle, not literal diet). Studies show that it lowers bad blood cholesterol. Because of the low glycemic index, it is absorbed into the body slowly, which keeps your feeling full longer and your blood level steady. I'll end the lecture now. If you're interested, try out the recipe!


1 1/2 cups oat flour (blend oatmeal in a magic bullet/good blender. If you're gluten free, make sure to get gluten free certified oats!)
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon xylitol (or any other natural/healthy sugar sub. You can also just use white sugar if you need to)
1 1/4 cup milk (you can sub water and get yummy results)
1 egg
3 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil      

Sift together the dry ingredients and then add in the wet ingredients. Mix well, and cook! Turn over the pancakes when you start seeing bubbles on the surface. And then... eat! xD I hope you guys like this recipe!  

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Happy-happy-happy-happiest belated birthday to our own lovely MIRA!!! Sorry this is late... happy birthday anyway! Hope it was splendiferous!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Happy birthday to Joseph on the off chance he checks the blog

Sunday, March 4, 2012

I'm BAAACCKKK!

Hello there! Remember me? Hahaha I have finally returned from dropping off the face of the earth! This year has been NUTS. I had (I hope you don't mind that I'm going to brag a bit, but I feel really happy right now :p):
1) Senior Regional Orchestra competition
2) District Choir competition
3) Various orchestra seating auditions
Last week I had All-State orchestra, and yesterday I had a Piano Bach competition. And... I placed 1st!!! I just got back from the honors recital. Now I have to study for my District Piano theory test on the 17th. If I don't pass, I won't be able to participate in the District Piano competition >.< Anyway, I miss you guys so much! How have you all been? Any big news? Sol, are you planning on coming to VA this summer? By the way, Laga and Sol, I need your addresses. Bye for now!
(By the way, it finally snowed! In Febuary. :p hahahaha and the Cherry blossoms are blooming now!)
Love and Sunny showers,
Mira
'

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hello!

Bonjour, mes amies! (and ami, in case Baldor is back) Sorry to have dropped off the face of the Earth again... I'm afraid it's going to happen quite often. I'm being loaded down with competitions and school and orchestra at the moment, but I will post as often as possible! I miss you guys!

Sunshine and a longing for peach pie,
Mira

Sunday, January 22, 2012

New Gadget!

Look at the gadget below the list of all our posts. It's FISHIES!!!! They follow your mouse and if you click you can FEED THEM!!! It's so-super fun. =)
Simple pleasures,
Sol