EDHS Contemporary World Affairs

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

This You Believe - A FINAL EXAM ASSIGNMENT

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

P.S. If you scroll back to past semesters of this class and look at the last set of posts, you can see other students' TIBs if you think it would be helpful to you to view a student sample! :)

thesprintking · Senior Member

I believe in being there for yourself. Throughout your entire life people will always say they are there for you and that if you need anything that you cn just talk to them bu they are lying. In this sad and cruel world you have to look out for yourself and not expect any help from anyone. If someone gives you help along the way then you can accept it but living your life expecting everything to be given to you is the wrong way to live. I learned this hard lesson many times throughout the course of my life.

In the world we live in today it is easy to get caught up in all the nonsense that goes on. There are so many things going on that is easy to forget that really matters which is taking care of yourself. At the end of the day you have to look out for what matters the most to you and not care about what anyone thinks. People will always be there for you but when you really need them the most they disappar and are nowhere to be found. A great example of this is applying to college. You can't worry about where your friends are going or what they think of your decision because at the end of the day it will be you that is going to that college and paying for it not them. This also goes back to the idea of being there for yourself. Once you become 18 or leave the house you can't expect your parents to hold your hand and do everything for you. It's time to grow up at this point and provide for yourself.

I have learned through this class and through out this year that sometimes you just have to get selfish. It might seem like you are being greedy or selfless but anyone else in your situation would do the same thing. It is only human instinct to want to survive and live to see another day. If that means you have to lose a friend or something along those lines in the process then so be it. At the end of the day be there for yourself and don't expect help from anyone else.

TrekRotkosky · Veteran Member

I believe bagels are the best and most versitile food.

Breakfast: This is an obvious choice. You can go with cream cheese or butter. Everybody loves bagels! There are whole stores based around the bagel! But its when you dig deep is when you unmask the true bagel. What you want to do is scramble and egg while your bagel toasts. But when you scramble the eggs, keep them in kinda a patty form. Your bagels should finish right before you are done with the eggs. Then slab some mayo on the bagel while the egg patty is getting a little browned. Slide the egg on to the bagel, drip some tabasco on that. Lastly, lay some meat on it, Whether it be sliced ham, turkey, or my favorite, salami. Breakfast bagel!

Lunch: Toasted or untoasted, you pick. Either way, you are preparing yourself for a killer lunch. Any lunch meat will do, any condiment. Its all your choice. You need to eat lunch on the go, NO PROBLEM. Bagels can be held using the nice hole in the middle! Well lets say you aren't home to make lunch, so you have to make it in the morning and carry it around for a couple hours. Bread, naw, gets all soggy by lunch. Nope, not the bagel. Stays nice and firm for you!

Dinner: This is where most people don't see the versitility in bagels. Just last night, I had bagels for dinner. Cut open some sausage, toasted the bagel, homemade spicy mayo, sliced tomatoe, mmmmm! Have some chicken or turkey leftovers? Put them on a begel! Sliced cheese often fits perfectly on a bagel. Don't have to fold it over. Nuh uh.

The bagel, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated foods today. I believe one day it will emerge as the leading grain product over bread. You can never go wrong with a bagel. So much variety too. Plain, egg, everything, cinnamon raisin, chocolate chip, need I continue? Almost forgot! Bagel as a snack. Get a tub of humus and rip up that bagel, just dig into that humus. It doesn't even have to be humus! You can use any dip! Bagels are sold in 4 packs for as little as a dollar. One for breakfast, one for lunch, one for a snack, one for dinner. Done! That's four bagels! I hope you have come to appreciate the bagel after reading this. The bagel is a wonderful, delicious food.

I believe in the bagel.

Lauren Gullotti · Veteran Member

I believe
Well there are many things I believe. I believe in being honest, respectful, loving, sincere, understanding, compassionate, faithful, and considerate.
Through the deaths of family members, and specifically my second grade friend Heidi Nix, I have learned to love life. I BELIEVE IN LOVING LIFE. Love the bad times and the good. Love the insignificant things, because one day we will look back and realize that they shaped us to be who we are. Although I have experienced a surplus of bad times, Im now looking back and realizing that these events have helped me. They have helped me overcome obstacles, overcome people, and overcome the devil (although that sounds cliché, its the truth). Life goes by so fast, and Ive had days where I just want to make it to tomorrow, but I really need to enjoy the time we have together. Life will never be the same. Life is always changing, and thoroughly loving every moment of it is what will distinguish a successful life from a bad life. I believe in cherishing each and every moment making the best of the bad situations and leaning on something greater than myself when troubles arise.
God has had a huge part in my life. Although I see myself as the jock, daddys little girl, the hard worker, and a compassionate friend, I mostly see myself as a Daughter of Christ. My relationship with Jesus has strengthened every aspect of my life.
I know who I am, I know my purpose (although not always how it will happen) and I know that there is a God who loves me unconditionally, and would die for me as well as bear the sins of every person forever.
He has been my rock, my fortress and my guidance through life.
Others might label me as little white church girl I have literally been called this) but really I dont care. The only person whose opinion I care about is my Savior. When I arrive at the pearly gates, that is all that will matter What I believe and how I acted on my beliefs according to His purpose.
Love unconditionally
Live like you were dying
Job 15:13 No matter where you are at, put your trust in God, even if you never understand why

KingWesleyIII · Senior Member

Well I think I might have changed a lot since the last time I wrote this so this one wont be the same.

I believe in order, control, tradition, morals, logic, racial equality, and the Bible. Now this of course isnt all that I believe in but it just about sums it up. Now to start, I believe in order because I despise chaos. Order makes things pretty, not to glorify imperialism, but great empires have always had the prettiest architectures although the empires dont last very long while they exist they look like the gods belong there. Order and control kind of fall in the same place, they both have to deal with ruling over people which I love doing. When people step out of line I love it when they get put back in their place.

For earth to exist we must have order. What Im disappointed in is that in this life, I have experienced not a single powerful leader of our country. Nobody to me in the past two decades has seemed to step up to the plate quite like, say FDR or TR or Truman or Reagan or Lincoln had. Leaders are what every movement, country, group, organization and community needs.

Now for tradition and morals, Ive never liked change too much throughout my life, my mom always tells me that I wouldnt have been potty trained if she hadnt forced me to, apparently I was almost 5 or 6 by the time I finally learned. When it comes to the rest of the world to me the old ways always seem the best. I do not favor all this monumental change that is going on in our world, only some of it seems good.

Now logic is the most important thing in my life when it comes to decisions. From all that Ive learned through my mistakes, I now cant make a single decision without figuring out the repercussions in several different scenarios. I almost feel like a super computer some times. And it especially bugs me when people do not make logical decisions. To me everything needs to be thought through thoroughly.

So to sum up I believe in almost everything my parents have in-stilled in me. This I believe is the best way to be prosperous in your own life. To me there is always a way to make things happen no matter who you are.

R-Squared · Senior Member

I BELIEVE that humanity is basically good, even if it has its darker moments. That the world at large responds to cruelty and depravity so strongly means that we truly do feel sympathy for our fellow citizens of Earth. With every passing century, every passing decade, every passing year, every passing day, every passing second, we have a growing opportunity to understand and to do good, and in that same amount of time we take to it with all the drive that has brought humanity to where it stands today.

Are there more atrocities in the world? Maybe. There are more people, which means more bad eggs lurking about and more potential victims to be assaulted. But now we know that these things happen; we know about the horrors of the entire world when, centuries ago, nobody knew of the mayhem and suffering that was a mere city over. We express revulsion at racial and religious violence, when our ancestors were of the belief that such things were normal; the aberrations of the present were the institution of the past. That past wasnt even so long ago; segregation in the South began its decline almost sixty years ago, the era of apartheid ended in South Africa less than twenty years ago, and we villified Islam and its followers just last decade. We still have issues, yes, but theyre diminishing as time erodes the long-standing monoliths of prejudice.

Are we perfect? No. None of use are perfect; we are, as a whole, flawed. But thats what gives us that place to do good, to improve ourselves. In fiction, there is nothing more reviled than a perfect character; they are boring, they overcome obstacles too easily, and they never change. A real human being is exciting, even in the smallest of ways; a real human being faces challenges, stumbling in places but still managing to clear the hurdles in their path; a real human being has the capacity and the desire to change for the better. That is what gives me hope when the world seems to be a dark, shadowy place; that is what lets me sleep at night. I BELIEVE IN HUMANITY, and I BELIEVE that it will only give me more reason to do so as time goes on.

MaddieHill · Veteran Member

I believe in compassion. I believe in being kind even when it's really hard and you don't want to. I believe that there is more to this life and it all starts with Jesus. I believe in showing God's love through actions, not harsh words or arguments. We need to take a break from talking and listen. A smile goes a long way. There is more to life than school, or friends. It's hard to elaborate on what I believe because it all comes down to my belief in Jesus Christ, his death and ressurection for my sins, and salvation through him! Because of that I am free to live and love without fear. That is what I believe! Friends and family will fluctuate, but God remains. I believe in actively encouraging creative passions and talents. Dance, theatre, art, music, the lsit goes on and on. Creativity is an important part of life. I also beleive that personal strengths should be praised, rather than binding people to the comparison of others. As a twin, it has been hard to be constantly compared to my sister and I feel that personal achievements should be recognized, rather than downsized when compared to others' accomplishments. I believe that worrying will get you nowhere in life. It seems like a natural reaction, but if you cant change something, worrying wont help! Also, its ok to say no. I am a people pleaser and I usually want to do whatever I can, even if it is harmful to me, I try to help others as much as I can. This year, I really learned the value of saying no and taking the chance to rest. Overworking isnt a good option, no matter how much there is to do. Basically, I believe that God loves us, and because of that, we can love others! We make mistakes but we are not alone. Good days and bad, being kind and compassionate is very important. I believe in learning from your mistakes and helping others.

anna_sherg · Veteran Member

About four years ago I was at my grandparents for our weekly Sunday night barbeque dinner when my grandpa and I were talking about his child hood. While in mid sentence he stopped and looked at me and told me something that I have remembered word for word and I constantly tell my self everyday:

As every day goes by thank God for what you have, you never know when it wont be there anymore. You have your friends and you have you have your family and as much as they all love you things happen and they can be gone in the blink of an eye. Life lasts only for a moment so every day think God forbid I die today, am I happy how I live my life? ... if not its time to change how you go about with your life.

I believe that God put me here for a reason and that I am here to prove something. .I believe you should live your life to the fullest. I believe you should not take things in your life for granted. I believe that when times are hard do not give up. Hard times are obstacles God puts in your way so that you can prove to yourself youre stronger than you think you are. There are many things I believe in and I try my best to live my life to the fullest, not take anything for granted and when times are rough keep my head up and fight on.

Justin DeBooy · Veteran Member

I Believe in Christ, Community, Cause:

We are a community of people who are in process. We find ourselves at different places along the way, but we are all on the same journey. We have imperfect messy lives, whatever your story, your questions, doubts or struggles. Nobodys perfect, and we strive to follow Jesus and help each other along the way. Anything is possible, so we are always looking for what God is doing in our lives and the lives of the people around us. My mission for Life can be summed up in three words CHRIST, COMMUNITY, and CAUSE. We are constantly being bombarded with with various messages, of buy this, do this, be this, believe this. Our identity and purpose often get confused and lost amongst the assault of various messages. This is especially true in Southern California, with its fast pace lifestyle and vast array of people. I strive to be something different. I want to be something better, a Light to this dark world.

I Believe In God and His plan for my life.

-- Edited by Justin DeBooy on Wednesday 5th of June 2013 05:59:40 PM

ashleyhightower · Senior Member

I believe in smiles.

Lets be honest here. A smile is the friendliest, most widely known way to express happiness.
One can always show how they feel just by smiling. I know when people are genuinely happy because of their smile, when theyre upset, when theyre angry, when theyre anxious, or even when they are just blah about the world. A smile is a tell-all sign of ones mood, which is definitely surprising, considering smiling is meant to only portray happiness. This gives a smile a little ambiguity and intrigue, just adding to my belief and fascination in the hobby.
And lets think about how many ways to smile. I can smile with teeth or without; I can smile with dimples or without; I can wink; I can smirk; I can laugh wholeheartedly; I can smile to be photogenic; I can smile to think; I can smile passing by others; I can fake smile; I can smile to be polite; I can smile to laugh at someone elses joke that I dont really think is funny. These are all different smiles. And these are not even a quarter of the smiles I use everyday. Its okay though because everyone has a million smiles. Everyone smiles differently in different situations.
Not to mention, it has been proven over and over again that smiling has actual health benefits, as well. It decreases anxiety, which, in turn, decreases risks of stress-related illnesses, such as bells-palsy, or heart attacks. It also can actually improve ones mood, dramatically. Take fake smiling, for example. Everyone does it because it is a natural response. Even faking my smile can increase my mood and other peoples around me, as smiling has been known to be contagious.
This is why I smile. Everyday. Even to people I dont know that I am just walking past. Smiling helps. Smiling is the one act I can perform that could change a persons outlook on life. Smiling will help decrease risks of disease in other people; and that is all I want to do in life: help others. I will forever be the positive, cheerful girl who chose to smile. If I leave anything anywhere, the least I can do is know I smiled in the face of pain and depression.

So I smile. It is the one belief I could never, should never, and will never lose.

MaddyPanzino · Member

I believe that all of humanity needs one thing. That one thing is Jesus. I believe that every human worships something, whether it is money, a relationship, or a god. However, I believe that the proper thing to be worshipped is Jesus. If it sounds like I am being an exclusivist, it is because I am. I believe that Jesus is the only way. Jesus gives people the ability to be positive. This has never been more true than for me and my life. With all that I have been through, and all that I continue to face everyday, my God has given me the strength I need to be positive. I know that Im not the only one that goes through trials. Everyone does. Everyone needs Jesus because of this reason. I think that Jesus is the only way to true happiness. So many people will try other alternatives to be happy, but at the end of the day they will come up empty. I believe that Jesus is the only answer. The bible says that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and this is what I believe.

Facing anxiety and depression has been an everyday struggle. I cannot and will not sit here and tell a miraculous story about how my God has healed me, because I dont think thats what its about. I think what is most important is having Jesus to lean on even on my worst days. Its not really about being healed (although I once though it was). Its about my God granting me the positivity to pull through. This is why I think positivity is the most important thing a person can have in their life. Jesus giving me the positivity to pull through has helped my life immensely. So I guess in a way, my God has already healed me from my anxiety and depression, because I am no longer a victim of it.

RebeccaCavin · Veteran Member

I believe in food and the power it has to bring people together. More specifically, I believe in pie.

My mom, my sister, my aunt, my cousin, and I have a tradition of meeting up for pie at Polly's. Sometimes we go more than once a week, sometimes we don't get together for a month. But we always end up back in the horseshoe-shaped booth, laughing and talking and sharing our lives over dessert. My family has become such regulars at Polly's that we joke around with our favorite servers and get our regular drink orders as soon as we are seated. I'm pretty sure we end up annoying the other customers one way or another each time we visit, either by distracting their server or by our laughter. Whether it is pie with breakfast or a spontaneous meeting at 10pm on a school night, this is the one thing that is able to bring my family together, despite our busy schedules. I think it is so important to have a shared ritual, even though my family's tradition is not the typical dinner together every night. I will still treasure this time spent together, which has gotten my family through some pretty tough times. No matter what difficulties I was facing, I always knew that after meeting for pie, I would feel much better. Next year when I go off to college in Indiana, I think these pie runs will be what I miss the most.

I guess you could say that when I say I believe in pie, what I really mean is that I believe in family. Although my relationships with my family members have not been, by any means, picture-perfect, I know that I can always count on these four women to make me cry with laughter over a warm slice of pie topped with just the right amount of ice cream. The promise of pie is what draws me to these meetings, but the memories created together with my family are what truly matter in the end.

-- Edited by RebeccaCavin on Thursday 6th of June 2013 07:21:34 AM

CelesteSalas · Veteran Member

I believe in Mothers. They understand you, believe in you, and love you unconditionally. My mother is the loveliest human being ever, I am so proud to be her daughter. And I know that I may not always show it, but I appreciate everything she does for me. She raised me on her own and makes me feel like I can do anything my heart desires. She knows exactly what to say to make everything seem like its going to be just fine. Junior year has been tough for me and I have not always been in the best mood, but she is always patient and wise. This year was the first year of my life that I have not earned As in all my classes and I have been disappointed in myself and beat myself up about it so many times to the point of tears. I have often gone into her room at 3 oclock am, crying about my 89% or the fact that I dont understand something. I get so frustrated in myself and get angry that I dont understand, I so far as to ask myself if there is something wrong with me, but my mom is always there to reassure me that it is okay to have a B! She says, B is for bueno!!. I owe it all to her that I got through this year with a couple A+s several solid As and only one B+ in a class that I taught myself in. I wouldve never been able to get through it without her considering the fact that she stayed up with my every night until I had finished all my homework. She is my rock and my best friend. I recall always having problems with my bestest friends from previous years, they always said I thought I was better than them and that they didnt want to be friends with me anymore. My mom said that I was at school to learn, not to make friends. I didnt like this solution very much, because it was right before summer, but it really did help me spend more time and connect with my family. She made me understand that no matter what family is always there, but friends are only temporary. I have not have a best friend for about a year now and it has allowed me to focus on my family and my studies, the two most important things to me. My mom makes me feel so special. About two years ago I learned from one of her good friends from work that she only wanted one girl, just one girl. She had never talked to me about this but just recently she told me that all her life she only wanted to have one child and it would be a girl. I know she is proud of me and I am proud of her for raising me by her lonesome. I love appreciate and believe in Mothers.

FergDog · Veteran Member

I believe in not sweating the small stuff. With how hectic modern life is, whether it is constantly being up to date on facebook, responding to your friends text, answering the phone, doing homework at 11pm, what ever it is, there simply isn't time to worry over the small nuisances in life. Worrying over every single one, in my eyes, is not worth it. It adds unnecessary stress leads to panic attacks and does not add to a healthy life. Why worry about knowing who's doing what on facebook at this minute? It's going to be there forever anyways. Why worry over college life is going to be? It'll happen anyways, whether you worry about it or not, so why add the stress? Why worry about your K/D in call of duty? You're playing a game to enjoy it!! Stress is not fun last i checked.

This is not to say that you should live your life care free, as in office space or that stress is completely unnecessary in life. Stress in actually quite essential to life. Stress, while it weighs down on us, it also makes us stronger. It is like the bench-press at the gym. With the just right amount of stress, u can get in a solid work out. But be wary of taking/accumulating too much stress, for if you cant handle it, and there is no one to help you, you will drop the bar, and it will paralyze you. The ability to handle stress is an important part of life, but ones capacity for stress needs to be expanded over time and not in one go.

ryanwelch · Veteran Member

I believe in the handshake.

I feel that everyone should use the handshake.It is a great way to say hello in any situation. You can use it in a formal setting, and informal(yet still want to act polite) setting, and in a non-formal friendly situation. It may seem like a very boring and stiff way of saying hi, but I beg to differ. The handshake is not meant to be the conversation, it is meant to be the start of the conversation. You shake the persons hand and begin your conversation.

Just think if everyone used the handshake properly. Job interviews would get off on the right foot. Employers would think, Heres a kid out of highschool who is professional and knows how to handle themselves.

You can also learn a lot about someone from a simple handshake. If someone has a weak handshake it could mean that the dont like doing work and is not a very stand up person. If they have a firm solid handshake it could mean that the person is a good worker and a stand up person.

There arent many better feelings than a firm handshake. It is a great connection of friendship and professionalism. That is why I believe in the handshake.

austinasch · Veteran Member

I believe in being busy.

There is nothing i hate more than having nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. I am constantly finding ways to fill my time, in order to avoid doing nothing. I am typically always out doing stuff with my friends rather than sitting around. I prefer to be out of the house doing stuff as much as possible, especially on the weekends. And when it comes to the weekend, the last thing i want to do is sleep! Why sleep when you could be out being productive? I often find it very difficult to sleep because i feel as if I could be spending my time doing something more productive than sleeping. I cant stand waking up past 9a.m. because i feel like i have already missed out on part of the day. I love contantly having a hectic schedule, and i feel like being busy 24/7 is the best way to go. I am definitely not one of those people who likes to relax all summer. I plan on filling my days of break with constant activity. Life is too short to just sit around all day, get busy.

Sean Searcy · Veteran Member

I believe in individualism, forgetting about the bad things in life, and loyalty.

I believe in individualism because people should be themselves, not what ever their peers want them to be. Being an individual means not caring what people think of you and just being comfortable who you are.
Being an individual means I can life my life freely without fear of rejection or the troubles of fitting in. I can do what i want with my friends without worry. We can make idiots of ourselves to have fun, and not one
of us cares about what people think. I can listen to the music I want and not what ever is popular.

I believe in keeping a happy mentality no matter what happens. (bet you weren't expecting that one from me) I have had a lot of troubles in my life as im sure we all have, and while i did let my self become down
from what ever it was that happened, i still told jokes or wouldn't bring it up with people and just tried to live happily. If I'm having a bad day or something has gone wrong with what ever, i just go hang out with
friends and get my mind off it or listen to music.

I believe in loyalty most of all. whether it be to my friends family, loyalty matters most. I'm always there for my friends if they need someone to talk to about problems with whatever and they do the same. If I hear
some one talking bad about one of my friends, I tell them to stop. I stand by mt friends. If I'm in a group and they start talking badly about another friend of mine, I'll ask to switch topics or just leave the group.

These are the things I live by most.

MikaylaStarbeck · Veteran Member

I belive that that character isnt something that happens over night its something that is developed over time and often is developed from certain habits you may or may not have. Ive always heard it said character is what you do when no one is looking. Character is when you see someone struggling and offer to help them. It is doing something to help someone else not so that you can be praised and rewarded after, but doing it just to know that you made someone elses day a little bit brighter. I think that often the things that people do that show their true character go unnoticed by most. However to that one person you reached out to, that one person that you helped back onto their feet, to them it means everything. It could be as simple as paying for someones lunch or helping them with groceries. I think that a persons character is truly seen in the times when they are surrounded by pain and people who are hurting. For instance in the recent Boston bombing, the people whose character were really seen were the ones who went towards the explosion in order to help those who had been injured and were in need of help. They didnt do it in order to win some sort of award but instead did it because they saw someone who was hurting and in need of help and they went and helped. I think that often people that try to help someone just to be recognized creates shallow relationships that dont develop into anything and leave people feeling empty and unaffected by that person! I believe that everyone should strive to have the kind of character where you are happy just to know that you made someones day not happy because you got an award for what you did! Ultimately that is what matters most. In todays society character is measured by the little acts that someone does in order to help someone else not out of their own selfish ambition but for the relief and joy it brings to others.