Brain on Paint

By: Pauline A.

It’s Friday afternoon. You hop off your bus and make your merry way home. As you enter the halls of your house, you make it straight to the TV room, drop your backpack onto the floor, and plop on the couch. You tilt your head back, fatigued from the long day of 7 hours in school, and your thoughts meander to what you’re going to do for the weekend. You take out your phone and scroll through YouTube. As you wander through the plethora of video thumbnails, you spot an old low-fidelity 1980’s looking video cover of a man in a cool pale blue sleeved shirt, with a nice soft brown afro, smiling at the camera; before him stands his easel, with a mountain before it on a backdrop of a canvas. Your brows furrow, as your finger instinctively clicks upon it with the questions: “Why’s this in my video feed?”, but more importantly, “Is that Bob Ross?”. Which now leads to the final question: “How’d he do that?!”. What Bob Ross was doing back in the 80s was painting landscapes all by himself, with no guidance whatsoever, in front of a recording camera. The soothing sounds of paint scraping upon the canvas in the low-quality video have invoked the response of “I wish I could do that!” from many people. As it turns out, you can! When your brain is on paint, a plethora of glorious emotions and thoughts can render you speechless!

It may not be obvious at first, but there are many health benefits to painting. Some health benefits include the improvement of dexterity, memory, and encouragement of concentration. When one holds a paintbrush and strokes onto the canvas, the flexibility of their wrist, fingers, and their hands is heightened. Long periods of this repetitive movement can gradually steady your hand, and thus prevent it from shaking often. However, many overlook that painting or performing any other artistic craft is often done for a long period sitting down, so stretching your hands and resting your body is essential for pleasant painting experience! 

The improvement of memory and concentration go hand in hand. A person who is painting must focus on the meticulous details of what they’re painting and think on their subject matter, whether it’s from their own imagination or if they are using real-life references. Studies have shown that this repetition of focus can help lower the risk of memory loss illnesses at an older age. 

Photo by geralt on Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay License

From an artist’s perspective, I encourage anyone of any age to start painting (though this can be applicable to any hobby)! One of the main reasons why is because it encourages perseverance.  Making paintings enforces trial and error (believe it or not) and researching techniques. Additionally, being surrounded by those who are better than you is a beneficial experience. While many people are intimidated by this, it is ultimately one of the key points that lead to improvement. An essential point to learn is that failure isn’t such a terrible thing to experience. In fact, it can often help pivot an artist in the most successful path towards growth. 

Second, painting allows the expression of emotion. You have free will of what you can paint. From landscapes, to people, to characters, or just splashing stuff that’s on your mind at the moment onto the canvas is a safe outlet for expressing your ideas and pushing your imagination!

Photo by Ryan Hickox on Flickr is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Third, your perception of reality will evolve gradually over time. Studying and painting/drawing (whatever craft in the fine arts you choose), allows a person to see the world in different perspectives. If an artist has studied and built upon their craft, they are more likely to be able to deconstruct basic visual appeals in our daily life: from how the sunlight casts over trees/organisms, how everything one can see can be deconstructed into shapes, and how one can understand the textures of mundane objects. It’s details like these that build up from crafting pictures on the canvas. 

However, many choose not to start painting because it can be too overwhelming at once. Painting has a plethora of approaches and may not seem too linear for a beginner to understand or start on at first. Second, it doesn’t seem “technical” or applicable in many jobs. Paintings are often seen as just pictures on the wall, but they help branch out in different types of artistic careers, from an illustrator at a comic book company to a graphic designer for a marketing firm. Or, they can be used as simple decorations for houses. Last, painting supplies range in price. Like anything else, the better quality products are more expensive than the low-quality ones. A lot of beginners are overwhelmed on deciding which paint brands to choose, paint brushes to buy, and which canvases should be used. 

Photo on Pxhere is licensed under CC0

Although painting can seem overwhelming at first, you should try it out! It can help alleviate boredom, and it allows you to step out of your comfort zone! From personal experience, I got into drawing and painting by looking up “how to draw” and “how to paint” videos on YouTube. This helped a lot by showing me the different ways painting and drawing can be approached; plus, it offered a good introduction into the hobby. These videos are mostly aimed at people who’ve not drawn for long  or picked up a paintbrush, so there’s no need to worry about making something good right away. With materials, it’s a good idea to just buy cheaper materials (like in Walmart or your local dollar store), or “student-quality” materials (products aimed at the most affordable price), to explore your options and to get a feel of what you would like to paint. However, this doesn’t mean you should stick with cheaper qualities forever. Lastly, this is a controversial but common phenomenon, but believe it or not, many artists start out copying their favorite artist(s).  There’s no shame in copying or redrawing/repainting a piece so long as the artist is credited/recognized AND it is not being made for profit! 

Overall, whether or not you want to try out painting or a new hobby is all up to you! But just remember, with the vast Internet, many resources are at your fingertips. It’s up to you whether you use them to your advantage to develop your artistry. 

Art by zatsukii (Pauline A.) on Instagram. You can find her here: https://www.instagram.com/zatsukii/?hl=en

Artwork used (in clockwise order): https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgcfr6xlM5u/, https://www.instagram.com/p/BrZQlnwBUBQ/, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsgx21LhGtv/ 

In Over Your Head

By: Isabella S. 

Did you know that the way a diver makes known that they need to ascend is a thumbs up? It may be used if something is wrong with breathing equipment or there is some other emergency. However, if you or I saw this gesture we would likely believe it to a be a positive symbol. Sometimes, one can appear to be doing just fine, when they are really signalling for help.

Picture by Isabella S.

You may be turning in all of your homework on time, only to go to class and struggle with the next test. You may have many friends, but replace your own needs with theirs. Maybe you are the star of a sports team, but you no longer find joy in playing. You may be the leader of a school club, but have trouble seeing progress. Maybe you are the paradigm of a good student, but don’t take time to build friendships. You may be involved in every community organization and every club that comes your way, but you can’t give your full effort to any cause.

In high school, there are many responsibilities one may assume and you are most likely surrounded by people giving you advice on how best to succeed (that is what this blog is for). As you swim through these various waters be careful of your own limits. It is okay to abandon surging tides, even if you have been swimming in them for a long time. It is okay to ask for help and it is okay to fail.

At the beginning of your high school career it is important to experiment with different dives. It is necessary for you to explore your interests or potential interests. You may jump in to various groups and realize that this pool is not for you. If you are no longer interested in playing basketball, or the debate club is no longer acting as a vehicle for your own personal progress, or maybe you are not sleeping for more than a couple hours each night, it may be time to ascend.

As you read through this blog and garner advice on how to be successful, remember that your definition of success is most important. Do not jeopardize your own mental and emotional health in order to fit society’s notion of success. You may be successful in becoming a positive role model for your younger siblings. Success may look like being the friend that everyone can lean on for support and good advice. Success may be exploring a nagging question through research and discussion. It may include becoming more independent or learning to depend on others. If you are looking back at 2018 and feel like you’re sinking, use the new year to make changes. Ask your friends and family to help you re-evaluate your life and see where you are in over your head. Reflect on your situation by making a list of what you are involved in and what you want to be involved in. Do not forget to give yourself credit for all of your success this past year.

An Important Note: Your struggle may be more serious than simply reducing your load or joining a new group. If you are sinking and cannot find a way up, it is important that you ask for help. No diver jumps in without someone on shore to help pull them out. Seek the help of your parents, a guidance counselor, a mentor, or another trusted adult. If you are experiencing more difficulty than you feel comfortable sharing or believe you need help from someone more qualified, there are resources available. You will find some of them at this link: https://giveusthefloor.org/resources/#hotlines. It is also important that you understand that you are not alone. Many students experience distress, but we misread their gesture as a thumbs up.  

Community Service: How and Why

By: Angelina N. 

Although it is important to study intensively, discover your interests, and pursue your aspirations in high school, it is also crucial to acknowledge the significance of giving back to the community. It is undeniable that the quality and welfare of the community depends on the individuals within it. If the members of a community readily contribute to it, then the community will have a thriving and healthy environment, but if the members of a community only focus on their own individual pursuits, then the community will have a much more distinguishable characteristic of inequality. To prevent this, you can begin at a local level by doing community service, which will not only benefit numerous members of your community but will also increase your appeal to college committees. 

So, what exactly is community service and how can you acquire volunteer hours? Community service encompasses all activities relating to benefiting the community. Due to the countless possibilities of community service, it is a great way to not only improve your local area but also a great way to exercise your strengths and spend time doing your hobbies. Below is a presentation providing a list of options for community service hours depending on your hobbies and strengths: 

The choices for benefitting your community are endless, and you can view it as a way to spend time doing your hobbies while spreading your passion to others. Community service hours make your college application stronger, serve as an exemplary opportunity to exhibit leadership skills, and have a direct positive impact on those around you. 

Hoggard Peer Partnership

By Elizabeth M.
Elizabeth M. is a student volunteer for North Carolina Virtual Public School. She is the founder of Hoggard Peer Partnership, a peer assistance program at her high school. This article describes the journey of starting her program and offers advice on what it takes to start an organization. 

Inspiration:

I began volunteering with the North Carolina Virtual Public School’s Peer Tutoring Center in the summer of 2015, and through my volunteer work I discovered the Peer Tutoring Center’s Virtual Buddy Program. As a Virtual Buddy, I serve as a guide for NCVPS students who need additional support in their courses, assisting with time management, study skills, and course navigation. I’m passionately involved with all my Virtual Buddies, relishing in their progress as much as I would in my own, and I’m currently the student lead of the program. Developing personal relationships with my peers from across the state felt incredibly special to me, and I knew there were students at my face-to-face school who could benefit from a service similar to the Virtual Buddy Program.

Motivation:

I saw a need at my school for additional resources that students could take advantage of as they advanced in their academic goals. My school is good at promoting upcoming college visits, test dates, scholarships, guest speakers, and other educational opportunities, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel like students are getting all the information they need. I also noticed that many students were stressed under the pressure to do well in class, and I wanted to takes steps to address these issues.

My Vision:

I wanted to provide a service where students could be paired with a peer mentor or partner who could provide advice and support in areas in and out of school. From this goal I conceived Hoggard Peer Partnership. The program aims to help students seeking to improve their study skills, build their confidence, and create social and academic connections. Students have the opportunity to learn more about course offerings and educational opportunities at my school through working with knowledgeable peer volunteers.

Building the Foundation:

• Every club at my school has to have a faculty sponsor, so I asked my school guidance counselor if she would be interested in sponsoring the program. She accepted, and we met over the summer to discuss program goals and logistics (recruitment of volunteers, advertising to the student body, student application process, training for volunteers, nature of peer partnerships, etc.).
• My school hosts a club fair at the beginning of the school year to give the student body a chance to see the organizations the school has to offer. Club participation in the club fair is optional, but it is a huge event every year at my school, drawing massive crowds. I created a tri-fold to advertise the goals of my program, and I made a flyer to hand out to passersbys and interested students. I had a signup sheet where students could write down their contact information. I wasn’t sure how many people would sign up, but I was aiming to have about 10 volunteers in the program to start. I had 30 people write down their names by the end of the hour long event (which I was thrilled about!).

Starting up the Program:

• Training weeks: Before Hoggard Peer Partnership could start helping students, volunteers had to go through training. For the first six club meetings, I organized a short lesson and a related discussion covering communication skills and areas I expected students to need assistance with, including note taking and time management.
• Name Change Game: Initially, I named my program Hoggard Helpers Peer Mentoring Group, but discussion with the club’s volunteers led me to changing the name to Hoggard Peer Partnership.
• Google Forms! I created a Google Form where students could request a peer partner. Students select what areas they are looking for help in, and volunteers filled out a similar form so I could make appropriate volunteer to student matches later.
• Advertising: In order to draw interested students to the program, I organized an open house during my club’s usual meeting time for students to come and socialize with peer partners. I wrote an announcement for the open house to be read on my school’s intercom system, and a Hoggard Peer Partnership volunteer made an advertisement to hang in the halls. I also worked with my faculty advisor to spread the word about the open house through the school staff.

Mission in motion:

• Currently, we have seven students working with Hoggard Peer Partnership volunteers, and we have about ten volunteers in the program.
• We are working on setting up a club website where students can find out more about the program, request a peer partner, and sign up as a volunteer all in one place. We are also setting up social media accounts to advertise the program and give students another way to learn more about what Hoggard Peer Partnership does.

Advice: 

If you are interested in starting an organization at your school, here is some advice for you to consider:

• Be sure to listen to the members of your group. You’re still the leader, but being open to new ideas will improve your program.
• Google Drive is a great tool for making everything from typed documents to graphics. All you need is a free gmail account to access Google Drive. Also, Google Drive has a great collaboration system so you can work on documents with others in real time.
• Make a mission statement. Creating a mission statement will help you stay focused on the goals of your organization and provide your school’s student body with a clear idea of what your group plans to accomplish. Re-reading Hoggard Peer Partnership’s mission statement (“Our mission is to provide guidance and support to students seeking self-improvement”) gives me motivation to keep going when I face challenges related to the program.
• Keep an attendance log. Over time, you will see the students who are really devoted to your organization, and knowing this information will allow you to delegate tasks appropriately and trust they will be completed.
• Don’t be afraid to delegate and ask for help with tasks. Make the best of your group members’ expertise, whether it is their talent for art or their familiarity with building websites.
• Advertising has been the most challenging part of starting Hoggard Peer Partnership. It’s difficult to capture the attention of your school, so don’t get discouraged if your first round of promotional materials doesn’t make waves.
• Network with your school’s teachers and other faculty members. They can often help you promote your group in their classes or provide you with a meeting space. Also, talking to your school’s staff is an excellent way to improve your own speaking and communication skills.

Becoming a Leader

By Preethi K.

Leader. It's a big word with a big meaning. In today’s world, leaders are who we need in every field for advancement and solutions to rising problems. I’ve realized that leaders aren’t born- they are made. Leaders need to face a lot of difficulties before they reach their vision. I went through these difficulties and realized what truly makes a leader great.

High school is a time for you to find yourself and how you fit in society. So the summer before I started high school, I contacted the National HOSA to see if I would be able to start a chapter at my school. The National HOSA was difficult to get into contact with because the state advisor was busy with other events during that time, but I kept at it because I really believed I could accomplish my goal.

I contacted many teachers at my future high school to see if they were interested in being the club advisor. My high school had a lot of clubs, and several teachers were already advising other clubs, but I found one teacher who kindly agreed to be my advisor. She was a really busy teacher, advisor to many clubs, and went to college. We agreed that I would take responsibility for most of the dealings of the club.

I set up the first meeting and almost 100 people attended to learn more about the club and the wonderful opportunities the HOSA organization provides. I registered the interested members and collected the fees that needed to be paid to the National HOSA. I knew that I alone would not be able to handle the duties associated with the club, so I created an application for interested students to become board members. Almost every member applied, and I realized I wasn’t the only one trying to make a difference; a lot of people like me wanted to be a leader. I chose 14 people who seemed like they would contribute the most to the club. The people who weren’t chosen expressed the feeling that they wouldn’t have as much to help with if they weren’t given a position, and I came to believe that some people wouldn’t put in an effort if they weren’t given a position or a name. But the thing is, if you work hard, whatever the position you hold, you will move up to the place you want to be. This was my exact reply to the people who felt a little disappointed, and I guess some of them understood because they brought in opportunities for us.

I had another problem as we continued in the year; the fact that I was a freshman led to my board members not taking me seriously. They wouldn’t do their tasks and wouldn’t even give an effort to participate in the board meetings. I thought if I could do some of their responsibilities for them then they might see that it’s a team effort and they would take part too. I eventually realized that they weren’t getting past the fact I was in charge and they weren’t happy about listening to me.

My dad talked to me and told me this was natural. People wouldn’t like the fact that a smaller person seemed to be the boss. I believed that we were all working together to make our school more beneficial. I came to realize that a leader should care about the people they are working for and that they can’t please everyone; they won’t get anywhere if they try.

I began to print out tasks for each board member to complete, and I stood my ground. The club is a team effort, and I ensured it would be. Over the course of the year, we brought in professors and other members involved in the medical field, and we provided volunteer opportunities and connections that the students could use for job shadowing and internships.

I am proud that for the first year, we created a foundation on which the club could grow. More importantly, I realized a leader should believe in their cause and should do what they think is best to reach their goal. Anyone can become a leader, regardless of if they hold a position, by getting involved and showing a genuine interest.

Have No Fear! Time Management is Here!

By Isabella S. 

Deadlines can be hard to keep, especially if you don’t have a teacher telling you to submit an assignment every day. This is where time management comes into play! If you can manage your time wisely, avoid procrastination, and keep a regular schedule, online classes will become abundantly easier! This may seem like a difficult task, but with three easy steps, you can take charge of your workload and submit assignments on time.

Step 1: Commit.

The first step of becoming a time-managing wizard is to commit to deadlines and WANT to do your best. You must have a desire to achieve. Ask yourself: Why should I commit now? Every student has a different reason that pushes him or her to stay on track. For some, it may be to allow more time to other activities, such as sports, academic teams, and clubs. For others, the idea of earning a higher education and knowing that every grade received in high school affects their chances of achieving in this area will push them to submit assignments on time. Lastly, some students simply want to free themselves from the stress and anxiety that can come from falling behind.

Whatever your reason, you must understand that online classes will take commitment in order to help you steer clear of procrastination. If you are not sure you are ready to commit to your class, talk to your teacher and ask them what is expected of you. Knowing what your teacher is asking of you is extremely crucial. Make a list of your goals for this semester and what you want to gain from the class; this may be a particular grade, knowledge in a certain area, or completion of all of your assignments. Whatever your reasons for commitment and goals are, time management can help you steer clear of procrastination.

Step 2: Plan.

The second step for taking control of your online classes, and probably the most important, is to plan. Developing a schedule is essential to turning in assignments before or on the due date. Try making a list of the assignments that you need to work on by breaking them down into simpler tasks. For example: If you have to write an essay on zombies for your biology class and the paper is due in two weeks, you can dissect (excuse the pun!) your project into multiple sections and give yourself shorter work periods so that the assignment becomes less mind-boggling. You can allow yourself only a week or less to complete research- that’s the beauty of time management! You can customize your deadlines, as long as you pledge to keep them. You can decide to give yourself five days to conduct your primary research. You can choose to finish your introduction and conclusion in three days, and your body paragraphs in four days. Suddenly, this monumental task has become three smaller projects that are easy to complete within the time period.

One important element that you must remember is to always finish your assignment at least a day in advance. This will give you flexibility and an opportunity to allow others to review your work. Another important part of planning is looking at assignments ahead of time. Open the Pacing Guide for your online class and look at the work that you think will take the most amount of time. Keep a planner that includes all of your assignments that are due and ask someone you can trust to remind you in case you forget. You could program your phone to send you an alert when it is time to start working on a project. Make a plan, and everything will be much easier!

Step 3: Do.

You must follow through on all of your plans or nothing will ever get done!  If you have decided to spend a certain amount of time on an assignment, you must act on this decision. Sometimes this involves rescheduling personal events and/or missing them. A great tactic to use is to look ahead at the time you have scheduled to work on your assignments and treat it as an appointment that you must keep. You must learn to say “no” to friends and interferences.

One easy way to avoid wasting time is to remove distractions. Turn off the television, cell phones, and social media. Find a quiet place with adequate lighting, minimal distractions, and seclusion. Go ahead and remove the issues that may call for a break. Eat a snack ahead of time, start with a sharpened pencil, and collect all of your materials. When you start with everything laid out and ready to work with, you avoid stopping in the middle of your studying.

Now it is time to get to work! Throw yourself at it and do not be afraid to ask questions. Find a nice stopping point by looking back at your plans and by seeing how much time you will have left to finish the assignment. Continue to keep your commitments and plans, and… Voila! You’re on track to an A+ performance!

Image: NasimAhmed96$ [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons