#5

Power vacuum- a situation when a government has no identifiable central authority.

Some consider reaching this state is dangerous or destined to fail. In my freshman year of high school, I experienced this lack of leadership in my 4-H club, which prompted me to take responsibility, even though I did not have to. Without assuming leadership of the club, I would not be the person I am today. 

When this happened, I was initially upset and frustrated at the leaders who quit because they were two years older than me and simply abandoned all responsibility. No one had appointed me next to take the president position which made me nervous, but it seemed natural. From then until now, I have been the President of my Equestrians Unlimited 4-H Club which entails leading monthly meetings, taking time to organize and participate in several community service activities and most importantly to educate the younger members about their knowledge on horses and how to be valuable members in their community.

Recently I was told that I “bleed green” because I am completely dedicated to promoting 4-H. This is because being a member of 4-H has helped me grow in many ways and has changed my life for the better. When I first joined the club, I was very timid and did not have many friends. I knew the only requirement of the club was to research a topic related to horses and do a public presentation about it. At first I was very scared, because who is not afraid of public speaking? As the years went on, I conquered my fears of speaking in front of this club, and in other settings, such as in the classroom. 4-H taught me that there is nothing wrong about speaking in front of a crowd, and even messing up in front of a crowd. 

Furthermore, 4-H has enriched my life because of the club’s emphasis on community service. Participation in various drives and events has taught me to be selfless and to be responsible for my club, my community and myself. Every year our club takes on a shift at the Ulster County Fair Snack Bar booth. I began organizing this event for our club the year I took leadership of the club; this past year I was our club’s Chairperson. I gained respect from our club advisers and the staff at the Cornell Cooperative Extension. From this position of leadership, I learned how to get a job done without being bossy or mean, traits that are important in any type of job. Overall, 4-H has been a huge growing experience for me and has allowed me to find confidence within myself, to gain maturity beyond my years and to learn how to be a leader. 

The biggest fear

For me, failure seems to be the scariest thing after death. My standard of success is very high which usually leaves me frustrated and in tears, but, it also pushes me to move past the bad. One time I remember experiencing failure was in seventh grade when my band teacher, Mr. Seymour, told me not to bother auditioning for All-County band because I was so unprepared and terrible at my solo.

At that time, I was extremely sad because I was trying very hard to learn this difficult piece. I was the "first chair" seventh grade clarinet player at the time and not being able to even try out was a failure to me. Now that I'm older, I can say that this was the only year I missed All County in all the years I was eligible. But is it really a failure? I wasn't denied by the chairmen of All County, just someone I personally knew and trusted. So, the answer is yes...it is a failure on my part.

However I think that missing this opportunity made me push harder to get in the next year. I wanted to prove my teacher wrong because I was good enough and I didn't want to let my parents down. I practiced a lot more, developed better habits and even started taking some clarinet lessons. This really helped and I ended up getting into All County. I actually received a fairly high chair for doing so well.

Out of the initial failure, I taught myself to work hard. It paid off and without this small feat, I probably would not have tried as hard the next year.

 http://www.wikihow.com/Play-the-Clarinet

History is my favorite story

Throughout my time in school, history has always been the most fascinating subject to me. I love it because you do not need any tools, such as calculators, compasses, rulers and protractors for math. There are no "unknown substances" that could kill you, unlike the chemistry laboratory. Lastly history is unlike English and other foreign languages because there are few conventional rules, grammar points or correct ways to write about your experience. It is only you, someone's experience and the parts of their story they wish to share. You cannot offend the person who wrote the story; they are probably deceased with only their achievements recognized.

There have been many great scholars and geniuses that date as far back as the ancient Chinese to more modern figures such as Einstein, Dr. King Jr. or Steve Jobs, that have dramatically altered the course of human life. These great figures are almost heroes but looking back, there are many "villains" too. But, are they really villains? Do there have to be bad guys to be good guys? Some examples of these types of relationships are James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln, Tetzel and Martin Luther, or the British imperialist policies and Gandhi's non-violent movement. For me, a true hero is a free thinker or someone who risked their life for the well being of others. I cannot decide who the villains are because there are many things that make you good and bad, benevolent or maleficent. Without the bad, there could be no good, which is why history is great. It recognizes "the good, the bad and the ugly."

However, there are also parts of history that make you question your own values and what you stand for. When there is a debate about human rights in class, should you feel bad not agreeing with the general majority? Not at all. A lot of history is horrible, for example, the atrocities of slavery, the numerous acts of genocide and even the denial of certain freedoms. Being a young student makes you feel powerless when you believe you can try to change some of these massive global problems, but in reality, the more you know, the more you are helping. History repeats it's self. Maybe the next time (hopefully there will not be) a large scale global issue, you will be a member of the US Government and you will actually be able to make a change. Education is the key to opportunity.


On the other hand, there are always critics. Some critic could write a nasty comment about the NY Times Best Seller but it does not make that a bad book. History is the same way. Even though people may think one thing about an event, an idea or a piece of literature, that does not mean their way or your way is right or wrong. Everyone sees a different perspective, which is what makes a history student's experience truly unique.

History is just another story, except it allows you to create your own heroes, villains, images and opinions. The subject is quite dry for many, but, if you open your mind to a different interpretation, it can change the entire way you look at life- past, present and future.