Spatan Idol!

This year, Spartan Idol 3, was really fantastic. I got the chance to actually participate this year, I was a dancer for Corey Snyder’s song ‘Less than Perfect.’ It was a really fun opportunity to get to meet new people and hear them sing. It was really cool because I get to see the contestants’ progress as the week went on. They were all really talented and they were all winners. Sadly, there could only be one winner and that was Tori Roy. But before the winner was announced we all had a long rehearsal right after school. Chris Brown and I went over his song ‘Stand’ and ‘Haven’t met you yet.’ I helped him with his vocal, for example his stage presences and his volume when he sings. Then, Tori and Corey went up to sing their duet, which was amazing! This song was another original piece. I really enjoyed all the harmonies he put in and I think it was really cool that he made the song into a duet. Because, when I first heard this song, it was just the piano and him. It was really cool to see how he added all the other instruments. Then Tori did her solo to ‘Thinking of You.’ She owns this song whenever she sings it. Plus, she was sick so it was harder for her to sing. But she did really well; her voice is really rich and unique. Then after all the contestants rehearsed, it was time for the show. I was so nervous because I have never done a lyrical solo, and I didn’t want to mess Corey up or the other band members, I didn’t want to mess up either. Corey and I had a prayer circle with just each other before his first performance, it really helped get rid of all the fear and nerves we had. Right before I went on I felt like my heart and my stomach were going to explode. I was so nervous for this. Corey had a chat with the audience on who I am and what kind of dance I was going to do, and he kind of explained what lyrical was, which calmed my nerves. I turned around, faced Evan, he gave me the cue, and the music started. I had the biggest rush of energy right at that moment. When the big chorus came I started really getting into the dance, to the point where I was crying. It was a really emotional song that he wrote for me, and getting to dance to it was amazing. At the very last part of the song, I knew that I did okay, and people loved it! I was shaking, sweating, and crying. It was the best feeling in the world. About two seconds later, the top three were announced. Corey, Josh, and Tori were the top. Then last year’s winner performed, and the winner was announced. “The winner of Spartan Idol is..TORI ROY!”

SIMUN

At first I thought SIMUN was going to be very difficult and not a good experience for me. However, I was completely wrong. It was one of the best things I did here at Stevenson, for a Global Ed event. The people I met were great; the event itself was so fun. I got to learn new things about Cuba and other countries that were new and exciting. I loved the way everyone would interact with each other and we would all get really involved. On our breaks my friends and I would discuss on how we should resolve this issue and we just got really into it. It was a really great experience, I got to meet new people and I made some new friends.

Overall I think I did pretty well for my first time with SIMUN. When I first sat down and Chris told me to put my name on the speakers list, I was kind of scared and nervous because I didn’t want to sound stupid. But my speeches actually turned out okay. I got over the whole speaking anxiety after my first speech. For a freshman, I did well. However I think I could have done way better. I could have spoken more and maybe did some more research.

Before this whole event, I had to be totally and completely prepared. This part of the whole SIMUN experience was brutal. I worked really hard to absorb all of my country’s information as well as I could before the actual event. My one friend Corey Snyder helped me a ton with getting prepared. He and I would spend our day together getting information for my country and his country; it was a pretty fun way to get prepared for SIMUN. I went to many websites, Corey, my dad and the library to find out as much as I could about Cuba. When we got the pink sheets with all the questions I was surprised on how well I could answer them and write how my country would respond to this crisis.

I think I could do a lot differently to prepare for next year’s SIMUN. I will do more research and read it more closely just so I can actually absorb all the really important materials for my country. For example, I would research more who my allies were. This year I really didn’t know, Cuba hates pretty much everyone so that was kind of a challenge for me. This would have helped me encourage more countries to be on my side for the crisis. SIMUN was one of the best times I have had at a Global Ed event and I am thinking doing MAMUN next year.

iDANCE

Every other year my dance studio Miss Harriet’s has our dance recital! This year it is called iDANCE. I am so excited this year more than any other year for sure. I have improved so much as a dancer. I have grown mentally and physically strong. Being a dancer means you have to have a certain kind of passion and determination, I learned all of this from my teacher Miss Katy. This year for my recital I am in lyrical, tap, jazz, and ballet. However it’s going to be a heck of a week because, our rehearsals are the week of finals. Having my luck, I have to go to every rehearsal. But I don’t mind, it is going to be so much fun. Lyndsay Vincent and I are both in jazz together and we have so much fun, but we drive our teacher crazy sometimes. I am just so pumped for this recital because I have grown so much as a dancer, it’s insane. Being on stage is what I love and dream to do. I have been dancing since I was two and half and I haven’t stopped yet. I have such a passion for it that is almost bad. I always want to dance, and I never want to stop. Having our annual recital makes me so happy inside because I get to perform what I love to do and make people happy with my gift. When I walk out on stage I have a rush of energy that is so amazing that I can’t even describe it. However I do have the occasional doubt. For instance I was going to give up dance this year. I felt like I was getting no where and I just wanted to give up. But my teacher made me realize that if I want to succeed in dance, I have to be positive and just stay focused and never get up on the dream. I have go through so much and dance has been my escape to be my self and really just let all my worries and emotions go. All of the girls that go there are my second family, we love all each other to death. Sadly I only have two more recitals. So I want to strive for a lyrical or tap solo. And I think that I can if I really put my mind, heart, and soul into it. In the end, I cannot wait for this upcoming recital to show my family, friends, and my friends family how much I have grown and show them the passion I have for my dance.

Big Fish!

I never knew that going to Canada was going to be such a big deal, I guess I was wrong. I remember coming to the Canadian border and this man came running at our car, I looked really closely, and the man was Mr. Fox, and along with Mr. Fox were other border control officers. They yanked our doors open and pulled my dad out first, then my mom, grandma, and then us kids. We had no idea what was going on, they threw us all in the stink, full, customs building. They took my dad and questioned him with my mom.

“Mom what’s going on?” I asked.

“SHHH!” she scolded me.

About an hour later a bright red ringing light went off, and so did the border police.

MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!” they yelled.

They came in with about seven people all in hand cuffs, and some were laughing.

"Am I in trouble?” said the oldest women asked.

I kind of laughed to my self because she knew she was in so much trouble

“Mr. and Mrs. Lopez, please come forward to the front desk”

Off went my mom and dad, while we were still sitting in the tiny room, and we weren’t allowed to talk.

“Now we are looking for a Jerry Lopez, he has been selling drugs; do you do any of this?”

I heard their conversation and it all made sense now; my dad’s name just had to be Jerry Lopez.

“No sir, I do not sell drugs”

After many hours of just sitting there we were finally let go. We finally got to go to out cousins house. We had about two more hours left of driving to get to her house.

“What took you guys so long?!” exclaimed Keri-Jane

“HAHAHA!” my mom laughed

“Oh what a day” said my dad.

Since this crazy day, we have not been to Canada.

Invisble War in the Congo.

Alexandria Lopez
February 11, 2010
English 5

The United Nations has to be more involved with the invisible war in Congo.


For many years now, innocent women have been getting raped by bands of soldiers, child soldiers, and militias. The United Nations can only send ten ambulances, because they can only fit ten women in them. This means the hospital can only help 3,600 women a year, which is not enough. The United Nations has to start helping more because they would be able to get more help for these women and little girls. I feel there is so much more to be done, and the United Nations is not doing anything.

The violence is so bad in the Congo is so terrible. The women who are getting raped by the vicious men, they are forcing the sons to rape their mothers, if the sons refused, then they would get shot. In some cases the drug crazed soldiers would pull triggers at the women, and use violence. Now, if the United Nations would help some more, and get mental help for the raped women, or get them to a safe place, less and less of this would be happening. United Nations could be able to get more ambulances to the girls, and women so they can get mental and physical help with the war in congo.

Memories and Traditions

As the Christmas season my family and I have so many things to do but we make time for this very special tradition. Our tradition is called the Twelve Days of Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas is when you choose a family, which is in need of some cheering up and we leave little presents on their porch for twelve days leading up to the final days of Christmas. The first people that we did were our neighbors and our grandparents. My sister and I probably had the most fun doing this. I remember our one neighbor, the Gallos, would leave little presents on their porches for us to pick up when we dropped off their present. This past Christmas we did our pastor Fr. Bill and our school friends the Valentini’s.
We choose them because they both had huge losses in their lives. Fr. Bill lost his mom and being the only child, it was a huge loss for him. The Mr. Valentini lost his job and Mrs. Valentini had no job so she has to work a night shift at Target. I really enjoyed doing them this year because I was old enough to see how much this really cheers up a person when they are down and not in the Christmas mood. At the end of the twelve days we reveal who the “secret Santa” truly is. At the Christmas Eve mass we gave Fr.Bill his present. He was so shocked and had no idea it was us. I really like this tradition because it’s original and fun. I also love that it’s a chance to do good and bond with my family.

The Powever of One

The “Power of One” was a very emotional, powerful movie. The film was full of history and intriguing events. The main character, P.K., was a strong little English boy that grew into a powerful and inspiring young man. From this movie I learned so much about South Africa. For example, the Afrikaners were discriminating against the English. One young man, Botha, was so against the English he tried to kill P.K by hanging him. Another example of this was when their professor at the boarding school was preaching about how bad the English were, then again Botha spit on P.K. during the professor’s speech.
This movie was both difficult and enjoyable to watch. One part that made me upset was when Botha tried to hang P.K. I never knew how much hate a person could really show. Another part that was hard was when the soldier killed P.K’s friend Piet because Piet would not tell the solider what the words were that they were singing. I thought that these parts showed the true reality of what would happen to people. One part that I really enjoyed was the concert they put on. When one of the soldiers told P.K bad things to tell to the blacks, P.K told them good things. I thought that part was hilarious. This movie was fantastic but it wasn’t one of my favorites. My favorite was “Hotel Rwanda” because I thought it had more action and taught me more about the country and it told a real story. These two movies were very similar because it had to do with one person changing their country but I thought that “Hotel Rwanda” was better. However, the “Power of One” was truly inspiring.