Cats are Family as well

Through my eyes, systems that are created and defined, are your choices and the karma that comes after it. Since every choice you will make or didn't, became a system of when you chose that choice, it created a system or a timeline. . But when you choose the option, you were given  a karma with it, and if you did something  you're giving  karma, but if you did something , you were given  karma.

In my own life, I saw this happen when I got my cat Whiskers, When I had gotten her, it was near December, on a freezing, winter day, I went over to a friends house with my mother. As we got to the porch, I noticed this kitten slowly, but quickly jump on the railing of the porch, and meow softly. I stayed outside and asked their family if they got a new cat. They said no, and explained that someone fed it, and it kept coming back for more. When the other 5 kids came out, it only stay near me, before it circled me, saying that I was her owner. I looked at my mother,  and asked if I could keep  it, and it took some begging to finally get her to say yes.

After a month of having Whiskers, I had to get her to stop biting and scratching me when I tried to feed her.  was also difficult  to get her to stop playing with my legos, as she kept  flinging them around in  the middle of the night.

However, after a few months, there was progress,  as well as some exciting amazing things she learned. She learned how to play ¨catch¨, and she also learned how to roll a ping pong ball over to me.   Over the summer, I go to this summer house in the catskills (funny since it's about a kitten) with me, my mother, my grandmother, and my cat. I sleep in the attic (not really an attic just a small room, not as big as most attics.) But back to the story. So when it was about 9:00 pm one day, I went on the ladder to go up, and my cat was crying, so I stayed and watched her , telling her it was going to be ok.  However,  a mere ladder wasn't going to stop Whiskers from not sleeping next to me. Then I heard my Grandmother say ¨Son of a B*tch” and when I looked to where she was staring, I see my cat climbing a metal, almost slanted ladder. 

I quickly, but quietly woke my mother up and pointed. I could tell she was shocked and angry, since all the good things that happen with me or Whiskers, she doesn't have her camera ready, So I hug my cat who climbed up, and in the morning. She figured out how to climb down, by slowly jumping down a step, the repeat. Until she is 3 steps close to floor, then she jumped down.

So, karma are  like cats, Sometimes, there's a great side of a cat and a terrible side of a cat, it's just how it behaves, like we do. Cats are just like life, punishing or rewarding because of our deeds. 

Boys Ultimate Wins Philly Invite!

The 2017-18 SLA Boys Ultimate team has lofty goals for the school year -- and Saturday was a big first step in achieving those goals! The boys won the Philadelphia Mini Invitational at Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, beating Methacton, Strath Haven and Lower Merion on their way to capturing the title. 

SLA started the day with a 15-0 win over Methacton - the first time in team history that they have shut out a Division 1 opponent. The team with a ruthless efficiency, scoring on 65% of its possessions, and never allowing Methacton a chance to see the end zone. Sophomore Josiah Mast scored four goals, and junior Eli Zimmerman had six assists on the way to the victory.

The second game saw SLA play Strath Haven. The boys had beaten Strath Haven in a close match earlier in the week, and the team was determined not to let the game be as close in the second meeting. SLA jumped out to a 10-3 lead before finally taking the game 14-6. Senior co-captain Eli Block with five assists and four defensive blocks, and senior Nate Little scored four of SLA's 14 points.

The final match up was against Lower Merion who was also coming into the game 2-0. Lower Merion has always proven to be a difficult match up for the Rockets, and today would be no exception. Lower Merion battled the Rockets for every point, eventually taking a 7-5 lead on SLA with the time cap looming. But SLA came storming back with their zone defense, winning the last five points to win the game 10-7 and take the championship. SLA was led by senior Johnny Saldivar's three blocks, including the crucial diving defensive block up 8-7 that re-energized a tired Rockets squad. Little threw to Mast for to put the Rockets up 9-7 and SLA capped the game when Zimmerman made the defensive catch and Little threw to sophomore Grahm Bacon for the winning score and the championship. 

SLA goes to the Fall Brawl next weekend, playing in tournament that will bring together some of the best teams from the Mid-Atlantic region. Go Rockets! 
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A Single Game

Adrenalin pumped through my blood, the pounding of cannons, the roaring hail of gunfire, this is war. I rushed through the trenches, holding on to my rifle as if it were my own child. The ringing of mortar fire smashed into my ears as I realized what was coming, I had to get to cover. I dove into the nearest ditch I could find, I laid down as close to the ground as possible and hoped I would survive. The mortars slammed into the ground, causing the whole area to shake like hell. I lifted myself off of the damp ground and ran. I sprinted through the darkened trenches until I found a ladder leading up to the tops of the trenches. Up top I saw black smoke, flowing freely from the buildings out in the distance and then, I saw a man. He was rushing forward gun at the ready, I took aim and fired. As soon as the bullet left the barrel, his body dropped like a sack full of bricks; then a bright flash blinded me. I then saw , “Your team has won the match.”


I pulled myself up out of my old, rickety office chair , a cool wave runs down my sweat-soaked back. My chair was coated in a thick layer of glossy sweat, the early morning sunlight blazing off of it. I slip on a plain white undershirt, the soft fabric sticking to my back. I stare blankly at the pillar in between the only two windows in my room before I came to my senses and started my way to my room door, my legs wobbling like jelly the entire way. I firmly grip the handle of my room door and robotically push it down, the door reluctantly slid open and out I stepped into the pitch black hallway.


The games I play are my only relief to the dreary life I lead.whenever I play them my worries melt away into a far off land. The pain and utter boredom bestowed upon me by reality is washed away like water on dirt. The daily addiction I participate in runs me dry of responsibility. The freedom from reality is my only lifeline to this world.


Home Network Payson McConnell

1. Explain your L.A.N. Local Area Network - all the devices on your internet connection.

I get my connection to the internet through my ISP. My ISP is Verizon. They send the connection to me through a fiber optic cable that  connects to my combination router/modem. I have 7 devices wirelessly connected to it. The devices connected are: a PS4, a Macbook, an iPad, and 4 iPhones.

2. Reflect on what you learned about networks, did you have an OMG moment that you learned something new and interesting? If not, write about what you learned.

Before this class, I didn’t know what all of the different parts of a network were called. It is cool that even though I couldn’t fix a major network problem, I will still have an idea of what is going on.

3. What would you tell other people that they need to know about having an ISP/Home network?

Make sure that you are familiar with the parts of a network so that an ISP won’t take advantage of you and make you pay for things that you don’t need.


Home Network Jasir Chavis

1. All the devices on my internet connection are all wireless first there is the phones all the phones are wireless and with the network password connect to my home wifi. Then there are the game systems which are also wireless, however the computer is not wireless and there is a cable that is connected from the computer to the router.

2. I learned how unique networks are plus some conspiracy theories. The OMG moment i had was the bundles that seem like a good deal are not really a good deal.

3. I would tell other people to know all your chords know how your provider operates and think, ¨ Is this bundle really a good bundle?¨. 

Home Network-Elliot Snyder

1) My L.A.N consists of many devices all over my house. Each of my family members have a phone (4), one android and 4 iPhones. Additionally we have a combined 4 computers and one iPad. We also have a printer and one Xbox.
2) Although I already knew a lot about the internet and how it works I did learn somethings. I learned where it comes from in more detail and how exactly it gets to our house.
3) I would tell them to do their own research and look in their own house to learn.

Boys Ultimate Beats Strath Haven

The SLA Boys Ultimate team kicked off their fall interscholastic season with a 15-9 win over Strath Haven at their home field of 31st and Chestnut. SLA was led by seniors Eli Block and Nate Little. Little caught four goals, threw two more and led the team with six defensive blocks. Block threw a team-high four scores and had two defensive blocks. The team showed some rust, giving up several easy turnovers, leading to quick Strath Haven scores, but every time the team needed a score, the Rockets rose to the occasion and took on the stingy Strath Haven defense.

SLA capped the game with a Nathan Little block followed by a winning throw by Little to senior Jamie Polson.

The Rockets continue their season with the Philly Invite tournament on Saturday where they will take on Strath Haven in a remath, Methacton and Lower Merion. Go Rockets!

Girls Soccer Takes Down Mastbaum

[Story by Nile Shareef-Trudeau]

On Monday, October 1st, the SLA girls soccer team had their sixth game against Mat Baum High School. The girls took the win with a final score of 4-1. With an uneven field the girls soccer team pushed through and carried the ball uphill against the wind and scored three goals before half-time. The second half of the game the girls took one more goal before the end of the game. Overall it was a strong game for the girls soccer team. They are working towards more and more games like these as they move closer to the end of the season and a space in the playoffs! Go Rockets!

Home Network-Matalai Lee

There's three phones,three computers and a printer on my network. The phones and computers are all connected wirelessly.  I learned that if your network doesn't have a lot of things on it its very simple. I would tell other people that keeping your network uncluttered and not have a lot of stuff on your network because it keeps it moving relatively fast.

Home Network-Taj Walter

1.My local network enters my house through an xfinity coaxial wire. It wirelessly connects to a laptop, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, two iphones, computer, 4 smart TVs, a computer, a firestick and Samsung Galaxy.


2. I discovered that my internet enters my house through a coaxial wire.


3. I would tell people that if your internet is connected with a wire it is faster.



Is It Really?

Angelyque Oquendo

9/29/17

Ms. Pahomov

English 2

10th Grade


Is It really?

Oh! Crap I’m late, I run to put clothes on throwing on whatever caught my eye first at my only chance at not being late to this special “appointment”. I’m running to the bus with my mom we are trying to catch our breathes, while having a thick lump in my throat trying to catch what little air I can inhale. My pace is accelerating as I get warmed up to run faster, and faster to catch the late bus. As I reached the door it’d slide shut half way and I thrusted my arm through the opened crack of the door and the door slid right back while yelling for my mother to catch up, . Soon enough someone had offered their seat to me and my mom, but I hesitantly accepted the offer to the seat, sat down next to my mom it was akward at first but then I soon enough let it go.

All I can think about was that I’m not cut out for this, what if they wont except me or like me or even care about me, “ That’s basically all I thought about” that whole bus ride. My mom just kepted on say is that “you’ll be fine, you will be ok/ They’ll love you”, and basically I just blodded most of that out of my head and honestly I have no idea why I care so much about why my other side of my family will even like or acknowledge me or even love me, for some reason I just wanna get a good look of why I’m trying so hard at this attempt of what is actually not me.

“Angelyque Oquendo is not a punctual person she can be punctal if she is determined at what she puts her mind to, her meeting and seeing her dad’s side of the family again to at least remember what, who everyone still or might look like”. Back to whatever mom was doing I guess trying to get my attention “ANGEL!” “huh yea” “come on were getting off” So we hoop off the bus and carry on walking to the next corner of something and Market ,“I don’t remeber the street my mom was walking to fast for me to see”, but we are suppose to meet with everyone I think it was TGI Friday’s or Target I don’t know I can’t really remember. It all of a sudden gotten really chilly and personally I thought of it being the emotion I felt or the weather either or I did’nt really like the feeling.

As we walked right in and up the stairs to the resturant of TGIFriday’s a hostess greeted us and we greeted back she asked where we’d like to sit but we told her were with a party, she asked which, we told her the name of the party and she escorted me and my mom to the tables, As we walked up the stairs and followed the hostess she gently gestured us the event right infront of our eyes as I stood there and I froze for a solid 3 minutes before anyone had noticed me and my mom standing there, she was smiling so bright like she had just gotten proposed to and I have my eyes wide open so wide that if you looked deep enough you can probably see me shivering inside. I may-be exaggerating just alittle but I was really wondering why I did’nt remember half of my siblings faces and half of my cousin/ aunts, uncles I mean come on I have a huge family. I guess what I learned from this moment in my life would be that “Don’t always expect the worst in people”.


So we are laughing and giggling together about something very funny a comment from the my old sister Auroara and she is hirlarious plus she’s smart, nice. Well some of my family member’s are almost exactly the same they all have a sense of humor and are very intelligent, some of them have a really contagious laugh, but they make up for it and as I think to myself they are’nt that bad I thought that they’ll be really rude or boring, ugly. I’m kidding except for Phil that man is ugly as my dad calls him “Ugly Phil”. Anyway after the little party celebration they invited me to go to the movies with them another time I accepted and we all said our goodbye’s and exchanged numbers, My mom and I got a ride home by my sister she has a buggy car “punch buggy no license car” and while my mom chatted on with her in the car I started to drift away in the music thinking to myself that this was’nt so bad “Never judge a book or dictionary by it’s cover”.


Restriction

Azirah Bowman

English

Restriction

This is why I have restriction on my phone. LISTEN! I snuck to an event with a person I wasn't allowed to go with, and yes I felt bad after I got caught , and yet I still think it  wasn’t worth it. But I did it and I am still getting punished for it. I haven't had social media on my phone for a whole summer and now during school. I think it's going too far. The restriction is a mode on your phone that takes away your app store and you can't get into it unless you know the password. So now I have to redeem myself to get a social media at this point in time. Therefore, I am upset that I have to keep asking for it.

It all started when I was going to the Penn Relays,  I had gotten permission to go. Once I got there,  I saw someone  I was  not allowed to hangout with , but  the next thing I  knew I was hanging out with him.  He even encouraged me into going back the next day . So I got home and,  I tried to convince my mom on letting me go.  When she said yes, I was excited. However, when I walked out of the house I felt ashamed,and discourteous. I also knew the consequences. The consequence would be  to take all  of my apps away.  I would have to wait  about a month and a couple of days, until I would be  allowed to ask my parents for an app on my phone. I'm only allowed to get one app at a time, and if I mess up, they make it two weeks until I can get another app. But,  I have to show that I deserve it or I won't get it . But I wasn't thinking, I think it was that  I didn't care or all the excitement got to me,  that made me forget about the consequences. I kept walking to the event.

Once I got to the relays, I was about to go back home but as soon as I turned to head back , I saw him and I no longer felt guilty, and we had fun that day. I felt as though I got away with going behind my parents back. However, when I got home, , my mom began to ask me questions, such as ¨who did you go with?¨, ¨how did you get back home,¨, and ¨how did you enter the event without a ticket? I was so scared that I just let everything out and told her. When she sent me to my room,  I went to sleep.When she woke me up from my nap, I  felt so sorry for doing this to her. I made her lose  trust in me, and  knew and still know that it's going to take awhile to redeem it. Also, I knew my mom felt heartbroken just because i went behind her back. She was so scared and I was so wrong. Mr.Terrance is my step dad who lives with my mom and takes care of us.  He came in the room and took my advice, he added restriction. As soon as he did that,  I knew it was wrong for me to go behind my parents backs and I know I won't do it again, but the thing is, I still regret it to  this day.

I learned that negativity always comes back to you, no matter what you do, there will always be a time where it comes back. It's like the cycle of life, what goes around comes right back around. So to this day I know, that I need to do what I need to do and fix my mistakes.I am always positive and I know that once I feel guilty of something, I need to turn the other way and do the right thing.

A Tragedy that Turned into Happiness

Since the day I was born, family has always been by my side through whatever. Through the drama, the tragedies, the unforgettable moments, and the good times. Many people aren’t as close to their great grandmother because they either didn’t get to meet them or they never seen them as often. Well it’s different for me, I was close with my great grandmother, Auristela. She was such a sweetheart and always worried about her family. The bond she had with everyone is the true definition of a great family bond. Unfortunately, everything came crashing down the day we lost her. Auristela’s wish was for our family to always stay together and not lose contact. She wanted to make us realize how important family is. We all made sure to not break her promise so we had the best family reunion ever.

It was August 23, 2013 and it was a very hot day. Sweat dripping down everyone’s faces and kids running around having the time of their lives. I was helping my mom setting down the food on the tables and when I tell you there were a bunch of bees, there were a bunch of bees! My mom kept telling me to not worry but I was only 10 years old, I couldn’t help myself. All of my cousins arrived from Philadelphia which I was ecstatic about. They were like siblings to me because I never had siblings to mess and tons of fun with. Everyone had red and white on, my great grandmother’s favorite rose colors. There was a basketball court where I played basketball with my cousins, then I went to the playground to play with my more younger cousins. My cousin, Josh, who is my age thought he was super cool doing tricks on the playground equipment. He was on the monkey bars and was swinging back and forth upside down. I told him plenty of times to get down before he fell but he didn’t listen. Everyone tells me I’m the mother of the kids, anyways he did fall and I laughed because I told him so. He got really upset so he went to his mom and stayed with her for the rest of the day. In the playground there was a rocking horse, I’m not sure of the exact name but my cousin and I were both on it. I’m sure by saying you already know it did not end well. My cousin began slipping off the back of the horse and she was grabbing me so she wouldn’t fall. We both fell and I crashed her when we landed. The ground to the playground were like little pebbles so it wasn't the greatest landing.

When it got dark everyone came closer together and we had a nice time telling stories and just laughing. I would have to say this was a great family reunion. This was the first family reunion my family has ever done. It was really exciting because people I hardly see were there and people closest to me were there as well. It was what my great grandmother wanted and we fulfilled her dying wish. It was very hard for all of us when we lost her because she was a big part in everyone’s life. Every time I spent a summer in New York my grandmother and I went to her house to bring her breakfast and coffee. We would help her grocery shop and sometimes just go for fun. It would always put a smile on her face knowing we were there for her every step of the way.

Being older now I have realized family is such a big inspiration in my life. Even through the toughest time we would never push each other away. I’m mostly closest with my mother’s family but I always keep contact with some parts of my father’s family. I will always know that family is most important and I will never let someone down when they need me the most. It breaks my heart when I know someone who doesn’t have family to lean on through the toughest times. Hope fully reading this, it will inspire you to get in touch with family you haven’t heard from or cherish those you are most closest with.