It gives me great pleasure to stand here today, before such an astonishing and miraculous country – a country that has stood up against economic crisis, tyrannical threat, and terrorism, and continues to do so daily.  There are several individuals who recognize the marvelous liberty bestowed upon them through the sacrifice of millions of lives and painful atonements.  They take advantage of their God-given freedom by chasing their passions and racing towards their dreams.  However, there are also many people that simply watch their lives deteriorate, unaware of the ticking bomb deep in their souls.  This TNT is waiting to be touched – to explode. However, due to the laziness of society and the allowance of idleness in our culture, this bomb will never detonate, and its flames will never be lit.

In the 1700’s, America was “the little country that could.”  Although the population was scarce in comparison to the countries in Europe, the founding fathers were passionate about reaching full-fledged liberty, and were willing to spill their own precious blood, sweat, and tears in order to achieve that.  They endured the agony not only for their own benefit, but for us, so that we could be inspired to fight for our own passions without limitations being set upon us by the government.  Nowadays, however, other countries associate Americans with the word lazy.  Americans seem to have lethargic views on life, simply coasting along with the comforts of television, computers, and iPods.  Over 20,000 teenagers drop out of high school each year.  40% of Americans are free from having to pay income tax, some of whom are simply too lazy to work and are therefore being rewarded for their sluggishness.  Although we were set free hundreds of years ago from the bondage of the state, people continue to set limitations on themselves, keeping them from their destinies.

There is so much more to life than rotting in the seat of contentment.  You were born with vast potential and passions.  I understand that as you have lived your life, things may have started to suppress your ambition, but why be weak and allow those things to have power over your life?  Will you allow fear of failure to gain a chokehold on your destiny?  Shall the ghosts that are behind you shadow your future?  Or, will you take the reins and allow your heart’s desires drive your life?

Close your eyes and remember that moment where sparks ignited your soul.  The second you learned your first dance move, the time you spent with a paint brush in your hand, or the book you read on a topic that made you soar with excitement.  Recollect that instant where you thought, “I want to do this forever.”  Where is the object of your zeal?  Is it being exercised, or is it collecting dust on a shelf?  Furthermore, what is stopping you from jumping into the vivacity within your dreams?

You have one life to be lived, and the amazing thing is that you have the power to live it!  You are not destined for failure, but to leave a legacy that resonates through the hearts of succeeding generations.  How are you to shake the earth off its axis with no driving force? Your zeal is the gasoline that can fly you to the moon despite all the gravity trying to keep you down.  If you have enough enthusiasm, other people will see it from far away, and catch onto it. Passion is contagious!  Rekindle the flames within you, and ignite a fire that will catch on to the rest of the world.

I had never eaten Russian food before so I was unsure of what to expect.  I, along with five other ladies, dressed up and were excited to try something new.  When we arrived, we were seated and immediately served.  Beginning with bread, I was fascinated by the rose-shaped butter.  The bread was different than what I was used to but still tasty.

From that point, large plates of food were being brought from the kitched to our table, seemingly never ending.  The food was delicious!  From caviar, to potatoes, to different types of salad, everything was different to what I am accustomed to.  Still, I enjoyed every bite!

As the name advertises, tea time was next.  There was a large array of teas from which to choose.  I am a devoted tea-phile, and this part of the night was my favorite. Rose Black tea pleased my tastebuds and very pleasantly swam down my throat, alongside the delicious cakes that we ordered.

I highly recommend that you go to Russian Tea Time.  Chicago offers a taste of different cultures on practically every street and it would be a shame not to take advantage.

Like many girls, I love romantic movies especially the Nicholas Sparks movies.  From “Message in a Bottle” to “The Notebook” to “A Walk to Remember”, my heart soars and throbs.  For that reason, on the opening night of “Dear John”, my best friend and I squeezed our way into the packed theater to watch the movie with high hopes.  Unfortunately, these expectations were not met.

When the movie began, I was intrigued.  The characters were well-developed and there was an instant chemisty between Channing Tatum, who is definitely not a bad looking fellow, and Amanda Seyfried.  However, after the climactic turn, it was all downhill.  I don’t want to give anything away but the movie disappointed me.  It simply did not have an ending.

I understand that many times a writer may want to leave the fate of the characters to the imagination of the viewer.  But this case is just ridiculous.  I felt incomplete after watching “Dear John”, probably even hopeless.  It was neither jaded nor optimistic in regards to love, but somewhere in the adiaphoric gray between the two.  I prefer movies that take a definite opinion on the subject of love – whether it is worth fighting for or not.  There was no overall stance in this movie.

I would not suggest that anyone spend their money on this film.  It is not even worth the time.  It wasn’t all terrible, but it certainly did not leave me optimistic, inspired, or enlightened in any way.

Chicago is obviously a thriving metropolitan area.  From the city to the suburbs, we are definitely not lacking in parks, museums, hospitals, and animal shelters.  Each of these places have a common need for helping hands.  Twice a month, I devote my time to a hospital in my area.  I am able to create a comfortable environment for the hospital’s patients and families, and help the nurses with anything they have to do that they just don’t have time to get to.  I would encourage anyone to find an area of interest in which they can volunteer.

There is a satisfaction I get when stepping out of my comfort zone.  I am no longer doing something for myself, or even for my friends, but rather for the people in my community whom I don’t even know.  Somehow, I am able to make a difference in their stay at the hospital, even if they don’t notice.

Not to sound cheesy, but seeing smiles upon the faces of those stuck in hospital beds is very gratifying.  Furthermore, I work in the Maternal and Child Care level of the hospital.  So, I get to ensure that a baby’s first moments in the world are as comfortable as possible, by keeping their cribs supplied with clothes, blankets, diapers, etc. as well as keeping new mommies happy by running errands for them, providing them with snacks and beverages, or baking fresh cookies for them and their guests.

Perhaps volunteering at a hospital doesn’t interest you.  In that case, there are plenty of other places that need your help!  You can volunteer at animal shelters, camps, libraries, museums, and all kinds of places.  I now know it is quite a learning experience that benefits to both you and your community.

Once upon a time in a far away land, there was a band called the Beatles. They wrote a song called “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. This little ditty became the British band’s first number-one hit, and began the British invasion in America. The only physical contact it alluded to was hand-holding. Not to be an extremist, but what happened to those days? Do artists really believe that the only way to make a song great is to wrap it up in sexual innuendos and degrading lyrics? Obviously, they do, because people seem to be buying the songs. In our age, what we listen to on the radio is what we want to listen to. Most radio stations play songs that people request. So why are people’s standards so low?

As listeners, we have the power over what streams through the radio waves.  Too often, people don’t take advantage of this power! I’ve been in the car countless times when either I or someone else has turned to every possible station and said, “Nothing good is ever on the radio.” I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because we don’t do anything about it. We can call the radio stations to request songs that we want to hear.

So ladies and gentlemen, I want to encourage you to do two things. One, be a critic of the music you listen to and have standards. That’s not to say you should just listen to Radio Disney for the rest of your life, but know your limits, and be conscious of what is going into your ears. Secondly, realize that the music industry is by the people and for the people. It’s there to serve you. Take advantage of that supremacy and always feel free to call your radio station to request songs or to complain about overplayed songs.  Let’s make a difference. I’ll be listening.

I’m sure my classmate didn’t intend to come across as rude but hasn’t everyone learned from a young age about “using your inside voice”?  Teenagers often abandon the little words of wisdom parents enstill in them throughout their lifetimes, which sometimes can lead to them looking bad in situations like the one presented.  To me, screaming at a restaurant is just inappropriate.

To put the cherry on top, she was not the only one terrorrized by the squid, someone at my table was fascinated by the tentacles and displayed his amusement by picking them up and dangling them in front of people’s faces.  The chaos was overwhelmingly embarrassing.

I honestly do love all of my classmates, and I know that my manners are far from perfect, but I feel that we need to be more aware of how we present ourselves in public.  That’s not to say “act like a robot” but simply to be aware of those around you.  Manners aren’t to make us look good, they’re to promote general welfare and to respect others.  Other patrons at the restaurant must have been less than thrilled to hear all that screaming and squealing from the lungs of teenage girls and I doubt the waiters were amused.

Although not ideal, this experience was edifying.  It taught me to be more aware of how I present myself in public.  I admit there have been times I’ve been in a public place and was too loud or simply wasn’t using the best of manners.  I know now that I need to be attentive to those around me, and conscious of how I act.

The first look is casual, which is the simplest.  I used Maybelline’s “Sparkle” black eyeshadow.  I just dabbed it on Svetlana’s eyelid with my finger, and made sure it was evenly blended all over her lid.  Make sure you don’t go too far past the crease of your eye.  You want to avoid having any dark color on your browbone.  I finished the look  with a thin line of Bobbi Brown gel liner, outlining both her top and bottom eyelids, and brushed two coats of Loreal’s Lash Stilleto Mascara into her lashes.

Subtly is key in the second look.  This is perfect for those days you want to look fresh with just a little bit of edge, or if you’re younger and still trying to stay away from dark eyeshadow.  However, dark colors on younger girls just doesn’t look right.  It makes me sad to see girls in junior high or even freshman trying to look older, when in reality they look like peacocks.  Anyways, that’s where this look comes in handy.  I used Bare Minerals i.d. eyeshadow (color was “whisper”).  I mixed the pigment with water, and covered Svetlana’s eyelid with the pale and youthful pink. I then outlined her eye with black eyeshadow, using a brush to dab it along the top and bottom of her lashline.  I used Loreal Stilleto Mascara, but no eyeliner.

For a dramatic look, we went all out!  I began with Bare Minerals i.d. eyeshadow (color was “Queen Phyllis”).  Again, I mixed it with water, and painted it onto her eyelids.  Any metallic color would be fit perfectly. After her eyes were sparkling, I used an eyeshadow brush to blend the black eyeshadow from the outer corner of her eye through the crease, lightly following her lashline.  Using a cotton swab, I wiped off any eyeshadow that went too far from her eyelids and made sure that no black eyeshadow was on her brow bone.  I added another layer of “Queen Phyllis”, this time loosely, with no added water.  After eyeliner was smoothly swept along her lashline and mascara was added to her lashes, the dramatic look was finished.

Every Monday through Friday, I am forced to roll out of bed before the sun rises, get dressed, brush my teeth, paint makeup onto my face, and try to reason with my hair.  Sound familiar?  This is a proverbial routine for most teenagers, as school is the commanding factor in daily life.  To add even more fluency into the mix, I wear a school uniform.  Every day, I button a blue plaid skirt around my waist, wiggle my fingers into the sleeves of a buttoned sleeved oxford shirt, and dress my feet in black shoes.

There are many arguments for and against school uniforms.  Some say that uniforms aid students in avoiding distractions in school. Others argue that they strip a student of individuality.  It is certain that uniforms take away most distractions.  For example, uniforms are not comfortable.  Tights itch, girls have to be constantly aware of their skirts, shirts must be tucked in, and hair must be neatly polished. There is no room for laziness.  It helps us to sit up straight and stay alert in school, rather than being lulled to sleep by the comfort of a t-shirt and jeans.  Also, trying to pick out an outfit to wear in the morning is absolutely tedious sometimes, and school uniforms eliminate that frustration.

Many believe that students lose the liberation and expression of individuality when being forced to wear a uniform.  On the contrary, a student’s personality can shine brighter when she isn’t wearing the façade of clothing.  People often try to define themselves by the clothes they wear. Clothes are indeed an expression of personality.

However, true identity is found more deeply in how one acts, not what one wears. For example, when I’m at home, I wear comfortable pajamas. When I’m out with friends, I’ll swap those for leggings, a mini dress, lots of rings, and high heels.  In this process, who I am underneath my clothes doesn’t change.  Wearing a school uniform gives more opportunity to express yourself, because when people see you, they just see you, not the clothes you are hiding behind.  You are forced to express yourself beyond means of superficiality.

Of course, there are days that I wish I could strut into school wearing a new outfit.  Other days I want to roll out of bed and sneak into school wearing just my pajamas.   In the end, I know that my knife pleated skirt and white oxford shirt are to my benefit, and I carry much pride in being able to represent my school in excellence.

The Beatles revolutionized music within their nine years as a band, and even over forty years later, they continue to be a chief influence to musicians around the world. Within a decade, they went from being a local English band to a legendary icon worldwide. Not only are they appealing audibly but visually. For these particular reasons, it only made sense to Drake to dedicate an entire game of Rock Band to them. The process, as you can imagine, was not easy. The creative developers worked with the Beatles’ own Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, as well as Yoko Ono to represent the late John Lennon and Olivia and Dhani Harrison on behalf of George Harrison. They were meticulously involved in the entire process of creating an experience that allows other people to stand in their shoes, play their music, and belt out their beloved hits. Drake admits that it was very hard to please all five members of the Beatles’ party, but in the end all the criticism only made the game better. The project was evidently successful, as over one million copies of the game have already been sold.

As any Beatles fan knows, the British foursome was deeply into love and charity. Stone Chin (PR for Xbox) helped make it possible for The Beatles Rock Band users to follow in their footsteps. Unlike most video games, this game is beneficial globally. Any time someone purchases “All You Need is Love” at the online Xbox store, proceeds go to a Charity called “Doctors Without Borders”, which provides assistance in nearly 60 countries to people threatened by

violence, diseases, etc. Perhaps you’d like a hand painted Beatles Xbox console. Fifty exquisite consoles have been made, and each will be auctioned off for “Doctors Without Borders” as well. The last hand painted Xbox 360 was auctioned for $18,000.

The Beatles Rock Band for Xbox 360 captures the very essence of all that is The Beatles. It is full of their greatest songs, gives money to charity, and educates children in music appreciation, inspiring them with the hits of the greatest band of the yesterday, today, and surely of tomorrow.

For more information on “Doctors Without Borders”, go to www.doctorswithoutborders.org.
John Drake is also the drummer for The Main Drag, a Boston-based band in which all five members are employees of Harmonix. You may recognize their song “Jagged Gorgeous Winter” from Rock Band 2.