And I am resolute.

I've decided that 2011 will be a great year for me.

Not just a great year, but a better year. I've made my resolutions, and I plan to stick to them... I probably said that last year too. But the fact that we have a new year, and a relatively clean, new slate (taking into account that I am 6 minutes away from 1/2/11 typing this post) gives me hope to try and make myself a better person.

But I guess that a New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other... (Pun completely and totally intended.)

But in the words of Edith Lovejoy Pierce: "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

I'm looking forward to a new year.

I loathe driver education class.

Okay, not really loathe. This feeling of loathing is probably a mix between exasperation, sleepiness, and anxiousness. Exasperation because there's one girl in my class who always asks questions and tells stories about her father's driving. Exasperation because it took an hour to resolve a conflict between students and the driving instructor. Sleepiness because it is Winter Break, and I should probably be sleeping for at least a couple days straight to make up for what school took away from me... Anxiousness because I would like to finally get my permit (which I should have gotten a while ago)... And because my confidence in driving safely is seriously undermined by the fact that I can and have crashed multiple golf carts.

I really do appreciate that it's free (the first time, at least). I guess that getting a Driver's Permit gives me a pretty legitimate excuse to get a new wallet (which I've been wanting). I also think that showing people (particularly teen people) the right way to drive low-risk, and the consequences of not doing so is a great idea...

It's just that going to Driver Education for 6 hours a day for 5 days a week sounds oddly similar to something I do on a regular basis (that really does wear me out, no matter how much I enjoy it)... Oh, wait. School.

So much for a Winter Break.

Dreaming of a Whiiiiiiiiiite Christmas!

It's the first white Christmas in the city where I live since 1947! Not that you can really call this precipitation 'snow'... But it's definitely better than nothing!

Especially when you're curled up by the electronic heater with a cup of hot herbal tea studying for the midterms that are right after your break. Whoop whoop. Gotta love inconveniently placed holiday breaks.

When I was going through my math binder, I saw some things I did on Koch's Snowflake and it made me happy. But the thing is, if you look at the 'snowflakes' and the Snowflake, you see almost zero similarity (until you get to the later levels I guess). The idea of numbers and fractal curves falling from the sky is also not very romantic... But then again, I guess the idea's comparable to studying for midterms on Christmas.

Oh dear, now I've gone in a circle.


2 math references in one blog post? I've outdone myself.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays? (Part 1: NOT)

As we all know, the holidays are almost here.

The students at my school are already literally buzzing with excitement.
Well, half of that excitement just died today.

I go to a school named Myers Park High. On November the 8th, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education voted to move the IB (International Baccalaureate) program feeder schools to East Mecklenburg and Harding High schools, which both also have IB programs.

For those of you who don't know what IB is, it's an international program that "is motivated by a mission to create a better world through education." It's divided into three programs-- the Primary Years Program (from ages 3-12), the Middle Years Program (from ages 13-15) and the IB Diploma Program (from ages 16-19). Myers Park had the first Middle Years Program in North America, and the first IB Program in North Carolina.

Our school's IB program helps run the school--we organize fundraisers, events, community service, and most, if not all, students participate on some kind of extracurricular team or club: for example, athletics, musical groups, etc. The IB program attracts hardworking students from all over the school district. Fortunately, I'm in the Myers Park zone, so I don't have as long a commute as many of the others.

Well, today, the CMS Board of Education voted to take the IB program away from those who don't live in the Myers Park zone. Which is most of the IB students--around 500 kids. With a little under 200 (I think around 160), Myers Park is left with a mostly highly endangered IB, which will probably be phased out for inefficiency in the future. To have an IB program of only 160 kids is not a very good idea.

They said that they voted to do so because Myers Park was overcrowded, and because East Meck was under populated. (Myers Park is actually not overcrowded-- it has over 63 acres of land and 13 buildings, which supports our population of around 3,000 students well)

So, while a lot of my friends get moved back to their home schools, or opt to go to East Mecklenburg or Harding IB (I haven't heard of many who are planning to), I get to look forward to the upcoming holidays.

Happy holidays?