Short, but sincere.

"You stand infront of me,
pretending to be solid,
but you are nothing more
than smoke and mirrors."

Truth be told.

We're Mature. Kind of.

Today for my blog, I'd like to show you a piece of artwork designed by Sara and Jennie!

That's the wall right above us. Maybe you don't see the humor in it. There probably really isn't any. But that's okay. Just stare, and let it soak in. Please tune in next week to see how the wall has progressed!!

So I got you a piece of grass instead.

Does anyone else remember Pon & Zi?
I was thinking about them earlier today (I have absolutely no idea what sparked this memory) but I recalled that my friends and I would sit there and go through the website with all the cartoons everyday. This occurred in like, seventh grade.
They are these cute little cartoons with alien-looking characters with big heads that are always either doing something incredibly adorable or doing something chronically depressive.
I always got a kick out of them though. Here's some of my favorites:

Awwwwww. =)
Side note: The website wasn't working, so I had to use Google. I didn't find all of my old favorites, but these were cute too. =P

It's about time to fly away... but wait!

Music says what we're afraid to ourselves.

Oh, and by the way, I couldn't go to the A Day to Remember concert.
Yeah... Total bummer. Oh well.
- Sara

Actually, it's not bedtime.

That's definitely my favorite quote I decided.
It's at the very beginning of the book.
It summarizes the entire book in two sentences, or his entire life,
or my entire life.
I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one.

Words That Mean Something

I can't even explain my mood right now. There's bits of bliss, anger, depression, and tranquility. Unfortunately, when you have as many feelings running through you at one time, it's hard to understand what the **** is going on. It's two oh-eight in the morning, and I can assure you I did absolutely nothing interesting tonight. I'm beyond tired but I can't sleep, because I'm finding so much pleasure in reading quotes.
So I decided I was going to post some of the ones that really stuck with me on here. Maybe I just like them, or maybe they infer what mood I'm in. It's late and I don't even know. Take it as you want. Let's begin.

"I'll tell you a riddle. You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you; but you don't know for sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where that train will take you? Because you'll be together." - Inception

People say you don't know what you've got 'til its gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, you just thought you'd never lose it.

Along the way, I've learned that you can't let anyone in too
far and you can't trust endlessly. The biggest mistake you
can make is to care or love someone more than yourself,
because then you are just setting yourself up for
disappointment. Boundaries are necessary so that you can
protect yourself, because once you're broken, you'll never
be fully fixed.

she's got a smile on her face & a screw-you attitude

because from this day on she's living for herself.

"I hate this feeling. Like I'm here, but I'm not. Like someone cares. But they don't. Like I belong somewhere else, anywhere but here, and escape lies just past that snowy window, cool and crisp as the February air." -Ellen Hopkins

There's quite a few from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Here they are:

So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.

"I hate you." "I love you." "You're a freak, you know that? Everyone says so. They always have."
"I'm trying not to be."

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.

Everyone else is either asleep or having sex. I've been watching cable television and eating jello.

My goodness, do I love that book. <3

I think I'll have to put that on my "to re-read" list.

Alright. I'm done. It's bedtime.

- Sara

A Day To Remember is Coming!

So guess what's happening next week?!
A DAY TO REMEMBER CONCERT. <3
You have no idea how excited I am for this.

I haven't been to a concert in three years, when I went to Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution during the summer. That was absolutely fantastic. But nontheless, my life doesn't consist of concerts, no matter how much I want it to be. So when I'm actually sure that I'm going to one, I'm beyond excited. Plus, A Day to Remember is amazing! =D

lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove.

I encourage you all to go buy tickets off ticketmaster and go.

It'sll be a smashing time. =)

My Rant on Prom

It's fifth period and I have absolutely nothing to do.
The kid next to me just hit me because I didn't mention him. So here you go, Jon!
He's not keeping me amused though. He's making oragami shirts out of $1 bills.
So basically, I'm not doing anything but sitting here.
I contemplated making a list... but drew a blank.
I contemplated writing a poem... but had writer's block.
I contemplated writing about music... but no one came to mind.
Why? There's one thing on my mind these days. Prom.

I have been waiting for this day pretty much my entire life. Three of my absolute favorite things: dancing, parties, and dressing up. Combine them & we have the most epicly perfect night known to man. I didn't go last year because my boyfriend and I got together right before prom, and tickets were already done being on sale. But this year, you bet I'm going. There's absolutely no way I'm missing my senior prom!
Prom night is April 15th, which is almost exactly a month away. I went out and bought my dress this weekend with my bestfriend CARRIE! This is it:

After about 50 trial and error try-ons, I stumbled upon this aqua princess dress. I. LOVE. IT. When I was a kid and imagined my perfect prom dress, this is IT! It's poufy but not to the point where no one can touch me, it's aqua (one of my favorite colors, if not my favorite), and it has a pretty top/corsette back. I think this dress fits my personality excellently. I'm so excited to wear it on prom night! Also, I plan on doing some sort of smokey eye-shadow look and I can assure you that I will be sporting some sort of wavy down-do (I've never been a fan of up-do's).

I usually don't care whatsoever about fashion, but this time I do. I love getting all dressed up & pretty on special occasions. I really hope that prom night is just as fun, if not more, than I am anticipating. =D I'll probably post all about it after it actually happens in a month.

- Sara

There's No Easy Way Out

Months and days fall to the past
As we watch this love fall spiraling down.
Sip from your flask, cold Romeo;
Drink from this poision you've created.
Her battered heart can bear no more.
It's time to go. Leave her alone.
You've done too much for doing too little.
You need to forget.

We need to forget.

You're Beautiful.

I like to think of poems like people:
Not all of them follow the rules,
& certainly not all of them make a lot of sense.
But that doesn't mean they aren't beautiful.

-------------------------------------------------
I just made that up, but I really liked it.
Especially considering that I think it applies to my poems.
I'm considering to start putting my poetry on here.
Maybe. It's possible. Perhaps. Yeah...
So don't be surprised if you see it.

Maria Brink Kicks More Butt Than You

Alright, so I found a new musical & lyrical inspiration. They're called In This Moment.
I've never even heard of them until about a week or so ago when my friend was letting me listen to his i-Pod and this came on shuffle. Instantly, I fell in love. Basically it's this heavy metal band with the lead singer being a girl, Maria Brink. And let me tell you, she's amazing! Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but she can scream her heart out. Jealous much? Oh, you bet.

Maria Brink

Alice In Wonderland Photoshoot?!
I wish we were best friends.

I've always wanted to do some work in a metal band, except the whole I can't sing to save my life problem I have is sort of a set back. Anyway, this girl continues to be an inspiration because she writes most of the lyrics for the band as well. Here's an excerpt from one of my personal favorites, The Promise (from the album A Star-Crossed Wasteland):

No matter what I say or what I do
I know how this will end
So I'm turning away now before we begin
And no matter what you say or what you do
I know how this will end
So I'm turning away now

I'm dangerous

The only promise I could make
Is that my promise is a lie
The only promise I could make you
Is that my promise is a lie

This music's definite ear candy. If you actually listen to the song or moreover watch the music video, this part of the lyrics is my favorite because it's going back and forth between Maria and the lead male singer, and they're both screaming into each other's faces. You can visually see as well as hear the emotion, which I think is such a great quality for an artist or band to have. I love music that instantly makes me feel something, and I get that from this band, which I actually don't get from a lot of heavier metal bands. Kudos to you guys on that one.

So if you haven't listened to them, do it. Yeah, that's a command. You won't regret it.
Unless if you're into the whole Katy Perry & Justin Beiber type of music only. Then maybe this isn't your cup of tea. But hey, it's always good to stir up the pot and try some new things. They have a lot of other good songs, but the one's I currently have on replay are Forever and The Gun Show. So while your at it, listen to those ones too.

Ronnie is FREE

Guess what, everyone?! This world is now a glorious place. Why?
A certain gorgeous man was released from federal prison.
I present to you, Mr. Ronnie Radke!

I'm not usually a fan of men with an obnoxious amount of tattoos and wears more eyeliner than me. But this man is gorgeous. And above all else, he has a phenomenal voice that needs to be cherished. =D

In case you're not aware, Ronnie was the lead singer of Escape the Fate when they first started out and made it big. However he got arrested for violating his previous probation, doing hardcore drugs, and having some link to the death of an 18 year old... yeah. He's hardcore. But anyways, he was sent to federal prison for a few years and then the band decided to COMPLETELY trash him and get a new lead singer. Worst decision ever, if you want my opinion. Not only that, but they, to this day, won't stop trash talking him and saying how he was always the mess of the band that held them back. WHAT?! RONNIE MADE THAT BAND! So now Escape the Fate has some singer who's name is escaping me right now (hello, irony), and he's alright, but definitely no Ronnie. Poor Escape the Fate.

However... that's not the end of Ronnie!
While in prison, Ronnie began forming a new band (I'm not sure how, considering he was in prision) called Falling in Reverse, that he planned to begin work on as soon as he was released. Since he was released a few weeks ago, they've been working nonstop and apparently they are super good (I haven't listened yet, just read about it on their blogs and stuff =D) They are coming out with a CD real soon, with Ronnie as the lead singer, and I am beyond excited. Ronnie also does most of the lyric writing for this band, so I'm pretty excited to see how that turns out as well. They're going to go on tour and see how things fall into place, and you can bet on it that I will be attending that first concert of theirs near Pittsburgh!

Ronnie claims that this band will blow Escape the Fate away... and I surely hope so. YOU ROCK, RONNIE. <3

- Sara

Important People

I have no idea what to write about. So I'm going to do what I do best: make a list!
I'm feelin' pretty social, so today's list will be about people that I like and enjoy associating with.

.999.  Chris Franz
Chris is a very stylish man with his lovely brown chaqueta. I was going to make him number five but he felt he needed to be before Jennie... but notice that she is still number 1.

1. Jennie Dietrich
This is the biggest lie ever. She's forcing me to put her first by threatening me. Plus, she stole all of my smiley stickers... every single one of them. Class "A" Jerk.

2. Carrie Cahill
My best friend for 11 years. One of the only two people that I trust with my life. If you don't know Carrie, you're seriously missing out. She's the complete opposite of outgoing and she's a good little shy girl, but we love her anyways. She's a good friend that enjoys the same stuff we do, so it's all good.

3. Krysta Hoover
My sister, and one of my bestfriends. She's the other person that I trust with my life. We do fight considering we're siblings but it's really rather rare and we get over it pretty quickly. We are a lot alike and like mostly the same things and going to the same places, so that probably contributes to why we get along. But overall she's a good friend and a good, trustworthy sister.

4. Alex Halbleib
My amazingly fantastic boyfriend. We get along better than any couple I've ever seen. We're both absolutely ridiclous and find the simplest enjoyments out of life when we're together. I can talk to him about anything and I know that he will always be there for me when I need him. I love him so much.

These are the three people (plus the random duo of Jennie and Chris) that mean the most to me, and I don't feel a need to put anyone else. They give me a reason to smile everyday and I couldn't ask for anyone better in my life.

"I Am Number Four" is good... for a Murrysvillian.

Guess what I saw this weekend?? I'll give you a hint: not one... not two... or even three... that's right! I AM NUMBER FOUR!

Wow, I'm cheesy.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was in for. I didn't read the book, which I usually do before seeing a movie, and I didn't have a full background on what the movie was even about. I know there were aliens, and they (I wasn't even sure who "they" were) killed three of them, and were after the fourth one in this movie. So that was my pre-viewing knowledge. Now I'm sitting here, a day after seeing it in theaters, and I'll give you a rundown on what happened. CAUTION: This run down may contain spoilers. Maybe.

So it started off with the bad aliens (I don't remember their names, but they were tall, had bad teeth & weird gill things by their noses, and bald tatted-up heads) killing off Number 3. This made Number 4 get this weird burning scar on his leg, which eventually led to him and his protector having to move to Paradise, OH. But as their packing the truck, you see this little gecko thing climb into their luggage, and you're sitting there thinking, Oh crap, oh crap, this isn't good! Then they burn all their stuff and drive away.

So then they get to Paradise and move into this crappy house. They have to completely change their identity, so it's at this point we learn Number 4's new name is Jack Smith and his protector is Henri. Anyways, Number 4 goes up to dye his hair and stuff to change his look. This gorgeous creature is what emerges:

That's what I'm talking 'bout. I give the person who assigned the roles of the characters props to this, because that boy is fine. Oh! So next... it switches to this scene outside where we see that mysterious gecko, and he climbs out of the truck and into this bush. We hear all this rummaging around this creature scurries away. It's moving too fast though and we can't see what it is. Then there's a knocking at the door pretty much immediately afterwords, and you're thinking, it's the evil gecko-creature-thing! Don't look!! But of course they do, and no one's there, but Number 4 looks down and sees a beagle sitting in the yard. Guess it turned into a beagle! But he decides he wants to keep the random dog he found in the yard, and of course throughout the movie we see him saying and doing very secretive things in front of him. So you just get that weird feeling in your stomach that something isn't going well with this.

So then he goes to school. Best past of the movie. Why? Because that's my school! Look look look!

That's a hallway at my school! That's so cool! So pretty much for the entire middle portion of the movie, I focused on the people in the background, trying to find the extras that I recognized. Mostly they were people that have already graduated, but I still knew them. It was really cool to see people that I knew in a real blockbuster movie! Plus I spent a lot of my time trying to find my artwork that I did that was used as props in the movie (2 chemistry projects) but I didn't see them unfortunately. =/ Anyways, the middle part of the movie was really slow. Basically he meets this photography-obsessed Sarah girl who he starts to like, only she has this jerk off ex boyfriend who keeps picking on poor Number 4. And they go to a hayride and the jerk's friends jump Number 4, and he totally whoops their butt, but the problem is that he used his special powers to hurt them and this one kid (I forget his name) saw him. Oh, and this one kid is like, obsessed with aliens and stuff, so he's like overly-thrilled that he thinks that he found one.

SO ANYWAYS. Stuff happened after that, yadda yadda yadda. I didn't care that much because I just liked pointing out the people that I knew. But then! The final fight scene was definitely the best part. Number 4 and Sarah run into the school to hide, but the evil aliens find them. They are almost toast when this girl comes out of nowhere and kills those particular evil aliens. We learn that she is Number 6, and she tells Number 4 that they need to get ready to fight because the evil aliens are surrounding the school. That kid who's obsessed with aliens shows up at the school with Number 4's dog, when he sees a huge bird-like creature flys out of this large semi, and the boys like... crap. That's when the dog starts barking, so the boy looks over and then it turns into a big scary creature, too! NEVER SAW THAT ONE COMING!

So inside the school, the alien-obsessed boys meets up with Number 4, Number 6, and Sarah. They're trying escape when they are attacked some more. They fight their way out of it, of course. Then the evil bird thing comes and almost gets Number 4, until something jumps out of nowhere and attacks the bird. It turns around and we see it's his dog! So at this point, we realize that this whole time, the dog was actually a GOOD alien. What a relief! So then they go onto the football field for the final fight scene, which is really intense, and our heroes come out on top. The football field is in ruins, and it makes me really admire how advanced our special effects are these days.

The movie ends with Number 4, Sarah, and Sarah's jerk ex who's no longer a jerk say their goodbyes. Number 6 waits impatiently as Number 4 does so. He also decides to bring along the boy who's obsessed with aliens, because they predict that the evil aliens kidnapped his father (we never met him, he was missing the whole movie). They drive off into the sunset, and leave us wondering if there will be a sequel to this movie.

Now to be honest, I don't know how I feel about this movie. Some parts of it were really good, others completely lost my interest. So that's why I'll give this movie three stars. I feel like if you didn't go to Franklin Regional, the movie might have been easier to actually pay attention to, because you wouldn't be trying to see people you know and stuff. Overall though, the movie was alright. If you live in the Murrysville area, I would recommend seeing it. It is rather interesting.

- Sara

"Anger is like peeing your pants...

 ... everyone can see it, but only you can feel it." - Jeff Yalden

So two days ago, our school was visited by a very special man. He looks like this:

Scary, right? Oh, no. This man knows what's up. I decided to blog about him because he was the first speaker that our school brought to us that I actually listened to. Actually, he's the only speaker that came to our school that anyone listened to. Usually when we have speakers, there's rustling and rude side comments being made all around the auditorium. But when Jeff Yalden spoke, you could hear a pin drop. No joke.

So first, I'll give you some background. Every year, our school tries to get one "influential" speaker to come in and talk to us about the importance of our life and what not. I guess they are supposed to motivate us to be better students and people or something. For example, last year, some girl came in that drank out of a cup with all of her friends at a party, and got some horrible disease from it. Then, she lost all four of her limbs. Yeah. You can imagine the rude comments that were made about her when she came. Honestly, I don't think anyone got one inspirational thing out of it. What a fail.

But this year, they decided to get someone that we'd be more familiar with. Jeff was a coach off the MTV show Made, which is a show that the majority of us are familiar with.The show deals with teenagers who want to change something about themselves, or be "made" into a different kind of person. They get paired up with these coaches that help them train to do what they want. So that's basically what he did.

But anyways...

Jeff came in to talk to us about what's really important in life. He started out slow, talking about how he's just an Average Joe with an average life. While most speakers come in looking business-like and professional, he was sportin' a long sleeve Harley Davidson shirt, plain jane jeans, and black boots. You can't get more typical man than that. I instantly was interested in what he had to say because he reminded me of my father so much, just by the way he dressed and presented himself. He began off with a few jokes, which instantly got the kids attention. Let me emphasize the word: kids. His jokes were a bit offending, but I mean, if you want to get across to kids today, that's the best way to get their attention. The teachers, however, I hear were not thrilled. He made jokes about everything, from Helen Keller to hoes. We laughed, but the teachers seemed a bit offended. The principal walked out of the auditorium, muttering about how she "had much better things to do than listen to this idiotic nonsense." I think the teachers were missing the point. He was there to be influential to us... not to them. And honestly, he did an amazing job. He knew exactly how to get everyone's attention, and keep it. We went from laughing to tearing up in a matter of five minutes by the way he explained his points. His stories and messages are really what took us.

His first story he took us in was about his past life. He was absolutely horrible in school, graduating 129 in a class of 133. Hey, at least he beat four people! He was rejected by over half the colleges he applied to. When he finally got a shot, he took it. He went to a college and majored in something he can't even spell, but he says that now he can fly airplanes and was a very high rank in the air force for a number of years. You can even tell from his persona that he was into that hardcore fighting stuff. Go Jeff!

He then talked about how he met his wife, got married, and had two beautiful, wonderful daughters. Again, this reminds me of my father. =) He went into a detailed story about how his family wasn't the lovey kind, and both his parents were alcoholics. So when he met his wife's father, they became instantly close. He went over his grandfather's house everyday and talked with him about life. Unfortunately, his grandfather died a little less than a year ago. Then began Mr. Yalden's first point: what if he never got the chance to say goodbye? What if we really had only a short time to live, would we do things differently? What would we tell the people that mean the most to us? These questions all gave us something to really think deeply about.

I don't want to tell Jeff's whole speech, but he went on a rant about other occurrences in his life, and how it has made him think and impacted his life. That was his main message, the four T's: Take Time To Think. Think about it. It applies to so many aspects of life. Think before you react. If something or someone makes you mad, rather than acting on impulse, think. Think of a better way to handle the situation. On another note, imagine you go through the same routine every day. Stop. Think. Is this the kind of life you have always wanted? Think about how to improve yourself. Think of the others in your life, the ones that love you, the ones that mean the most. Think of ways to make them proud, or happy. Everyone has a brain, so use it. Just think.

I think that Jeff was the most inspiration person that I have ever heard live, or maybe even in general. He had an excellent message for teens that I think is important to convey to us at this critical time in our lives. Also, I think that his speech helped a lot of people that may be going through a hard time in their life with relationships, academically, or family-wise. Jeff has been through it all, and look at where he is now. As long as you don't give up hope, you can make something of yourself, even if you are just that average kid. Even though a lot of the teachers didn't approve, I think this was the best way to convey messages to the kids. Getting down to our level and talking to us like you understand really make us listen to what you have to say. I give lots of kudos to Jeff Yalden, you did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed listening to this inspirational man talk.

- Sara

Big Girls DO Cry!

"I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket,
But I've got to get a move on with my life.
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry"

We all know this song. Fergie came out with this song shortly after leaving the Black Eyed Peas for a trial at the solo life. Nonetheless, if you take the time to read the lyrics, the song's about her breaking up with her boyfriend and how she's going to "man up" and not cry about it. Although I'm sure a lot of girls agree that this is the best way to deal with something like that, is it really? Is hiding the hurt and fighting the tears really the best way out?

 The answer is no. At least, in my opinion. But if you get to know me, you'll know that I always think I'm right. I guess that's what you get when you take the two most strongly opinionated people and have a child. So it's just no. But why, you may ask?

Think about it. When you cry, you get all those feelings and emotions out into the open. You sit there and cry and think about every bad thing that just happened. Then after wards, you feel renewed. Things don't seem as bad anymore. Crying gives you a sense of refreshment, which is something that is much needed during this time. I never really understood why people always hold back their feelings, for I'm a very big-hearted individual and one to express exactly what I'm thinking. Besides, bottling everything will up will more than likely make you crack eventually. When this happens, it will happen worse, because everything will hit you all at once. You really don't want that.

So I just thought I'd share what I thought about the subject.
So if you're feelin' sad, don't be scared to let those tears fall, bloggers. =)

- Sara

My Super-De-Duper Wordle =)

So I made a wordle! =) Now I suppose I should explain it...

Sara: That's my name. Obviously.

Fm Johnie Reb: That's my horses registered name, of course I just call him Johnny. He's a white appaloosa and he's the biggest word (other than my name) because he's one of the most significant parts of my life.

Barrel Racing & Pole Bending: These are the two rodeo sports that I compete in. Barrel racing is when you run your horse in a clover-leaf pattern around three metal barrels. The runner with the fastest time wins. Pole bending is when you and your horse weave a line of six poles up and down. Just like before, the runner with the fastest time wins.

Best Friends: My life revolves around my friends. My entire weekend is spent with friends; I hardly ever have any alone time. They have always been incredibly important to me and always will be.

Boyfriend: I just realized I don't have him on my wordle, but I thought I did so I'll just put him on here anyways. He's also incredibly important to me. We've been through soo much over the past 10 months but everything has just brought us closer. I love him so much.

Disney World: Favorite amusement park. Ever. I used to go there every summer when I was little and I have so many memories. We go occasionally now and it's lovely. I love it there and always have fun.

A Day to Remember: This is my favorite band, at least currently. I have so many so it changes frequently. But they have amazing music and I'm always jammin' out to them after school. They are coming to Pittsburgh in March and I'm hoping I can get some tickets to see them!

Orange Fanta: My absolute favorite drink. Sooooo good. I wanna fanta, don't you wanna?

Quads: My dad is the outdoorsy type, so he's always had quads and dunebuggies for my sister & I to have. I have an obsession for speedy things, which probably explains my horse and quad loves.

Breakfast: My favorite meal of the day, even though I usually eat it at times other than the morning because I sleep in so often. I could eat breakfast food for literally all three major meals, plus snack time.

Daniel Tosh: Tosh.0 is one of the few shows I actually frequently watch on TV. What a hilarious man! You can guarentee that if given the opportunity to meet him, I would hug him and never let go.

Ellen Hopkins: My favorite author. There's not a single book of hers that I don't adore.

IUP: This is where I'm going to college next year! It's where I've always wanted to go because that's where I pretty much grew up, kind of. My grandma used to live up there plus my whole dad's side of the family is up there, so I was up there a good bit. Besides, it's a good school. I'm currently majoring in Biology/Pre-Med with a minor in Psychology, but I think I might switch to just Psychology because I'm a tad intimidated by Medical School.

Music: Self-explanitory. Sing it. Hear it. I wish I could make it.

Rodeos: I love going to rodeos! If you've never watched one, I strongly recommend it. I go to a lot in the summer with my friends and my dad. There's stuff like barrel racing, bull riding, bronc riding, calf roping, and more. Plus there's clowns, music, food, and a great time!

Roadtrips: I LOVE roadtrips! Give me a car, a group of friends, and some money. I'm set to go. My friends & I have been planning our roadtrip for senior week and I'm soooo excited! =)

Summertime: It's my favorite season. I love absolutely everything about it, even the scorching hot weather. I hate being cold more than anything.

Neon Colors: I can't pick a favorite color I realized. So I made a generalization.

Reading: I can be such a nerd sometimes. Reading is fun, if given a good book. Occasionally I'll find a random good one, but typically I read books about teenagers who messed up their lives with drugs, or sex, or something else. I find people who are mentally lost so interesting.

Psychology: I love pondering about how the mind works. Mind boggling.

Fruit: Yummy!

Piglet: He's my favorite cartoon character. I used to have so many Piglet stuffed animals it wasn't even funny. He's adorable, what's there not to love about him? =)

Baby Seals: They are my favorite animal. They are absolutely adorable.

Grilled Cheese: Carrie said to me one day that this was my favorite food as a joke because I always order it. Then I thought about it, and it really is my favorite food.

Sparrows: I love sparrows, and things with sparrows on them. If I wasn't deathly afraid of needles, I would get a tattoo with one.

Horseback Riding: Obviously.

So that's about it. I hope you enjoyed it. =)

-Sara

Religion in Schools... Is it free?

Today I want to get into something a little deeper than yesterday's post, which was just about myself. I learned something in school today that I do not feel is right, and I would like to talk about it and see what anyone who takes the time to read this thinks.

So, I was sitting in government class today as we were going over a test that we took yesterday. Our teacher has been out for the past two days, and the sub gave us a 9th grade civics test that we were to take to see how much we could remember from three years ago. As we were going over the answers, we came upon a question that I was sure I knew the answer of. It was in the section of the test where a scenario was given and we had to choose from the list which amendment this scenario was violating, or choose "no violation". This particular scenario was as follows:
A Muslim woman is told that she must take off her head-wear in school. What amendment was the school violating?
We know as Americans that the first amendment gives us the right to freedom of religion, so that was the answer I chose. Of course, this was the right answer. However after the sub said the correct answer, a woman who's always in our classroom to observe (she's in there to help a few "special" kids in my class) raised her hand. "Mr. Segretti, I don't think that is correct. I know for a fact that here at Franklin Regional, you're not allowed to wear a cross around your neck."

At first, I was confused. For the first three years of high school, I have worn the same cross around my neck every day (I don't wear it anymore because my boyfriend gave me a beautiful heart necklace for my birthday this past year. But that's besides the point.) and I never once was told to take it off. Maybe they just didn't see it, I'm not sure. But the lady began talking about how we're trying not to make one religion seem better than the other, so they passed a rule in the dress code that they were forbidden. They just don't "enforce it as much as they should."

Honestly, I am appalled by this new information. How can they teach in a Franklin Regional civics course that you cannot tell a Muslim woman to take off her head-wear, yet they can tell us we can't wear a cross? What kind of hipocracy is this? Nonetheless, every day we are expected (not required, however) to stand for the pledge. One nation. Under God. I swear, Franklin Regional, you make no sense sometimes.

Alright, well that was my little rant of the day. Figures, on my second blog I'd be posting about something negative. I can assure you, most of my posts won't be like that. I'm generally a happy, positive person, and I'm hoping that my posts over the next few months will really reflect that. I'm the type of person that likes to get into really deep stuff, a lot of it will more than likely be personal or controversial. I hope you all will find this blog interesting, and feel free to give any feedback or give your opinion on anything that I say. =) Have a great day!

- Sara

Hello There, Blogger.

So considering this is my first blog, I feel like I should introduce myself.
So here goes nothin'. I'll keep it simple.

My name's Sara Diane Hoover.
I'm eighteen years old physically...but mentally, it's debatable.
I like rollar coasters, deep talks with my friends, and reading books about wreckless teenagers.
I love my horse and my cat. They love me too.
Deseo que no deje la clase de espanol. =(
I have a boyfriend. He's a keeper. =)
I absolutely hate deep water and shots.
& that pretty much sums it up.

Oh, and just to explain my blog a big further...
My title "Writings on the Wall" = Underoath song
My heading "There's a place that I've found... depths of my dreams" = Escape the Fate lyrics [My Apocalypse]
My URL "Smile You've Won" = Lydia song
Music's important to me. <3

-Sara