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.
Monday, February 1, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Bowling.
I missed a week due to being sick so they made me do an extra three games, meaning I did six total. My scores were 86, 91, 95, 109, 109, and 116. All of these except the 86 were my average or above average, and the average for all 6 games is 101, which is ten points above my average. I see this as a definite sign that I am doing consistently well, and an 86 is not bad, although it is not my best. It was the first game bowled on Saturday, so it goes without saying that I was a bit tired then.
I am going to make a graph of my averages for each week soon and that way I can see with my own eyes, my progress since I began this activity months ago.
I am going to make a graph of my averages for each week soon and that way I can see with my own eyes, my progress since I began this activity months ago.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Prom Committee - still going/helping any way I can.
I've been continuing to go to Prom Committee, except for a few weeks ago because I was having a rough week and needed to catch up on some homework assignments.
There isn't as much hands-on work to be done at this point (fundraising or otherwise), but I have been doing whatever I can to help. At the last meeting, Mrs. Hyer needed someone to write phone numbers and names on the back of raffle tickets and then put the ticket stub into the envelopes that would be sent to the buyer, and I chose to do this to help out. I did this the entire lunch period, even though the meeting was let out early because there was nothing left to go over.
As much as I wanted to go out to lunch in the remaining time like everyone else, I stayed inside and finished filling out every needed ticket. I said I would do it, and I did. At this point for me the main challenge for me in Prom Committee is that I often would rather be outside at lunch, or with my friends. After three classes in the morning, a breath of fresh air (literally and metaphorically) is often what I need and what I want. But at the same time I made a commitment to join Prom Committee and I see that as more important than going outside to talk to my friends at lunch. I am learning that when making a commitment to something, somewhere down the line I may wish to break the commitment and not fulfill my duties but the honorable thing to do, and the unselfish thing to do for the group as a whole, is to stick with my commitments and do what I promised. And it actually turns out that I enjoy the prom meetings once I am there, but the few classes before lunch I may be thinking, "I've been in a classroom all morning, I just want some fresh air and to be out of the building for the entire lunch." A year ago, I would not have been this willing to follow through with my commitments but now I think in terms of the greater good for the group, being helpful, and learning that sometimes, I may not always want to do what I should, but I need to do it anyway and learning this has made me a stronger person.
There isn't as much hands-on work to be done at this point (fundraising or otherwise), but I have been doing whatever I can to help. At the last meeting, Mrs. Hyer needed someone to write phone numbers and names on the back of raffle tickets and then put the ticket stub into the envelopes that would be sent to the buyer, and I chose to do this to help out. I did this the entire lunch period, even though the meeting was let out early because there was nothing left to go over.
As much as I wanted to go out to lunch in the remaining time like everyone else, I stayed inside and finished filling out every needed ticket. I said I would do it, and I did. At this point for me the main challenge for me in Prom Committee is that I often would rather be outside at lunch, or with my friends. After three classes in the morning, a breath of fresh air (literally and metaphorically) is often what I need and what I want. But at the same time I made a commitment to join Prom Committee and I see that as more important than going outside to talk to my friends at lunch. I am learning that when making a commitment to something, somewhere down the line I may wish to break the commitment and not fulfill my duties but the honorable thing to do, and the unselfish thing to do for the group as a whole, is to stick with my commitments and do what I promised. And it actually turns out that I enjoy the prom meetings once I am there, but the few classes before lunch I may be thinking, "I've been in a classroom all morning, I just want some fresh air and to be out of the building for the entire lunch." A year ago, I would not have been this willing to follow through with my commitments but now I think in terms of the greater good for the group, being helpful, and learning that sometimes, I may not always want to do what I should, but I need to do it anyway and learning this has made me a stronger person.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Average Scores... again (bowling)
This Saturday they were 69 (first game), 101 (second game), and 106 (third game). The first one was not my best, and the other two were relatively average. I calculated the average of these three scores, and it comes to a 92, which is still better than my overall average of 91 by one point, so I see that as evidence that I am at the least, not getting worse.
It would probably have been better if during the two weeks that there was no bowling, I had been able to practice with my friends. The night that I went in the arcade/bowling alley with my friends, there were leagues already occupying all the space so we had to stay in the arcade and didn't have a chance to bowl.
My low score of 69 was a combination of my lack of practice for the several weeks that there was no bowling, and how tired I was when I first woke up in the morning. My goal for myself is to get my average to 100 by the end of the spring, when this activity ends. I went from an 89 to a 91 from November to December, so I think with extra practice I will be able to achieve this goal. I also plan to go on Friday with my friends for some practice, and to get extra sleep that night so I'm less tired in the morning. I have got the technique down, and at this point my success or failure depends on how tired I am and the amount of practice I get. I want to make the surrounding conditions better for myself so that I am awake and alert and able to do my best.
It would probably have been better if during the two weeks that there was no bowling, I had been able to practice with my friends. The night that I went in the arcade/bowling alley with my friends, there were leagues already occupying all the space so we had to stay in the arcade and didn't have a chance to bowl.
My low score of 69 was a combination of my lack of practice for the several weeks that there was no bowling, and how tired I was when I first woke up in the morning. My goal for myself is to get my average to 100 by the end of the spring, when this activity ends. I went from an 89 to a 91 from November to December, so I think with extra practice I will be able to achieve this goal. I also plan to go on Friday with my friends for some practice, and to get extra sleep that night so I'm less tired in the morning. I have got the technique down, and at this point my success or failure depends on how tired I am and the amount of practice I get. I want to make the surrounding conditions better for myself so that I am awake and alert and able to do my best.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Key Club service as of January 5, 2010
I attended the Monday meeting and Hyanna asked for volunteers to stay after on Tuesday to help take down the Christmas decorations that still lingered around the school, and I volunteered to help. I didn't know how much would need to be done but I wanted to help because not many people were volunteering and I want to do every little bit I can to help the group as a whole. I wouldn't have minded taking down all of the decorations myself and when I showed up on Tuesday outside the room we meet in after school ended, no one else was there. I was standing there waiting for ten minutes and I wondered if anyone else was going to come and help and eventually, they did.
The items that needed to be taken down to the basement were;
- All of the decorations in the front display window in Ms. Messersmith's room (consisting of wrapped boxes and other wooden decorations, the artificial Christmas tree in addition to lights)
- The Christmas cards made by French students that were on a bulletin board the front hall, as well as the wrapping paper covering the bulletin board
- All the decorations in the very front of the school where the chairs and tables are, which were lights and boxes.
As a group, approximately ten of us got everything taken down and brought to the basement and stored in boxes within a half hour, and I did the most I could to help - I did about ten trips to the basement and carried as much as I could each time, and I continually asked Ms. Vari if she needed help with anything else. I enjoy helping other people, and contributing to a greater good and that is one of the things that Key Club has given me the opportunity to do. If something needs to be done I like to offer to do it to eliminate other people's workloads and to also get the job done and it wasn't until recently that I felt this way. I used to only look out for my own interests, and seeing how tired I was that afternoon, a year ago I would have thought ' there are enough people volunteering that my presence shouldn't matter, I can just leave and go home and nap', but tired or not I made a commitment and wanted to follow through. I also appreciate how we got the task done as a group in a relatively short amount of time and teamwork was not one of my strong areas until high school, so I appreciate the opportunities I have to work collaboratively with others to get a task done.
I plan to offer my assistance in the future wherever it is needed and continue committing myself to the group, and I hope that I will become closer with some of the other Key Club members - none of them are close friends but we all have a common interest - community service - so it might provide opportunities to build friendships in upcoming months.
The items that needed to be taken down to the basement were;
- All of the decorations in the front display window in Ms. Messersmith's room (consisting of wrapped boxes and other wooden decorations, the artificial Christmas tree in addition to lights)
- The Christmas cards made by French students that were on a bulletin board the front hall, as well as the wrapping paper covering the bulletin board
- All the decorations in the very front of the school where the chairs and tables are, which were lights and boxes.
As a group, approximately ten of us got everything taken down and brought to the basement and stored in boxes within a half hour, and I did the most I could to help - I did about ten trips to the basement and carried as much as I could each time, and I continually asked Ms. Vari if she needed help with anything else. I enjoy helping other people, and contributing to a greater good and that is one of the things that Key Club has given me the opportunity to do. If something needs to be done I like to offer to do it to eliminate other people's workloads and to also get the job done and it wasn't until recently that I felt this way. I used to only look out for my own interests, and seeing how tired I was that afternoon, a year ago I would have thought ' there are enough people volunteering that my presence shouldn't matter, I can just leave and go home and nap', but tired or not I made a commitment and wanted to follow through. I also appreciate how we got the task done as a group in a relatively short amount of time and teamwork was not one of my strong areas until high school, so I appreciate the opportunities I have to work collaboratively with others to get a task done.
I plan to offer my assistance in the future wherever it is needed and continue committing myself to the group, and I hope that I will become closer with some of the other Key Club members - none of them are close friends but we all have a common interest - community service - so it might provide opportunities to build friendships in upcoming months.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Best bowling score ever... but average remains the same.
My three scores today were 106 (first game), 68 (second game), and 146!!! Due to the 68, my average of the three games for today is 106, compared to my average of 109 from last week, so my averages are pretty consistent.
I feel great about today overall, despite the one bad score of 68.
Due to last night, which was drama-filled due to some former friends, I woke up very stressed and tense and I didn't even want to get out of bed, but I knew that I should go to bowling so I went anyway. I was so tense, barely in the mood to talk, and stressed out when I got there, so the fact that I was able to bowl a 106 right off the bat showed me that even in stressful times, I was still able to focus and concentrate.
HOWEVER after my first game, I received a call from someone, and the phone call bothered me so much that I was on the verge of tears. I bowled a 68 my second game, which is not one of my better scores. I practically cracked under pressure, and the bowling coordinator Violet came over to talk to me, she asked me what was wrong and told me I wasn't doing well my second game, and she gave me a helpful hint. I told her someone was bothering me and really getting to me today. She said, "If someone is bothering you and causing you stress and you can't get it out of your mind and this is causing you to do badly, pretend that every pin is their face. Think to yourself, I want to hit every single face and not just one, I have to get a strike." And sure enough, in the midst of my anger and frustration, I was able to bowl with the most accuracy and precision that I ever have. The first five frames, I got a spare each time. I got two strikes later in the game, and I was able to focus on the exact pins I wanted to hit, and I ended with a score of 146. The score of 146 made me realize that I AM capable of getting that score or even better in the future.
If I could get a 146 today, I can get one again in the future, or even strive to do better. I also did better the third game than either of the more experienced kids that were bowling in the same lane, which gave me the incentive to keep pushing myself to concentrate more, continue working on my aim, my posture, and to not settle for less than my best. And obviously, 146 has been my best and I firmly believe I can do this well in the future.
I don't have bowling again until January 9th. I have PLENTY of time to go and practice some more, which I intend to do :) :) I'm proud of my improvements, given that the first week my wrist hurt due to the weight of the balls, and I could barely even direct the ball in a straight line.
I feel great about today overall, despite the one bad score of 68.
Due to last night, which was drama-filled due to some former friends, I woke up very stressed and tense and I didn't even want to get out of bed, but I knew that I should go to bowling so I went anyway. I was so tense, barely in the mood to talk, and stressed out when I got there, so the fact that I was able to bowl a 106 right off the bat showed me that even in stressful times, I was still able to focus and concentrate.
HOWEVER after my first game, I received a call from someone, and the phone call bothered me so much that I was on the verge of tears. I bowled a 68 my second game, which is not one of my better scores. I practically cracked under pressure, and the bowling coordinator Violet came over to talk to me, she asked me what was wrong and told me I wasn't doing well my second game, and she gave me a helpful hint. I told her someone was bothering me and really getting to me today. She said, "If someone is bothering you and causing you stress and you can't get it out of your mind and this is causing you to do badly, pretend that every pin is their face. Think to yourself, I want to hit every single face and not just one, I have to get a strike." And sure enough, in the midst of my anger and frustration, I was able to bowl with the most accuracy and precision that I ever have. The first five frames, I got a spare each time. I got two strikes later in the game, and I was able to focus on the exact pins I wanted to hit, and I ended with a score of 146. The score of 146 made me realize that I AM capable of getting that score or even better in the future.
If I could get a 146 today, I can get one again in the future, or even strive to do better. I also did better the third game than either of the more experienced kids that were bowling in the same lane, which gave me the incentive to keep pushing myself to concentrate more, continue working on my aim, my posture, and to not settle for less than my best. And obviously, 146 has been my best and I firmly believe I can do this well in the future.
I don't have bowling again until January 9th. I have PLENTY of time to go and practice some more, which I intend to do :) :) I'm proud of my improvements, given that the first week my wrist hurt due to the weight of the balls, and I could barely even direct the ball in a straight line.
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