senior valedictory digital portfolio
DESCRIPTION
This is my senior val.TRANSCRIPT
Honestly half of this
stuff I made up just
to fill up space. The
other half is sort of
an attempt at being
true to myself.
Though I don’t know
who I really am, I
tried to write truth-
fully and how I felt. I
wouldn’t want to write
something that isn’t
true because then I’m
lying. I don’t like to
blatantly lie in order
to get a paper done.
Whatever, this is me.
This is Me
“The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.” -Patrick Star
May 28, 2013
Volume 1, Issue 1
Meaning of Life 2
Time Capsule 3
Personal Reflections on People
4
Magazine Relfection 5
Newspaper Reflection 6
Art Reflection and Top Ten Kpop Groups
7
Top Ten Kpop Groups (cont. from pg. 7)
8
Table of Contents Inside this issue:
Special points of in-
terest:
Who’s your role
model? Read about
mine!
Five items. What’s in
your time capsule?
Interested in Kpop?
Look at my top ten
groups to get a good
start!
Read about what
global events inspire
me!
Helen Eastes
Meaning of Life
Personal Reflections on Memories Part Two
Page 2 Helen Eastes Volume 1, I ssue 1
I have long wondered what the point of my life was. I’ve even attributed the fact that I don’t know who I am to my inability to make any adult decisions regarding my future. To me, the meaning of life is the idea that you need to find out who you are. Once you know who you are, you are able to under-stand so much more about the world and yourself. Me? I’m not quite sure who I am yet, but I shall continue to walk down this path of self-discovery.
The road to self-discovery
Personal Reflections on Memories Part One
Upon entering high school I was an eager
freshman, ready to learn and explore all
Fishers High School had to offer. Four
years later, I am not that wide-eyed fresh-
man, but a dreary-eyed senior who would
rather sleep the days away and who’s look
on life has drastically changed. Entering
high school I believed that I could do any-
thing that I set my mind to. I believed that
the world was my oyster. How wrong I was.
Through the long four years at FHS, I
learned that I have a poor sense of hard
work. I have come to realize that I am diffi-
cult to motivate, I have a hard time setting
myself to do something, and that I have sub-
par time management skills. Though these
changes sound depressing and disheartening,
there is some good in these changes. This
shows me what I need to fix within myself in
order to better myself. All these skills that I
am failing in are necessary for college.
Maybe my lack of ability in these skills is
what has me discouraged about college. If I
can find it in myself to fix these problems to
prepare for college, it might help me on my
road of self-discovery. (words: 204)
People generate opinions on
everyone, even if they are just
passing them on the street.
This is a fact of life. This judg-
ment also comes to pass in high
school, where you may not
know a majority of the people
around you. How will we be
remembered once we leave this
setting? I don’t think you
would want to be remembered
as vividly as some would like to
be. As a teenager, we can be
arrogant, self-centered, hasty,
and lazy. Teenagers are known
to make poor decisions and the
decisions they do make are of-
ten seen as unproductive by
adults or the more mature ones.
Do you really want to be re-
membered like that? Personally,
I could be judged as apathetic,
empathetic, easily annoyed, and
cold to people. This isn’t who I
really am; outside of school I
can be very happy and full of
laughter. If I had any say in
these one-second judgments, I’d
say hold off on the verdict.
Wait to form an opinion on me
and everybody else until you
really get to know them. Maybe
it would even be wise to wait
five or ten years down the line
to see the person they become.
(words: 200)
Judgment
Fishers High School
Time Capsule
Page 3 Helen Eastes Volume 1, I ssue 1
1. Print out my Tumblr blogs into booklets
I would like to print out my blogs because they exist to display my interests. My
blogs showcase my favorite TV shows, comics, movies, musicians, and even conversations
with people I’ve met over the Tumblr website. I have a hard time talking about my inter-
ests because people always act like they’re weird and that as a result, I am weird. Yet it is
these “weird” interests that define me.
2. My iPod
Though I can’t play any instruments, I love music dearly. I see music as a doorway
into other cultures, which I am always researching and looking up. At one point, my iPod
had over 14 different languages on it including Korean, Icelandic, Turkish, and Romanian
just to name a few.
3. My white tiger beanie baby
I received this stuffed animal as a gift from my mother when I graduated from
preschool. To this day I still sleep with it because it brings me comfort and it reminds me
that I am loved.
4. My German flag
In 2012 I was an exchange student for four months starting in August. The city I
lived in was Bochum, Germany, which is located on the western side of Germany. This
was truly an incredible experience. I met many new friends from around the world, saw
historic sites, and lived an entirely different culture. Having this flag reminds me of the
wonderful times I had in Germany.
5. My black belt
From 2004 to 2006 I took Tae Kwon Do with my family. Over those two years I
made my way up the ranks and finally achieved my black belt. My official rank was first
degree decided black belt. This belt represents the hard work and determination it took to
reach such a rank. Tae Kwon Do was probably one of the greatest and most difficult
things I have ever tried.
Known for his role as Cap-tain America in the Marvel movie series, Chris Evans is the epitome of bravery and courage. Captain America, dashing through the streets and knocking out bad guys, kicks fear in the face. Yet underneath this façade of bravery, Evans is an actor coping with an anxiety disorder. He panics at large crowds and has even gone to therapy to help deal with this personal is-sue. This is a difficult topic
for him to discuss, and yet he is honest about it and admits to accepting help for this very personal issue. I too struggle with a social anxiety problem. The idea of being in a large crowd for an extended period of time makes me panic and once there I feel a knot form in my stomach. One time I even declined going to a friend’s birthday party because I was so nervous about being around so many people I didn’t know.
Chris Evans plays a charac-ter that is brave, deter-mined, and runs straight into danger, not caring about what might deter him. Evans has inspired me to not let my shyness or anxiety hold me back and to face challenges head on like a real hero would. (words: 203)
ers. Since I couldn’t really follow the
material due to the language barrier, I
would fall asleep in class. My host
mom later told me that my classmates
would take pictures of me when this
happened and laugh at me. I also had
a difficult time coming out of my shell
and socializing. Despite these hard-
ships, I met some wonderful friends,
saw amazing sites, and lived an entirely
new culture. This trip was a triumph
for me because I typically don’t want
I have had many wonderful moments
in the eighteen years I’ve lived on this
earth. Yet the moment that stands out
to me the most happened quite re-
cently. In August of 2012 I left my life
and culture behind in Fishers, Indiana
to experience a new culture and life in
Bochum, Germany as a foreign ex-
change student. The challenges I faced
seem almost trivial then when I first
faced them in Germany. My school
was not generally accepting of outsid-
to go out and socialize in the world.
This change of scenery forced me to
come out of my shell and experience
the world. Though I couldn't stay
longer than four months due to per-
sonal reasons, my exchange is a mo-
ment in my life I will never forget.
(words: 209)
Personal Reflections on People Part One
Personal Reflections on Achievements Part One
Greek and English and at the end,
we have a candle-lit prayer. At
midnight, instead of blowing out
the candles, we leave the lit and
take them home with us, signify-
ing taking Christ’s light into the
world. When we get home, we
have a breakfast in the early
morning. Later on that morning
we have a real breakfast, com-
plete with juicy lamb and dyed
hard boiled eggs. Everybody gets
an egg and cracks one end on
another person’s egg. One person
will say “Christos Anesti!” (Christ
is risen!) and the other person will
say “Alithos Anesti!” (Indeed He
is risen!). The last person with an
uncracked egg wins and typically
wins an apple that is stuck in a
pig’s mouth. This is a tradition
that makes my family unique and
I look forward to it every year.
(words: 202)
Personal Reflections on People Part Two
We celebrate Easter like every-
body else in the United States, but
we also celebrate “Greek Easter”.
This date can fall anywhere from
the beginning of April to mid-
May. Typically my matriarchal
family will gather at my grand-
parents house or our house to
celebrate. The first thing to look
forward to is a Greek Orthodox
midnight service. At the service,
the pastors preach the Bible in
Page 4 Helen Eastes Volume 1, I ssue 1
Chris Evans
Cracking the red eggs
American and German flags
at the Brandenburg Gate
Personal Reflections on Achievements Part Two
Magazine Reflection Part Two
Magazine Reflection Part One
If you were to ask me what I
wanted to do with my life at
this exact moment, I wouldn’t
be able to tell you. I’m even
going to college undecided.
Though I may not have any
plans at the current times, I
have a few goals for the future.
Goals, dreams, aspirations, call
them what you will but I will
call them visions. My main
vision right now that encom-
passes my other visions is that
I want to make my parents
proud of me. I’ve never really
been an active person in school
when it came to extra curricu-
lar activities and I don’t have
any exceptional talents or abili-
ties. If I were to work hard
and be successful in whatever
it is I plan to do, I think I
could finally make my parents
proud of me. This is not to say
that my parents aren’t proud of
me. They probably are on a
basic level, but there’s nothing
above average about me to be
proud of. My plan is to go to
college and study what I really
want to do with the rest of my
life. If I could prove to my
parents that I am a responsible
and capable adult, I think I
could finally achieve my vision
of making them proud of me.
(words: 218)
vant to me because Kpop is a
huge part of my musical taste
and I guess my life. I wait for
their comeback music videos,
photo shoots, and one day I
dream of going to a concert of
one of my favorite groups. If
you were to ask people if they
knew any Kpop songs, they’d
probably tell you “Gangnam
Style”, by PSY. While this is
an okay answer, there is so
much more than “Gangnam
Style” to listen to. There’s
ballads, rock, r & b, pop, the
list goes on. I hope one day
people will advance their hori-
zons and try to experience a
whole new culture through its
music. (words: 139)
http://www.billboard.com/
articles/columns/k-
town/1556571/bap-bringing-k
-pop-to-us-with-4-date-tour
~~~
In the month of May, Kpop
group, B.A.P, held four con-
certs in the United States. This
was their first time doing so in
the United States. This is rele-
been a part of my life ever
since I was about twelve years
old. I had seen anime on TV
when I was younger than that,
but I had no idea what it was at
the time. There are so many
different anime that it makes it
an entertainment media for just
about everybody. There are
stories about super heroes,
http://
www.animenewsnetwork.com/
news/2013-04-27/new-sailor-
moon-anime-delayed
~~~
This article discusses the un-
fortunate news that the new
“Sailor Moon” anime will be
delayed. Anime has always
giant robots, magical girls,
sports, mythology-based, and
so much more! The art style of
anime is also unlimited, no one
looks the same. Anime has
also pushed me to learn more
about the Japanese culture and
other cultures as well. (words:
118)
Page 5 Helen Eastes Volume 1, I ssue 1
Me being proud of myself
B.A.P members with their
mascots, “matoki”
Sailor Moon doing her
trademark pose
http://www.cnn.com/
interactive/2012/12/us/sandy-
hook-timeline/index.html
~~~
The Sandy Hook school shoot-
ing upset America on Decem-
ber 14, 2012. Adam Peter
Lanza ended up killing 27
teachers and students and then
himself. This event caused
people to seriously reconsider
gun control laws and to recon-
sider how safe we really are.
People argue there should be
more thorough background
checks while others reserve
their right to own a fire arm.
The government has had a
tough time deciding what to do
about this situation and the
Second Amendment has had a
large part in that. This incident
has also told us that the worst
can happen anywhere and at
anytime. I have learned from
this incident that I need to be
wary of my surroundings and
the people around me. This
shooting has changed the way
we live. (words: 129)
Newspaper Reflection Part One
Art Reflection Part One
Page 6 Helen Eastes Volume 1, I ssue 1
Newspaper Reflection Part Two
http://online.wsj.com/article/
SB10001424127887324767004
578490383689103360.html
~~~
With the recent death of its last
leader, North Korea has be-
come a more active country
recently. New leader Kim Jong
Un has upped the country’s
missile production and testing,
causing unrest in all parts of
the world. The UN continues
to sanction these acts as illegal
and urges the North to stop all
missile activity; and yet North
Korea continues. This volatile
country could very likely start
up where the Korean War left
off. Officially, the Korean War
was only put off, not actually
put to an end. If things con-
tinue to escalate between the
North and the South, things
could get ugly very fast. It is
also likely the United States
could get involved, seeing as
how we are the South’s ally. It
would be unbelievable to live
during a period of war on this
level. (words: 139)
untitled, by t.w.
~~~
There was a time in my
recent life where I felt I
was at my lowest. I’d sleep
as much as possible, not
even try in school, and just
generally being stressed
about everything in life.
Not doing well in school
just added to my stress. In
my younger years, I had
always done well in school
and to suddenly be getting
D’s and F’s crushed my
self-esteem. I had always
had low self-esteem, but
now it had hit rock bot-
tom. Sleep was my escape.
It let me ignore my prob-
lems, if only for a few
hours. There were and are
times where all I want is to
fall asleep and never wake
up. Today I am doing
somewhat better, but I still
have a low self-esteem and
trouble being responsible
of all the duties I need to
take care of. I still have
days where all I want to do
is sleep and sometimes I
give in and nap for a few
hours, even when I wasn’t
really tired. Sleep is a drug
and I am an addict. One
day, no, today, I need to
cut myself off from this
harmful habit. (words:193)
A woman desperately tries to
call her sister who was in the
shooting.
Map of North and South
Korea
Art Reflection Part Two
Top Ten: Korean Pop Groups (cont. on back page)
Lyrics to “Take Me Away” by
U-KISS (translated from origi-
nal Korean)
I silently cried,
Everything I had reached the
end of the cliff,
It was dangerous
In a world that is raining,
I walked without an umbrella
Just following your eyes, those
eyes
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Cuz I can’t take this pain
It feels, it feels so right
My shaking heart
is raising me up
In a world filled with darkness
I ran without fear
Just following your eyes, those
eyes
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Cuz I can’t take this pain
Even if the world turns it’s
back on me and disowns me
Now I am not afraid-
because you’re by my side
I-I-I know exactly what you’d
say
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Somebody take me away
Cuz I can’t take this pain
~~~
The origins of this song are
very depressing. Before
Page 7 Helen Eastes Volume 1, I ssue 1
Bigbang
Members include Daesung, T.O.P,
G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Seungri.
This was one of the first groups I
discovered that rekindled my inter-
est in Kpop.
B.A.P
Members include Zelo, Youngjae, Himchan, Yong-
guk, Daehyun, and Jongup. Compared to other
groups, they have a very manly appearance and
song style that is something different from your
generally happy, love-song type of groups.
Exo-K, Exo-M
Members of Exo-K include Suho, Baek-
hyun, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Kai, and Se-
hun. The members of Exo-M are Kris,
Xiumin, Lay, Tao, Chen, and Luhan.
Exo is one of a few groups that cater to
both the Korean and Chinese (Mandarin)
market, hence the “K” and “M” in the
name of the groups.
Block B
Members of Block B include Zico, Taeil, B-bomb, Jaehyo, U-
kwon, Kyung, and P.O. Block B has more of a hip-hop/rap
based sound. I’m not typically a fan of rap and hip-hop, but
Block B does a wonderful take on the genre.
Zico is also one of my favorite Kpop rappers,
along with T.O.P from Bigbang and Zelo from
B.A.P.
becoming an idol, one of the
members of U-KISS had a hard
time being accepted by the
scouting agencies. Nobody
would accept him, causing him
to fall into a deep depression. At
one point he even contemplated
suicide. This may seem drastic,
but it was his dream to be an idol
and to be in the music business.
One day, he heard his mother
crying for him and from then on
he vowed to work harder. This
song tells me that no matter how
low I get, there is always some-
one there to support me and take
me away from the sadness.
(words: 111, not counting lyrics)
Top Ten: Korean Pop Groups (cont. from previous pg.)
SHINee
Members of SHINee include Onew,
Jonghyun, Key, Taemin, and Minho.
SHINee’s hit single “Lucifer” was proba-
bly one of the first Kpop songs I heard. I
instantly fell in love with their sound and
they are one of two groups I’ve listened
to for a long time.
U-KISS
Members of U-KISS
include Soohyun,
Kiseop, Eli, AJ, Hoon,
Kevin, and Dongho.
Without knowing it, U-
KISS’s song
“Neverland” was a song
I heard a long time ago.
Now that my love for
them has rekindled, I
had a déjà-vu moment
with that song.
B1A4
Members of B1A4 include Jinyoung, Sandeul,
Baro, Gongchan, and CNU. B1A4 is a group
that I found only about two months ago. Their
music videos, like “What’s Happening?” and
“Beautiful Target”, have a very fun and color-
ful approach to match their lively songs.
Super Junior
Members of Super Junior include Leeteuk,
Heechul, Yesung, Kangin, Shindong, Sung-
min, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook,
Kibum, and Kyuhyun.
Super Junior was the group
that made me think “Now this
is a type of music I love!”.
Though members have left to
go solo or because of the
Korean military, I will always
have a special place in my
heart for this group.
JJ Project
There are two members to JJ Project and they are JB and Jr. Their
song “Bounce” combines hip-hop and rock to make an incredible
sound. Though only two members, the group still manages to be one
of my favorites.
2NE1
Members of 2NE1 in-
clude Bom, CL, Dara,
and Minzy. This is one
of the few girl groups
that I listen to because
they aren’t the real
cutesy type of group.
Their hit song “I Am the
Best” was the song that
introduced me to them
and I loved the dominat-
ing tone of the song.