“GOT IT!” “ MINE!” “ GOT!” These are examples of how volleyball players work together to show who’s getting the ball. Each team has three touches to get the ball over the net.  There are six positions in volleyball: right side hitter, middle blocker, defensive specialist, setter, libero, and lastly, outside hitter. Each of these positions have something special about it. All of them work together on the court.

     The right side hitter is the most flexible position on the team because they do well on offense and defense. They do well diving and trying to get the ball if other positions can’t get it. When they’re on defense they help block the ball coming on their side with the middle blocker.

     Next the outside hitter/left side hitter is the concentrated point of offense. They reserve the most hits. They have good skills in the back row and a really good jumping ability. Sometimes, they hit in the back row depending on where they set it. Lastly, on defense they will receive the serve and help block the ball with the middle blocker.

     The middle blocker is normally the tallest person on the team. When they play defense they block a spike or hit with the rest of the front row. On offense they have to tell where the setter is going to set so they can tell if the left side hitter or they are going to hit the ball. Lastly, they need to be able to receive a serve, block or save the ball.

     The setter can either be in the front or back row. The setter controls the team offense. The setter usually is the second person to touch the ball. The setter sets the ball so the right side hitter or outside hitter can hit the ball. A setter has to have good communication skills and make quick decisions. They need to read the other team's defense.  Lastly, the setter has to be ready to get a serve, block, and dig a ball.

     The libero concentrates on defense and only plays in the back row. The libero typically is the first person to touch the ball when it comes over the net. Liberos need to have really good passing and defensive skills. The first touch needs to be good for the setter to set. The Libero typically wears a different colored jersey so they can come in without counting as a substitution.  Lastly, a libero can’t set from the front above the ten foot line, attack the ball above the net, and block.

     A defensive specialist is another position that mainly focuses on defense. They come in for a player that doesn’t have the skill to play in the back row. The defensive specialist has to make a substitution unlike the libero. They can also play in the front row.  Lastly, they can play back-row hitter.

     All of the volleyball positions are different. Each has their own job, but all of the positions rely on each other to make each play. Teamwork is used all the time in everyday life. All of the positions work together, and if there was no teamwork, it would be hard to talk and coexist with one another.

-Dayleigh W.

     It is the last lap, and Max Verstappen is in the lead. His radio suggests he is running out of fuel; will he make it to the end? It is the last straight, and Verstappen wins the Sakhir Grand Prix!  You see F1 drivers all the time in T.V. shows; they just storm the circuit with 1,000 hp at their command. F1 drivers use sim racing at difficulty to get to know the tracks better. It is also just fun to get to know and race at a track two weeks before the actual race weekend starts.

      F1 sim racing is important because they need to know the tracks as thoroughly as they can. They need to master trail- braking and cadence braking, which are major skills that you need to know. They also need to know how to enter the apex and how to exit through the exit curb. These skills can be the border between first and forgotten.

     F1 drivers use video games to set fast lap times and test new strategies. F1 drivers also use AI to challenge themselves and correct errors that they make. So when a race starts, the racer will constantly be improving. The gamer´s car would have more limited power, and their errors would be less forgiving as the AI would race and take advantage of the racer´s error. The AI would also get a faster car, a better pit-stop strategy, and a better qualifying program. 

    If an F1 driver plays the game, he would learn where he would make the errors and how he should solve them. He would also learn how to handle more experienced rivals and how to take advantage of the errors made by the other drivers.  The F1 racer should also check for better pitting strategies like diving into the pitlane first and putting on a harder tire compound to outlast the rest of the pack. They would also try to increase awareness and braking and gearing techniques to improve their lap times and their memory of the circuits. It would also be good practice in their off-season.

     F1 sim training and video games are crucial to the development of the driver. Without them in one moment you would be in first and in the second you would be forgotten. This is why practicing is a good idea. Practicing will hone your skills and eventually make them as efficient and effective as possible.

-Krish R.

     You stand alone onstage. The whole room is quiet. The spotlight is shining in your face.  You try to find your family in the audience, but everything in front of you is pitch black.  You feel like you’re going to faint. You open your mouth to sing, but nothing comes out. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to prevent these three problems an actor must overcome. Hopefully, you will become more confident on stage, and more confident preparing for your performance after overcoming these problems.

     First, you need to overcome stage fright. Many people who are in theater have stage fright. It is very important to conquer your fears, especially stage fright. Stage fright can increase social problems and can make it very hard to speak up for yourself. To conquer stage fright, practice by yourself in front of a mirror. Dance, sing, and act like nobody's watching (because they aren't). Do this everyday for about one week. Practicing in front of a mirror helps because you can practice your facial expressions and dances while watching yourself. When the time comes to perform, you will not doubt yourself as much and won’t hold back. Once you’ve got these steps down, you can move on.

     Next, you should gather a small group of at least one to three people. They can sit down and be your audience. Many people agree that performing in front of one to three people is the most nerve racking way to perform, so it is good to start here and get used to it. You can sing, dance, or act. It may seem very hard and awkward, but trust the process. Once you start, it will get better. Perform in front of one to three people once a week for four weeks. Hopefully by the end of this process, you will feel much more confident performing with an audience. If you don’t, you should continue performing like this for about another two weeks. 

     When many people are performing, they often hold back and give less energy, fearing other people will make fun of them if they’re being too energetic or loud. But, that is not the case. The crowd loves and enjoys when you’re very bold and have high energy. In fact, the crowd dislikes it when you aren't big and bold. They can’t hear you, and then they can’t focus on the plot of the show. You can still be a very sad and shy character by being big and bold. Instead of being quietly sad, be melodramatically sad. Once you get all of this in your head, you’re ready for the next step.

     Secondly, an actor must overcome the problem of not remembering their lines. Not remembering your lines can seriously affect your performance. It messes with your confidence, projection, and stage presence. Of course you should never push yourself too hard. Only memorize the lines your director tells you to be off book on. If you try to memorize all of your lines at once, your words will get jumbled up, and you might say the wrong lines. One way you can memorize your lines is saying them in the mirror so you can remember your facial expressions during that line.

     Another trick is to split your line up into sections. You should then say each section over and over again. Then combine some sections and say those sections over and over again. When you have finished this, combine the whole line and say it over and over again without looking at your script.

     The third way to help memorize your lines is to remember your cue lines (the line that comes before yours to cue you in) or at least the last word of it and who says it. You can highlight your que lines with a different color, which brings us to highlighting your lines. Highlighting your lines is very helpful. It helps with knowing when your lines are and where they are in the script. You will never miss a line when you’re going through your script if you highlight them. However, make sure that if you don’t highlight your lines, you don’t highlight your que lines. It could make your mind think that your cue line is your line and you could say it instead of yours.

     The last step to help you memorize your lines is saying them before bed. That way, they can soak through your brain all night long. When you wake up in the morning, you will know your lines by heart.There are many ways to practice and memorize your lines. Now that you have overcome the problem of stage fright and not memorizing your lines, you’re ready to move on.

     Last but not least, a problem that actors must overcome onstage is stage and costume malfunctions. Stage and costume malfunctions are very common in theater.  All of the answers are the same for malfunctions such as missing props, slow scene changes, broken set pieces, etc. You just need to stay calm and go with the flow. Make the audience believe that it was supposed to happen by not giving it any thought. 

     The same goes for costume malfunctions. Costume changes are very hard, especially quick changes. It does not matter if you don’t have enough time to make it out there. If you know that you’re not going to make it, just don’t change your costume. Think about it, the audience has never seen this show before, so they don't know what is supposed to happen and what isn't.Whatever the malfunction is, do not let it bring you, your performance, and the people around you down. Stage and costume malfunctions are very tricky to deal with and get over. If you get over them right away, it’s like nothing bad ever happened.

     Theater is a very fun and diverse hobby that comes with many challenges. Once you get these three things out of your system, you’re on your way to Broadway. Although there are many things that can go wrong on and offstage, you just need to let go of them. Your main priority is having a great show. Overcoming your problems and fears can lead to learning new things and experimenting with who you want to be.

-Olivia S.

     You are on the court. Boom!

     You just hit a deadly winner into the opponent's backhand, and it is matchpoint for you. But after a few points, your opponent makes a great comeback using the attacking strategy of pushing back and finishing the point at the net! You need to win this point because if you don’t, the opponent could win the next three points, and it would be game, set, match for him! You need a strategy in your head as well so that you can finish this match once and for all. 

     First of all, tennis is ninety percent a brain game and ten percent physical. If you want to win a match, you need to have a strategy. There are multiple strategies in tennis. In a tennis match, you need to mix up the strategies because if you do the same strategy for the whole match, the opponent will easily be able to receive all the balls and will eventually win the match, and you don’t want that; you need to win!

     The first strategy is about placement. Placement is important because your goal is to make the opponent move more than you. The strategy is to hit a few balls deep in the court at an angle, and then when the opponent is behind the baseline, sprint to the net and hit a short volley. This strategy is very effective because if the opponent is behind the baseline and you hit the ball short, you will most likely win the point because the chances of the opponent receiving the short ball are extremely low. This is a great strategy to use during a tennis match.

     The second strategy is a mix of placement and accuracy. The strategy is to bring the opponent to the net and try to lob him or to hit a passing shot. A lob is when you hit the ball high and over the opponent. The opponent doesn’t have to be at the net for you to lob them, but they can also be at the baseline. The lob is most effective when you hit the ball with a lot of topspin. Top spin is when the tennis racket string “brushes” the ball and the ball spins forward, hence its name top spin. The ball will go deeper in the court, and it will make the shot a lot faster and effective. A lob could be very high, and you don’t win the point, but the shot that the opponent hits after the lob will be very weak. A passing shot is when the opponent is at the net and you angle the ball to the sides. You want the ball to be away from the middle and closer to the singles line. The lobbing and passing shot strategy is a very popular and effective strategy to use.

     The final strategy is a mix of timing, power, placement, and accuracy. Lobbing is a great strategy, but the opponent could also lob you. You need a strategy that will help you receive those balls without them bothering you. The strategy is to hit the ball out of the air. That means that you would hit a forehand, backhand, or an overhead without letting the ball bounce. A lob helps the person who hit the ball to gain time to recover. But you want to take away time from the opponent. And when you hit the ball out of the air, you hit the top of the ball, which gives extra power to the shot. Hitting the ball out of the air takes time away from the opponent instead of letting the ball bounce and giving time to them. You can hit the ball out of the air even if you are not being lobbed, but hitting the ball out of the air while being lobbed is more effective. This is why hitting the ball out of the air is a very effective and useful strategy.

     There are multiple strategies that the professionals use, but they are strategies that junior players use all the time. The strategies mentioned are normally used by professionals, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of strategies that professionals use in a match.  The importance of strategies is to help you plan ahead, or in other words, have a back up plan if something doesn’t work. So, use strategies to help you be prepared for the future!

-Nate R. 

 “3,  2,  1  ...” Egg dropping to some is a simplistic engineering challenge that students have to do. The goal is to have Humpty Dumpty sit on his wall without the angst of sunny side up. If you give orientation, transfer of energy, and rule workarounds their own due consideration you will find the key to warrant a successful drop. 

    One of the most important things to do is to orient the top of the egg  ( the more gradient side) towards the ground. This is important because the egg has a much lower chance of sunny side down if oriented in this manner. This might be a hard variable to control unless you know the applicable principles of drag and weight. If you want to orient the egg in such a way to have a lower chance of sunnyside up, you can increase the surface area at the bottom of the contraption (or the top in flight). This is so the center of drag is higher than the center of mass. 

     Another fundamental of the humble egg drop is to have no direct force acting on the egg. Say you taped a bunch of straws by the end directory to the egg; this will mean that when the other side of the straw hits the ground the energy is transferred through the straw plastic and into the prone egg. To prevent impaling your egg have a geometric structure around the egg with no direct points to impale the egg on.

     One of the hardest things to work around is the rules and regulations. Some contests prohibit parachutes (one thing to raise the center of drag). One of the workarounds for this is to have a parachute but not hang by strings, like putting a bowl on the end of the contraption. Or attach it directly to the egg dropper so that it is considered part of the egg dropper instead of a parachute.

     “...Smack…It’s good.”

     When your build is in compliance with the three principles of orientation, transfer of energy, and rule work arounds, Humpty Dumpty lives to see another day. The bottom line is even if you follow the three main rules perfectly you might be overlooking the main idea of the humble egg drop: be creative and have a buoyant time.

-Cooper R. 

     Flash! Boom! Ting! Those are the exciting sounds of glassblowing. Glassblowing involves 1000 degree flames, hot melted glass, and tools to handle the glass with many different types of glass blowing to choose from. 

     Glassblowing has been around for thousands of years and has evolved into multiple types of branches to give you many different options, which makes it unique. Those branches include traditional glassblowing, flameworking, and lampworking.

     Traditional glassblowing includes using a hollow metal pipe to pick up 4000 degree molten glass from a furnace. After that you use shaping tools to make large pieces, including bowls, vases, and many more things.

     Flameworking is extremely similar to lampworking. The only difference is the heat source. Flameworking uses propane and oxygen, but lampworking uses an oil lamp, with both branches using a flame torch also.

     They both involve taking small glass rods and melting them into any shape to make a small or medium sized glass object. You can make pendants, sculptures, plates and anything you can imagine. Now hot glass naturally rolls into a ball, so most glass pieces are circular, but that's just for some.

     Glassblowing teaches you how to handle cuts, burns, and flames but most importantly teaches you how to work with others and advance your business skills, which is one of the best life skills. If you see a glass piece, then think about how much of a process it went through and really appreciate it. 

-Talon M.

     If you had to choose between soft, thick, chocolate chip cookies that melt in your mouth or plain boring vanilla cake, what would you choose? Most people would probably choose the chocolate chip cookies.

     Chocolate chip cookies are the type of desserts that make someone's stomach grumble like thunder when they are hungry. They are the most popular type of cookie. So many people love chocolate chip cookies.

     This is how you can make these delectable desserts with only three ingredients. Don’t worry; it won’t take a long time to make. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and bake.

     You don’t need a lot of materials to make this. All you need is some plastic wrap, a spatula, a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and a mixing bowl. All of the ingredients you need is one cup of peanut butter, ⅓ cup of maple syrup,  and the main ingredient, one cup of chocolate chips. Try to avoid using crunchy or all natural butter; it will be harder to form a smooth dough.

     If you have peanut allergies or do not like certain ingredients, you might want substitutes. If you don’t want to use peanut butter you can use almond butter, cashew butter, or tahini. Substitutes for maple syrup are honey, golden syrup, brown sugar syrup, or a simple syrup.

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start by adding peanut butter and maple syrup to your mixing bowl. Mix until it’s combined. Then fold in one cup of chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for an hour or two.

     Remove it from the freezer. Use your hands to roll balls of dough. Place them on a lined cookie sheet about one and a half inches apart. Bake at 350F for ten to twelve minutes until golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely. You will know that your cookies are cooled when they don’t feel hot or even a little warm.  If you want to you can sprinkle a little sea salt on top to add more flavor. Finally, you can enjoy eating them.

     This is how you can make easy delicious chocolate chip cookies at home. Would you still choose plain, boring vanilla cake over these delicious chocolate chip cookies?

-Sophia C.

     They say there’s such a thing as the home field advantage. Knowing the space where you play sports like the back of your hand can help you to victory. Good golfers use this to avoid obstacles like tall grass or a deep bunker, which is a pit of sand. But what happens when you step onto a new course? What if every hole isn’t the same? Well, they aren’t, not even on your regular course. Different par levels alone can make a hole look completely unique. Sometimes, you may even step on the green only to find that the hole with its bright flag is no longer where you thought it was. 

     The first thing you have to know is the meaning of the word “par.” Par is the number of strokes, or shots, the creators of the golf course think it will take you to finish. It is either three, four, or five. If you get to your fifth stroke and still haven’t finished, don’t worry, you can go over. In the PGA, Professional Golf Association, there are different words for the amount of strokes you take. First, they provide the par for the hole. If you get one under par, that’s birdie, two under is eagle, and a hole-in-one is an ace. It’s not all good though. Bogey is one over par, then double and triple bogey. PGA players keep going until the ball is holed, but in some places, you can max out and pick up your ball.

     Par threes are the shortest, many either downhill or uphill to add interest to an otherwise short and boring hole. They can also have bunkers and ponds, some with fountains, to put more in your way. Why? Many good players would land on the green in one shot if a par three didn’t have these important elements, and some still can. The length of the hole is usually around 260 yards. However, keeping with the theme, not all are like this. 

     On average, par fours are about 420 yards long, some taking a small turn to one side. Some have bunkers, where you have to jump in and hit the ball out of the sand. Careful! No practice shots allowed here, you must do it on the grass instead. If you land in the pond, that’s a whole other story. Drop a new ball in a designated zone or, if you’re less serious about the sport, simply pick up where you left off. Maybe you take a swing, land just off the fairway or the shorter grass that is one of the most well-known parts of a course and realize that it’s really tough to get the ball out. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the rough. Here, the grass is longer and trees or roots might litter your path. The best strategy here is to get back on the fairway, then move forward. 

     Finally, there’s the par five. Trees, ponds, bunkers, there are myriad possibilities, all to make this type of hole, which on average is 600 yards, even more difficult. Some can take a slightly sharper turn to the left or right. This is called a dogleg, but not all have them. Again, no two are the same. 

     Maybe the home field advantage exists, but it’s harder to notice when playing golf. You have to adapt to a new course and changes made on your regular one. This can make someone noticeably better, and even your mindset in golf can help. Golf is important because it’s not only fun but helps to teach you to be flexible and think about your actions. Knowing your surroundings is vital, especially being aware of whatever situation you get yourself into. Getting into the mindset of doing this can change your life and how you look at challenges.

-Renee B.

     You look down once you pick up your canter, and it's the wrong lead. You start to freak out and hope the judge doesn’t see your mistake that could cost you the whole class. You start to worry as you line up and hope that your mess up wasn’t noticeable. They announce everything from sixth place to third place, and you haven’t been announced yet. Then the speaker comes back on; “In second place is number 35.” It isn’t you. As you get worried and hope and pray that you got first, the speaker comes back on, one more time; “In first place is number 15.  Thank you all for a nice class!” You walk out and pat your horse as you think, you didn’t place, so upset at yourself for that simple little mistake.

     Horseback riding takes a lot of skill because you have to pay attention to a lot of the small things, like keeping your heels down and keeping your body straight so you look more professional and put together in the show ring. If you're riding English, make sure you’re on the right diagonal, which is when you’re posting (going in an up and down motion), and that you are going at the rate of the horse's outside leg. This takes a while to learn but varies based on each rider. You also need to keep your head up and not look down. And you need to send the right signals to your horse so then they can pick up the right lead for a canter, or just even pick up a trot or jog.

     You want to always keep your heels down when you are riding because you can lose your balance and fall forward if your toe is pointed down. This is also why you have to wear a heeled boot or shoe when you ride a horse. This can be a very hard thing to do when you first start out or even when you have been riding for years because this is the type of thing that is a part of muscle memory. It can be very challenging because some people take a while to finally get it down; for some people it only takes a few months to finally get in that pattern of remembering. It's very necessary for your riding, especially English, because it can throw off your balance when you post or stand up to jump because it throws you off balance if your toe is down and your heel isn’t down. 

     When you are in the show ring you want to keep your head up.  Judges want you to look more professional and put together and not like you have no idea what you’re doing instead of just scared and looking down. Another reason is to also know where you are going because if you’re just looking down you have no sense of direction, especially on a horse. Also, you can’t rely on the horse to know where to go, especially when you are jumping because you have to know where to go on the jumping course; the horse doesn’t know. 

     When you post during a trot, it can be very tricky when you first start to ride. This is because you have to be in sync with your horse’s outside leg. That means that when you go up out of your seat the horse's outside leg should be stepping forward. This is tricky when you first start because you have to remember to look down when you first start to trot and then see if you are on the right diagonal, which is what we call the syncing part. If you aren’t on the right diagonal then you have to switch it, and how you do that is you double sit, which is when you sit and feel two bounces. Then you start to post again, and you should be on the right diagonal. It can be a very tricky thing to learn because of having to sync with your horse and get it right. Even if it takes a while to learn, you have to keep going.

     Sending the right signals to your horse is very important but can be tricky. For example, if you want to pick up a canter (two paces faster than a walk) for my horse you have to lift you inside rein or arm, push with your outside leg and kiss to her to make her pick up a canter. Most horses are trained with the same signal but some aren’t. If you give the horse the slightest touch of the other leg or arm then the horse most likely won’t pick up the right lead. A lead is the horse's leg moving before or ahead of its opposite leg. A horse's correct lead is their inside leg that they have to lead with going around the ring, and this can take some getting used to when you start to ride.

     The skills that it takes to ride a horse are not easy, nor is it easy to learn simple skills that you need. These skills can take a while to learn even if you have been riding for years, but they take you far in this sport since they are your base layer. This takes a lot of skill, but is so much fun at the end of the day; you always can connect with these animals. When you improve it always makes it easier and makes you ready for the next step for something new for you to learn.

-Natalie B.

     How nice would it be to take a little break from life every once in a while? Picture this, a moment of peace, in which you simply get to relax for a minute, maybe listen to music too. Shortly after, you may now have a cute little piece of finished artwork in which you can hang up somewhere or generally have around.

     You can accomplish all of these simple things in the art of sketching. The only downside of sketching is that this overall pleasant experience is absolutely not guaranteed. Sketching, as a whole, is a form of visual art which involves often quick or messy freehand drawings. Sketching is different from a lot of other forms of art such as painting, digital drawing, and coloring as they are often unpolished or not as elaborate. While it tends to be more simple, and is a skill almost anyone can capture if they really put in the effort, sketching really does take practice and dedication and can produce captivating and profound results. It focuses on the whole of a subject and essence of the drawing, rather than capturing perfection. 

     Many people strive to be precise and perfect in the small movements and strokes of a pencil. Dedicating yourself to a small and unimportant sketch or general drawing of some sort is a very common fault of many artists, and doing so will almost always lead to frustration. That combined with the time it sometimes takes in order to make actual progress or finish a sketch are both things that are extremely hard to avoid while sketching. 

     Sketching can also be simply hard, especially for beginners. It's a very specific and unique form of art that really is different for everyone. Depending on how you hold your pencil to how your mindset portrays and deflects art, sketching can be an excruciating experience, or a pleasant delight, and it is most certainly not a one-way ticket. 

     While trying to focus and correctly draw one simple line or shape that pulls everything together, there are two ways you can handle this situation. One, you can scrap the entire sketch, perhaps out of practicality. Two, you can take a short break, (by short I mean less than a minute,) and continue trying, attempting to look at the error with a different perspective, perhaps accepting it and trying to work with it. One is quite superior in the world of sketching. If you talk to any artist in your life who spends time sketching, they will most-likely present to you a fact: perfectionism and sketching do not go hand in hand whatsoever.  While sketching can be quite frustrating and even excruciating in the moment, there are many other aspects to it. 

     Sketching often doesn’t take a big toll on one’s life. Sometimes just stepping aside and clearing your mind from anything stressful, while also finding a subtle way to express them in your art can be very calming, more so than annoying. 

     Even if you don’t find joy or much peasantry in the process of sketching, you’ll most-likely still find a sense of fulfillment or satisfaction. Sketching is also one of the few skills or hobbies that leaves you with a gift. I find finished sketches really pretty in many senses, though it’s generally nice to have a cute little drawing on your wall, hanging from the ceiling, or buried somewhere to find later as a pleasant surprise. It’s often as though that sense of accomplishment that is brought out when you finish a sketch follows you. 

     Sketching is an extremely expressive form of art, and there have been many physiological studies, including the “National Institute of Health’s Stance on Drawing” and “The Harvard Gazette.” These studies including many others show that people have actual physiological responses to others’ and their own sketching. Examples stated in these studies include: “improved communication,” “a heavy increase of positive emotions,” as well as “reduced stress levels.” A few more major examples that studies proved correct are, “anxiety and depression, to an extent, can be decreased by sketching.” Hence, a summary from these statements: sketching as a whole can make you feel generally more connected with the world around you, and you can find happiness and comfort in sketching specifically.

     Sketching, while it can often be difficult and frustrating, is an important and interesting skill. Sketching allows people to visually explore their deeper thoughts and emotions in a more serene and expressive way, without having to fully commit to a sketch as well.  It also promotes patience and perseverance. Growing in this talent requires continuous refinement and practice. Just as much patience. While we’ve already established sketching takes time, the amount of dedication you can truly put into it relies on patience. Every small error may encourage you to put down your pencil and never pick it back up. But sketching is the result of when you do the exact opposite.

      As you practice, over time, through many difficulties, you really only get better and better at sketching. Sketching, overall, is a great outlet and/or calming escape, and is a gift to anyone who decides to practice it. It is an interesting, fun hobby as well.  However you choose to pursue it, sketching is a remarkable skill that brings happiness and personal satisfaction into artists all around the world.

-Asha S.

     Magic is something that everyone wants. There is only one known way to experience it. Through books.

     Fantasy is a genre of fiction that has to do with magic and mythology. It can include almost everything from a sea monster to a world of rainbows and unicorns.  There are two subgenres to fantasy: high fantasy and low fantasy.

     High fantasy refers to a fantasy that is set in an alternate world. This type of fantasy usually includes magical elements, fantastical creatures, and unusual technology.  Low fantasy refers to magical creatures, elements, and other abnormalities that intrude into our regular world. Both are different in their own unique ways, but both of them include magical elements and abnormalities, which is the main characteristic of Fantasy.

     A widely known fantasy series is the Harry Potter series. We can tell it is fantasy because it is based on magic and wizardry. The main character, Harry Potter, discovers magic and goes to a school for magic to learn it. This series is in the subgenre of low fantasy. It takes place in London. Though there is a legendary school for magic that humans haven’t heard about, this is still considered low fantasy.

     Peter Pan, a popular children's book, is also fantasy. We know this is fantasy because this is a story about a boy who can fly and can never grow up. This series is in the subgenre of high fantasy. Most of the story takes place in a magical world called “Neverland.”

     Fantasy is a powerful genre that has magic in its pages. Maybe next time you pick up a book you can feel a bit of magic through it.

-Amy S. 

     You watched in awe as orange clay sprayed behind the player’s foot as he slid across to the shining, yellow ball. You’d heard people talking about this, but when you tried it yourself, it never worked! Actually, you shouldn’t be surprised at all. There are three main different types of tennis courts that affect tennis players a lot. These are very unusual and important to the sport. There are many different and distinct types of tennis courts that play a very important role in the sport. 

     First, there are many different types of tennis courts. Some of them have different sizes, and others have a different surface. Usually beginners play on smaller sizes, like one that is 60 feet long, but most people play on the regular size, which is 78 feet long. This is very important, particularly to people who are not very experienced.

     Apart from having different sizes, they also have different surfaces. There are three main types: hard courts, clay courts, and grass courts. The type of court affects how you hit the ball and your game plans during the match. It is also very unusual to have the knowledge about different surfaces, and very important in terms of strategy and gameplans as well as adapting to it yourself.

     The first of the three surfaces are clay courts. These are commonly red and orange but can also be found gray, particularly in the United States. Balls generally travel slowly on these courts. Even though this is true, the speed and height of the ball still depends on how it is hit for all three surfaces. One unique characteristic of this surface is that you can slide. This means that your foot continues to glide towards the ball right on the ground even when you stop running. Clay courts are mostly found in Europe but also exist in some other places too.

     Another type of surface is grass courts. Just like the name, these courts are made out of finely trimmed grass, every piece the same height. These courts are very rare. Above that, they are also the hardest to maintain, because it will have to be trimmed again and again since grass grows over time, and it has to be kept at the same height every time. The bounce on this surface is generally fast and low, making it difficult for people who have never had the experience of playing on this surface. Grass courts can also benefit players who are suited to playing at a fast pace.

     The third and final type of surface are hard courts. They are made of asphalt and are the most common of the three. They can be a variety of different colors, but most of them are blue. Balls on this surface travel both faster and higher than clay courts, and slower and lower than grass courts. Hard courts are the most popular of all of the three. If you see a random tennis court at the park, chances are that those are hard courts.

     There are many different types of tennis courts, such as hard courts, clay courts, and grass courts that affect players a lot. These surfaces are very unusual and important to the sport of tennis. The next time you play a tennis match, you might want to use these surfaces to your own advantage.

-Roger S.

     You walk into a joyously colorful store with rows and rows of album covers and CDs. There you are, on a quest to find the final album to complete your hard worked-on collection of one of your most adored music artists. As you frantically look around you see the one.  Behold! The final vinyl to your collection! The feeling of glory and satisfaction flows throughout your body as you skip along home with a smile on your face.  One collection, completed!

     Individuals have countless hobbies, but one hobby that sticks out the most is collecting vinyl. It’s a worldwide interest that is growing every year. In 2020 about 27.55 million vinyls were sold. Now, in just three years, in 2023 about 41.5 million are already sold!  How so?

     Well, massive vinyl collections of course! The amount of vinyl purchased is only going to continue growing. The numbers clearly show that vinyl collecting is a big deal to people.    Countless articles state that vinyls just have a warmer, deeper or richer sound, or they sound more like a live performance and more real or original. Some people claim that the “feelings” or “chills” from songs are more satisfying when listened to on vinyls. 

     On vinyl, the sound and clarity of certain aspects such as treble and bass are more present and crisp. On recordings the treble and bass sound waves are less crisp when received on recording due to the soundwaves being converted to digital form and then back to analog. During this process, when the soundwaves are being converted back to analog from digital, some aspects of the actual live sound are lost. But, when on vinyl, every single part of the analog wave is captured in the grooves. The sound waves are not converted or altered in any way. This just proves why vinyls are more superior. 

     Vinyls can help people keep meaningful memories, it can teach others about the past of music and give them new ideas, and it can unite people for having a widespread similarity.  Some people have a vinyl player for the vinyls so that they can listen to them, or they just enjoy collecting vinyls for the fun of it. Vinyl collecting is something that everyone can do. It’s great because you can collect almost any type of vinyl.  People collect vinyls of their favorite songs, or artists, or anything that fits their preferred genre.  People want to preserve meaningful and symbolic memories. For example, if they had a favorite song that reminded them of a happy memory they could have a memento of it to remind them of that moment. It could be their “comfort object.”

     Vinyl collections are useful because they can help adolescents learn about certain cultures, interests, and groups, even as the musical world has evolved. Someone from an older generation would most likely have a collection of vinyls dedicated to a genre of music from an older time era that has no traces or much remains, because obviously there were no recording systems present in certain music eras.  If you listen to the vinyls from that person's era, you might see some changes in the style. The sound of the instruments, the voice modulation, the drum beats, the guitar style and sound, the scales, etc.

     Vinyls can help unite the world. As we have already seen from the number of vinyls sold, a lot of people are involved in this long-term trend! And these people love to share their vinyl collections! They can do so many activities with their vinyls. They can trade them, they can start their own clubs in schools for people with a passion for vinyls, they can even connect together and discuss JUST ABOUT VINYLS! “Vinyls bring a sense of welcomeness and community,” according to VinylBox. Co. Vinyls are and will always be an important part of the music culture. 

     Vinyls collections give people a warm feeling inside. Nostalgia. As if you’ve finished a puzzle and feel happy, but there’s a piece missing. A sense of loss or longing lingering in the air. Vinyls aren’t just collected for the fun of it. People collect and keep them because it’s a memento. Memories. They collect them so that one day, they can look back at one and remember.  

-Shreeya S.    

     You’re running as fast as you can, but you see someone pass you. You start to slow down a little. You’re so tired and just want to quit. It can be really hard to try to be a faster runner in the sport of cross country, but there are a lot of ways to help you be a better runner. You have to use what works for you to help you be the best runner you can be. 

     A good runner needs to have a pretty good diet. You shouldn’t be limiting yourself from things you want to eat, but also try to have a lot of nutrition so that you can race as fast as possible, and so that your energy won’t burn out. Before practices and meets, eat power bars and drink a lot of water so that you have as much energy as possible. 

     Having good running shoes for a race and practice is also very important. You can have normal running shoes (sneakers made for running) or you can have spikes. Spikes are shoes you would only use at races, not practices, that have little spikes on the bottom. Good brands for normal running shoes are Hoka, Brooks, and New Balance. A good place to get spikes is from FleetFeet. They make sure your spikes fit you perfectly and that they work for you. The reason you might want spikes is because they grip better to the ground on trails when they dig into the grass, but you don’t have to use spikes in your races. You can just use normal running shoes. 

     One of the ways to help you have a good race is to warm up the right way. Ideally, you should be at the track an hour before the race starts. To warm up, keep running until about 20 minutes before the race. You can run anywhere, as long as you keep moving. Then, 20 minutes before the race, start to roll out your muscles with a roller. Do some dynamic stretches and sprint a short distance from the starting line and back. Some good dynamic stretches to do are lunges, leg swings, high knees, and any other stretch to warm up your muscles. Put on your running shoes or spikes and make sure they're tight and comfortable. A good warm up is the best way to have a good race. 

     Another strategy you can use is to pace yourself in the beginning of your race. A good way to know what speed your “race pace” might be is to run at a pace where you're not going super slow, but at a pace that doesn’t tire you out too much. If you waste all your energy trying to pass people in the beginning, you won’t have any energy left for the rest of the race. It doesn’t matter if in the beginning of the race you’re in the back, because later on, you’re probably going to pass the people who were ahead of you in the beginning. However, just like you’re going to pass some people who were ahead of you in the beginning, because they wasted their energy, there are going to be people who pass you too, and that’s fine. Work on staying at a pace that’s good for you, not other people. 

     A third thing you can do, but may not always work, is sponging. Sponging is when there is someone in front of you, and you know you can pass them, but you don’t. Instead, you come up right behind them so that you’re not wasting too much energy of your own, and the person in front of you will be tiring themselves out, trying to stay ahead of you. Then when you see them getting slower, you can pass them easily. This will only work if there is someone ahead of you who is your speed or a little slower, because if they’re faster than you, you will be wasting all of your energy trying to keep up with them instead of the other way around. 

     A good strategy to help you when in your race is to conserve your energy. For example, if there is a big hill you have to run up, don’t try to run your fastest up the hill, otherwise you’ll waste all of your energy. Lightly jog up harder parts of the course. Save your energy for flat parts of the track and downhills. Also, save energy for your finish. If you waste all of your energy at certain parts of the race, you’re going to slow down in other parts and have a slower overall time. 

     The last strategy to make you faster is to have a strong finish. A finish is the very last part of the race, where you should be able to see the finish line. When you see that you’re pretty close to finishing, you want to sprint the rest of the way there, and it should take you about 10 to 15 seconds to sprint the rest of the way. It’s a good way to improve your time because when you can see the finish line, you're motivated to just sprint the rest of the way, because you want to be done. Having a strong finish can shave almost 20 seconds of your overall time if you're doing it right.

     There are many ways to help you be a better runner. Pick a few that work for you, and work hard to master them. That’s how you will ace every race and be the fastest runner you can be. Never give up on trying to pursue something that is important to you.

-Olivia N.

 

     Careful, CAREFUL! Slowly, yes, there you go. One tiny triangle lays on the table. Only 50 or so more to go. The process is slow and painful at times, but the result is spectacular. What would the result be? A colorful dragon eye made of clay. So many details and so much story, so much room for creativity to shine. Best thing is, you don’t even have to be a world class artist. With the right supplies and a splash of imagination, this little beauty could be yours. Want to make one? The answer to this burning question is right around the corner. 

     First things first. Materials. If you use white model magic clay, you can customize the color a little more, but any color of clay will do. A toothpick might help. If you use white model magic then markers will be needed. One main thing that is needed is the center dragon eye. It would act as the pupil of our clay creation. Let’s call them pupils. You can buy them off of Amazon. They come in lots of different colors, and it really helps drive the story of your dragon.  That's pretty much it for materials. Now a little planning might suffice.

     Planning before you use clay is helpful. Decide on colors first. Try picking a base and an accent color. Example: blue as the base and orange as the accent. The accent is used for little details like spots or spikes. The color for the accent could be entirely different or a different shade, like orange or a darker or lighter shade of blue that better blends with the dragon’s element. 

     Deciding the element of the dragon or deciding if it has an element altogether is also a part of this “planning” step. If you choose to add an element to the dragon you are basically deciding if the dragon you're creating can control an aspect of nature. Can your dragon make plants grow at will, or can it summon earthquakes? Or even what environment your dragon lives in. Does it live in the mountains? If so, what kind? Steep snowy mountains?  Cliffs that jut off the stormy sea? Dry desert hills?  A fire dragon could be red with yellow and orange accents. A dragon that lives in the sandy hills might be tan with some scales of gray or maybe it has cactus camouflage.Those factors can play into the design and planning. If you don’t have any idea on what the dragon will look like, then pick your favorite aspect of nature.  Or you don’t have to add an element and just pick your favorite colors. But adding an element adds more story to your creation.

     Now here is the juicy part:  actually making the dragon. The crayola model magic comes in this plastic package, so get it out of it. It comes in this kind of rectangular shape, so what you want to do is to cut it once in the middle down the long way, then cut each half into three evenish chunks. After that, take one chunk and tear it into three smaller blobs that are relatively close in size. Set one blob off to the side and combine the other two. 

     The process to add color to your blank clay is really easy but can be long, depending on how dark you want the color. Those other two now combined, blobs will form the base and eye lids. They will both be the same color. Let's say you’re making a fire dragon and want the base to be red. Right now, the clay is white, so we have to change that. This is where the markers come into play. You’ll take the red one, flatten out the clay a little bit and just scribble a little bit of the clay in with color. To get the color to spread, you’ll need to knead the clay like dough. Flatten it, spread it out, squish it in on itself, roll it up, whatever. After a little bit the color will start to be more visible. Of course, it will be really light. If you are happy with it then you can move onto the next step, but if you need a darker shade, then just repeat those last steps until you have the color that suits you.

     Next is making the base and eye lids. Split the now colored clay back into two even parts. Roll one up into a ball and then squish it flat into a circular shape. You can always customize your base by making it smaller or shaping it. Maybe you want it to slope to form a forehead. Always use creativity to make whatever you want. Next take the second part of the colored clay, roll it into a ball, and flatten it into a shape that is as close as you can get to your base. Cut it in half horizontally and put it off to the side. Take a pupil and put it in the middle of your base. Put the eyelids over the eye and shape them however you want. You definitely want to see the eye, so make sure the eyelids go around it. Blend the eyelids into the base using your finger, and then you have the dragon eye done.

     Well, not fully done. Only the base. Now is the best part. Details. Add spikes or horns. Tiny triangles or frills. Stripes or scales. Whatever you think is cool. The possibilities are limitless. If you want your details to be a different color, then do the same process as coloring the base and eyelids. Let your imagination run wild. If you do add scales, using a toothpick will really help. If you did decide an element, then different details can be used for different types of dragons. Rock dragons might have rounder scales and maybe a few spikes off the back. Water dragons might have more wavey details and so forth. After that,voila, you're done.

     Most people draw or paint, and sculpting is also a more well known form of art, but with this, you don’t need a lot of skill. It's not like you're sculpting a giant statue or trying to make a clay replica of a human face. Anyone can pick this up. You're really just stacking clay onto each other. It's easy and can be really fun, especially if you love to create worlds and stories. Imagination can be a really big player in this form of art. Creativity is in all of us, and we just need to let it out. This is just one small project, but it can unleash all kinds of ideas. You can just sit down and forget all your problems when you use your imagination while doing this. We all need to just let our creativity flow. 

-Mason L.

     Have you ever noticed the people who work extra hard? It could vary from doing the extra question on the quiz to staying after the designated time to work on something. If you haven’t, you should consider noticing those people, as they have one of the arguably most valuable skills a person can have: they are hard working. But what does it mean to be hardworking, and what are the things that make up a hardworking person?

     The ability to be hardworking is a learned skill, not a personality trait, so it can’t be identified by a personality test. This skill might come more naturally to some than others, but even still it takes years of practice and intention to perfect. No matter how easy it comes to anyone, though, hard working people are always determined, positive, and can be trusted with a wide range of tasks. Even if they sometimes aren’t recognized for their efforts, hard working people keep on going, no matter how hard it gets.

     Hard workers reap rewards beyond a good reputation. The benefits of hard work are a strong sense that they are doing the right thing and the knowledge that they are trying their best. They also understand that they are making a positive impact on all aspects of their life. For example, many successful people and athletes are hard workers, such as Serena Williams. She once said, “Everyone’s dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.” So obviously the key to success is to work hard, but you can’t just put a label on yourself and call it done, as hard working people never accept achieving “good enough” results. Serena Williams didn’t work hard for just one tennis match; she did her best every time she practiced and every time she played tennis. That’s why she is so famous. 

     Serena Williams also possesses the two most important parts that a hard working person is. She is determined and always has a positive attitude. Why do these two parts make up a hardworking person? Well, if someone is determined, they won’t give up no matter how difficult the situation is until they achieve their goals. Determination also gives a sense of purpose, which in turn gives the person the motivation to overcome any obstacle that comes along the way to success. That almost sounds like the definition of doing hard work, right?

     A positive attitude is important for anything anyone does, but it is especially important when you are hard working. With a positive attitude, a hardworking person is able to remain upbeat in the face of adversity. You don’t necessarily have to love the thing you are doing, but you do it with a positive attitude anyway. It is virtually impossible to be truly hard working without a positive attitude. If you see a hard task as an impossible task, or the task set before you seemingly endless, you are never going to finish the thing you are doing. With a positive attitude, you are able to complete hard tasks because you see them as possible.

     Being hardworking is a skill that makes people very successful, like Serena Williams, but it requires determination, positivity, and practice to perfect. There is a saying, “the only place where ‘success’ comes before ‘work’ is in the dictionary.” Well, life is definitely not a dictionary.

-Aileana E.

     You make your way down the field as your teammate dribbles up even to you. They make the pass, and with one big kick, the goal is yours!  Soccer is beneficial for you in a multitude of ways; it can improve your physical fitness, help you understand group dynamics, but first, you must understand the rules. The rules of soccer can vary from different age groups to different levels. These enforced guidelines capture everything from handballs to free kicks. There are a variety of rules, and these rules are the ones you must know in order to play, as well as the ones that can lead to clean and fair game. 

     The first few rules are the most basic rules but are equally as important as the others. Two of these basic rules are the no-hands rule and the no pushing/ tripping rule. The referee can call a handball when the ball touches anywhere from your  shoulders to your fingertips. The only time you can touch the ball with your hands is either when you are the goalie in the 18 yard box, or you are taking a throw in. If a handball is made in the 18 yard box by the defending side’s team, there is a penalty kick for the opposing team. If you are outside the box and you make a handball, the other team receives a free kick.

     There are a few differences between penalty kicks and free kicks. One of these is the location it is kicked from. Penalty kicks are more simply a free shot on goal. It is a one-on-one competition between the chosen kicker and the goalie.  Penalties are inside the 18 yard box, and free kicks are anywhere else. Penalties or free kicks can also be earned if a player fouls, or pushes/trips another player. Once more, the fouled player's team gets the kick. These rules are the basics that any spectator or player must know to comprehend the game. 

     Now that the basic rules have been established, there are still a lot more important directives to remember. These directives are as follows: corner kicks, goal kicks, and throw ins/kick ins (depending on the level or area playing). There are a few things to know before proceeding to the rules; the line the goal is sitting on is called the end line, and the longer lines on the field are called the sidelines.  

     The rules are as follows; a corner kick occurs when the defending side’s team kicks the ball over the end line. The opposing team would receive a kick that must be placed on the corner or the arc surrounding it.  When the opposing team kicks the ball over the defending side’s end line, a goal kick would be gifted to the defending team. The goalie or a defender could take the kick, but the ball has to be placed on the little box surrounding the goal. If a player kicks the ball over the sidelines, the other team would gain possession of the ball, but they must first throw it in. Throw-ins must be behind the sideline where the ball was kicked out. When throwing, the ball must be behind your head, and both your feet have to be on the ground.  These rules are just as important as the rest when understanding this game. 

     Soccer has many rules that are crucial to recognize. The rules have a vast variety and many different branches, all of which aid in the navigation of accurate play. When observing or participating in any game, rules and guidelines are extremely important when it comes to understanding it. 

-Ila B.

     It's one plain summer day, you get a text from your friends asking if you want to go roller skating, and obviously you say yes because, why not? Thirty minutes later, and you finally arrive at your local roller rink. You get your skates, put them on, and go in the rink, but then you realize you don't know how to roller skate! You slip and fall to the ground with a thud. Embarrassed, you think to yourself, how do you even roller skate? Roller skating is a fun activity that lots of people enjoy, but many people don't even know how to roller skate! There are a few things that are important to know for this hobby.

     The first thing you should know is roller skate size. Many bad things can happen if you don't get your roller skate size correct. It's really important to have a size that's right, because if it's too loose it can cause blisters, and if it's too tight it can slow down blood circulation, or even stop it! You should always sit and try on different sizes before you go in the rink. Make sure that your foot fits nice and snug in the boot. You should feel safe and comfy when you are riding around in the correct size roller skate. You should never try to just wing it, because when it comes to roller skating, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

     Another thing you should know is the type of roller skate. There are three main types of roller skates. There's  classic, roller derby, and inline. For beginners it's best to  start out with classic roller skates; they’re easy to balance, and they have them at all roller rinks. Roller derby skates are more for advanced people because they don't have heels to help keep you balanced, and they're used for racing; they're designed for speed and skill, so that's why it's best to learn first. Inline skates are pretty good for medium and up. The wheels are in a line, which can make it hard to balance and not twist your ankle.  The type of roller skate is just as important as any other step.

     One last thing that should be said about roller skating is how to actually roller skate. A lot of people get lost at this part, so this will help describe how to complete this last step. Before you get on the roller rink, practice balancing. Go on a carpet and slowly lift one foot up. Keep repeating until it feels comfortable enough to go on the rink. Once you get there, first have one of your feet facing forward and one facing the right, like this:   I /    Then, instead of trying to push forward, push your right foot to the side. If you push to the side, your foot will not only go forward but also bring the other foot with it. It should look like this:   I      /    Then pick up your left foot and bring it over to the right foot. Then reposition your feet like before, but switch it. It should look like this:    \ I   Then, do the same thing on the other side. Keep repeating it. After some practice, it should look like this all together:

                                                           I /

                                   I /

                                 \ I

                           \ I

                                   I /

Roller skating is a fun activity that gets your blood pumping and makes you feel alive! Not knowing how to skate correctly can take away all the benefits and can even be dangerous. So with these helpful roller skating basics, next time you go to a roller rink you can skate safe!

-Jude B.