03/23/2021

My most vivid memory was a nightmare. The only nightmare I ever had. I forgot how it started,

but I definitely remember how it ended. A few days prior, my aunt had shown me a video of a

mad elephant bashing its trunk into a crowd of people. Why did she decide to show me that? I do

not know. However, my dream was the same thing. A crazy elephant was killing me and a group

of strangers. Blood was everywhere, and I truly felt like I was about to die. However, that vivid

picture immediately came on a TV screen. Apparently, I was watching a terrible movie. I started

screaming at my dad to turn it off. Then, I woke up. I was shaking and my neck was sore. My

throat was throbby, and I had a few drops of sweat on my forehead. My dreams are usually

strange, which makes it almost comical, but this was not.

03/25/2021

The most difficult part of interviewing is the social distance between the interviewer and the

interviewee. Most of the time, they barely know each other, which might make asking questions

awkward. For example, if I was writing a serious story, I would feel invasive when I ask more

heavier questions. Moreover, the setting makes all the difference. Plus, it is hard to even reach

the person you are trying to interview. If I was interviewing adults, I would always be

self-conscious about the way I word my questions because I do not want to sound immature or

even like an idiot. The part that scares me, though, would be if I did not get enough information

the first time to write a full story. Then, I would have to fill in the gaps by requesting another

interview or hoping to find something useful on the internet. This just makes the whole process

even more awkward. The Leaguetown High School prompts are easier to write because all the

information is there. Now, I have to come up with my own prompts and quotes. The story is not
fed to me anymore. People struggle with this skill because it can be intimidating and some

interviews only reach the surface level when it requires a deeper analysis.

03/30/2021

I did not like indesign at all. Designing is just not my thing. Moreover, there are just too many

logistics to go through to make a perfect design, and I simply do not care. I have never liked art,

and this confirms it. I could not draw for the life of me. Indesign requires a deep understanding

of the program and human nature, and I am too lazy to delve into those topics. I enjoy the verbal

side much more. I like writing because it is something I am good at, and it does not require a

handful of platforms like design does. To me, writing is much easier. I like listening to people

and creating a piece of writing that tells their story. I do agree that design does play an important

role in the field of journalism. People are more attracted to aesthetically pleasing articles than

they are to blank white pieces of paper with text on it. However, design is just too complicated

for me while writing comes naturally.

04/1/2021

Today is my dad’s birthday, and I feel like an absolute idiot. I have been so stressed this week

about AP chem. We have two tests during this four day week. We had one Monday and will have

one today. I was caught up in my notes and homework that I did not even realize what was

happening around me. I love my dad so much, and he knows it too. One missed birthday wish is

not going to change that. However, I do wish that I did him because birthday wishes always

make everyone feel giddy. Though, I do not think he will because he will be turning 51 this year.

I feel like everyone in my family forgot which makes it even worse. Plus, this class has no
service, so I cannot just text him either. To top it all off, I am going to fail my AP Chem test. I

thought the test was going over one unit. It’s not. Sadly, it's cumulative. Yesterday, I spent all my

time cramming a year's worth of chemistry (around 12 very long units) into five hours. This is

not going to go well.

04/06/21

This week is going to be fun, or at least I hope. This weekend consists of my cousin’s wedding

and my uncle’s birthday. My family and I are going to Seattle for the weekend to celebrate both

functions. I am very excited because I have not seen my mom’s side of the family for a very long

time. This four day weekend went by way too fast. I wish we had a longer break. However, I

actually got things done during this short break. I finished all my homework and studied what I

needed to study. I am a lazy person, so I am pleasantly surprised to see how productive I was this

weekend. I am wary about this weekend, though. I have a paper due next Sunday and more

chemistry tests coming up. Sadly, I am going to have to cram all of that up this week because I

will not even be in the state this weekend. Moreover, I have not packed anything nor have I even

organized a list. I will survive; though, I always have.

04/13/2021

I finally came back home. I went to Seattle for the past three days for my cousin’s wedding. It

was fun and eventful but also tiring. Moreover, I have so much school work to catch up on. The

hardest part about being on vacation is the plane ride. When we went to Seattle, I felt like the
plane was suffocating me. To make things worse, Dallas is two hours ahead of Seattle, so we

reached our destination around what would be midnight in Texas. Despite the discomfort, I really

enjoyed my time there. I got to meet all my maternal cousins who I have not seen for years. Plus,

Indian weddings are the best. The wedding was on Friday, and we went sightseeing on Saturday.

Seattle is very different from Texas. It holds an abundance of trees, mountains, and lakes with a

wide assortment of wild animals.

04/15/2021

There are only six weeks of school left. Thank goodness. When school ends, so does AP

Chemistry. That is what I am really looking forward to. No more tests, FRQ’s, late night

studying, or panic attacks. I would finally be a free bird. Moreover, Dual Credit would finally

end, and I would never have to worry about AP Psychology ever again. I need school to end

because I am tired. I will say that school went by really fast, and that only makes me more

nervous. This is my junior year of high school, and next year I will be a senior. Next year, I will

be applying to college and faced with the question of what I am going to do with my life. That

thought scares me. After a few years, I will not be in school anymore. I will be working with an

actual job and doing actual adult things. I am definitely not ready for that. I am worried about

growing up, but I am also excited. We will see what happens. I hope that everyone will be able to

come back next year. Hopefully, we will be maskless and vaccinated.

04/20/2021

Honestly, I do not know who to write a personality profile on. I do not know anyone that has

done something super interesting, and I am too shy to ask someone outside my friend group. I
actually hoped we could write one based on a classmate, but we cannot. That classmate had an

interesting family story: she found out who her birth mother was three years ago. Plus, I already

had her interview done for a past journalism assignment. But if I do that, I will get ten points

knocked off right off the bat. I know I want to do a feature story because I absolutely have no

skill when it comes to videography, editing, or design. Broadcast is just not my thing. The hard

part about being a journalist is that I have to go out of my comfort zone and talk to people who

may or may not be complete strangers in the middle of school. Hopefully, I find someone I can

talk about without much trouble.

04/22/2021

I have been in DECA for two years now. I was never really a business person. In all honesty, my

friend forced me to join her back when I was a sophomore even though I had no interest. In the

beginning, I had no idea what I was doing, and I was begrudgingly studying for the role-play

events. However, the officers made the learning process exciting and worked with each one of us

to improve our performance. As time passed, I started to enjoy it. District and State were so

much fun, and the officers did a great job at preparing us for the meets. Now, I am interested in

pursuing this passion in college all because of one club. I want to do that for other students too. I

want them to be aspiring entrepreneurs and teach them to be their own boss. Moreover, I want to

give back to DECA for helping me discover an interest I never really knew I had. I want to be a

DECA officer because I want to help inspire, encourage, and motivate club members just like the

previous officers did for me.

04/29/2021
The officers did a great job this year with what they had. COVID-19 did hurt the club in more

ways than one, but all the officers went to the full extent to make sure all members were

prepared. I hope that next year will be a bit different, and we can all be in-person again. If I was

an officer, my biggest priority would be to make sure all members are ready for competitions.

DECA is a very comprehensive club that incorporates heavy material into each event, and I want

to make sure that all members are prepared for it. One of my suggestions would be for more

cluster-specific meetings. Rather than just dividing up role-play and written events, I feel like it

would be very useful if each role-play meeting is specifically designed for one or two career

clusters. This would allow members to be able to navigate through their event more effectively

and be well-versed in their performance indicators before competition. For me personally, I was

very confused in the beginning because I did not know what to study, and I started mixing up

different clusters. Moreover, this design would help freshman members and provide them a

stepping stone for what they need to study. My biggest goal is to get every single DECA member

to state.

Another element I would suggest is more team-building activities. This year we did not get

the chance, so I want to make up for it next year. Hosting team dinners and fundraiser events

would bring the DECA family closer together. I want us to work and support each other as a

team rather than a clump of individual participants sheltered in their own event.

05/06/2021

My favorite teacher was Mr.Willard. Twenty-six pages of Marx notes, anxiety-written timed

essays, AP level poems, and polished mini arguments were not fun. I ended the class with a 91

and 92 respectively for both semesters. Surprisingly, my grades were at the higher end. Plus, the
maximum grade one could get on a timed essay was a 94, but he would never give anyone an A.

In my opinion, that class was not just a regular pre-ap class. I would even argue that it was as

hard or harder than AP classes for that matter. However, that was the first English class that has

ever impacted my writing journey: in other words, he taught me how to write. I still follow his

essay structure to this day because that is how useful and functional it is. Another element I

would suggest is more team-building activities. This year we did not get the chance, so I want to

make up for it next year. Hosting team dinners and fundraiser events would bring the DECA

family closer together. I want us to work and support each other as a team rather than a clump of

individual participants sheltered in their own event.

05/13/2021

I still remember the first day of school. I was wandering around the campus gaping at the white

hallways and bathrooms that did not look disgusting. I remember going into my PSAT class and

seeing my teacher for the first time. It has been a long time since then. The coronavirus is still

here, but the promise of opening up school in-person is looking much better this time around.

Surprisingly, my junior year has been my best year. My grades were drastically higher, and I

actually put my best foot forward in all of my classes. As a person, I have grown to be more

mature, patient, and hard-working. I am thankful to all my teachers because they did a good job

with what they had. I was sad about most of my friends not coming back to school; however, I

have made more friends along the way, people who I would have never talked to before. This

summer, I actually have to think about college...and the future. That’s not going to be fun. I used

to look down on undecided majors, and now I am probably going to become one. But that’s okay.