GLO Portfolio

http://taylortot8.wix.com/taylorglowebsite

Please take a look at my portfolio. I would like you to see all the work that I've done over this semester. After finishing looking through my portfolio, please leave a comment below this post. "What did you learn about your child's achievements and experiences in MeneMac this past year?' Thank you for reading my portfolio to see the progress I have achieved.

this I believe(final)

Despite everything, I believe that it's better to make a terrible situation one that's inspirational. There are many tragic incidents that occurred within my life as well as everyone else's. Some have experienced something more devastating than others. I like to make these situations in my life into another perspective to get past the negativity. Understanding why something might of happened, or putting reasonable thoughts towards unique circumstances is the best way to move on, living your life. Although this task is hard, it’s how you can make the best of something.

            On one unexpected morning, I had received a text from one of my close soccer teammates saying that our teammate, Tiffany Nakagawa, was in the hospital due to an aneurism. It didn’t even cross my mind that anything bad would happen to her. I planned to visit the hospital later that day to see her well and healthy. Eventually, I received a phone call from a friend saying that the strong and noble Tiffany Nakagawa had passed. Everyone was in shock. It was unbelievable that the smartest, most athletic, the nicest human being had suddenly died. Tiffany and I had many memories together. She was not only my teammate. She was my friend, my San Diego roommate, but most importantly, my hero.

            This definitely made a huge impact towards my social life, as well as my soccer life. Even during her funeral, we were all reminded that Tiff wouldn’t wasn’t us to cry over this situation. She would have wanted us to keep our attitudes high. In soccer, whether it was the parents or other teams watching our games, it was obvious to them that she stood out from all of us. Tiff pushed our team to being a better soccer team. She was what kept our team together, our backbone.

            Of course our team grieved during our first couple of practices and games. But our supportive coaches constantly reminded us that she is still watching over us and still looks forward to seeing us play with our full potential. That's when everyone played their hearts out. No matter what struggles arose from the games, we were striving to be the best. We wanted to make Tiffany happy, carrying out our legacy.

            Yes, this was an unfortunate loss for everyone. But knowing that she is still on the field with us, everyone on our team showed their full potential. Her loss will never be forgotten. Rather than living out life poorly, constantly weeping over it, we all thought positively of this unexplainable situation. Now, our team perseveres and strives. Not only our team shares her life, classmates and family are always doing the same as well. Everything has been dedicated to Tiff. She has not only made me a stronger soccer player, she has made me an overall better person. I’m not backing down without trying first. Thinking of this where the remembrance of her made us as individuals stronger is how I think of it.  Now the team works together, plays as a team, and strives to be the best. Despite the awful incident, it brought inspiration to everyone. Now we live our lives as people who want to achieve the most amendable things. Thanks to Tiff, I have a guardian.

this i believe: draft

No matter what situation, I believe there’s a reason behind everything. There are many tragic incidents that occurred within my life as well as everyone else’s. Some have experienced something more devastating than others. I like to make the negatives in my life into a positive so that I can think past the negativity. Understanding why something might of happened, or putting reasonable thoughts towards unique circumstances is the best way to move on, living your life. Although this task is hard, it’s how you can make the best of something.

            On one unexpected morning, I had received a text from one of my close soccer teammates saying that our teammate, Tiffany Nakagawa, was in the hospital due to an aneurism. It didn’t even cross my mind that anything bad would happen to her. I planned to visit the hospital later that day to see her well and healthy. Eventually, I received a phone call from a friend saying that the strong and noble Tiffany Nakagawa had passed. Everyone was in shock. It was unbelievable that the smartest, most athletic, the nicest human being had suddenly died. Tiffany and I had many memories together. She was not only my teammate. She was my friend, my San Diego roommate, but most importantly, my hero.

            This definitely made a huge impact towards my social life, as well as my soccer life. Even during her funeral, we were all reminded that Tiff wouldn’t wasn’t us to cry over this situation. She would have wanted us to keep our attitudes high. In soccer, whether it was the parents or other teams watching our games, it was obvious to them that she stood out from all of us. Tiff pushed our team to being a better soccer team. She was what kept our team together, our backbone.

            Of course our team grieved during our first couple of practices and games. But our supportive coaches constantly reminded us that she is still watching over us and still looks forward to seeing us play to our full potential. That’s when everyone played their hearts out. No matter what struggles arose from the games, we were striving to be the best. We wanted to make Tiff happy and carry on her great legacy.

            Yes, this was an unfortunate loss for everyone. But knowing that she is still on the field with us, everyone on our team showed their full potential. Her loss will never be forgotten. Rather than living out life poorly, constantly weeping over it, we all thought positively of this unexplainable situation. Now, our team perseveres and strives. Not only our team shares her life, classmates and family are always doing the same as well. Everything has been dedicated to Tiff. She has not only made me a stronger soccer player, she has made me an overall better person. I’m not backing down without trying first. Thinking of this where the remembrance of her made us as individuals stronger is how I think of it.  Now the team works together, plays as a team, and strives to be the best. Despite the awful incident, there was a reason for it. Now we live our lives as people who want to achieve the most amendable things. Thanks to Tiff, I have a guardian.

Our team is protesting on the low organization for the student parking lot at Moanalua High school. All there needs to be is a JPO or someone who directs the traffic and pedestrians, making it safer and more efficient. Students, parents, and faculty will have an easier time getting to and leaving school. This parking lot always has traffic badly backed up, taking around 30 minutes or more to leave. So on Friday, April 19th, we are planning to protest against the heavy traffic in our student parking lot.

bullying article

http://us.reachout.com/real-stories/story/my-bullying-experience

SHADES OF GREY

final poem

Whether I’m jumping around the house

Wandering through unfamiliar places

My actions are unpredictable

creating a mess is my strongest skill

Although some might actually be worse that others

From finger painting blobs of color on a white wall

To taking a big leap into red dye

It’s never the same story

Where I am

You never know

Sometimes I’m hiding behind couches

Swinging on the roof

Or sneaking around the house

I’m usually up to something

In fact, it seems as though curiosity controls me

So I climb

And I take

Then, I find

Listening to conversations is what I do

Invading personal space, I do that too

Everything intrigues me

Yes, I’m not the most responsible

But I’m learning

With my mistakes, I see the wrongs

With the guilts, I find ways to better myself

In the end, I'm still the same

unchangeable and different

But that’s okay

In my eyes, I see things differently

draft

Allusion Poem(draft)----- curious george

wandering
searching
hiding
lurking for new opportunities

I hop out with a plan
devising a new idea
thinking of the next step

Entertaining others
putting permanent smiles on faces
an active child, never able to sit still

Even with unpredictable outcomes
I just go with it
Yah, I know I'm small
but I like doing things big

Trying to be helpful
without having a clue.
making mistakes
but still optimistic

My face shows curiosity as I lurk about
some may find it weird
others find it funny

In the end, I'm still the same
unchangeable and different
even with flaws
I'm still me

angry letter: Daves (draft)

1424 Ala Aolani Street

Honolulu, Hawaii, 96819

November 15, 2012

Dave’s Ice Cream Inc.

98-820 Moanalua Road

Aiea, Hawaii, 96701

Dear Dave’s Ice Cream incorporations,

Everyone I’ve come to know is in love with the various, delicious ice cream flavors served at Dave’s. All residents in Hawaii are bound to know about your famous flavors and deserts that are constantly served at all locations. It’s no question of why it’s such a well-known ice cream parlor in Hawaii.

Of course I am a big fan of Dave’s myself. But from the recent trips I’ve made to this establishment, it was pretty disappointing. Within the past three trips I’ve made to Dave’s Ice Cream, the story was always the same. Before, I’d receive a generous amount of ice cream inside an ordinary cup size. Unfortunately, The amount of ice cream being served has decreased dramatically. It’s understandable that you’re running a business and conserving money, but those large serving sizes is what made Dave’s the Hawaiian hotspot. It’s unsatisfying to see the ice cream servings not even pass the top of the cup, barely reaching it.

Going with these unreasonable sizing proportions, the pricing is way too much for the ice cream sizes to be forgiven. I ordered my ice cream as a size small. Knowing that this particular size cost around four dollars, it was expected that they’d give a decent amount. Slowly scooping the ice cream into my cup, out came a single scoop less than the size of my fist. Then looking towards the customer right next to me, it seemed unfair. A little girl had ordered a keiki sized ice cream and it was practically the same size as my order, it’s just that mines were over a dollar more. This action shocked me, as well as my family, because Dave’s isn’t the same place it was a year ago.

Seeing how Dave’s is under new management as well as having new employees, it was expected that Dave’s would improve itself and not become worse. Obviously, we were wrong. After receiving my unsatisfying ice cream, my mother, being disappointed and angered, confronted the server. She politely told the server that the size of the ice cream with the price made it unreasonable. It became clear that the server didn’t have too much experience and isn’t a people person. All he did was suggest that we’d ordered a different size where we would get more ice cream. This action had no Aloha in it what so ever.

I can see that your business decision changed and you’re looking towards more money and conserving your products. But Dave’s isn’t the Dave’s that Hawaii has come to know and love. The high expectations have changed for this parlor and have been angering many others. All you need to do is give your customers the amount they paid for, then you’ll have all of them coming back.

Sincerely,

Taylor Takahashi

risky business: teen alcohol abuse (draft)

Just about all the teens are drinking nowadays. So it’s probably the cool thing to do. Sure you might consider suicide or even get pregnant but it’s what everyone is doing. That’s what all kids seem to be thinking. They need to understand that alcohol will never fix your problems. Although teens drink alcohol to take away stress, consuming it at a young age will cause extremely poor decision making in life. Teen alcohol prevention is already a well-known topic to most. But what people don’t realize is that the ages of kids drinking alcohol are becoming younger. Roughly 20 percent of the alcohol consumed in the United States is done by young people, usually between ages twelve to twenty. Teen alcohol abuse will only cause you to do a poor job in life. Focusing on an important decision making lifestyle when your young is what prepares you for your future. Drinking alcohol will only corrupt your futures success.

            No one wants stress. Stress is what causes your mind and body to be improper. That’s why some kids have started drinking at a young age. In fact, long-term stress can increase risk for physical disorders such as stroke, gastrointestinal problems, high levels of bad cholesterol, and sleep disturbance. Teenagers, feel that by drinking alcohol, stress will be rid of. With stress, your mind won’t be able to focus, sometimes it changes the way you think for things. Having stress causes mood swings, confusion, poor memory, depression anxiety, and anger. Alcohol may seem to be the solution for most people. But, it shouldn’t be.

            Usually, teenagers think that they gain power and popularity when drinking alcohol. But the kids that drink alcohol are more likely to have early sexual behaviors. Teen drinkers are known to have more sexual intercourses. For example, current teen drinkers are more than twice as likely to have had sexual intercourses within the past three months than kids who don’t. One reason why some kids may drink alcohol at young ages is because of attention. They feel that by drinking various alcohols, it may attract attention of others. That’s why having sex is part of the question for most teen drinkers because drinking attracts the wrong crowd. Also, adolescents who drink are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities, like having sex with strangers, or failing to use any protection.  About 45% of teen pregnancy occurred with an alcoholic consumption beforehand. Most teens are doubtful of alcoholic risks, but it comes to their attention only when they’re victimized.

            Furthermore, teen alcohol use interacts with stress and depression. This will usually lead to suicide. Of all the young people who suffer from depression will eventually attempt suicide at least once. Alcohol use contributes to an estimated 300 teen suicides per year. Every year these numbers are rising due to several advertisements insisting that alcohol makes everything better. But obviously they’re wrong. Alcoholism is a factor in about 30% of all completed suicide. High school students who drink are four times as likely to have attempted suicide, as compared to the nondrinkers. I feel that it’s important that not only parents or peers realize this, but it’s what the drinkers themselves need to realize. If they take their time to solve their problems without any improper things, such as hobbies, they can take their mind off of these unnecessary thoughts.

            Everyday teens are faced with poor life decisions. Consuming you first cup of alcohol is just the beginning. Taking alcohol likely is not the way to go. There’s a reason why there’s an age limit for this type of drinking. When you’re young, you have to make decisions that’ll create a better life for you, not one that you regret. At this young age, alcohol shouldn’t even be in the question. Yes, alcohol can take away your stress in most cases. However, in the end it’s you who’s constantly suffering.

            

vocab brainyflix picture

college essay draft

The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 500 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay.

Being the older sister, it’s my job to be the more responsible one, the more mature one, and the smarter one. In my case, it seems totally opposite. My younger sister Nicole is the golden child from my point of view. This only makes me try harder and persevere more than ever before.

Ever since I was a little, two years old infant, I’d have all the attention on me. What I wanted, I got it. Some would call this being complete spoiling. I was totally fine with it. Not long after, my little sister was born. In the beginning, it seemed like the most exciting thing ever. Having someone to play ball with, having someone to do makeovers with, or even having a new friend. What seemed to be a miraculous dream, all turned out to be a nightmare.

A few years had past and my sister was beginning to walk and speak a bit. From only saying, “mum mum” which meant food, all I’d hear would be “aww, how adorable”. Whether it was my aunties, uncles, or grandparents who came over, my sister always attracted them. She loved having everyone run towards her, grab her, and pick her up while stroking her short, brown hair. I knew this was only because she’s still pretty much a baby. It was fine, I had no jealousy as I understood all this attention would be pointed towards the baby who just started taking a few steps.

When Nicole was in 6^th grade while I was in 8^th, things definitely changed. She would start doing chores without being told, finishing big projects, and going to school with perfect grades. I’d see her work throughout the whole weekend just doing a couple assignments. Perfectionist is what I call it. Seeing how I didn’t have perfect grades in elementary and looking at my little sisters, I guess you could say I was a bit jealous. That’s because I was in the end of 8^th grade where my grades weren’t so bright. I made an accumulative GPA of 3.2. This wasn’t satisfying for me at all.

Eventually, I was a freshman in high school and she became a middle school student. I don’t know why but all my effort weren’t there. Whether it came to playing soccer or doing schoolwork, I was definitely slacking and it showed. This wasn’t my sister’s case. She was getting straight A’s for all quarters while playing intermediate volleyball and club. As the days for report cards came in, I never wanted my parents to see it. Knowing how disappointed they’d be or how irritated they’d be, I was bound to get a lecture. However, Nicole showing her report card to the family is another story. My grandparents give her money and my parents take our whole family out to celebrate in her honor. Honestly, this made me feel unimportant.

Then one day I realized, if I changed the way I looked upon things, I could persevere through it. Instead of giving up on homework and giving half an effort for tests, I needed to be the person who strides for good grades. Having a younger sister who’s academically better than me, only made me want to change that. So now, I’m the girl who’s striding for good grades and who’s trying to be and overall responsible person. There’s no reason for me to take my younger sister likely. Rather than having jealousy, it made me try to exceed a lot more. This rang a bell in my head, “why is my sister achieving more than me?” Instead of having my head down, it’s up. I’m the sister who acts like she cares, who takes the initiative to get better grades, the one who’s not giving up. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, and it’s not changing.