r ick southard’s digital portfolio

1. rick southard’s digital portfolio ap english 12 McGee 2B

2. table of contents • bucket list and 6 word memoir • old works • soul picture and snow poem • Essays from English Class • Written assignment from AP Environmental Science

3. bucket list and 6 word memoir bucket list 6 word memoir fall down stand up repeat again • travel to far away places • see several UGA games • solve a rubix cube • find big foot • go skydiving • oktoberfest • learn to juggle • drive on the autobahn • run a major marathon • learn to sail • attend the summer olympics • spend the night in a haunted house • meet a buddhist monk and ask a bunch of questions • climb a couple mountains • learn to fly • not get the swine flu • learn to play the piano • speak another language • find the middle of nowhere • go on a cross country road trip • learn to drive stick • be a millionaire • meet parishilton and ask her what it feels like to be a really dumb • get a house out in the scottish highlands • get an A on this project table of contents

4. old works table of contents What I did with my cat* frogasaurus & building my house

5. frogasaurus & building my house Frogasaurus Excerpt from “building my house” old works

6. soul picture and snow poem soul picture Snow poem Snow. A white powder To build with or to snort with? Either way not for chowder On a mountain or in the cold? Better bundle up then On Christmas day? Yes, please if I may Who is snow? Why Frosty and Canada of course Maybe Mr. Frost and Santa too Well I want to chill With however few Bring on the snow table of contents

7. What I did with my cat* old works *I’ve never actually owned a cat

8. Essays from English Class • essay that got me into college • snow research paper table of contents

9. Written assignment from AP Environmental Science Research Paper Summery All of the research papers show that there is a growing strain on the nation’s landfills. Every year nearly 251 million tons are produced annually, which comes to about 4.6 pounds per person per day (Bioreactor Landfill…). What goes into these landfills is 40% paper, 18% yard wastes, 8% plastics, 9% metals, and the remaining 25% being other products (Landfill). Many of the landfills that are currently in use have been in use for nearly 20 years and have little prospect of being relieved by newer, more environmentally friendly landfills (Lightening Landfills). These research papers indicate that action must be taken to alleviate the threat of trash overflow. They show that there are potential solutions that convert unusable trash into electricity producing methane (Lightening Landfills). This offers an alternative to the simple dumping of trash into huge heaps and hoping that no one will mind. The EPA has recently stated that this new method of using trash for electricity is a viable option and that it creates a dependable source of renewable energy (Bioreactor Landfill…). In conclusion these papers show that the nation’s landfills are facing a crisis in the future, yet there are some solutions to avoid a large scale and potential problem. table of contents

10. essay that got me into college Every person has a defining moment in their life. That moment for me was just a simple 5k race, lasting a little less than thirty minutes, and yet the event has influenced me ever since. That simple race caused a personal growth that challenged everything that I used to be and me to view any challenge placed in front of me as attainable.               When I was younger, I was the quintessential nerd. My regular activities included school, homework, watching television, playing on the computer and reading. Whenever I hung out with my friends, we butted heads as to what to do because me the nerd wanted to stay inside, while my friends preferred being outside. When forced to go outside, I was always lagging behind everyone because I was so out of shape. One unintended consequence of my behavior was that it caused me to become much more self-conscience, quiet and struggle to make friends quickly. Simply put, I lacked confidence in myself and it clearly showed.             The turning point ended up being a non-descript commitment on my part. My aunt asked me one day if I was willing to run a 5k with her in about a week at nearby Ft. Story. I said yes, knowing full well that I had never run 3.1 miles before or even trained for a race. When race day rolled around, there I was at the starting line, wearing my father’s old running shoes with a look of dread etched in my face. As it turned out, the race was separated by gender, so my aunt paired me up with her boss, a nice guy who was in good shape who would help me through the miles ahead. Eventually the race got under way, and I struggled through the distance to a respectable finish. Surprisingly, I finished 3rd in my age division and even got a medal.            That run had one unintended and far reaching consequence. I became addicted to running. As I developed as a runner, I changed as a person. The most noticeable of all differences was that I could run around outside with my friends and not fall behind. However, my running had changed me on a much deeper level. Slowly I became much more self-confident and really started to believe in myself. Essentially my mentality was that if I could run fast and endure everything that goes with it, then there wasn’t much else in life I should be afraid of. That mentality helped me overcome my fear of interacting with others and really open up to my friends. It encouraged me to take risks and accept challenges with absolute confidence that I can. We are all the sum of our experiences and just thinking about what my life would be like if I never took that chance is beyond me. I’ve met many good friends through running and learned some of the most valuable lessons in life. Lessons about dealing with challenges and adversity, how hard work really does pay off all have been drilled into me by a sport that has no favorites and asks you only to persevere.                 By taking a chance and attempting to do something that was out of my comfort level I was able to reinvent myself into something more. It still takes me a while to open up to people, but I interact with everyone much better because I’m no longer scared of just trying or being myself. Running that race turned out to be the best decision I ever made just because it helped me grow as a person and not a day goes by where I forget it. When I’m about to run a difficult race, I question myself as to why I run. What ultimately helps me make up my mind are all the lessons I have learned since my first 5k. I think of how it has taught me to embrace a challenge and how fear of something can be overcome. Once I remember those things, the decision to run is no longer difficult.  table of contents Essays from English Class

11. snow research paper Snow is a term for frozen precipitation that falls to the earth as a six sided crystal (Encarta). These crystals very in size, most being very small, however, some can reach up to ten centimeters in diameter (Encarta). The precipitation is commonly found during colder times throughout the year and at elevations usually higher than sea level (Encarta). This material can come down in a variety of ways, some of which can be harmful, such as blizzards, which can disrupt everyday activities and transportation (Encarta). However, despite some negative effects, snow is generally regarded as something to be excited for. Snow however can be associated with a variety of things as well such as music and is also slang for something else.   Typically the one day that snow is most commonly associated with is Christmas Morning. Commonly referred as a “White Christmas,” Christmas Morning with snow is something always portrayed in Hollywood, but actually is generally uncommon (Wikipedia). On the North American continent, White Christmases are generally from the latitude of 40o30’ N upward, with the only exception being the areas in the Rocky and Sierra Mountains (White Christmas).  In Virginia there is a 7% chance that Richmond will have a White Christmas and there is a less than 5% chance that Virginia Beach will experience one as well (Wikipedia). That is not to say that it is impossible for White Christmases to occur in the southern United States. In 2004 there was a massive snow storm that caused snowfall to occur everywhere from many Mid-Atlantic States to the heart of Texas (2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm).   What helps add to the desire of a White Christmas is that many of the Christmas songs generally give off the impression that Christmases are supposed to have snow. Songs such as “Let It Snow” and “Winter Wonderland” all talk about how that its Christmas time and there is snow on the ground (Christmas songs). However, Christmas songs are not the only things that come to mind when the word snow is mentioned. Songs such as “Snow ((Hey Oh))” and “Snow” have been released and there is even a reggae musician from Canada who goes by the stage name Snow (iTunes). Perhaps the most common musical thing associated with snow is the group known as Snow Patrol. The group is from Scotland and went through several names including Polar Bear before settling on Snow Patrol (iTunes). They have had several hit songs including “Run” in addition to “Chasing Cars”, and have been nominated for several British music awards (Snow Patrol). The band achieved its breakthrough with the album Final Straw (Snow Patrol). It recently released its new album, “A Hundred Million Suns”, which peaked at number two on the United Kingdom album charts and even peaked at number nine on the iTunes store (Snow Patrol).          One of the negative things associated with snow, are the terrible storms known as blizzards where high winds combined with a large snowfall creates several dangerous conditions. These conditions often ground airplanes and force people to remain in their homes rather than going outside. Another negative about snow, is what happens when large amounts of snow accumulation on the ground. On mountains with high elevations this often times can cause avalanches, which often end up destroying the surrounding plant life and can potentially kill any humans nearby (Encarta). Sometimes, if the temperature of the air near the ground is not below freezing, and it snows, the snow will melt on the way down into rain, and then freeze onto the road. This is often called black ice and is virtually invisible to motorists and is extremely hazardous as it can cause cars to lose control as well as causing pedestrians to slip and fall (Black Ice). Snow generally is equated to fun activities such as building snowmen and a neighborhood snowball fight rather than as a potential hazard. In the field of sports there is a wide range of activities that take place on snow such as skiing. The entire Winter Olympics is based around the sports that take place on snow, with events such as skiing, ice hockey and bobsledding. The most popular of these would be ice hockey, but when people think of the Winter Olympic sports, they often think of Bobsledding and the Jamaican team portrayed in the movie Cool Runnings (Cool Runnings). Many of the nations that traditionally dominate this event are the countries far to the north such as Norway, Russia, and Canada (Winter Olympics).   Snow is often considered as slang for cocaine (Snow). Cocaine is a drug that commonly comes in the form of a white powder, which is usually snorted up the nose by the user (Cocaine). Three quarters of the world’s supply of cocaine is produced in Columbia, where its revenue has created several powerful and violent cartels. Efforts by the Columbian government to control the production and shipment of the narcotic have been met with little success, as the cartels use the rainforest to mask their operations and find continue finding new creative ways to smuggle the drug out of the country and into the hands of their customers. Recently, however, the development of “crack” cocaine has greatly increased the number of users (Cocaine). Snow. Most people think of it as the fun white powder that you want to see on Christmas Morning. Wait but couldn’t that be a drug too? Or could it be the reggae artist from Canada? Snow is defined by most sources as the cold white powder that can be found on the sides of mountains and in the screens of Hollywood, however just because it officially means one thing does not mean that it can’t have another meaning. table of contents Essays from English Class