I haven't blogged about Prom Committee for a while,

I decided that I would like to help out as much as I can with the selling of prom tickets in the next month, so I talked to Mrs. Hyer and I am going to give up some lunch periods to sell some of the tickets in school. I want to help in any way I can, and Mrs. Hyer said that the selling of the tickets is largely going to be a result of the efforts of the juniors, since the seniors are going to be busy and won't have much time to help. I want to contribute, which will help me maintain my commitment to Prom Committee as a whole, which is one of my learning objectives, and to also be a working member of the group and to make a difference. I feel as if I haven't lately been giving Prom Committee my full effort, since I'd been shrinking back from being a leader (with the fundraising) to letting everyone else make all the decisions in terms of decorations and food. I mean, I did voice my opinions when given the chance, but I am much more productive at fundraising and selling, than I am at choosing decorations, which had been the topic of discussion for the past few weeks. I would honestly be happy with whatever the rest of the group comes up with, since for me, prom is more about the people that you spend it with and the experience than the decorations, so I am more than happy to voice my opinions but overall I don't mind letting some of the other members have a stronger say. I want to make sure prom happens, and that as many people go as want to, which is another reason I want to run the ticket sale table; I might even try and persuade people to go who are considering not going, because it IS a memorable event, and also, the more tickets sold, the more money will be left over to give back to those who donated to us for our benefit.

Bowling; using a heavier bowling ball, scores about the same.

Last night I went bowling with my friend Nicole and I decided to practice using a heavier ball. I had previously used interchangably a 6 pound ball and an 8 pound ball, which were at the time the only ones I could use with control, but I decided to use a 12 pound ball and a 14 pound ball when I was there last night just for practice and so I could get used to them. Violet, our program director, told me that the heavier the bowling ball, the more control you have on where it goes and you're less likely to fling it aimlessly.

At first I did pretty badly when practicing on my own - scores of 60 and 70 were not uncommon, however I left last night with a score of 111 using a 14 pound ball, so I figured today I would be good to go and I'd try and use the same ball when actually bowling with everyone else in the program. My scores were 97, 107, and 121. These were close to my regular scores with the lighter balls, and I have come to the conclusion that now that I have used the heavier ones and am comfortable with them to some degree and learning how to control my usage of them, I will never be able to bowl with an 8 pound ball again. By comparison it'll feel far too light and I will be tempted to exert as much strength with that ball as I have gotten used to using with the heavier ones and I will end up flinging it too far.

I feel like switching to a heavier bowling ball was a good choice for me because I will gradually gain a greater sense of control while bowling and the ball will go exactly where I want. In addition, I just realized that only the heavier balls curve, so maybe I will be able to get that to happen for me as well. Also, the average of my three scores today was 108, which is above my average and a good sign for me; if I can bowl that with a heavier ball I am just getting used to, I'll get better in the weeks to come as well.

Traveling to China essay

Here is a copy of the essay;

Michael Piccione

February 5, 2010

In this day in age, cross-cultural skills, communication, innovation, and critical thinking are becoming increasingly important as the world is made smaller by an increase of international relations, business, and trade. If one has these skills needed to be involved with such interactions, they will be at a great advantage for several careers and opportunities to come. In this consistently changing world, I would like to acquire these skills so that I might open myself up to several career opportunities in the future involving international relations, and so I can approach unfamiliar cultures with an open mind and with awareness and respect for the cultural diversity that exists globally.

Going to China on an international tour for 14,000 minutes will both broaden my horizons and open my mind to new possibilities, and it will give me a taste of just one of many unique cultures that I am completely unfamiliar with. Cross-cultural skills are more and more important with every day that passes. Gone are the days when people live their entire lives in the same place, never leaving the country and all the while having limited interaction with other cultures and people. The more culturally experienced you are today, the better. While I am very familiar with some aspects of Western culture and the culture that I was born into (Italian-American on my father's side of the family and Portuguese-American on my mother's), I still do not even understand the cultural traditions of some parts of my own country. Traveling to China, which is in most respects VERY different than the United States in terms of religion, language, and cultural practices, will expose me to a completely different picture. I will admit now I know little to nothing about China, and I don't know a single word of Chinese. What could possibly improve my cross-cultural skills than dropping me off in a country I know little to nothing about? Nothing, and this is why. Anyone would be uncomfortable at first if they had to adapt to another culture's way of life for a number of days, but in no time that very person will see things they've never seen, taste foods they've never tasted, and see things before their own eyes that may not have any meaning to them but have meaning to someone else, and there is much growth that can result from entering another culture with an open mind. If I do go to China, I will hear words I do not understand, and I will eat foods I cannot name the components of, and I will have to find some way to communicate and to get by every day without resorting back to my American ways. I will have to learn enough Chinese to communicate on a basic level, and since I will not be able to cart my refrigerator all the way across the globe, I will have to eat authentic Chinese food. I can guarantee I will grow tremendously from the experience. I want to go to China not as an American that wants to be spoken to in English by the locals and who will eat at American restaurants, but as someone with an interest in learning about the ways of life of another country. Exposing me to the Chinese culture will improve my cross-cultural skills because by the end of the experience I will have learned how to adapt to a culture that is not my own and embrace the differences and at the same time, notice the similarities that exist between their culture and my own, embracing the similarities as well. This will open MANY doors for me in the future. I want to work for the United Nations and I will need to be as knowledgeable about many cultures and I will need to know how to speak several world languages, including Chinese. Dealing with people of other ethnicities and cultures on a regular basis will be much easier for me if I have the skills needed to understand the background from which they come, and going to China will open my mind and help me to understand the world better as a whole.

In addition, my innovative skills will improve because every day, I would be exposed to something new and unfamiliar. As I stated above I know NOTHING about China other than the fact that it's capital is Beijing, 1/4 of the Earth's population is Chinese, and the Great Wall of China stretches along the northern half of the country. This means that there is just that much more for me to learn while I am there and that much more that I can immerse myself in and expose myself to. Everything will be new to me. I will be trying a new food every day, and I will hopefully learn about daily customs and learn to embrace them while I am there and enjoy the experience. Not only will my communication skills improve because I will need to know enough Chinese to get by, but communication is more than just speaking. Communication also includes etiquette and behavior. Not every culture has the same standards for etiquette and when communicating with someone from another background, it is necessary to be respectful and understand the way in which that culture expresses itself through gestures, motions, and movements as well. It is so easy for me to say that I understand that etiquette and what is considered appropriate behavior differs from one society to the next but having to modify my own behavior to meet another culture's standards will help me understand so much better. First-hand experience is ALWAYS better for learning.

Traveling thousands of miles away from home without my family and in an unfamiliar culture will also help to build character and to improve my survival skills. Not too far in the future, I will be going off to college, and I will be with completely different people than the ones I know now, in a completely different environment. Going to China for a number of days, far away from home or anything/anyone I know, will make me a more independent person and I will learn to adapt to change. When I actually DO go to college, my comfort level will be much higher and I will be less afraid of being far from home. If I do end up working for the United Nations, I will likely have to travel far and wide. I won't have my family to fall back on every time something may go wrong and I will need to learn to survive in another culture and get around on my own. Communication skills, cross cultural skills, and innovation will help me in EVERY aspect of my life in the future, whether studying abroad, in college, or at a job. The skills I could learn in China could help me anywhere else because once I can be comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, I will be able to approach so many more situations with an open mind, free of the anxiety that often comes with unfamiliar territory, both figuratively and metaphorically. My interactions with people in China will benefit me because regardless of our cultural, linguistic, or ethnic background, people deep down are very similar, and people are capable of feeling the same emotions.

If I do get to go on this trip, it will probably be one of the scariest experiences of my life, due to my unfamiliarity with the Chinese culture and my uncertainty about what lies ahead. I have so many questions; What would I eat? What would I do if I didn't like the food? What if I am not received well by the locals because I am a foreigner? What if there are creepy bugs and scary animals? At the same time, even with my doubts, it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life because I will find the answers to my questions, and I will need to learn to find a way to overcome my uncertainties and use critical thinking to solve any problems that arise. I will realize firsthand that the whole world is not like the town where I have lived most of my life, and I will see that everyone is a foreigner somewhere else. I will better understand the struggles and concerns of foreigners in the United States. I will build the courage and the strength to get on the plane to fly there, and will do everything I can to make the most of the experience, by embracing the local customs, learning as much as I can about one of the Earth's most populated countries, and I will build the skills needed to make my future what I want it to be. And when I return and come back to my rather isolated peninsula of Cape Cod, I will have so much more insight and self-awareness and will know where my strengths and weaknesses lie, and I will be able to say, I took a risk, and I grew as a result.

I wrote this essay because I want to win the trip to China this summer, and when I was told that an essay needed to be written and that one student from Sturgis is a guaranteed winner, I thought I would give the essay a try. Travel is important to me for a number of reasons that I explained in the essay; I find world cultures and the study of different languages very interesting, and one of my dream jobs is with the United Nations or to be involved in foreign business/trade or foreign relations, so as much worldly experience as I can get while still in high school, the better. I feel like if I get to go to China, it will open my mind and help me to see the world on a larger scale and its diversity. I chose learning outcome 6 (issues of global importance) because I will be traveling to somewhere unfamiliar and if I increase my own understanding of the world, it will help me to make the world a better place by being one more understanding and open-minded person who is open to other people from different places and backgrounds, and by doing this I will have done my part to make the world even a little bit more cooperative. Even if I don't win the trip, I still will have gained the knowledge of my own goals in terms of increasing my understanding of the world, so I will be able to fulfill these goals whether I travel or not. I chose learning outcome 8 (developing new skills) as well, because the traveling will be a new experience for me in which I will seek the skills I outlined in my essay, and I will do my best to come home with as many new skills as possible, that I can apply every day in my life. Whether I win or not, other opportunities will hopefully come my way to see the world, but if I do win, this will be a very beneficial experience for me that I will embrace wholeheartedly.

I decided not to run for Key Club office.

I had the opportunity to go to today's Key Club meeting and at the last minute decide to run for one of the positions for Key Club office, such as treasurer, secretary, president, vice-president, or editor but I chose not to, and decided to simply vote. I am aware that a position like that is looked at very highly by colleges but part of the reason I chose not to run is that this weekend, I thought long and hard about my own limitations and my priorities, and I came to the conclusion that I am not sure how much more I can handle.

I already have a full plate in terms of activities, homework, work, etc. and I am always overwhelmed and stressed, and I feel like if by some chance I actually had won a position, it would be too much for me to handle on top of everything else I have. I know this makes me sound weak or like I am afraid to take risks but that's not it at all. I have pushed myself very hard so far to participate in as many activities as I can, join two school clubs (Key Club and Prom Committee), and to do my absolute best on every homework assignment and put in my best effort, and I still attempt to maintain a part time job on the weekends. The difference is that running for office for Key Club requires tutorials and attending meetings and giving it much time and effort, and it is not an easy job from what I hear, and I just do not think I would be able to balance that and my other priorities and still be able to get everything else done that I need to, because I am running out of available free time to fit other things into my schedule.

I acknowledge my own limitations and I am still going to try and push myself to do more and more, but something extremely professional and VERY important such as Key Club I don't feel should be put in my overwhelmed and temporarily stressed hands, and I felt as if the positions should be for people who truly want them and will do a better job, so I chose not to run.

Bowling average increased by one point, is now a 93.

My bowling average went up from a 92 to a 93 within the past week, and this week I bowled six games because I will not be able to go next week due to that I'll be in Quebec with the school trip. My scores were 113, 96, 122, 77, 108, 104, and the average score is 103. I am not sure if these will increase my average when factored in, but I think that is a good consistency for scores, and with the past week I have noticed a definite trend in my capabilities.

The majority of the time that I go to bowl, I knock down 8 or 9 pins each time, and the majority of the time, the remaining pins are right in the corner. I usually miss, because I struggle in aiming to get the pins in the corner and my ball ends up rolling right into the gutter, or misses by an inch. If I learn how to aim in this situation, I can improve my scores by a lot because I will get many more spares instead of getting an 8 or a 9 for that frame. Like learning objective number 1 (increase awareness about areas of strength and areas for growth), I have identified the next thing I need to work on, and I plan on talking to Violet, the coordinator, and seeing what tips she has for me. I almost always hit the middle pin every time and I am getting more strikes now than ever before.

I talked to Violet about whether or not she thinks I should start using a heavier ball, and she told me that the heavier the ball, the more control you have over the ball, and you can almost always get it exactly where you want it to go. I didn't want to try using one on Saturday and negatively impact my scores so I decided I'm going to go with a friend one day and practice using a heavier ball and see what I can do with that. This may help me in getting a spare more easily when I have one pin left toward the corner, as I will be able to better control the direction of the ball and prevent it from landing in the gutter. I can say that remaining pins in the middle of the lane, I almost always am able to get spares in that situation.

My interactions with other people are improving as well. Since most of the other kids there are equally as experienced as me or much more so, I have been asking them for advice on what I might be able to do better, and I've found them to be very supportive when I do well. There was this one girl who I was talking to and she told me every now and then that I was doing a good job, and this made me feel much better and like I have improved. I feel like the goals I set for myself each week are just right, and not too high or too low, because each week I look at the one thing that the next week I will work harder to improve, and last week I said I would try and concentrate more so I might get more spares, and I was able to do that for the most part, and I identified this week where I still have gone wrong and what I might be able to do in the future about that.

I have two weeks to prepare and to work on it, so I'll see what I can do!

Key Club - should I run for a position?

At this week's meeting, I found out that it's coming time for the Key Club office positions (treasurer, president, vice president, secretary, editor), etc. to be switched up, and we were told to write our names on the board under the position we might want, and next week a ballot will be made so that the rest of the members can vote for who they would like to see in that position. I am aware that all of those positions require A LOT of serious work, and that Key Club is quite official and important and accurate figures and information must be taken, and just about every one of those positions entails that level of responsibility. In addition there is some kind of tutorial/program in the next few months that has workshops to teach people how to correctly fulfill the positions.

I would like to volunteer, however I am not sure what it entails and I am not sure if anyone in Key Club would vote me into the position I want. First, I need to figure out what I want to volunteer for, and I am going to talk to Ms. Vari about each position and see which one I find manageable. I want to volunteer for three reasons; one, so I have some experience as a leader of a group and so I can build my own leadership skills, two because I was told it looks excellent to colleges, and three because I know I am capable of whatever I put my mind to and I do not want to waste opportunities I have to do something good and beneficial, and help the group as a whole. Even if I don't get chosen, I will feel good to know that I put myself out there and took a risk, and that I always have another chance in the future if I'm not chosen.

I will need to think about this further, talk to Hyanna and Ms. Vari, and then I will be able to make the right decision. I talked to my mother and she thinks I should volunteer and look into it more, and I want to, but first I would like to know the responsibilities that I will have and see what is required of me. It's possible I might not even get chosen but if I was to, I'd need to know what I was chosen to do. I still need to decide what I want to volunteer for, so I will give it some thought and post an update here once I decide.

Second best bowling score yet.

So last Saturday my three scores were 90, 101, and 131. 131 is my second best score yet, and the average of these three scores is 107. This is very good for me because with my average now a 92 (which increased one point in the past two weeks), I feel like if I continue to do well and beat my own scores and aim for scores that are above 125 (of which this was my second), I will be able to get my average over 100 by the end of the program if not higher.

What I did not realize until a few weeks ago is that we are actually bowling against another group of kids, which is why regardless of which lane they put me on, there is always one kid who is there with me, while everyone else switches. I did not realize until recently, surprisingly, that it was a competition against anyone else but myself, meaning I thought the purpose of the program was to improve my OWN scores over time and that they just switched us up for the sake of change. This is not good for me, considering that (like I have said before), most of the other kids are significantly more experienced than I am, as they have done this program for the past three years or more. I think my goal for myself is to continue to improve my scores and to increase my average, but I have noticed that I am getting as good as some of the less-experienced kids that were in the beginning of the program, still much better than myself. For instance there is this one guy who was, in the beginning, much better than me. This Saturday I was within 10 points of his score every time, and he even noticed that I have improved.

My goal for myself is still to improve my own scores and raise my average but now that I know it is competitive and that Violet (the instructor) is keeping track of wins/losses from team to team, it gives me more of an incentive to not only work to better my own abilities and scores, but to also try even harder so that I can compete with the other kids. I can't believe I didn't pick up on that earlier, but my main priority is to better my own abilities and to boost my average. I am still learning how to curve the ball but otherwise I have pretty much gotten a method down that is working for me. In fact, I could have gotten a higher score than 131 but in the last frame, I messed up and sent the ball into the gutter where I could have gotten a spare, which would have given me 146 points if I had successfully done such.

I think if I continue concentrating like I have been and I focus even more and watch my motions just a little bit more carefully I will come even closer to achieving my goal, and hopefully in the process, making myself just a little bit more of competition for the other, more experienced individuals. Even if I don't use it as a CAS activity next year I'd like to participate in this activity again, because it has helped me make some new friends, and enter unfamiliar situations better than I was previously able to do, and with that skill I will be able to approach situations and activities in the future in which I have little experience.