McCandless Project

Torey Rothert

Mrs. Belden

Honors English I

8 November 2014

The Chris McCandless project: experiments outside of the norm

For a project I was designated to spend one day of my life outside of the socially acceptable (normal) routine. I specifically wore a tiara on my head all day, and wore makeup all day. I chose these task due to the fact that no one casually wears tiaras, and I myself never wear makeup.

While I went about my day I got multiple different reactions. Most of my peers questioned if it was my birthday. It was an assumption that I looked nice for a special occasion. A fairly decent amount of people commented on how I look like a princess, for only a princess would wear a tiara and walk with such makeup. Surprisingly however, wearing the tiara gave me a large number of looks from my school mates. Those who I have never spoken to, stranger I could call them, were judging me and my looks. Questioning why I looked that I did. These reactions did not surprise me, yet they still count as a shock on my behalf. The majority of my reactions were positive and confused. What really got me were the negative responses. How could so many people be so quick to judge who I am because I wear a tiara. Most people told me I looked like a princess and some choice characters thought I was an attention seeker wearing all the makeup.

To be honest I felt wonderful during the day of my experiment. It introduced me to new people 

and I literally got to be a princess for the day! Every time I got a positive comment my happiness rose. 

Sadly whenever I heard a snarky comment my confidence shrunk. I wasn’t like them so they didn’t like 

me. That felt the worse about my day. I would say no one is truly free to conform. No matter what there 

will always be a person, comment, or idea questioning your choices. No matter how small this will hurt 

and pressure one into not conforming again. I think it terrible hoe everyone is pressured to be 

stereotypical and live in the social norm, that they never truly know who they are themselves. They 

can’t express themselves or even find out who they are. That is the worst thing about living outside of 

the norm.

Personal Quote

Jillian Michaels once said, "It's not about perfect. It's about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, thats where transformation happens. That's how change occurs." I chose this quote to represent me because I put effort in everything I do. The enjoyment of know that I tried my best makes me happy. It makes me feel secure about the final outcome of my actions. Being in the marching band has really helped me live by this quote. I understand nothing can be perfect, yet I know when I try hard my actions might be close enough to perfect. I put as much effort as I can into my music, my grades, my chores, and my miscellaneous priorities. If I lived by Jillian Michael's quote every single second of my life, I imagine myself to be very successful. I would assume that if I try my hardest at every single goal I pursue in, almost all actions will lead to be successful. Living by this quote truly helps me excel in a way that gives me self enthusiasm toward my accomplishments!

Short Story RD

Torey Rothert

Mrs. Belden

Honors English I

6 October 2014

Band Camp

I wake up at six in the morning. The cabin is cold and dark. I put on my flip-flops and make my way to the camp bathhouse. My feet are cold form the wet morning grass. I know that today is going to be a long day.

Once I am ready, I make my way to the practice field. A large group of seniors surround the tent in which we put water bottles. I feel as if I am missing something, but yet I am confident I had not. The seniors start shouting a countdown from ten. All band members are rushing to the field ready to start the day.

We spend an hour doing warm-ups. We stretch out our bodies, wake ourselves up, and go over the day’s goals. This is followed by a nice breakfast with waffles and grapes. My stomach twists from all of this activity so early in the morning, but I shake it off and return to the sectional tent.

Followed by one hour of musical practice, the band returns to the practice field for outdoor pre-game practice. This is the time of day when the sun is piercing my eyes and the bugs are yelping into my ears. We practice the insert that the band supposedly performs before home football games.

It has only been 15 minutes, yet I feel as if it has been an eternity. I look around and wonder my purpose here. I am surrounded freshly mowed by wet grass shimmering against the sun, dozens of cabins, trees, and band members.The sun observes me all day as if it was concerned. My skin is tan and wet from the outdoor exercise and my feet feel as if I am hitting them onto a brick wall. I can see sweat dripping through my disney shirt and landing on the hard ground below. Bugs surround my body, trying to land on my fatigued arms, and my clarinet is as dirty as a stick in the dirt. I feel as if all my actions are being spectated by the “Camp Beautiful” sign.

Mr. Brassroad has us learning pre-game during our first practice. I am being encouraged by the college staff to lift up my feet, point my toes, step in time, use proper step size, correct my posture, and turn sharply on command. I have so many things to focus on right now, yet all my brain can think about is a drink. I can only imagine the glory of gulping down on some plorange (Purple mixed with blue and orange) gatorade or enjoying the company of my gallon large water bottle.

I am feeling more tired than I ever remember feeling in my whole life. I try to block out my feelings in order to finish the practice. I want to give everything I can and pain is not going to stop me! I feel as a sophomore I have no excuses to do none other than my best. I feel obligated to act as a role model for the freshmen and for Brassroad.  My conscience wants me to preserve and continue to march with all my might, however my body can only think of one drink of water.

I am trying my hardest for the accomplishment of water. I am racing towards the finish line!

We stop practicing pre-game and start working on our half-time show. I am relieved that I won't need to high step anymore. My coordinate cards are no where to be found! Now, I have no way of discovering my spot on the field. They're supposed to tell me which yard line I am near, or witch endzone I am movie towards. I feel my heart drop onto my old shoes. How am I going to make it to this practice?

I talk to an upperclassman to help me find my way on the field. I make it to my spot with an unpleasant sensation. My skin starts burning and my face is peeling. I did not bring sunscreen.  A day in the sun and I am as red as a tomato. Ouch!

My vision becomes blurry and my eyes become cold. Sweat is covering my body as I face my fellow peers. Over worked and exhausted, I feel myself about to faint. Water, water is all my mouth is craving. Water will help me feel better, but I can’t give in. I don’t want to be behind and the next water break is in 10 minutes. Water is the light at the end of the tunnel.

It is as humid as a sauna right now. I am pushing myself beyond my limit in order to accomplish this practice. I can imagine the nice and cold water sitting in my mouth waiting for me to swallow. I feel I am only working for one cause this practice; water.

The only reason I am pushing myself is for a drink of water. I hold in my pain for five more minutes just to earn the prize of a drink. I motivate myself through the thought of my my relaxation.

Five, six,seven, and eight. We march eight counts forward, four counts left, and sixteen counts backward. All I hear in the sound of college staff and directors telling me to start over and to take it back. For 25 minutes straight I have had my back straight, my chest out, my elbows out, my shoulders forced downward, and my chin up.

I feel like I am pushing my body to its limit. My calves feel as hard as a rock and my stomach feels as empty as a hallowed pumpkin. My feet are collecting blister form the still wet grass and my head is a boulder I am carrying on my shoulders.

Mr. Bassroad finally calls practice off and puts us into what we call block band. This is a formation that organizes our band by section in order to keep from chaos and help attendance. We stand at attention with our feet closed, instruments up, and posture still. He talks about our accomplishments from this practice. His pride in our hard work and dedication.

For a moment, I forget about the water. I don’t care about winning the water break after this practice. It feels nice to know what all of my hard work is appreciated. I like to hear that my efforts help the marching band improve.

We are released from practice and I walk towards my water bottle. My self esteem is high and my craving for water is lowered. I search the whole water tent for my water, yet it is nowhere to be found. I ask my friend to help me, but we do not succeed. My heart drops as I remember the worst mistake of my life. I had left my water bottle at home! A whole week and I’m supposed to spend it without my water!

I go to the water fountain in order to quench my thirst. I feel like I wasted a whole practice on nothing! I wonder what the point was of even practicing well this morning if I don’t even get my water. Me not getting water is like the winner of the olympics not getting a medal.

Slowly I put my bad thoughts aside. I decide that I am not going to let this bring me down. I did well today. I tried my best to excel and that is just what I did! I regain the feeling of accomplishment and happiness. I don’t care that I don’t have my water bottle! I can just use the water fountain! I am just happy that I performed my best today! And that is something I cannot redo if done wrong!

Metacognitive

                                                                                                                                                      Torey 1

Torey Rothert

Mrs. Belden

Honors English 1

17 September 2014

                                          Metacognitive Blog: And Then There Were None

                  There were multiple revisions that went into the And Then There Were None Essay. I

specifically changed the quantity of my examples and the quality of my thinking. Along with spelling

and grammar errors, I corrected my quotes, my knowledge, and I clarified ideas. The form of support

that helped me revise my essay the most was peer review with a checklist. I felt that my peers

writing the same essay helped me the most to perfect and reflect on my essay. All year I feel the peer

review will help me the most. It feels comfortable and less awkward when my peers and fellow

students revise my essay and help me out. I feel they are more honest with me and they have the time to

notice the tiny mistakes. As a writer everyone has room to grow. I need to grow in the field of properly

executing my ideas. I have ideas in my head but I have trouble putting it to paper, which resolves into

run-on paragraphs and in clarity. I hope by the end of the years I can expose my ideas thoroughly and

clearly with reasonable examples to support my reasoning.

Timed writing revision

Rothert 1

Torey Rothert

Mrs. Belden

Honors English I

10 September 2014

Timed Writing

This summer I read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. The theme of the book is that things do not always go as planned. In the story, Hazel Grace Lancaster starts out not wanting friends, feeling utterly close to death, and is inspired by an author. Ironically, by the end of the book Hazel has a boyfriend, feels healthier compared to others, and despises the author.

In the book, Hazel claims she does not want friends but eventually she finds herself in love with Augustus Waters. Due to her cancer, she did not want to make friends and hurt them if she gets really sick. Throughout the beginning of the book, “I’m like a grenade mom. I’m a grenade and at some point I’m going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?” (Green 99) It is a support group meeting for teens with cancer that introduces Hazel to new friends.  A boy named Isaacc becomes her new best friend and Augustus Waters becomes her new boyfriend. The two boys make Hazel realise how much she needs friends that support her and make her feel happy; especially since she has cancer. This statement supports my theme because unexpectedly Hazel finds herself a boyfriend.

Hazel Grace becomes the unhealthiest to the healthiest one in the room. The cancer makes her really sicks and without friends, she was the sickest person her family new. Sadly within the book Hazel’s boyfriend Augustus regains his cancer. Along with him, Isaacc becomes blind through a surgery to cure his cancer. Day by day the two boys feel worse and worse. Hazel is now not the sickest person her family knows. During most of their relationship Hazel is the sick one, so Gus and her are preparing for her explosion.  This supports my thesis because as Hazel’s health inclines her friends’ health declines even though everyone thinks she is the only one hurt.

In the novel, a former author named Peter Van Houten is a real jerk. Before Hazel knows Peter as a person, she idolizes him. In the book she reflects, “I’d learned this from my aforementioned third best friend, Peter Van Houten, the reclusive author of An Imperial Affliction, the book that was as close a thing as I had to a Bible” (Green 13). It is not until a trip to Amsterdam that Hazel realise how bad of a man Peter is. During a planned conversation in his home, he speaks with a rude tone,he interrupts on purpose, he drinks too much scotch, and he changes the conversations uncontrollably quick. After the conversation Hazel becomes angry, “‘I spent your wish on that doucheface,’ I said into his chest” (Green 195). This supports my theme because Hazel believes that Peter is an amazing man, yet he turns out to be rude.

The theme of this book is things do not always turn out as planned. Hazel Grace Lancaster plans to be alone so she does not hurt those around her, yet she finds herself a boyfriend. She prepares for her death, sensing that it is coming soon, yet her health increased while her friend’s health decreased. Lastly Hazel plans on meeting or idolized author, but instead she meets a truly rude man. Things do not always go as planned, but perhaps the unplanned situations help you. Hazel gets a new boyfriend who she loves a lot, her health increased, and she recognizes that you can not judge a book by its cover. It is very ironic how she does not want friends so she won’t break their hearts, yet she got a boyfriend and his death ended up breaking her heart. If everything goes as planned, Hazel wouldn’t have any infinities to share with someone she loves. Augustus waters accepts the theme when he admits, “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers” (Green 313).