My Passion

The Power of Passion

“Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks.”-Yo-Yo Ma

All my life I have always loved playing sports and being competitive. However, it’s understanding and analyzing that is my passion. Ever since I was little, things like playing fantasy football and predicting winners of games was always one of my strong suits. I always love creating little activities for myself that involve sports analytics. I am always the first to see and read the latest Espn article or the latest Sports Illustrated issue. Ever since I won thirty-five dollars in a March Madness bracket back in sixth grade I have always loved thinking about and analyzing sports. The feeling I got from proving my opinion to be correct was one that I wanted to last. From then on I knew I had found my passion. I could sit on the couch for hours writing my own sports articles or making my own sports rankings, I find it so entertaining and interesting, for me, there is never a dull moment in sports. I love watching sports talk shows and contemplating bold statements I see on social media deciding whether I agree or whether to comment in outrage, the decision usually doesn’t take very long. I almost smashed my phone the other day after seeing a post ranking the Red Sox as the 4th best team in the league the day after they had won the World Series. The power of my passion helps me be able to visualize a future for myself where I work in a job that I enjoy because living my passion everyday is my idea of a happy life. 

Family First 

I try to live my life like my father lives his. He always takes care of everyone else first. He won't even start eating until he's sure everyone else in the family has started eating. Another thing: My dad never judges me by whether I win or lose-Ben Roethlisberger       

Oscar Patton
Freshman English
The Call of the Wild

The Necessities of Survival

A Demand for Respect

That day they made forty miles, the trail being packed; but the next day, and for many days to follow, they broke their own trail, worked harder, and made poorer time. [Chapter 2, the Call of the Wild, Jack London]

Like a blur going rapidly across the snowy trail in the white-coated backwoods of Canada, the group is led by a determined, stocky St. Bernard: a great leader and a loyal companion who turns heads and stands out from the rest of the pack as he glides almost effortlessly, pulling twice his weight in the traces. They call him Buck, a dog who demands respects and is not quick to give it. He will do whatever it takes to survive and nothing will obstruct his journey to success and leaderships. I felt like I was right there with him in this tough page turner. In the novel, The Call of the Wild, Buck learns how to earn the respect of others in order to protect himself, and how to do whatever it takes to survive. 

Answering the Call

“He had killed man, the noblest game of all, and he had killed in the face of the law of club and fang.”
― Jack London, The Call of the Wild

House dogs may seem civilized but in the 1850’s the call for gold helped the Huskies of California answer the call of wild. An incredibly determined dog named Buck in John London's novella Call of the Wild shows a perfect example of leadership and how every creature has survival instincts that will flourish when put in the right setting. Although it’s horrible what happened to the dogs during the gold rush, dogs like Buck learned who they really were, met incredible people along the way and pushed their limits to inconceivable lengths. Buck belonged in the wild with the wolves and his story along the way was moving. London creates beautiful pictures of the snowy scenery in the woods of Canada, and tells a perfect story of Buck's journey from being Judge Miller's house dog in Santa Clara to leading a Wolfpack through the woods and howling at the moon.