This week's quiz is now available! Click here to take this week's festive quiz.
Good luck! (But remember, on these quizzes, it's okay to cheat.)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Weekly Assignment #2 (4/30 - 5/7)
Nationals 2013
Your task:
1. The USAD National competition was held in Albuquerque, NM this year. That's awesome, I guess(?), but this year is over; next year is what really matters. So, where will the national competition be held next year? (Some of us know already; if you don't know, try looking around usad.org for the answer.)
2. Just like Albuquerque, next year's location has a unique identity. Unlike Albuquerque, the informational guide for this city will not be plastered with hot air balloons. Use the power of the internet to discover something unique about this city: something that happens there but nowhere else, or something ridiculous or fascinating it's famous for, or some strange or interesting fact that makes it unlike anywhere else. The weirder, the better! There are few limitations: it can be a place or an event, something you can see or do or something that happened in the past, something within the city limits or something in the suburbs/outskirts, etc. But try and find something that you are particularly interested in, something that tickles your fancy.
3. Create a blog post highlighting this unique and idiosyncratic factoid. Include pictures/links, if possible. What do you expect this city to be like? What kind of people live here? What do you hope to see or do if you get to visit this city next year?
Your task:
1. The USAD National competition was held in Albuquerque, NM this year. That's awesome, I guess(?), but this year is over; next year is what really matters. So, where will the national competition be held next year? (Some of us know already; if you don't know, try looking around usad.org for the answer.)
2. Just like Albuquerque, next year's location has a unique identity. Unlike Albuquerque, the informational guide for this city will not be plastered with hot air balloons. Use the power of the internet to discover something unique about this city: something that happens there but nowhere else, or something ridiculous or fascinating it's famous for, or some strange or interesting fact that makes it unlike anywhere else. The weirder, the better! There are few limitations: it can be a place or an event, something you can see or do or something that happened in the past, something within the city limits or something in the suburbs/outskirts, etc. But try and find something that you are particularly interested in, something that tickles your fancy.
3. Create a blog post highlighting this unique and idiosyncratic factoid. Include pictures/links, if possible. What do you expect this city to be like? What kind of people live here? What do you hope to see or do if you get to visit this city next year?
I'd definitely choose...
So I’m Mr. Riggs, but you can call me Mr. Riggs. I graduated from Highland and then went to UNM on the Regent’s scholarship, which I then proceeded to waste by getting my degree in Media Arts. Now I teach chemistry. If I wasn’t teaching, I would definitely be a Disney Imagineer and design theme parks. I really love the ocean and I really hate it when people break rules and get away with it. I once wrote a poem about the zombie apocalypse.
I think people watching is fascinating. I think people are fascinating. And I think people are especially fascinating when they are aren't aware they are being watched. So I think I would choose invisibility? If I am being honest? Not out of perversion, though! Well, ok, I guess, maybe, there might be some psychological perversion involved in wanting to just sit around and watch people without them knowing it... But it's really innocent and just for purely scientific and educational purposes, I swear!
Flight would be cool, too, though.
I think people watching is fascinating. I think people are fascinating. And I think people are especially fascinating when they are aren't aware they are being watched. So I think I would choose invisibility? If I am being honest? Not out of perversion, though! Well, ok, I guess, maybe, there might be some psychological perversion involved in wanting to just sit around and watch people without them knowing it... But it's really innocent and just for purely scientific and educational purposes, I swear!
Flight would be cool, too, though.
Hello
Hi i'm Anna. I'm not good at talking about myself. I'm from the beehive state.
I'm excited about joining Academic Decathlon. I'm a really boring person. I like to read books alot.
If I had to chose between flight and invisibility, I would definitly chose flight.
Being able to fly would be awesome because you could travel all over the world and visit lots of different places. I really want to visit Europe. With invisibility, what would you do? Spy on people maybe? I think flight would be much a better superpower to have. I like what John Hodgman said about the super powers.
I'm excited about joining Academic Decathlon. I'm a really boring person. I like to read books alot.
If I had to chose between flight and invisibility, I would definitly chose flight.
Being able to fly would be awesome because you could travel all over the world and visit lots of different places. I really want to visit Europe. With invisibility, what would you do? Spy on people maybe? I think flight would be much a better superpower to have. I like what John Hodgman said about the super powers.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
A Glimpse Into My Mind
My name is Allen [P]Amadeus Wing. It's hard describing myself. Maybe a bit socially awkward. I try to stay positive. I'm scared of being in crowded places. Not a people person, I guess. I like cats. They make me want to juggle. Besides being a socially awkward, crowd hating, cat lover, I'm also a runner. I run on the school's cross country team, as well as outside-school races. And finally, like in many other posts, I'm into learning other languages.
When it comes to having to choose between flight or invisibility, I would choose invisibility. When I first thought about the power of invisibility, my mind was completely clean, unlike Elias. I was thinking of all the ingenious pranks I could pull off. Imagine that you are alone at night in the hallway of a hotel. Your family is waiting in the lobby for you because you forgot one of your My Little Pony accessories in the hotel room. You precede to the elevator and then suddenly you hear a disembodied scream. You start running. The elevator door opens before you reach it and there's nobody inside. You get into the elevator, push the button for the lobby, and the door closes. As you listen to the calming elevator music, you feel relieved. However, moments later, you are violently pushed against the door of the elevator and an unseen force whispers in your ear, "I know what you did last summer."
When it comes to having to choose between flight or invisibility, I would choose invisibility. When I first thought about the power of invisibility, my mind was completely clean, unlike Elias. I was thinking of all the ingenious pranks I could pull off. Imagine that you are alone at night in the hallway of a hotel. Your family is waiting in the lobby for you because you forgot one of your My Little Pony accessories in the hotel room. You precede to the elevator and then suddenly you hear a disembodied scream. You start running. The elevator door opens before you reach it and there's nobody inside. You get into the elevator, push the button for the lobby, and the door closes. As you listen to the calming elevator music, you feel relieved. However, moments later, you are violently pushed against the door of the elevator and an unseen force whispers in your ear, "I know what you did last summer."
Hi.
Hello, my name is Maria. I'm useless when it comes to talking about myself because I don't know where to begin. I guess I should start by saying that I like to think that I'm really smart, but saying that would be admitting that I'm actually really neurotic. I also edit things like crazy. I'm probably going to read this blog post fourteen different times and worry if I used commas in the right places.
And...yeah. That's about it. Like I said, I suck at talking about myself.
But if given the wonderful opportunity to pick any of the given superpowers, I would totally choose flight, only because it's the more impossible of the two. It isn't difficult to become invisible. You just have to be good at hiding or really tick someone off. Flight, however, requires sprouting wings (literally and figuratively) and owning an amazing sense of yourself. Like John Hodgman said at the end, it means choosing to be the person you hope to be.
I don't give a crap about shoplifting at the store or spying on people in the bathroom. Flight is liberating. It means shedding shame and grief and fear and getting on with your life. It means power, and not the kind fueled at the expense of others. And most of all, it means change, no matter how little you may think of yourself. I think that's the difference between people who choose invisibility and people who choose flight: one group chooses to hide in their own self-image while the other chooses to make it. And I love questions like this, because they makes me realize I should listen to myself more often. :)
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Flight vs. Invisibilty
Que esta pasando mis paisanos!!!!!!!?....lol jk. Hi, I'm like, Elias McEntire, and I tend to be the crazy, bouncing off the walls hyper person who can never keep the same train of thought for more than 30 seconds. A sort of, like, a look a squirrel type of person if you will. I like to talk, which is weird because I don't feel I'm as social as people think I am. Hmm. Obviously I have an interest in languages which is accompanied by an interest in foreign cultures. I absolutely detest math. Idk.
The flight vs. Invisibility thing. I was skeptical at first, but had decided to pick flight for the reason that, if I am in a conversation or need to be around people when I really don't want to be, I can leave much more effectively. I can get away from it all, and that's what I need. I also love to travel, and what more effective way to travel and see the world than to fly?
I was still a bit skeptical all the way through the Act I of the thingy that was there, until the guy said that Flight was the expected choice and that we would all pick invisibility if we weren't trying to sound like petty criminals or people that would invade people's privacy. How dare he try to influence my reasoning and my decision? I was instantly sold on flight. I had picked flight without any attention being payed to the popularity of the decision and then he just got all up in my face and said that I was conforming to society's rules.
Dear stupid sir on the announcement thingy, YOU DO NOT INFLUENCE MY DECISIONS!!!!! YOU KNOW I'M ANGRY NOW; BEWARE OF THE ALL POWERFUL AND INTIMIDATING CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!!!! If I were to pick invisibility now, which I wouldn't have anyway, I would NOW be conforming to your hypocritical expectations.....not gonna happen. I will fly away from you now without being cold and under 1,000 miles per hour. Have a nice day shoplifting from a Circle-K liquor rack, how classy thou art. Peace.
The flight vs. Invisibility thing. I was skeptical at first, but had decided to pick flight for the reason that, if I am in a conversation or need to be around people when I really don't want to be, I can leave much more effectively. I can get away from it all, and that's what I need. I also love to travel, and what more effective way to travel and see the world than to fly?
I was still a bit skeptical all the way through the Act I of the thingy that was there, until the guy said that Flight was the expected choice and that we would all pick invisibility if we weren't trying to sound like petty criminals or people that would invade people's privacy. How dare he try to influence my reasoning and my decision? I was instantly sold on flight. I had picked flight without any attention being payed to the popularity of the decision and then he just got all up in my face and said that I was conforming to society's rules.
Dear stupid sir on the announcement thingy, YOU DO NOT INFLUENCE MY DECISIONS!!!!! YOU KNOW I'M ANGRY NOW; BEWARE OF THE ALL POWERFUL AND INTIMIDATING CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!!!! If I were to pick invisibility now, which I wouldn't have anyway, I would NOW be conforming to your hypocritical expectations.....not gonna happen. I will fly away from you now without being cold and under 1,000 miles per hour. Have a nice day shoplifting from a Circle-K liquor rack, how classy thou art. Peace.
Why You Shouldn't Give Me Two Choices
Hallo. I'm Casey...yeah. I am a Rammstein freak. They're a German band, who were all born around the Cold war. Their all liberal, and yet really awesome. I listen to all of their songs, and I have pretty much every single one committed to memory except Alter Man. This is why I'm probably going to have another Rammstein related speech this year. German is like my thing. I'm obsessed with it. Like psychology. Or My Little Pony.
I mostly joined this whole thing because of my good friend Elias. I'm pretty odd. If you were to all tell me your birthdays, I would remember them all and try to bake something on the occasion of your birth if I could. Again, the whole Rammstein thing. The psychology thing. The My Little Pony thing. Many more random interests like Euphonium playing, my strange fixation on rereading books, some elements of history (Ancient Egypt, and Tzarist Russia mostly), Hetalia Axis Powers. I'm interesting to be around if you aren't annoyed/afraid/frustrated with/of me.
I really wouldn't want invisibility all that much, nor flight. Sure, I could get into Rammstein concerts for free, but I'd have no way to get there in less than 7 hours. Or I could fly to their concerts, but I wouldn't have the money to get it. So neither really does me any good. I could use my power for other things, but I don't think creeping on boys in the locker room that amusing, nor do I want to go to Europe with out Elias.
If I could have another super power, it would be mind control. So I could manage to do anything I want, or make anyone else do what I want. This would mostly include getting free tickets/travel to as many Rammstein concerts in the USA, making my dogs behave, making my teachers forget that we had homework due, and other innocent things. However, I could easily turn this into a superpower by making villains on the lamb turn themselves into the police. And that is why mind control is superior to flight or invisibility...wait what?
I mostly joined this whole thing because of my good friend Elias. I'm pretty odd. If you were to all tell me your birthdays, I would remember them all and try to bake something on the occasion of your birth if I could. Again, the whole Rammstein thing. The psychology thing. The My Little Pony thing. Many more random interests like Euphonium playing, my strange fixation on rereading books, some elements of history (Ancient Egypt, and Tzarist Russia mostly), Hetalia Axis Powers. I'm interesting to be around if you aren't annoyed/afraid/frustrated with/of me.
I really wouldn't want invisibility all that much, nor flight. Sure, I could get into Rammstein concerts for free, but I'd have no way to get there in less than 7 hours. Or I could fly to their concerts, but I wouldn't have the money to get it. So neither really does me any good. I could use my power for other things, but I don't think creeping on boys in the locker room that amusing, nor do I want to go to Europe with out Elias.
If I could have another super power, it would be mind control. So I could manage to do anything I want, or make anyone else do what I want. This would mostly include getting free tickets/travel to as many Rammstein concerts in the USA, making my dogs behave, making my teachers forget that we had homework due, and other innocent things. However, I could easily turn this into a superpower by making villains on the lamb turn themselves into the police. And that is why mind control is superior to flight or invisibility...wait what?
NATIONALS 2012! (w/ pictures)
Grenada Hills Charter HS from California just won the 2012 USAD National competition, held for the first time in beautiful Albuquerque, NM.
Whitney Young Magnet HS (from Illinois; or "Illinoise") took 2nd place, Rockwall HS (Texas) was 3rd. St Pius was 16th overall and 5th in Division 2. (FYI: South Carolina was 21st, London was 28th, Minnesota was 30th). Congrats to all these teams, but big ups to Rockwall for their stylish gray sweaters--nice!
MORE PHOTOS AFTER THE BREAK:
Whitney Young Magnet HS (from Illinois; or "Illinoise") took 2nd place, Rockwall HS (Texas) was 3rd. St Pius was 16th overall and 5th in Division 2. (FYI: South Carolina was 21st, London was 28th, Minnesota was 30th). Congrats to all these teams, but big ups to Rockwall for their stylish gray sweaters--nice!
 |
| So much happening in this picture. But a question: Why does Casey have so much hate in her? |
MORE PHOTOS AFTER THE BREAK:
ELECTIONS!!!
Hello, again, decathletes! We had a great time at Nationals yesterday...very exciting competition and the talent was certainly not to be missed! ;)
Now it's time to start thinking about next year...we would like to have officer elections this week to get our leadership in place.
The following offices are open for election:
President: in charge of organizing all team operations, meetings and practices; works in conjunction with the coaches to ensure everything is running smoothly, to encourage team members and make our team generally awesome.
Vice President: assists president in his/her duties, and assumes them upon the president's absence
Secretary: keeps track of attendance at practices and blog participation
Treasurer: in charge of fundraising efforts and fundraising organization; works with the coaches and other officers to make financial decisions.
Each decathlete may submit his/her name for election to two (2) positions. Seniority will not necessarily be considered. Interested decathletes should email me a statement of interest with your name and the office(s) for which you wish to be considered at taylor_el@aps.edu We will meet this Wednesday 5/2 in E113 @ lunch at which time each candidate will present a prepared, one-minute speech about why he/she should be elected to this post.
All decathletes should plan to attend this election meeting on Wednesday to have a say in our future leadership! See you then and I hope to hear from many of you who wish to lead us to greatness next season!
Now it's time to start thinking about next year...we would like to have officer elections this week to get our leadership in place.
The following offices are open for election:
President: in charge of organizing all team operations, meetings and practices; works in conjunction with the coaches to ensure everything is running smoothly, to encourage team members and make our team generally awesome.
Vice President: assists president in his/her duties, and assumes them upon the president's absence
Secretary: keeps track of attendance at practices and blog participation
Treasurer: in charge of fundraising efforts and fundraising organization; works with the coaches and other officers to make financial decisions.
Each decathlete may submit his/her name for election to two (2) positions. Seniority will not necessarily be considered. Interested decathletes should email me a statement of interest with your name and the office(s) for which you wish to be considered at taylor_el@aps.edu We will meet this Wednesday 5/2 in E113 @ lunch at which time each candidate will present a prepared, one-minute speech about why he/she should be elected to this post.
All decathletes should plan to attend this election meeting on Wednesday to have a say in our future leadership! See you then and I hope to hear from many of you who wish to lead us to greatness next season!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Privyet!
Hello, Decathletes! I'm Mrs. Taylor, and for those of you who don't know me, in addition to being one of the Academic Decathlon coaches, I teach French at VVHS. You've all been to my room, E113, so remember where I am in case you ever need anything.
So, a little about me...as Alaina said she was obsessed with dinosaurs, I am obsessed with languages. I speak several, including French (duh) and, more pertinent to us for the Decathlon next year, Russian, so hopefully we can have some fun together learning a little bit of that fascinating language. I have lived in Belgium, France and smack-dab in the middle of Siberia in Russia. And no, it wasn't really that cold. I competed in AD when I was in high school in Arizona. I loved it, and it kind of saved me from being obscenely bored and getting into massive trouble in high school. My first year as a decathlete, I worked really hard, but I was only a sophomore, so I didn't know how well I would do. I knew I wasn't good at sports, I wasn't a cheerleader and I wasn't going to be prom queen, but I knew there had to be something I was good at! At my first regional competition, I earned eight medals...so yeah, I guess I learned that I was good at something. So I will echo Mr. Riggs' sentiment from our first informational meeting, one medal is great, but the sound of two or more clinking together and the weight of all that awesomeness on your chest is really a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
Now, onto the assignment at hand. I would most definitely choose flight as my superpower. It isn't because I want to escape reality necessarily, I have much more practical reasons. I should add to my list of obsessions that I am utterly obsessed with travel, and I feel like I spend wayyyyyyy too much $ on airfare yet I long to go everywhere on this beautiful planet. So, if I could fly, achieving my dream would be much less expensive. I don't think that choosing invisibility means anything necessarily negative about a person and what they like to do, but I just can't think of any practical applications in my life for it.
Also, one final thing about me...I'm horrible, I mean HORRIBLE at math, so don't ask me any math questions, I will only help you get them wrong :(.
So, a little about me...as Alaina said she was obsessed with dinosaurs, I am obsessed with languages. I speak several, including French (duh) and, more pertinent to us for the Decathlon next year, Russian, so hopefully we can have some fun together learning a little bit of that fascinating language. I have lived in Belgium, France and smack-dab in the middle of Siberia in Russia. And no, it wasn't really that cold. I competed in AD when I was in high school in Arizona. I loved it, and it kind of saved me from being obscenely bored and getting into massive trouble in high school. My first year as a decathlete, I worked really hard, but I was only a sophomore, so I didn't know how well I would do. I knew I wasn't good at sports, I wasn't a cheerleader and I wasn't going to be prom queen, but I knew there had to be something I was good at! At my first regional competition, I earned eight medals...so yeah, I guess I learned that I was good at something. So I will echo Mr. Riggs' sentiment from our first informational meeting, one medal is great, but the sound of two or more clinking together and the weight of all that awesomeness on your chest is really a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
Now, onto the assignment at hand. I would most definitely choose flight as my superpower. It isn't because I want to escape reality necessarily, I have much more practical reasons. I should add to my list of obsessions that I am utterly obsessed with travel, and I feel like I spend wayyyyyyy too much $ on airfare yet I long to go everywhere on this beautiful planet. So, if I could fly, achieving my dream would be much less expensive. I don't think that choosing invisibility means anything necessarily negative about a person and what they like to do, but I just can't think of any practical applications in my life for it.
Also, one final thing about me...I'm horrible, I mean HORRIBLE at math, so don't ask me any math questions, I will only help you get them wrong :(.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Yo peeps
So, I'm Alaina Wiwi, yes Wiwi. I am absolutely obssessed with dinosaurs, and I love science, particularly biology.
Regarding the assignment, I would choose flight. Honestly, I didn't even think about what kind of person choosing flight would make me, I really only saw myself as a little girl always wanting to be able to see what a bird sees. And now, I have school and stress and no-sleep schedules, so I'd use the magical power of flight to get away from reality, because reality sucks.
Also, I love how everyone automatically associated the power of invisibility with porn and sexual activity. Says a lot about society at this point... If I had invisibility I'd use it to sneak into the collections room at the museum so I could examine the fossils without being disturbed. Invisibility would probably be a really depressing power simply because people assume you to be a pervert if they somehow find out that you can turn invisible.
Regarding the assignment, I would choose flight. Honestly, I didn't even think about what kind of person choosing flight would make me, I really only saw myself as a little girl always wanting to be able to see what a bird sees. And now, I have school and stress and no-sleep schedules, so I'd use the magical power of flight to get away from reality, because reality sucks.
Also, I love how everyone automatically associated the power of invisibility with porn and sexual activity. Says a lot about society at this point... If I had invisibility I'd use it to sneak into the collections room at the museum so I could examine the fossils without being disturbed. Invisibility would probably be a really depressing power simply because people assume you to be a pervert if they somehow find out that you can turn invisible.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Weekly Assignment #1 (4/24 - 4/30) *DEADLINE EXTENDED!
UPDATE: You now have until the conclusion of WEDNESDAY in order to finish this first assignment.
Flight or Invisibility?
Your task:
1. Click PLAY below to start the 'Superpowers' episode of public radio show This American Life.
2. Listen to "Act 1: Invisible Man vs. Hawkman" with John Hodgman (the guy who plays the PC in the Mac commercials). Act 1 begins about 6 minutes in, and lasts about 14 minutes.
3. Create a new blog post. Introduce yourself to your fellow decathletes by telling us a little about who you are and which superpower you'd choose: flight or invisibility. Also, do you agree with John Hodgman's assessment of the two abilities and the people who choose them? Why did you choose the superpower you did?
4. Come back and reply to other people's posts, in support or in ridicule.
Flight or Invisibility?
Your task:
1. Click PLAY below to start the 'Superpowers' episode of public radio show This American Life.
2. Listen to "Act 1: Invisible Man vs. Hawkman" with John Hodgman (the guy who plays the PC in the Mac commercials). Act 1 begins about 6 minutes in, and lasts about 14 minutes.
3. Create a new blog post. Introduce yourself to your fellow decathletes by telling us a little about who you are and which superpower you'd choose: flight or invisibility. Also, do you agree with John Hodgman's assessment of the two abilities and the people who choose them? Why did you choose the superpower you did?
4. Come back and reply to other people's posts, in support or in ridicule.
Weekly Quiz #1 (4/24 - 4/30) *DEADLINE EXTENDED
UPDATE: You now have until the conclusion of WEDNESDAY in order to finish this first quiz.
This week's quiz is now available! Click here to take this week's festive quiz.
Good luck! (But remember, on these quizzes, it's okay to cheat.)
This week's quiz is now available! Click here to take this week's festive quiz.
Good luck! (But remember, on these quizzes, it's okay to cheat.)
BETA
Consider this site as being in BETA mode while we get things started. So, like, don't make fun of me when something doesn't work or if I edit a setting about a million different times.
-Mr. Riggs, constantly editing
-Mr. Riggs, constantly editing
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