Relaxed Hard Work
The Initial Letter – Section 1
Entering this year, I have a lot to look forward to and to achieve not only in this program but also in all aspects of my life. This year can be one of the most successful ones by far if I put in the work and get things done on time, with efficiency, and study hard. Going specifically into technology for my job position, Gideon and I have come up with great ideas to launch the year off on a good foot and break the barriers of what has been done before. We want to create edits and make videos that the whole school will be sufficiently entertained by and can really enjoy. Although I am not an officer this year, I believe that I can still have a profound impact on my peers and the school at large. Going into what I want to get out of this program, it has now shifted from learning about leadership to implementing leadership principles into other areas of my life. In the past 2 years, my main focus has been to learn from my mistakes and grow from them; now having more experience and going into these events for the 3rd year, I want to implement deeper concepts into my daily life and practices because that is what it all ultimately means when you boil it down. This program is very unique in the sense that it gives opportunities to students to truly test out their failures and grow each and every day. I believe that I have grown past the stage of learning more and more things about planning events and now I want to learn from an even more zoomed and experienced perspective. It is not how to implement basic leadership skills, but to become a refined and great leader; what constitutes a great leader? Someone who can plan an event? Not really. A true leader is someone who lives with great values and morals and lives by them each and everyday; they can command and positively impact their peers each and every day and complete any task given to them whether assigned to only them or to a large group. So overall, I want to refine my leadership in my core to be the best person I can enter the adult world and interact with all diverse sorts of people in my life.
Entering this year, I have a lot to look forward to and to achieve not only in this program but also in all aspects of my life. This year can be one of the most successful ones by far if I put in the work and get things done on time, with efficiency, and study hard. Going specifically into technology for my job position, Gideon and I have come up with great ideas to launch the year off on a good foot and break the barriers of what has been done before. We want to create edits and make videos that the whole school will be sufficiently entertained by and can really enjoy. Although I am not an officer this year, I believe that I can still have a profound impact on my peers and the school at large. Going into what I want to get out of this program, it has now shifted from learning about leadership to implementing leadership principles into other areas of my life. In the past 2 years, my main focus has been to learn from my mistakes and grow from them; now having more experience and going into these events for the 3rd year, I want to implement deeper concepts into my daily life and practices because that is what it all ultimately means when you boil it down. This program is very unique in the sense that it gives opportunities to students to truly test out their failures and grow each and every day. I believe that I have grown past the stage of learning more and more things about planning events and now I want to learn from an even more zoomed and experienced perspective. It is not how to implement basic leadership skills, but to become a refined and great leader; what constitutes a great leader? Someone who can plan an event? Not really. A true leader is someone who lives with great values and morals and lives by them each and everyday; they can command and positively impact their peers each and every day and complete any task given to them whether assigned to only them or to a large group. So overall, I want to refine my leadership in my core to be the best person I can enter the adult world and interact with all diverse sorts of people in my life.
Part I: Favorite Quotes – Section 2
#1: “People don’t change people, people change themselves.” - Spencer Redula
I said this while talking to my friends one day and I realized the true validity in it, not just because it came out of my mouth. If people want to change, they would achieve large-scale impacts on their lives through other people. They have to want it themselves and they have to be the people to make an impact on their lives. Sure people help, but for people to actually change something bad in their life or implement great characteristics into their character, they have to be the ones to want it, because in the end they are the people to keep themselves accountable 24/7.
#2: “Pain and pleasure go hand in hand they say but nobody mentions that pain is just a path to more pleasure. No more fear, you know?” - Twinkle
I really like this quote because it really resembles the true nature of pain and working hard for what you want. No one will enjoy anything if they are just given it; the “thrill of the hunt” is what makes great things possible. For example, if you were in a car going up to 200 mph, you would feel the car going up in speed and the impact. But if a child was born in a car going 200mph their whole life, they wouldn’t feel the difference in speed and feel as if it is normal and even boring. So when we push ourselves, we need to realize that the enjoyment comes from the work we put in and the pain we inflict on ourselves whether mentally or physically. More pain equals more pleasure, and you enjoy life more if you experience more pain.
#3: “Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” ― Abraham Joshua Heschel
I chose this quote because we as a society in the modern age experiences a lot of instant gratification. Whenever we are on social media, we are instantly given stimuli and have our brains stimulated for hours on end. When we want something, we get it. And this quote sums up discipline; if we want to do great things in our lives, we need to skip the instant gratification and go for the long-term. Similar to #2, we need to have pain first to experience pleasure and to have our self-respect we need to be disciplined in our actions and say no to the things that give us enjoyment and pleasure now but hurt us in the long run. Instead, do the exact opposite and you will have a great life.
#1: “People don’t change people, people change themselves.” - Spencer Redula
I said this while talking to my friends one day and I realized the true validity in it, not just because it came out of my mouth. If people want to change, they would achieve large-scale impacts on their lives through other people. They have to want it themselves and they have to be the people to make an impact on their lives. Sure people help, but for people to actually change something bad in their life or implement great characteristics into their character, they have to be the ones to want it, because in the end they are the people to keep themselves accountable 24/7.
#2: “Pain and pleasure go hand in hand they say but nobody mentions that pain is just a path to more pleasure. No more fear, you know?” - Twinkle
I really like this quote because it really resembles the true nature of pain and working hard for what you want. No one will enjoy anything if they are just given it; the “thrill of the hunt” is what makes great things possible. For example, if you were in a car going up to 200 mph, you would feel the car going up in speed and the impact. But if a child was born in a car going 200mph their whole life, they wouldn’t feel the difference in speed and feel as if it is normal and even boring. So when we push ourselves, we need to realize that the enjoyment comes from the work we put in and the pain we inflict on ourselves whether mentally or physically. More pain equals more pleasure, and you enjoy life more if you experience more pain.
#3: “Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” ― Abraham Joshua Heschel
I chose this quote because we as a society in the modern age experiences a lot of instant gratification. Whenever we are on social media, we are instantly given stimuli and have our brains stimulated for hours on end. When we want something, we get it. And this quote sums up discipline; if we want to do great things in our lives, we need to skip the instant gratification and go for the long-term. Similar to #2, we need to have pain first to experience pleasure and to have our self-respect we need to be disciplined in our actions and say no to the things that give us enjoyment and pleasure now but hurt us in the long run. Instead, do the exact opposite and you will have a great life.
Part II: Quote –Section 3
“It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life — daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answers to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.” - Viktor Frankl. This quote was directly from one of the books that I read recently and really represents my leadership experiences because it ultimately comes down to each interaction that we make. Whenever we are in class with a lesson, planning an activity, or executing an event, everything comes down to how we interact each and every time determines our character, our program, and our drive to provide to our community. So whenever we think, we act, we need to act appropriately and be honest with ourselves. Are we making the right decisions, are we being the right leaders in each interaction and situation we have? Reflection for ourselves is important at the end of each session or year because you need to look back and know if you did the right thing and if you can improve onwards. Something that really gets to me is the fact that we aren’t improving at all or if we are not doing enough. I always want to improve myself just because I am so young and have so much to learn; believe it or not, this is the area that I am most humble in because I know I am not all that and a bag of chips. I wish to become a great orthodontist, a great father, and a great husband, and that only comes through improving each and every day.
“It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life — daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answers to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.” - Viktor Frankl. This quote was directly from one of the books that I read recently and really represents my leadership experiences because it ultimately comes down to each interaction that we make. Whenever we are in class with a lesson, planning an activity, or executing an event, everything comes down to how we interact each and every time determines our character, our program, and our drive to provide to our community. So whenever we think, we act, we need to act appropriately and be honest with ourselves. Are we making the right decisions, are we being the right leaders in each interaction and situation we have? Reflection for ourselves is important at the end of each session or year because you need to look back and know if you did the right thing and if you can improve onwards. Something that really gets to me is the fact that we aren’t improving at all or if we are not doing enough. I always want to improve myself just because I am so young and have so much to learn; believe it or not, this is the area that I am most humble in because I know I am not all that and a bag of chips. I wish to become a great orthodontist, a great father, and a great husband, and that only comes through improving each and every day.
Part I: Goals – Section 4
Leadership-Based:
Short Term:
Long Term:
Leadership-Based:
- Create amazing videos and set a new standard for technology commissioners
- Create a leadership family that all works well with each other
Short Term:
- All A’s in my classes/4s or 5s on APs/Valedictorian
- Have more fun outside of school hours
Long Term:
- Become an orthodontist and have a great practice with amazing employees
- Be proud of my achievements from years of hard work
Part II: Goals – Section 5
As for my first leadership-based goal, it has been hard to make great videos and do well with the technology position because of the Mac problems all year and every single problem with it. As of writing this, we still haven’t been able to get the Mac back to edit the videos, next year or post-spring break will have great results. As for the second leadership goal, I don’t think we have achieved that as a whole because the dynamic is so much different than the beginning of the year. I believe a combination of laziness, burnout, as well as a lack of care for the class hasn’t necessarily divided the class but hasn’t made us into one cohesive unit. I wish we were better together, but as of now we don’t fully mesh; that said, none of the other years have meshed perfected either. In hindsight, our class will never be perfectly like a family because of all the different personalities and ways of thinking, so this goal will not be there next year. As for my first short term goal, I am pretty confident that I will get all A’s and 4/5s on my AP exams this week. I have been diligently working, studying, and practicing for all of my exams, and I am getting more and more confident as the time gets closer for the exams. However, for the 3rd part, it technically is impossible for me to achieve this because I would have to quit leadership in order to be valedictorian. I am okay with this, because the ultimate goal is to get into a good college, not to be egotistical and be on the top of my class and overwork myself for no reason. For the second short term goal, I have achieved this in the first semester, not really in this semester, but everything comes with a grain of salt. With more time in the first semester, I was able to have more outside fun, but as exams get closer and more homework/tests come by, I have hunkered down and especially with track I have basically no time to hang out while still doing everything I want to do. As for reaching my long term goals, the first one can definitely be considered that I have made progress towards. I am working each day to improve myself and my habits to be successful after high school, and I am proud of the work I put in for the long term. The second long term goal is something I won’t fully master for a while, but I am proud of what I have done. The things that I have been doing are not easy by any measure, and even from the words of other people I am “cracked out” with working. I want to be great, and greatness doesn’t come with a mediocre work ethic.
As for my first leadership-based goal, it has been hard to make great videos and do well with the technology position because of the Mac problems all year and every single problem with it. As of writing this, we still haven’t been able to get the Mac back to edit the videos, next year or post-spring break will have great results. As for the second leadership goal, I don’t think we have achieved that as a whole because the dynamic is so much different than the beginning of the year. I believe a combination of laziness, burnout, as well as a lack of care for the class hasn’t necessarily divided the class but hasn’t made us into one cohesive unit. I wish we were better together, but as of now we don’t fully mesh; that said, none of the other years have meshed perfected either. In hindsight, our class will never be perfectly like a family because of all the different personalities and ways of thinking, so this goal will not be there next year. As for my first short term goal, I am pretty confident that I will get all A’s and 4/5s on my AP exams this week. I have been diligently working, studying, and practicing for all of my exams, and I am getting more and more confident as the time gets closer for the exams. However, for the 3rd part, it technically is impossible for me to achieve this because I would have to quit leadership in order to be valedictorian. I am okay with this, because the ultimate goal is to get into a good college, not to be egotistical and be on the top of my class and overwork myself for no reason. For the second short term goal, I have achieved this in the first semester, not really in this semester, but everything comes with a grain of salt. With more time in the first semester, I was able to have more outside fun, but as exams get closer and more homework/tests come by, I have hunkered down and especially with track I have basically no time to hang out while still doing everything I want to do. As for reaching my long term goals, the first one can definitely be considered that I have made progress towards. I am working each day to improve myself and my habits to be successful after high school, and I am proud of the work I put in for the long term. The second long term goal is something I won’t fully master for a while, but I am proud of what I have done. The things that I have been doing are not easy by any measure, and even from the words of other people I am “cracked out” with working. I want to be great, and greatness doesn’t come with a mediocre work ethic.
Part II: People Magazine Article – Section 7
Page 17: Spideon??? More to Come
With Homecoming ending and the madness ensuing, Spideon (referring to Spencer Redula and Gideon Waters) has kept their cool throughout this time. Despite hardships, lots of time commitments, and other extracurricular activities, Spideon has so far successfully created a path to success in their job position in the classroom. To ensure optimal time to organize, work, and be diligent, Spideon utilizes a key trend each day at either 3:41 or 2:31: “the jump”. Exploiting this cheat code of a system, Spideon reaches their houses substantially faster than any other Ripon High student: using this extra time instead of being in traffic, Spideon exploits time and improves their job through recording footage, working on future projects and plans, and communicating from the safety of their homes. Specifically Spencer out of Spideon, he has goals of creating the best End-of-the-Year video that has to come. He does have worries about the MacBook not arriving for another millennia, but besides that “minor” issue, video editing and compiling will be amazing and stress free this year. Overall, Spencer has a great outlook to his leadership life because dragging around a really funny 2 year old (Gideon) has its very valuable learning experience(s).
With Homecoming ending and the madness ensuing, Spideon (referring to Spencer Redula and Gideon Waters) has kept their cool throughout this time. Despite hardships, lots of time commitments, and other extracurricular activities, Spideon has so far successfully created a path to success in their job position in the classroom. To ensure optimal time to organize, work, and be diligent, Spideon utilizes a key trend each day at either 3:41 or 2:31: “the jump”. Exploiting this cheat code of a system, Spideon reaches their houses substantially faster than any other Ripon High student: using this extra time instead of being in traffic, Spideon exploits time and improves their job through recording footage, working on future projects and plans, and communicating from the safety of their homes. Specifically Spencer out of Spideon, he has goals of creating the best End-of-the-Year video that has to come. He does have worries about the MacBook not arriving for another millennia, but besides that “minor” issue, video editing and compiling will be amazing and stress free this year. Overall, Spencer has a great outlook to his leadership life because dragging around a really funny 2 year old (Gideon) has its very valuable learning experience(s).
Role Model – Section 8
For the idea of someone I admire, I could easily say something like my mother or father, yet I have done that in years past and I want to highlight a group of people that are practically all the same person; we call ourselves the minions. Now, the name is exactly what it sounds like; it was based on the popular franchise of movies for children. Yet these people have made such a profound positive impact on my life that I am really sad for two of them to go away after this year. They are: Claire, April, and Gracie. The norm these days and pretty much has been to have boys stick with boys and girls with girls. Yet, I somehow felt drawn to them not only for their great qualities but also for their actions and the people they make themselves out to be. As I have mentioned before at Core Camp, before this, I really didn’t think much about friends nor did I care about having them. I wasn’t the person who seeked hanging out because I was so used to not being invited and not being the person to ever go anywhere. So, I sat in my room and did work to try to cover it up and it worked. But with the introduction of these friends, I noticed that I really enjoyed life more. I wanted to wake up and hang out with them; I wanted to stay up past 9 PM to listen to loud music or play the piano with them. They are an amazing blessing to my life and I am extraordinarily grateful for them. I shifted my perspective from just doing things to pass time to actually enjoying my work; in a way, they made me want to work even harder so when I spent time with them I didn’t have to worry about studying or getting homework done. I truly and full-heartedly appreciate their presence in my life and I always learn something new with them each and every day I am with them, whether it be a quality or a stupid joke. |
Inner Animal… - Section 9
I believe the animal that describes my personality the best is an ant. Although this sounds very funny, I believe that the life an ant has to live is really symbolic of who I am and what I stand for. The first topic an ant has is its hard working nature. Alongside others, ants work all day for the benefit of the colony and do everything in their power to survive; they don’t sit around and sleep like sloths or let their ant peers do the work for them. They work all day over and over again for the sole purpose of survival. In a similar way, the things given to me in my life (such as a house over my head, a computer, a stable internet connection, food, so on and so forth) make me want to work as hard as possible to be the best person I can. In the way that the ant works for survival I work to achieve success and improve myself; every second and every day I have an opportunity millions don’t, so why not make the best of it and achieve the path I can create? I work my butt off for the things I am passionate about, and even if they do end in failure, the sun still rises the next day with me alive in the world. If I’m still alive, I can still continue to build and shape who I am. Life for me isn’t a time waster to become an adult or to just get money; it is to enjoy the experience in it and to not waste it scrolling TikTok all day. The second point that I want to bring up about ants is carrying more than they weigh. When they are in their colony, they are most likely holding chunks of food 3 times more than their weight and still carrying it each and every day. In a similar way, I have carried mental and physical burdens throughout my life and still trucked on. As long as I’m still alive when I wake up, I can still do things even if I am so tired beyond belief. If something needs to be done, it will be done. No matter my condition or situation. |
Part I: The Best Things About Me – Section 10
Part II: The Impact of Sound & Words –Section 11
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
'Cause sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way (Hey, baby), -way, -way, -way
[Verse 1: Pharrell Williams]
So what? You've blown a fuse (You've blown a fuse)
Well, that happens to us all (That happens to us all)
Well, I come with great news (I come with great news)
The day could change (Change), change (Change)
Change (Change), change (Change)
[Pre-Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
We've all, of course, been there before
Been there cryin', fightin' the dark
Let good energy be, you're strong
Blow it away, -way, -way, -way
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
The sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way (Hey, baby), -way, -way, -way
[Verse 2: Pharrell Williams]
Well, today the rock star (Today the rock star)
Feels like singin' the blues (Feels like singin' the blues)
Don't abandon that song (Don't abandon that song)
'Cause the tune could change (Change), change (Change)
Change (Change), change (Change)
[Pre-Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
We've all, of course, been there before
Been there cryin', fightin' the dark
Gravity doesn't mean the Earth's your ball and chain (Chain)
Chain (Chain), chain (Chain), chain (Chain)
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
'Cause sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
[Bridge: Pharrell Williams & Rhea Dummett]
Everything is cyclical
What goes around does come back around, baby
Everything boomerangs
What goes up must come down
Love is warm when it's cold
Humility will keep your feet on the ground
So do your thing through the rain
If you understand, won't you sing with me now?
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day (Oh) is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
The sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
The sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
Why this represents me:
This song represents me because of the symbolic message it has. No matter how many rainy days I have or fuses I have blown, I will continue to rise the next day or even the same day with a positive attitude on life. Pharrell Williams does a great job at portraying such pains in a happy tune, and this thinking is perfectly represented in Lisa from Core Camp’s message; have intentional thinking. Sometimes in life we may have the worst happen to us, but if we put on a happy face and live life like that didn’t happen, we can achieve so much more with our lives. Our lives may be clouded but if we shine the light we have we can be amazing humans. Life can and will be very difficult, but that shouldn’t stop you from being happy. I am and will continue to want to have this mindset because it will help me so much through all of the years I have.
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
'Cause sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way (Hey, baby), -way, -way, -way
[Verse 1: Pharrell Williams]
So what? You've blown a fuse (You've blown a fuse)
Well, that happens to us all (That happens to us all)
Well, I come with great news (I come with great news)
The day could change (Change), change (Change)
Change (Change), change (Change)
[Pre-Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
We've all, of course, been there before
Been there cryin', fightin' the dark
Let good energy be, you're strong
Blow it away, -way, -way, -way
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
The sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way (Hey, baby), -way, -way, -way
[Verse 2: Pharrell Williams]
Well, today the rock star (Today the rock star)
Feels like singin' the blues (Feels like singin' the blues)
Don't abandon that song (Don't abandon that song)
'Cause the tune could change (Change), change (Change)
Change (Change), change (Change)
[Pre-Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
We've all, of course, been there before
Been there cryin', fightin' the dark
Gravity doesn't mean the Earth's your ball and chain (Chain)
Chain (Chain), chain (Chain), chain (Chain)
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
'Cause sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
[Bridge: Pharrell Williams & Rhea Dummett]
Everything is cyclical
What goes around does come back around, baby
Everything boomerangs
What goes up must come down
Love is warm when it's cold
Humility will keep your feet on the ground
So do your thing through the rain
If you understand, won't you sing with me now?
[Chorus: Pharrell Williams]
This rainy day (Oh) is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
The sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
This rainy day is temporary
The contrast is why we got 'em
The sun shining through is just a cloud
Away, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
-Way, -way, -way, -way, -way, -way
Why this represents me:
This song represents me because of the symbolic message it has. No matter how many rainy days I have or fuses I have blown, I will continue to rise the next day or even the same day with a positive attitude on life. Pharrell Williams does a great job at portraying such pains in a happy tune, and this thinking is perfectly represented in Lisa from Core Camp’s message; have intentional thinking. Sometimes in life we may have the worst happen to us, but if we put on a happy face and live life like that didn’t happen, we can achieve so much more with our lives. Our lives may be clouded but if we shine the light we have we can be amazing humans. Life can and will be very difficult, but that shouldn’t stop you from being happy. I am and will continue to want to have this mindset because it will help me so much through all of the years I have.
Homecoming Activities Photo Gallery – Section 12
What I Like Best About Being a Member of Leadership – Section 13
Even though this program can be very polar in terms of liking and disliking it (mostly in part because of the stress load during some times of the year), I can really appreciate how much this program does for us due to the memories and experiences learned. Although I knew this from the start, its very very cool to see how much pressure and demand it requires of us at this perfect time in our lives. I forgot where I saw it but I remember something sticking with me when someone said that we don’t truly learn and aren’t truly tested until we “walk into the fire,” that being put into situations you aren’t comfortable with and necessarily don’t want to do because it's hard for you to do. My favorite moment in this program is just being in this program, even though that sounds so incredibly cheesy; I’m not trying to sound like some enlightened smartass but I have become a lot more mature as a person and as a leader because of this program and outside activities. No matter how fun one moment is in this class, my favorite part of this program is what it has taught me, because the people who block this program out of their mind and become ignorant to the potentially positive effects it can have on them are the same people who are mentally immature despite their age. A second favorite memory from this program (another weird one to think of as my favorite) would be losing the VP race sophomore year, even though I wasn’t the happiest when the results came out. I was looking at my snapchat memories from around that time of the year and I was a wreck if I’m being completely honest. Even though I wanted that position and I felt I deserved it, life isn’t always fair. And trying to wrap my head around that spiraled myself into a new era of myself, dedicated to becoming a better person each and every day, even if I continue to lose in elections this year. Life can most definitely be frustrating, annoying, anger-inducing, but it is how you respond to it that shows your progress in life. To become successful doesn’t take one day, one month, or even one year. It takes years, decades, to become successful and achieve greatness, and by not taking it personally and focusing on what I can control, I believe this event served as my 2nd most impactful and favorite memory, because who knows when I would have learned this lesson without this program (probably in college, which would have been a VERY bad situation). My last favorite leadership memory thus far has been meeting and becoming friends with Claire, April, and Gracie. It is not the most stereotypical thing for a non-gay guy to have only close friends that are female in this modern day and age. And to that I say fuck social norms because these are some of the coolest people I have met in my life that have high standards, great morals, and want the best for themselves (+ act responsibly). Without this program, I think I still would have been in a rut socially so I am very thankful for this program for showing this to me.
Even though this program can be very polar in terms of liking and disliking it (mostly in part because of the stress load during some times of the year), I can really appreciate how much this program does for us due to the memories and experiences learned. Although I knew this from the start, its very very cool to see how much pressure and demand it requires of us at this perfect time in our lives. I forgot where I saw it but I remember something sticking with me when someone said that we don’t truly learn and aren’t truly tested until we “walk into the fire,” that being put into situations you aren’t comfortable with and necessarily don’t want to do because it's hard for you to do. My favorite moment in this program is just being in this program, even though that sounds so incredibly cheesy; I’m not trying to sound like some enlightened smartass but I have become a lot more mature as a person and as a leader because of this program and outside activities. No matter how fun one moment is in this class, my favorite part of this program is what it has taught me, because the people who block this program out of their mind and become ignorant to the potentially positive effects it can have on them are the same people who are mentally immature despite their age. A second favorite memory from this program (another weird one to think of as my favorite) would be losing the VP race sophomore year, even though I wasn’t the happiest when the results came out. I was looking at my snapchat memories from around that time of the year and I was a wreck if I’m being completely honest. Even though I wanted that position and I felt I deserved it, life isn’t always fair. And trying to wrap my head around that spiraled myself into a new era of myself, dedicated to becoming a better person each and every day, even if I continue to lose in elections this year. Life can most definitely be frustrating, annoying, anger-inducing, but it is how you respond to it that shows your progress in life. To become successful doesn’t take one day, one month, or even one year. It takes years, decades, to become successful and achieve greatness, and by not taking it personally and focusing on what I can control, I believe this event served as my 2nd most impactful and favorite memory, because who knows when I would have learned this lesson without this program (probably in college, which would have been a VERY bad situation). My last favorite leadership memory thus far has been meeting and becoming friends with Claire, April, and Gracie. It is not the most stereotypical thing for a non-gay guy to have only close friends that are female in this modern day and age. And to that I say fuck social norms because these are some of the coolest people I have met in my life that have high standards, great morals, and want the best for themselves (+ act responsibly). Without this program, I think I still would have been in a rut socially so I am very thankful for this program for showing this to me.
A Reflection of a Peer in Leadership – Section 14
A reflection of a peer as a whole because I can’t off the top of my head think of a specific story this person has done would be none other than Mr. Gideon Waters. Even though he can be like a little brother to me, he is also at the same time an older brother - maybe because he is just taller than me but I believe it is more than that. His actions and behaviors I believe can much be attributed to his kind and caring nature, even though it doesn’t present itself that way at first glance. Coming into this position in the summer, I believed based on past hearsay that he didn’t do anything for the job and that this year will be very different and difficult for the position. Yet, when I first sat down with him at my house over the summer, and subsequently more times after for the drone and other videos, I have gotten to know him a lot better and I really can appreciate how much he not only cares for this program, but everyone in it and kind of is like a guard dog to them in the least weird way possible (sorry this is a very bad explanation). He really does care a lot about the people in his life he deems important, a quality I find very similar to how I think. In all of the times when he has been sick, in all the times he had to throw up mid class period, he still continues and drives on with kindness, laughter, and goofiness. I never would have thought I would have appreciated his presence so much if you asked me at the beginning on the calendar year; now when he is gone for multiple day, the senior officers and I call it “Gideon withdrawals” - a joke that somehow speaks to how important his presence is in our lives. He is a shining bright and mormon light in our lives that I cannot express in words how much he means to us. He is one of the select group that I will have a rough time walking away from going into college because of how much he brightens up our days even when he is battling his own fight, a fight which I know very well and a fight that drains everything out of you and some every single day. I am so incredibly proud of him and everything he has done for me and everyone else in this program because this program would not be the same without him, no cliche. Even though he was forced into this program by Lydia, he has proceeded his past sibling’s legacies and foraged his own legacy and indent on all of us, an indent of happiness, joy, and laughter despite hardships from every direction. Thank you Gideon “Aguas” Waters for being a blessing in our lives.
A reflection of a peer as a whole because I can’t off the top of my head think of a specific story this person has done would be none other than Mr. Gideon Waters. Even though he can be like a little brother to me, he is also at the same time an older brother - maybe because he is just taller than me but I believe it is more than that. His actions and behaviors I believe can much be attributed to his kind and caring nature, even though it doesn’t present itself that way at first glance. Coming into this position in the summer, I believed based on past hearsay that he didn’t do anything for the job and that this year will be very different and difficult for the position. Yet, when I first sat down with him at my house over the summer, and subsequently more times after for the drone and other videos, I have gotten to know him a lot better and I really can appreciate how much he not only cares for this program, but everyone in it and kind of is like a guard dog to them in the least weird way possible (sorry this is a very bad explanation). He really does care a lot about the people in his life he deems important, a quality I find very similar to how I think. In all of the times when he has been sick, in all the times he had to throw up mid class period, he still continues and drives on with kindness, laughter, and goofiness. I never would have thought I would have appreciated his presence so much if you asked me at the beginning on the calendar year; now when he is gone for multiple day, the senior officers and I call it “Gideon withdrawals” - a joke that somehow speaks to how important his presence is in our lives. He is a shining bright and mormon light in our lives that I cannot express in words how much he means to us. He is one of the select group that I will have a rough time walking away from going into college because of how much he brightens up our days even when he is battling his own fight, a fight which I know very well and a fight that drains everything out of you and some every single day. I am so incredibly proud of him and everything he has done for me and everyone else in this program because this program would not be the same without him, no cliche. Even though he was forced into this program by Lydia, he has proceeded his past sibling’s legacies and foraged his own legacy and indent on all of us, an indent of happiness, joy, and laughter despite hardships from every direction. Thank you Gideon “Aguas” Waters for being a blessing in our lives.
RHS Pride Photo Gallery – Section 15
What I love to do… - Section 16
I believe that my hobby that I like to do in my free time is to just hang out with my friends or learn something new because I really don’t enjoy any other hobbies besides that. Throughout my years, I have had time to try different things. Solving rubix cubes, knitting, sewing, etc. and yet I never found something distinctive that I really enjoy. So as a broad sense of things, hanging out with friends is one of my two hobbies because of the unpredictability of it. It isn’t something where you sit down and do nothing all day or something pointless; it is fun just to go with the flow sometimes (and especially with my personality). Activities that we may do are: playing cup pong, going to the movies, scrapbooking, and so much more. Going onto the second hobby, it is to learn things, especially if they are mentally difficult. Academics is one of the major ones in this category, because the pressure of studying and memorizing material can be very fun if the subject isn’t something that is beyond boring. Another thing in this category would be playing the piano. I know that I’m doing this ahead of time but as of now I’m trying to relearn the piano and it is very hard. I don’t know how I even got how good I was before because it is definitely a large challenge to me. |
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Letter to Parents – Section 17
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you so much for everything you have given me and everything that you will continue to do for me. I know that raising two children isn’t the easiest thing to do, yet you pulled it off like no other. Dad, you have created something with your life to provide for your children. A great house, groceries, electricity, and so much more. Thank you for your years of dedication to pediatrics because your sacrifices have let me live such a comfortable life. Mom, thank you so much for all the time you spend with us and the food you prepare for us. You spent so much time with us while we were growing up and have solidified our great morals and personalities. You have raised us to become great children and people and I can not thank you enough for that. Thank you both for creating such a wonderful road to success for us. I distinctly remember the words you said to us as children, “Don’t worry about the money, don’t worry about anything. Work hard and get A’s and we will do the rest.” Those words really stuck with me because of how they shaped my outlook on life. Many, many people are not given the opportunities that I am given and I am so grateful for everything that you have done for me; you want my success over everything else and I can not thank you enough. As a last point to be made, thank you for being such great people. You are kind and think intellectually with everyone you meet and having that kind of role model in my life I can not thank you enough for. Love you lots and thank you.
Best Regards,
Spencer Redula
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you so much for everything you have given me and everything that you will continue to do for me. I know that raising two children isn’t the easiest thing to do, yet you pulled it off like no other. Dad, you have created something with your life to provide for your children. A great house, groceries, electricity, and so much more. Thank you for your years of dedication to pediatrics because your sacrifices have let me live such a comfortable life. Mom, thank you so much for all the time you spend with us and the food you prepare for us. You spent so much time with us while we were growing up and have solidified our great morals and personalities. You have raised us to become great children and people and I can not thank you enough for that. Thank you both for creating such a wonderful road to success for us. I distinctly remember the words you said to us as children, “Don’t worry about the money, don’t worry about anything. Work hard and get A’s and we will do the rest.” Those words really stuck with me because of how they shaped my outlook on life. Many, many people are not given the opportunities that I am given and I am so grateful for everything that you have done for me; you want my success over everything else and I can not thank you enough. As a last point to be made, thank you for being such great people. You are kind and think intellectually with everyone you meet and having that kind of role model in my life I can not thank you enough for. Love you lots and thank you.
Best Regards,
Spencer Redula
The Professional – Section 21
Two aspects of this program that I have learned from this year would be the lecture we received from Mark in February (even though it isn’t exactly from Morty) alongside the continual development of our resume and cover letter. For the first aspect of this program, it isn’t a special lesson in itself, but rather it is taught daily and shows up in all of our events each and every day. We can either become better leaders, better people when we wake up or become worse. We have such a huge responsibility on this campus to be the best role models, the people for the student body to come to and rely on. But when we wake up, like every other human when they wake up, we make a subconscious decision. Do we become better; do we work to hone our skills, improve our maturity/mental health/whatever else it may be? Or do we fall into the crowd, making poor decisions and not being a leader of ourselves. Within this position of technology, we aren’t exactly the most relied on, since we are commissioners, but that doesn’t mean we don’t hold value. During rallies, during events, we are depended on to do our job and to do it well. And if we aren’t constantly working on our projects and events, how can we let our rally commissioners or ASB president put on events for our student body? We need to be the absolute best that we can be, so that the negative snowball effect doesn’t come into effect and we lose the true purpose of this program. As for the second point, resumes and cover letters, it seems like such a small and minor detail, but it means so much more for our futures. I remember my freshman year Morty gave us this “resume organizer” that I ended up turning into a doc for my college applications; now, in my junior years, I know exactly what I did, for exactly how long, and the description of everything. This preparedness that leadership has given me has launched me for life after high school. And for the resumes and cover letters, we know what to do and what not to do when it comes to the job that we want in the future. We know how to stand out and be professional in all aspects, starting with the 2 pieces of paper we give an employer.
Two aspects of this program that I have learned from this year would be the lecture we received from Mark in February (even though it isn’t exactly from Morty) alongside the continual development of our resume and cover letter. For the first aspect of this program, it isn’t a special lesson in itself, but rather it is taught daily and shows up in all of our events each and every day. We can either become better leaders, better people when we wake up or become worse. We have such a huge responsibility on this campus to be the best role models, the people for the student body to come to and rely on. But when we wake up, like every other human when they wake up, we make a subconscious decision. Do we become better; do we work to hone our skills, improve our maturity/mental health/whatever else it may be? Or do we fall into the crowd, making poor decisions and not being a leader of ourselves. Within this position of technology, we aren’t exactly the most relied on, since we are commissioners, but that doesn’t mean we don’t hold value. During rallies, during events, we are depended on to do our job and to do it well. And if we aren’t constantly working on our projects and events, how can we let our rally commissioners or ASB president put on events for our student body? We need to be the absolute best that we can be, so that the negative snowball effect doesn’t come into effect and we lose the true purpose of this program. As for the second point, resumes and cover letters, it seems like such a small and minor detail, but it means so much more for our futures. I remember my freshman year Morty gave us this “resume organizer” that I ended up turning into a doc for my college applications; now, in my junior years, I know exactly what I did, for exactly how long, and the description of everything. This preparedness that leadership has given me has launched me for life after high school. And for the resumes and cover letters, we know what to do and what not to do when it comes to the job that we want in the future. We know how to stand out and be professional in all aspects, starting with the 2 pieces of paper we give an employer.
Change – Section 22
This year as a leader has been one of the most interesting “character development”-esk eras of my life just because of how much change has happened within me; personally, I think that the change that did happen was for the best, and I am excited to into this next year to become even better than I am now. Going into this summer, I was really questioning if this position would be any good and if Gideon was going to live up to the technology connotation that had been developed over my years in the program. That said, meeting him over the summer and planning out the rest of the year was one of the most comforting things that I have done and it was really cool to do it with him. I really got to know him and planning out the year (despite the struggles we faced later on with County and IT) made me have a very positive and calm outlook on the school year and workload. Entering Homecoming and the fall season, it was a completely new experience being the person on the sideline and recording instead of being a fan, but it wasn’t bad, it was new. And this new outlook on recording and being the person to capture the memories really made me enjoy this position; entering the year getting a $3200 grant from Boosters and having everything go well made me eerily excited to produce the best work of our lives. But then it all went downhill. While still recording and dealing with our own lives, IT first became a problem then eventually the county until early February. That said, the videos that we will produce still can’t be great and have great outputs, but now we face a lot more pressure and constriction than we imagined. Although how annoying and frustrating this was, this was nothing we could control. Yes we did everything in our power. But instead of just whining and going about our day in loss, we kept pushing to get it cleared, to which we eventually did. I believe that this was a great reflection of how frustrating life is; but that doesn’t mean we give up, that means we don’t stop until we get what we want. A change that I would ultimately like to propose for a better future of the program is to have more punishments for not working during work days. By the punishment, I do not mean taking away the work days; for some of us, using that time to work on our leadership projects allows us to get ahead. But for others, to work on other homework since their leadership projects happen outside of school gives us the free time to have less pressure on us for the day to get our academic work done as well as our leadership. Whenever people mess around and are not working, however, I find a problem. Whispering and lightly talking isn’t the problem at all, but when I have to blast my music to even focus because everyone is practically yelling, that is when I draw the line. I don’t feel like giving more work or taking away the work days is the solution, rather calling out the people that are doing it to stop the problem. With the authority of the ASB President and Morty, if we just call out the source of the problem, everyone can enjoy the free time allotted to get ahead and de-stress ourselves from the post-school day.
This year as a leader has been one of the most interesting “character development”-esk eras of my life just because of how much change has happened within me; personally, I think that the change that did happen was for the best, and I am excited to into this next year to become even better than I am now. Going into this summer, I was really questioning if this position would be any good and if Gideon was going to live up to the technology connotation that had been developed over my years in the program. That said, meeting him over the summer and planning out the rest of the year was one of the most comforting things that I have done and it was really cool to do it with him. I really got to know him and planning out the year (despite the struggles we faced later on with County and IT) made me have a very positive and calm outlook on the school year and workload. Entering Homecoming and the fall season, it was a completely new experience being the person on the sideline and recording instead of being a fan, but it wasn’t bad, it was new. And this new outlook on recording and being the person to capture the memories really made me enjoy this position; entering the year getting a $3200 grant from Boosters and having everything go well made me eerily excited to produce the best work of our lives. But then it all went downhill. While still recording and dealing with our own lives, IT first became a problem then eventually the county until early February. That said, the videos that we will produce still can’t be great and have great outputs, but now we face a lot more pressure and constriction than we imagined. Although how annoying and frustrating this was, this was nothing we could control. Yes we did everything in our power. But instead of just whining and going about our day in loss, we kept pushing to get it cleared, to which we eventually did. I believe that this was a great reflection of how frustrating life is; but that doesn’t mean we give up, that means we don’t stop until we get what we want. A change that I would ultimately like to propose for a better future of the program is to have more punishments for not working during work days. By the punishment, I do not mean taking away the work days; for some of us, using that time to work on our leadership projects allows us to get ahead. But for others, to work on other homework since their leadership projects happen outside of school gives us the free time to have less pressure on us for the day to get our academic work done as well as our leadership. Whenever people mess around and are not working, however, I find a problem. Whispering and lightly talking isn’t the problem at all, but when I have to blast my music to even focus because everyone is practically yelling, that is when I draw the line. I don’t feel like giving more work or taking away the work days is the solution, rather calling out the people that are doing it to stop the problem. With the authority of the ASB President and Morty, if we just call out the source of the problem, everyone can enjoy the free time allotted to get ahead and de-stress ourselves from the post-school day.
The Ideal Leader – Section 23
An ideal leader is composed of many aspects in various parts of their lives, and it truly boils down to how they think. Leaders should be thinking about the benefit of themselves and others in every given situation that requires it; people depend on leaders, so leaders need to guide these people. Leaders are selfless yet selfish, leaders are people who people look up to. They work hard each and every day to get what they want and get one step closer to their dreams, no matter the age. They are role models for all demographics; they are genuinely great people who radiate positive energy. Ideal leaders seek out the truth in conflict, they resolve disputes and keep matters under control. Leaders have the mental clarity to go past the veil of fake intentions (such as “trying to help out” when they just want to mess around) and be efficient in group projects my steering groups towards success. I believe the most important aspect of being a leader is self-trust and faith in oneself. To lead people you need to first lead yourself towards the right path; to put faith in yourself and your goals is the foundation of a leader. If you believe in yourself, you can believe in others and trust others to complete common goals. Going to this program, leaders must be role models around campus, exercise quality behavior among peers inside and out of the program, and be mindful in all actions. In class, they must be open-minded to working with peers and hear other people’s opinions without judgment. Leaders must respect one another not only as people but also as planners of events. Leaders help everyone out when they have the free time to do so and do not mess around in class unless circumstances allow for it. For homework, they do their work diligently, efficiently, and on time if not before. Most importantly, they have to want to be in the program to excel; people who aren’t passionate about the program don’t succeed often and that reflects in their motivations behind events/projects.
An ideal leader is composed of many aspects in various parts of their lives, and it truly boils down to how they think. Leaders should be thinking about the benefit of themselves and others in every given situation that requires it; people depend on leaders, so leaders need to guide these people. Leaders are selfless yet selfish, leaders are people who people look up to. They work hard each and every day to get what they want and get one step closer to their dreams, no matter the age. They are role models for all demographics; they are genuinely great people who radiate positive energy. Ideal leaders seek out the truth in conflict, they resolve disputes and keep matters under control. Leaders have the mental clarity to go past the veil of fake intentions (such as “trying to help out” when they just want to mess around) and be efficient in group projects my steering groups towards success. I believe the most important aspect of being a leader is self-trust and faith in oneself. To lead people you need to first lead yourself towards the right path; to put faith in yourself and your goals is the foundation of a leader. If you believe in yourself, you can believe in others and trust others to complete common goals. Going to this program, leaders must be role models around campus, exercise quality behavior among peers inside and out of the program, and be mindful in all actions. In class, they must be open-minded to working with peers and hear other people’s opinions without judgment. Leaders must respect one another not only as people but also as planners of events. Leaders help everyone out when they have the free time to do so and do not mess around in class unless circumstances allow for it. For homework, they do their work diligently, efficiently, and on time if not before. Most importantly, they have to want to be in the program to excel; people who aren’t passionate about the program don’t succeed often and that reflects in their motivations behind events/projects.
You – Section 24
Truth
Truth
Your Projects (Multiple Pages)
Procedure form
Evaluations
POs
ASB Budget
Formal ASB Report
Minutes
Social Media Post