Farewell Post

Today is one of the last days of the semester which means soon enough I will no longer have Journalism as a class. Although I have always wanted to maintain a blog like this one, I know that it is unlikely that I will uphold LaureNews for too long into next semester, however I will keep the blog on the “interwebs” for as long as I see fit. This post will act as the final goodbye to the LaureNews blog (and dare I say community?).

I’d have to say maintaining a blog has taught me a lot. Namely it’s extremely difficult to make a successful one. Luckily that wasn’t the ultimate goal of this blog. The only people who diligently read this blog were, as the Homepage says people in my journalism class or people who knew me. I did still try to put up my best work ’cause who knows when this will come back to haunt me.

In regards to my fellow Journalism classmates (and teacher): This was my favorite class in this semester and arguably in high school so far. You guys always made class interesting and fun with the random conversations and off-topic subjects (Aubrey I’m looking at you). I’ll truly miss Journalism next semester and I hope we’ll have classes together again eventually. Mackenzie, Abby, and Eva I’ll be seeing you in social studies all year, so see ya next week. Good luck to Jon, Heather, and Louisa in the rest of your senior year! I’ll be sure to play Pomp and Circumstance extra loud for you at graduation this year :). Quatrani I hope your next Journalism class is as awesome as we were.

I’m sure one day I’ll probably start another blog, and I still have my English blog, but I don’t believe I’ll have the same enthusiasm and work ethic as I had with this blog. Until next time this is farewell to LaureNews, or maybe even a see you soon!

Common Words with Uncommon Origins #3

 

This is the third and final installment in the Etymology series and features the words weird, literally, and okay. All the words in the video are further explained below for your convenience.

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Common Words with Uncommon Origins #2

This is the second in the Etymology series and features the words polka dot, cute, and nice. All the words in the video are further explained below for your convenience.

February Holidays and Events

This article is for an upcoming issue of the Tribal Tribune. In case there was any confusion, it is still January.

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Keep track of all the holidays and events that aren’t on the calendar.

Although February is the shortest month, there are a ton of events and holidays. From the 1st all the way to the 28th of this month, February’s interesting goings-ons cannot be overlooked.

Almost everyday in February, or for that matter any month, have some kind of odd holiday or celebration. Since it wouldn’t be very practical to explain every one of them, I picked the most fascinating.

Keeping 2015 Resolutions Through the Year

The new year is here, and with it comes ongoing goals.

Although 2015’s New Year’s celebration has come and gone, resolutions will, hopefully, last all year.

By this time in the year many Americans have already neglected their goals, however there are a precious few who have persevered.

It can be especially hard for students to keep long term goals, which is why I interviewed a sample of UPHS students on the subject of following through with their new year’s resolutions.

The first thing I wanted to learn was whether or not the students had some of the most popular resolutions, such as exercise goals, healthy living, or being happier. Although they agreed that these were very common resolutions, theirs were more personally tailored.

New Semester, New Stress Tips

With the first semester coming to a close, it’s time to start thinking about the new semester’s classes. The second semester can be harder for some, especially those with an unbalanced schedule. Unfortunately this year that happens to include me. With two major classes, math and science, going in the same semester, it’s going to be a challenge, but that doesn’t mean it has to be overly stressful. Here are 5 ways to stay sane this coming semester.

The New Year is Here! Resolutions?

Once again I have an article for my journalism class that needs some student input! This one’s about New Year’s Resolutions and goals for 2015. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this, and answers will likely be used in the article I’m writing. Here are a few questions that I could use your opinions on.

• What resolutions did you make for 2015 and how do you plan to keep them?

• What are some of your failed resolutions from years past?

• What has been your most popular resolution?

• What goals do you think we should make as a society?

Please answer these questions in the comments section or in the google docs version of this questionnaire which is available through the link below:

https://docs.google.com/a/upsd.org/document/d/1vIJFrsvOR2XDZClRPEmoDRv-wOQ1xA3AGiMrpwPU6X4/edit?usp=sharing

Christmas Pasts As Told by UPHS Students

A photo of beautiful winter day in Upper Perkiomen Valley by Heather Hamilton.

With the holidays just around the corner, many students have been reminiscing about their Christmas Pasts. Personally, I can still vividly remember the sheer excitement and suspense that lead up to the most anticipated day of the year, the games my siblings and I made of writing lists and guessing gifts, and the eventual relief of knowing exactly what the presents were.

In order to understand other students experiences better, I sent out short surveys via Google Docs, as well as my journalism blog, and interviewed some students in person. Somehow, even though it’s the same holiday people have wildly different memories.

Lockdown at Upper Perk Schools

Pennsburg, along with several other towns in Montgomery county, has been dealing with tragedy the last few days. Six people were killed and one seriously injured in what is being called a shooting spree. The gunman’s name, Bradley Stone, will likely become infamous. Crime isn’t very prominent here, and it was truly a shock to learn something so terrible could happen so close to home. Although we now know the major details of the incident, Monday was a different story. It began as a normal day, but soon turned tense, as all the unknowns of the shooting emerged.

Through the Looking Glass: Upper Perk HS Play

It’s official, this year’s Upper Perkiomen High School Production is Through the Looking Glass!

Currently, a dedicated group of students and their instructors are working to create Through the Looking Glass, this year’s high school production. For those who don’t know, the play is a sequel to Alice in Wonderland and, following its name, it centers around Alice’s adventure-filled journey through the looking glass. With a different plotline than its predecessor, it will be a truly new experience for its audiences.