Abortion?

I looked at an archive called John Lennon: Produce your own dream. It is inspiring to me because it says produce your own dream and believe in yourself because anything is possible. It also says you can not wait around for someone to provide it for you, you have to do it yourself. It is especially inspiring at this time of applying to colleges and thinking of a career. This archive is motivating and makes me want to accomplish something great.

"He's Just Not That Into You..."

In the movie He's Just Not That Into You, Gigi reminds me of myself. I used to think certain guys were interested, when really they were not. Just as Gigi did, I would believe little things they did were "signs" that he's into me, for instance if a guy even looked at me I thought they were interested, and I would text the guy all of the time (Oh God). But now that I am older I know if a guy is really interested, he would ask me out and make it happen.

I have also been in Anna and Conor's situation where the guy is too obsessive. Conor seems very clingy and attached. He hopes to take their relationship to the next level but it turns out Anna does not even want to be with him. To be honest, I have broken some hearts also, but that is only because I was not interested.

In class, we have discussed marriage and divorce. We learned about how marriages have their highs and lows. Some married couples work through their lows and others give up. We also learned about how couples rush into marriage just because everyone else is getting married. Janine and Ben relationship rush into marriage, and who knows if they even loved each other or not. They also gave up on their relationship pretty easily and got a divorce in the end.

Snow Day!

I love admiring nature and its beauty. So the Nature, Beauty, and Gratitude Ted Talk Video was very refreshing for me. The video consists of pictures flowers blooming, beaches, and waterfalls taken by Louie Schwartzberg. The pictures were colorful, detailed, exotic, and really caught the beauty of nature.

Schwartzberg talks about how nature opens our hearts and connects us to each other and God. He talks about how we must appreciate and be grateful for nature because it is a gift given to us. I liked in the video when the little girl was being interview and said being in nature is better than watching television because you can have an imagination. We must not take it for granted and spend as much time in it as we can. This video helped me admire nature even more and even appreciate the beauty of the snow outside my house.

A New Vision for the Church

The pope discuses the issue of Americans and greed. The pope says we must consider the poor and share our things. Making excuses and complaining is not tolerated. I think Pope Francis's idea is great because many people need to to open their eyes and help the poor.

Many people get caught up in holiday shopping and tend to think about themselves and their problems only. Typically, people spend so much time in the mall that they begin to think things are what is important in life. Sometimes people think that the newest clothing style or the newest iphone is more important than love and community. While I was on retreat I was separated from all my items (phone, iphone, computer etc.). This helped me realize what is important in life, the people around you, and the people that care about you.

Perspectives On Marriage

In our textbook, it says 90% of teens plan to get married. For me its a little different, I do not really "plan" on getting married because what if I do not find someone I truly love. I think being single is better than just getting married to get married and because everyone else is doing it. Whatever God has in plan for me is my plan.

My parents got married because they were in love and also because they wanted to start a family together. So did my grandparents, although I think my grandparents got married moreso to have children. If I do get married, I will probably have children, but that will not be the reason I am getting married. Because I'd rather focus on finding someone I love and want to be with. Besides the children will be happier with parents in love.

Some say Love...

In a relationship, I seek to find a strong friendship with a person. I hope to laugh a lot and have fun with my spouse. To me, it is important to be able to have interesting conversations with my boyfriend and, at the same time have fun with him, because that what makes a strong, long term relationship. I also think giving him space will also create long term relationships, just so we do not get sick of each other. "I Miss You" is my favorite song by Blink-182. This is a beautiful love song about being "one", because the song includes the lyrics, "You're already the voice inside my head".

Another song by Blink-182, "Always" describes a relationship of love and passion always. The lead singer talks about being with his girl all of the time. The lead singer talks about when they're apart he misses her laugh and her smile, so he wants to hold her always. This is the type of relationship I hope to have, the desire to be with each other alway.

In the song, "Forever And For Always" Shania Twain says "I can still see the look of the one who really loves me. The one who wouldn't put anything else in the world above me. I can still see your love for me in your eyes." "Forever and For Always" is a very beautiful song, she talks about fidelity and foreverness.

"Unconditional" by Katy Perry is about loving her boyfriend/husband unconditionally. And my last example of a love song is "Never Alone" by Lady Antebellum. In this song she sings about how much she loves and cares for her significant other. Some of the lyrics are "Never alone, never alone. I'll be in every beat of your heart when you face the unknown. Wherever you fly this isn't goodbye, my love will follow you, stay with you, baby, you're never alone."

'Gray Rape': A New Form of Date Rape


“Gray rape” is when someone is raped but has little evidence to prove it in court. For example the victim may be intoxicated and may not even remember exactly what happened. “Gray Rape” can also be defined as when a person gives his/her consent to have sex but does not actually want to have sex. This usually happens when a person is intoxicated or is being pressured into having sex. Men usually use alcohol or the date rape drug to get away with rape.

Forty percent of rapes are not reported to police, usually because they are “gray rape” cases. People tend to “sweep it under the rug” because there is not enough evidence. Unfortunately, today rapists can easily get away with rape because of drugs and alcohol.

I do not think dating leads to divorce. I think not dating leads to divorce. Dating is about finding someone who is right for you. Finding the right someone is a long process. However, I think hook-ups are very mentally unhealthy. Basically by the end of college, everyone has hooked up with at least one person for fun. And even though no one wants to admit it, whether it is the guy or the girl, someone is left heart broken. Obviously if you hook up with someone, you are somewhat interested in him or her. The problem is, that it rarely works out after hooking up because the relationship may be awkward. Studies show that after hooking up, one should not expect a call. I believe in dating, not hooking up.

Mission Statement

Entering the Mount as a freshman, I was worried and nervous about what other people thought of me. I based my style and goals on whatever everyone else was wearing or doing just because I wanted to fit in. However, after years and years of trying to impress people, I discovered it does not even work and it is certainly not what is making me happy. People change their opinions and not everyone is going to be happy with me all of the time. I was striving for something that did not exist. I decided to change my ways, I decided to be an outcast. The Mount has taught me to be independent. I strive to continue to be this way, to be who I am and say what I feel. I am not going to try to impress anyone anymore. I will focus on my own goals and not care what other people think of me. Because life is too short to belong.

Miss Representation

Throughout the years, skirts have been getting shorter and shorter and shirts have been getting smaller and smaller. Teens feel pressured by the media and by friends to wear these clothes because they are considered "stylish". I think that when girls wear these clothes they are disrespecting themselves. Wearing revealing clothing makes young women "sex objects". I think it is sad that young women nowadays are sexualized because in the long run it may lead to depression or eating disorders because teens may feel that they are not enough. I think the teens that wear such clothes are worth more than just a "sex object".

For girls, everything is a beauty contest. It seems as if make-up, jewelry, and clothing is the only thing that matters for young people. Personality and knowledge does not matter to some people. However, it should be the other way around. Girls should have more ambition. And as P!NK would say, "What happened to the dreams of a girl president, She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent."

At the Mount, we focus on reaching our full potential (which teachers and coaches say is limitless). This is true, when it comes down to it, we can do anything we want to if we set our minds to it. But what about sexism? Sexism is very present in today's society. Men constantly put women down with sex jokes and mean slurs. Many men obviously think women are not equal. So while we Mounties are trying to achieve our goals, we will have to try our best to ignore the immaturity of men, and continue to work hard.

I grew up going to Long Beach Island, New Jersey each summer. My dad taught my sister and I how to surf almost as soon as we could walk. He used to take us out and push us into waves, with my worried mother sitting on the beach. Growing up my sister and I were always really competitive and always tried to catch the better wave. To this day, we all still surf together as a family and travel to different places such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The sport has bonded us together and strengthened our relationship. It is wonderful to spend time in nature with my family.

The past few summers I have really gotten into surfing. I traveled to contests along the coast with friends. Each contest improves my surfing and strengthens my bonds with my friends.

Surfing has strengthened my love for nature and my love for God. Whenever I am out surfing, I become enchanted by God's gift of nature. My worries about crew, school, or friends fade away when I am out surfing because I know God is near. Surfing has strengthened my relationship with God.