On November 21, 2017, an event called “From Hospital to Home” was held in G137. This event was created to be able to share the holiday season with those who can’t enjoy it in the comfort of their home. I know what it is like to be in a hospital for the holiday season, for around this time last year my mom was in the hospital. It is really hard to enjoy any kind of holiday spirit in an environment like this. It is sad in a hospital, with all of the medical equipment everywhere and the worry of hearing bad news. If someone were to have sent in some Christmas decorations to brighten up the hospital, well that might’ve just made the time spent there a bit more bearable! It is very nice to know that the students of Stockton got to send some spirit to people like me last year and also those who are actually sick in the hospital! The students of Stockton made decorations with paper, tissue boxes, and also wrote out cards for hospital patients. It was great to see so many of my friends taking time out of their day to help those who they don’t even know or see! In my opinion, that is one of the most selfless things a person can do. To help someone that you can’t even see or know. Helping someone just because you know, whoever it may be, their day got a little brighter because of what you did. As great as it was to be able to spread some Holiday cheer to those who can’t quite enjoy it as well as we all can, it was also a fun time for all those who volunteered. We enjoyed some hot chocolate, candy, and also Christmas music playing throughout the classroom. We enjoyed each other’s company and shared a lot of laughs. It made the whole experience even better than it already was. I hope I can do something like this again soon! Another thing that made the experience so enjoyable was how adamant I am about the Christmas season (for example, my dorm has been equipped with a tree, multiple strings of lights, and a stocking on my door since early November!) I saw so many great creations from brilliantly decorated tissue boxes, to marvelous paper snowflakes! I personally created a paper snowflake, but a very large one as seen below. I learned how to make this in about 5th grade and never forgot how to make it! It too a very long time to make, about 45 minutes, but it was worth it! I also enjoyed teaching some of my friends how to make it too! This experience helped me bond with people I haven’t had a chance to previously. Nothing but good things came from this experience and I wouldn’t hesitate to bring a few friends next time to share in the fun! My creation and the ones made by my fellow Ospreys will be donated to the Atlanticare Cape Regional Medical Center.

The Honors Class of 2021 took a trip to the American Revolution Museum in Philadelphia this past Saturday. My own personal experience started off rough. The bus picked us all up at 9:15 am, but I missed my alarm and woke up at 9:05 am. I threw my clothes on and ran to the bus luckily making it there at exactly 9:15! I slept the whole way to Philly, which was about an hour, and we arrived at the Museum. Inside was very impressive, as I expected given all the commercials I heard about the Museum the year prior. In the museum were maps of fighting routes of the British and America and many figurines depicting issues that you don’t always hear about in High School. There were also movies that really sealed the information. Another feature I appreciated about the American Revolution Museum was the interaction. In the Museum were areas where you could actually touch the history and open cabinets to see items from the times (I always find it interesting to see how items of day to day use developed from then to now). Another area of interaction was the dress up section that was equipped with children’s toys of the time, and ciphers for wartime code. I dressed up with my friends and also enjoyed some time playing with a Jacob’s Ladder and a toy where a ball attached to a string must be caught in a cup (this may sound simple but it is much harder than you think!) My favorite was the story of George Washington’s tent. There was a video that told the story of the man of George Washington: how he stayed on the battlefield with his soldiers and went through everything they did. He camped with the soldiers in tents like the soldiers. When needed, his tent was turned into a battle station. This tent is where some of the greatest moments in American history were planned out, and the most amazing thing was, I got to experience it! At the museum at the end of the video presentation, the projector screen rises and you see the actual tent of George Washington. I really felt like ending with this video was the best way to be able to look back at the Museum and be able to actually put myself in that time: that time of struggle where you are fighting for your life, where everyday is a battle, where there is no cell phone to distract you, where human deliberation and agreement of people of some of the nation’s smartest individuals put their minds together always for the greater of the people. I find it so fascinating to try and put myself in that time more than 200 years ago. I find myself so much more grateful and respectful of American history now than ever before. I went to school at Devon Prep which is right down the road from the Valley Forge Battlefield! I never quite appreciated where I was and the men who probably walked where I did! This trip really opened my eyes, I am excited to go back again and share the experience with my family!

The event that was held on September 19, 2017 was Constitution Day. Here, a man named Julian Zelizer, a historian featured on shows and in articles from sources such as CNN, talked to us about history of US presidents, the constitution, and what this all means for today’s generation. He talked to the audience about Donald Trump, his supporters, his rejecters, as well as his use of Twitter and things he posts to here. He also made reference of Donald Trump to relating former presidents like Richard Nixon (who left office before impeached.) Julian Zelizer also discussed how Donald Trump has a loaded House of Representatives of Republicans. This can be unfair for a bias of Republican beliefs are set in place because they support Trump. However, Zelizer said, just because there is a bias, he can still be removed from office. What Zelizer discussed related to points in the book Trust Me I’m Lying. Trump utilizes media manipulation. His tweets often stir anger, hence getting his word out there and have it be spread as Ryan Holiday suggests. Another topic that Trump rejecters believe is that Trump is leading us to bad things. Zelizer also touched on this. Some see it negative that since he became president, he has tried to rid of healthcare and create barriers whether for the good or for the bad. Many believe America should be about building bridges not walls. Also since his rise to power, war with North Korea is closer than ever before. Testing nuclear missiles to reach America has become a common practice of North Korea, and Trump has already threatened, if North Korea does not stop practicing these techniques, he will match them with “”They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen”. Many see this as a scary thought. As Einstein once said, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” Whether it’s Trump, who is a possibility, or Kim Jong Un, who fires the first nuclear missile, the world will be demolished. Because of NATO and other such treaties, once one nuclear bomb goes off, everyone starts firing their nukes at everyone else until the world is destroyed. If one has seen the movie, “War Games”, you will know what this issue expressed. Trump also remarked that there are no peaceful agreements between us and North Korea. There is only physical war left as an option, while Trump’s advisers say there is always a diplomatic solution. Trump rejecters do not favor the lack of agreement in the White House. Julian Zelizer however provides some relief to this topic for those who do not support Trump, and those questioning their beliefs. If Trump gets out of hand, we can take care of it and relieve him of his duties. Also, many bills and more can’t just be passed by the president alone. They can also be protested, so Trump isn’t 100% in power of the United States. This is why we love the Constitution! What the whole speech relates to. The Constitution helps regulate people of power for the betterment of the people. Whether you love or hate Trump, he is regulated thanks to our Founding Fathers. So no matter the case, whether through Trump’s beliefs alone or group agreement, the best will happen for this great Country!