Mock Trial

As I sit here, looking at the blank screen, an idea comes to me. Why don't I post my opening statement that I gave for mock trial? People might find it interesting! Wait, but maybe I shouldn't. I mean, who really like mock trial outside of those who participate?

Oh well, I'm posting it anyway.

May it please the court, Your Honors, opposing council, members of the jury. In life, there are many choices. No matter the choice, it always affects someone in either a positive or negative way. In the early morning hours of May 21^st 2012, Dustin Beaver made a choice, to drink and drive, that negatively affected Freddie Ferris.

On May 20^th of 2012, it was prom night for Liberty High School. Starting at 8 pm., the students had a great time, dancing the night away. When it ended at 11:30, the students could go from Liberty Catering to the Liberty High School Gym, where the parents chaperoned an “after prom” party. Many students chose not to go, Dustin Beaver and his friends included. These seven students, Lee and Lauri Lincoln, Alex Alvaro, Rene(e) Robbins, Pat Painter, Janet Johnson, and Dustin Beaver instead went to Shelly Beach Marina. They went out in 2 boats, one owned by Mr. Beaver and one owned by Alex Alvaro. The students anchored out on the St. Croix River, drinking, talking, and having a good time. After a while, Rene(e) Robbins suggested to go tubing, so Alex Alvaro hitched two tubes to the back of his boat. These two boats started speeding down the river. Dustin yelled to Alex "Let's take it to the bridge!" and began to head towards Railroad Bridge. Freddie Ferris, a sophomore, and his friends were swimming in the area by Point Douglas Beach, near Railroad Bridge. He went missing after the boats driven by Dustin Beaver and Alex Alvaro drove past the area. He was found dead after 4 days. The evidence will show that the cause of death, blunt force trauma, along with the injuries sustained on Mr. Ferris' person are consistent with being hit by a boat. Mr. Beaver stands trial as an adult, as determined by a Lakota Grand Jury. Mr. Beaver's charges are Aggravated Manslaughter in the First Degree and Death by Vehicular Homicide in the Second Degree.

Your Honors, today the prosecution bears the burden of proof. We must prove to you today,

without a reasonable doubt, that Dustin Beaver is guilty of both charges. Which means that, when we're all done here today, you will be able to make a sound decision in our favor, without valid reasoning against our accusations. For Aggravated Manslaughter, we must prove to you that Dustin Beaver recklessly caused the death of Freddie Ferris and did so under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life. For Death by Vehicular Homicide, we must prove to you that Dustin Beaver caused the death of Freddie Ferris by recklessly operating a vessel. This will not be a difficult task to accomplish.

To help prove our case, we will call Detective Eric Evans, Lee Lincoln, and Dr. Shelly Storm. Detective Evans will testify that the younger a person is, there is an increased likelihood of an accident, Freddie Ferris and his friends, who were swimming, were screaming, and finally, that the cause of death of Freddie Ferris and his injuries are consistent with being hit by a boat. Mr/Ms. Lincoln will testify today that Mr. Beaver was drinking a large amount, he was driving recklessly, and finally that Mr. Beaver did not care that he may have hit a swimmer.

Dr. Storm will testify that s/he reviewed the affidavits of Lee Lincoln, Alex Alvaro, Rene(e) Robbins, and spoke with Detective Evans, created a toxicology report that showed Mr. Beaver's BAC was 0.08% or above, and finally that gradual variations in drinking habits are insignificant.

In life, there are many choices. No matter the choice, it always affects someone in either a positive or negative way. In the early morning hours of May 21^st, 2012, Dustin Beaver made a choice, to drink and drive, that negatively affected Freddie Ferris. I ask the members of the jury to find Mr. Beaver guilty of Aggravated Manslaughter in the First Degree and Vehicular Homicide in the Second Degree. 

Publisher's Note: I did copy and paste this from the original document I typed. Enjoy!

Rhett and Link

I'm not sure if I could get in trouble for using that for my title, cuz I'm pretty sure it's trademarked. Anyways, I recently, thanks to my amazing Religion teacher, "stumbled" upon some YouTube videos made by two guys named Rhett and Link. This will be a short post, I promise. These two are very good at making people laugh! If you want to see something that makes fun of Christmas Carols, look up "YouTube Caption Fail: Christmas Carols." If you want to watch an awesome music video, look up "My Favorite Pillow (Backwards)." These are both very funny videos. I hope you check them out and they make you laugh!

Musicals

I guess I forgot some things in my recent posts. I've always meant to post the fact that I was triple casted in my school's musical, however I get different ideas of what to post as I stare at the blank screen. This year, we are performing the Wizard of Oz, and I play a Munchkin, a Poppy, and a Beautician. As a Munchkin, I get to dance in a silly way. I get to make all the parts that are not choreographed in the song whatever I want. I can jump up and down, I can dance, I can even sit down! I'm not sure exactly what I do as a Poppy, but I do know that I try to hinder Dorthy and Crew from going to Emerald City. As a Beautician, I get to stuff the Scarecrow with new straw. I'm having a lot of fun with my parts, but I don't like the fact that I've had to practice over my Christmas break. I also don't fully know the dance for the Beautician (I had missed a day due to sickness), so I'm a little behind. Also, I think that some of the Munchkins learned an extra dance that I also need to know, but I can't find anyone who can teach me (I'm a little stressed over this!!). Anyway, the musical is a little different from the movie, and I think the musical has more jokes than the movie. That's all I really have to post, so I'll wish you all a Happy New Year!!

Random Things About Me

Since my friend Will Sonnek decided to post 25 random things about himself, I decided I would do the same. If you want to read his blog, you can find it at: http://maximum-effect.blogspot.com

Random Things About Me

1. I tend to run around, rushing to get from place to place. I get involved in a lot of extra things that are not school or homework related.
2. I really enjoy my Catholic faith. I do feel that my Church and my Catholic friends have really helped me get through some hard times.
3. I have recently gotten addicted to a game called "Bloons Tower Defense." It is highly addictive, so I would not recommend playing it. However, if you want, you can find it at www.ninjakiwi.com
4. I have an awesome time during Religion class. Want to know the reason why? My teacher plays interesting videos, such as Guy on a Buffalo. If you want to watch the videos, look them up on YouTube.
5. I don't follow fashion trends. Why bother? A t-shirt and jeans are all I need.
6. I don't wear makeup. I've had a lot of people ask me, "What makeup do you use? Your skin looks so natural!" I reply with, "I don't wear makeup." Seeing the shock on their face is funny, but I truly don't wear makeup. Well, that's a white lie. I don't often wear makeup, and when I do my friends have normally done it. It's not quite my style (they load it on a little), but I'm learning how to use makeup myself.
7. I read a lot! I've already finished 2 books over my very short Christmas break.
8. I'm a big fan of dark chocolate.
9. I like braids.
10. I make friends very quickly. I'm friends with people that I email, but I only met face to face once. I also have friends on Facebook that I've never met face to face.
11. A friend of mine always argues with me on how I do my hair. I like to leave it in braids with a part to the side (not extremely to the side), she wants me to put it in a high ponytail and comb/bush my hair in the front over my head to get rid of the part.
12. I like Star Wars.
13. I like Star Trek.
14. I like Star Gate.
15. I like Doctor Who.
16. I like Science Fiction shows/movies.
17. I think J.R.R Tolkien is one of the best writers.
18. The Hobbit is my favorite book, and I have yet to see the movie.
19. The Princess Bride is my favorite movie.
20. I like to knit, and if I have a project that needs to get done, I will take it with me. I will take it to a party, I will take it on a long car trip, I will even take it to Steubenville North and I will work on it.
21. I like Ninja!
22. I really like acting.
23. I hate working on an essay, since a blank page robs me of any ideas.
24. I get to see some of my cousins once every 2 years.
25. I have an older brother that most people know nothing about.

That's all I can come up with, I hope you like it!

Late Nights

Well, despite what I used to think, I am not a night owl. Why do I say this? After 9:30, I make interesting tiepos (that was intentional). At 10, I can't think straight. Also, I have a few nights that also attest to this fact.

This summer I helped at a camp (I was the lifeguard) for diabetics. It's actually a really fun place to be. The first night I was there, only the counselors and lifeguards were at the camp. Myself and the other two lifeguards were up talking. Around 9:30, we heard splashing in the lake. I put on my swimsuit and went to investigate. It turned out that all the guy counselors decided to play "King of the Raft." I, being myself, decided to join them. The water wasn't too deep, which was a good thing since we couldn't use the ladder (it was broken). I ended up with a huge bruise from climbing on the raft, I guess I moved too fast. After we were done, we went back to our cabins to get into dry clothes. We all then returned to the campfire, which Calder had started. I tried to convince the other lifeguards to come, but it was 11 at night and they wanted to sleep. After an hour of sitting around the campfire and instructing the lifeguard (me) on all the camp games and traditions, someone suggested playing volleyball. At first we said no, but after someone said we could turn the headlights on the cars on, we thought it wasn't that bad of an idea. Well, after an hour of playing something, you can't really call it volleyball, some of us went back to the fire. At about 2:30, I said that I had to go get sleep, I had to watch kids swim tomorrow. I crept back into my cabin and laid in my bed, but I couldn't sleep. I was in the odd state where you think you're sleeping, but you're really awake. At about 4 in the morning, all of the lifeguards woke up. We talked for a while, walked around the camp, and came back to the cabin. I slept soundly after that.

The next morning, I woke up at 7, before anyone else was really awake. I had seen Kevin go, headed towards the road to run, but that was the only person I saw until 9. Turns out, we didn't have to be up until 10, which was when all of the kids were coming. At 11, the lifeguards took the kids down to the water to tell them the rules, give them a swim test, and determine the level they were at. Most of the kids passed our swim test and were allowed to swim all the way to the raft. Or walk, depending on how tall you were. By 9 at night, after much exercise and fun, all the campers were in bed. Those in the lifeguard cabin, however, had no one to take care of but ourselves at this point, so we stayed up until 11 talking. After hunkering down for the night, I discovered that I couldn't sleep. I was up until about 4 in the morning, again. The other two lifeguards woke up about then, so we talked for a while. We once again got up out of bed and walked around the camp. I slept soundly again, worried about the next day.

I woke up at 6 this time, and walked around the camp for a while. By 8, everyone else was awake and we had breakfast. The lifeguards didn't have to work until 1 in the afternoon, so we went back to our cabin. I wanted to sleep, but the other lifeguards were gossiping and playing music too loud. Not much happened that night, besides playing Capture the Flag. This night, I was determined to get a lot of sleep. Right before I did, the other lifeguards came in, talking and singing as per usual. Once again, I found myself tossing and turning late into the night. At 4 in the morning, the other two lifeguards woke up and we went walking around the camp. Back in our cabin, I feel asleep instantly.

I woke up at 7 this morning, and headed down to my friend's cabin. I sat and chatted with her and her cabin mates until it was time to go to breakfast. The lifeguards didn't have to work until 1 in the afternoon again, so I went back to the cabin to try and get more sleep. Well, someone was against me that week, because the campers continually ended up near my cabin, shouting "Have you seen Bob?" Bob was the counselors' way to scare the kids. He really didn't exist. By the time we had to work, I was beyond tired. I nearly fell asleep on the raft! Just an f.y.i, lots of kids were jumping around the raft at the time. This night was dance night, and my friend and I worked really hard on a dance. We did so just because we didn't know if there was to be a dance contest or not. There was, and I fell on my bottom. The reason why is that it was my turn to trust fall, and she forgot that part of the routine. Well, I thought the dancing would tire me out, and I would get to sleep earlier than I had in the past. Turns out, it didn't. I was up, tossing and turning until 4 in the morning (do you see a pattern yet?), when the other lifeguards woke up. Once again, we walked around the campground, came back to our cabin, and I fell asleep.

It's the second to last day of camp. I woke up at 6, and then went to my friend's cabin at 7. This day passed with no unusual events. That is, until 9 at night. The counselors and myself had an eating party in the kitchen. It was to get rid of all the extra food, since we couldn't serve it all by noon of the next day. Well, after stuffing my face and hearing a lot of blonde jokes (all aimed at me), I went back to my cabin. After tossing and turning late into the night, the other lifeguards woke up and 4 in the morning. For the last time, we walked around the campground and headed back to our cabin. I fell asleep.

The last day! It was a bitterly cold day, so the adult in charge of the lifeguards said that the lake was closed and we did not have to work. I tried to sleep in, but at 7:30 the other two lifeguards woke me up. I went to my friend's cabin and was there until 8, waiting for breakfast. Well, at about 10 in the morning, I went to my cabin to pack. I hear Kevin shout, "Hey Lifeguard!" I whirled around and shouted, "Hey Kevin!" Kevin then proceeded to shoot me, and I died over the railing of my cabin's stairs. Now, I must tell you, that Kevin shot me with an invisible poison dart. If anyone would like to know how to play, comment below. Well, after being dead for 5 minutes, one of the boys Kevin was in charge of came over and pulled the poison dart out of my neck. I thanked him, and proceeded to pack. The other lifeguards had left already, saying they needed to leave early. At noon, I called my mother, telling her that I didn't need to be picked up until 3. She told me that my neighbor, who was also at the camp, was coming home with us. At 3, no one was there besides some of the counselors, myself, and my neighbor. I called my mother, wondering where she was. Turns out, she got lost. At 3:30, my mother finally showed up. As I was putting my suitcase in the trunk, I said "Mom, could you wait a second? I have to get Kevin one last time before I leave." I turned around and was shot. It turns out, Kevin wanted to get me first. I died in the trunk, which he proceeded to try to shove me in. Thank goodness one of the counselors, Pierce (who reminded me of my uncle), pulled the dart out of my neck. As we drove away, I was able to get Kevin. After we turned away from the camp, I fell asleep. I stayed asleep until we got to my neighbor's house, where my friend was waiting for me. Turns out, she wanted to have a sleepover. I tried to convince her to go back to her house, but I failed. After staying up until 11, I finally got some sleep. I slept until 1 in the afternoon.

So, this is proof that, no matter what I thought, I am not a night owl. I hope you enjoyed this post, since it is probably my longest one yet.

Snow!!

Anyone who knows me very well will know that I get a little crazy when snow is involved. Well, that's an understatement. I go COMPLETELY crazy around snow. I'm sure it doesn't help that I have a March birthday. The reason I bring this up is because it snowed here in my little town a few weeks ago. However, none of the snow stayed on the ground. It upset one person on our football team, whose dream is to play football while it's snowing or when there's snow on the ground.
Speaking of my football team, we won our section game and we are now going to play against the Loyola Cardinals at Rochester! We're all hoping to win this game and go on to play at the Dome! I'm probably hoping for this more than some of the fans, since I really want to see my older brother. The connection? He lives in Minneapolis and is willing to help play pep band for our Dome game (if we get there).
Back to snow: I really want snow for another reason. It gives me an excuse to come home and drink hot chocolate, go outside and have snowball fights, and build snow forts. It gives me a reason to act like a kid again. If anyone agrees with me, leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite thing about snow is!

Minnesota Weather and Football Games

"I'M COLD!!"
This was the constant topic at our football game. I have no idea how cold it was, but I do know that I can't feel my toes, my ears are freezing, and I can't type well. However, we played a good game: 62-18, keeping our record for the year 8-0. Anyways, that's all I really had for a post.


WAIT!! I forgot to tell you guys. I think it started snowing during half-time! I can't wait for it to snow!!! Then I will have more to talk about. Also, I wrote a letter to One Direction. They're my new favorite band. Oh, and Will (Ben too): I HAVE NOTHING IMPORTANT TO SAY!


That's all, I just had to say that.