A look back at 12 years of school

It is hard to believe that I have completed 12 years of school. There have been many good times and I have learned a lot over the years. So just what happened those 12 years while I was in school? Here is a list of some of my best memories throughout school. Some are funny and some are just interesting.

>  On my first day of school I got lost as I boarded the wrong bus to come home.
>  I played the role of Q in the letter people play. I got married to a girl who played U.
>  I leaned back too far in my chair and hit my head on the desk behind me.
>  My hat was thrown over the fence and into a graveyard that was next to the school.
>  I went to the bathroom in my pants in art class.
>  I made the principals math club and got to go on a limo ride to Pizza Hut.
>  My 5^th grade class spent a few days at a campsite and I hated every minute of it.
>  A group of us played kick the can at lunch.
>  In 7^th grade we took a class trip to Chicago.
>  I started reading the newspaper in study hall and have not quit since.
>  Mr. Huff told us he kept toenail clippings in his desk.
>  Civil war camp
>  8^th grade trip to Washington DC
>  I knew a guy that looked like the miner 49er.
>  I entered high school with no clue what it would be like.
>  The first two years of high school were boring and not very exciting.
>  I joined yearbook junior year.
>  John McCain held a rally at our school.
>  I joined the school newspaper as a community reporter.
>  I was an editor on the yearbook with all girls.
>  I graduated at EJ Thomas on June 4^th.

Whatever happened to the good old days?

Whatever happened to the days when life was so simple? When you had nothing to worry about expect to make the decision if you wanted chocolate or vanilla pudding for lunch. It seems like just yesterday when life was so simple. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days when all I did was play all day and I had nothing to worry about. Those days are long gone and all that is still around is the memories of the good old days.
Now that I have graduated there is no turning back. It is time to enter the real world where everything is not easy. Life is tough, but many new doors will begin to open as I enter the real world. I am looking forward to my journey in life no matter where it takes me, but sometimes I wish I could just go back to those good old days. The days where I played with Legos and ate crackers with peanut butter on them are over. Life was good, but I am sure that my life ahead will be fun and exciting also.

Walking the stage

I have just completed another huge step in my life. As Thursday approached I never really thought a whole lot about my big day. Thursday morning came and I went to my graduation practice, but it still did not hit me that I was graduating in a few hours. Arriving at EJ Thomas I watched as my classmates walked in. As I walked in the precession I was surprised by how many people were there and how bright the lights were on stage. As I took my seat and listened to the speeches that were given I thought to myself that some of the students in my class I will never see again. As I lined up to walk across the stage, my heart started to beat faster and faster. I kept my cool and stood up straight as I prepared to walk across the stage. As I heard my name called I walked at a normal pace and collected my diploma. It was such a good feeling to walk across that stage and know that I was done with school. Returning to my seat I thought to myself about all I had done the past 12 years. I really was glad that my family was able to attend the
ceremony because it was a big step in my life. It still has not hit me that I graduated and that I am done with school for life. Sooner or later the feeling will hit me, but it feels really good being a high school grad.

Journalism class was a blast

When I stepped into Mr. DeVitis’s room I wondered if I would enjoy the course or not. I had never had Mr. DeVitis before so I had no clue of his teaching style. The class was journalism which produces our school paper. I looked around the room seeing many faces I had never seen before. There were a few students from my senior class but it was mostly dominated by juniors and sophomores. As the first day came to a close I had a good feeling that I was really going to enjoy the class. As days and weeks passed I tried to get to know everyone in the class, but it is hard to remember all those names. Over the period of a few weeks I made a lot of new friends which was great because I think if everyone in the class gets along then we can produce a better newspaper. As we planned for our first issue, I was getting more and more excited about my name being printed in the paper along with an article each month.
   I admit that my first article was not that great and I think Mr. DeVitis also agreed, but I knew that this course would help me improve my writing skills. Now that 18 weeks has passed I can tell you that my writing has improved. Writing has always been something that I have really enjoyed all my life. Currently I write articles for school newspaper, the high school page in the Akron Beacon Journal and some article I just write and post on my blog. It always felt really good to open a school newspaper and see my name in there. I wrote on some topics that most students would not even think of, but I enjoyed writing every article I wrote. I love writing about things in the community so maybe that is why I wrote about road projects and new stores.
   My classmates were all great students but some really stuck out to me as all around good students. Sure you had Erica, Liz and Selania who were always laughing and joking around everyday and then there was Starkey who always said my weather forecast would be wrong. I think one of the best days was when Nick Nussen was writing his love stories and I sang “Love it’s a Nussen thing.” He really enjoyed my silly singing which turned out to be very funny among the entire class.
   Everyday was different in newspaper because some days we would write and other days we would learn skills to help improve our writing skills. I never really cared for grammar, but you have to use good grammar if you want to write good articles. It was fun working with my department to help put together a great section. I was the only guy in my department which was fine with me because I was surrounded by women. The class was never boring or dumb, but it was fun and very informative. It is a real shame that there will be no newspaper next semester but I have the year end spectacular to look forward to.
   There was a lot of hard work that went into each and every one of the newspapers we printed. All the writers did a terrific job putting together each story to the best of their ability. What would we have done without all the editors that worked so hard to make our paper error free and flow smoothly? I cannot praise the layout department enough as they worked long hard hours placing article after article. Most of all I would like to thank Mr. DeVitis because without him the entire school newspaper would have never happened. We all worked hard one way or another and I enjoyed working with every individual that put time into the paper. It is a real shame that I waited until senior year to take newspaper, but sometimes they say you should always leave the best for last so in my case I may have saved the best class for my final year of high school.

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas Day and I would like to wish everyone a safe and very Merry Christmas. I know it seems like Christmas came really fast this year, but it does always. I will be spending the day with family and friends as will many others around the world. Of course I am spending the morning with my computer, because when your a journalist there is always something that needs done.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

80 great years

Pauline Kowal turned 80 years old on Tuesday October 28th, but you would never know she is that old. She does more things at the age of 80 than I can do at the age of 17. Pauline washes clothes, irons, and cooks almost everyday. She keeps a clean house and loves watching game shows in the afternoon. Sometimes she will fall asleep during Match Game, but she is just resting up for The Tonight Show, which comes on at 11:30 P.M. The Browns, Indians, Cavs, and Ohio State are other teams that she loves to watch. 
She starts the day with two pieces of wheat bread toasted and a cup of coffee. Then it is off to the dining room to read the Beacon Journal. The Beacon Journal is a very important part of her morning because she always wants to know what is going on in the community. Lunch is usually a sandwich and a glass of pineapple juice. Dole Pineapple Juice is one of her favorite beverages as she has several glasses a day. Dinner usually consists of one of her many home cooked meals. Some of her best meals are hamburgers and fries, potato pancakes, French toast, meatloaf and my favorite spaghetti and meatballs. Did I mention she makes some of the best-mashed potatoes? I don’t know how she makes them, but they are the best thing ever. Speaking of potatoes, her potato salad is by far the best potato salad on the face of the earth.
She sends us to the store almost everyday, but what do expect from someone who cooks such great meals. I know she loves her house in Akron because there is always something go on in the neighborhood. Maybe it is a kickball or basketball game or just a noisy old car going down the road.
I know she shows love and respect to every person she knows. I don’t know what I would do with out this great woman. She has taught me a lot of neat tricks throughout life that I will always remember. I know I can talk to her about any subject anytime. I love her very much because she is a very special person.

Summer comes to an end

Tomorrow is my first day as a senior. WOW, where does time go. It’s unreal that it’s time to go back to school. It seems like just yesterday it was June. Am I worried? No. Am I sad? No. I am ready for my final year of high school. Sure I’ll miss the late nights of watching Jay Leno, and sleeping in until 9. In a way it will great to see my friends again and enjoy my final year.
Schedule:
Government
Tran. to college math
Yearbook
Newspaper
Those are my classes for the first 18 weeks of school. It will be hard to go back, but it will be fine in another way.

Another birthday for a great guy

Mike Kowal will turn 52 this Saturday, but that’s the least of his worries. Mike doesn’t really have any worries because he is a laid back kind of guy. He doesn’t let anything stand in his way. Sure a piece of pizza or a drumstick might sit on his plate, but it’s nothing to really worry about. Mike never gets
upset unless a car up at Lou’s won’t start. Cars are food to Mike because he can’t seem to get enough of them. It seems like he is always tinkering with a van or truck. No matter the make or model, he can fix it. Besides cars there’s a lot more to his life. Does he really have to go to Borders every
week?
Is there really going to be a new music book or magazine at Borders every week? I’ve learned to live with his love and passion for music. It’s just like him putting up with the 1000 times I call him a day.
Hey Mike can you look at this?
My engine blows smoke?
My tire needs air?
You think you could look at this?
Those questions are nothing new to Mike as he hears them on a daily basis. Lou’s Performance is where is loves spending his days working on cars and collecting cash. Working on what he loves and making a buck here and there is great for him.
He may be turning 52 years old, but he’s still a teenager deep down. Basketball and Kickabll are two of his favorite games to play with the kids in the neighborhood. “It keeps me young” Mike says.
Where do I even start with his reading room? Books, Magazines, CD’s, DVD’s, and there all about cars and rock and roll. He likes to spend a lot of his time reading and keeping up on his favorite rock and roll artists. Below an Eric Clapton poster usually lays Mike snoozing after a long day at work.
He lives a neat lifestyle because he’s always there for you. The word NO doesn’t exist in his mind. The only time you hear the word no is if this question is posed:
Are you done working on that car?
NO
He’s kind of a picky eater, but pizza is his middle name. Sure it might take him an hour to finsh a piece of pizza, but he likes to enjoy every bite. Don’t forget the famous Potato chip sandwhich. Potato chips on a bun with a glass of water hits the spot as a midnight snack. His middle name is John, not Pizza, but he’s considering changing it.
Jokes and laughing are another big part of his life. He’s always making a joke about something. Maybe he’s marching through Giant Eagle or lying in the middle of the driveway, he’s a character.
Bad days for Mike hardly exist because he’s always getting the job done. Sure he might have had a belly ache from some chicken, but he survived.
He’s a man with a lot of love and talent. He puts a lot of pride into everything he does even if it’s making a sandwhich. I’ve learned to put up with some of the things he does. He’s a great guy all around, and we all love him.

Final year will be different

As my final year of school approaches, it’s hard to believe this will be the last. It seems like just yesterday I was boarding a bus for 1st grade. A lot of great memories were born over the 11 years of school. I remember getting lost on the bus and 5th grade camp. There were a lot of good times, and a few bad ones.
I had a lot of great teachers over the years and made a lot of great friends.
Here I am heading into senior year thinking towards the future. The summer sure went fast, but it always does. I’m never ready to go back to school, but it will be great to see my friends again. They say that you have some of the best times in high school. That statement is 100% true. High school is like the key to the future because you’re set free. Things are much different in high school, but it’s a lot of fun.
This year will be different compared to past years. Sure I will have senior pictures, graduation, and senior payback day, but two new principals are taking over at Green High School. Mr. Wells and Mr. Geis will no longer be at the school. They weren’t principals to me at all. They were like friends. The two new principals will be different, but I’ll get to know them. Things will be different, but I’ll learn to live with it.

An update from Eric

A lot of you are wondering where in the world I have been right? Today Sunday June 15th is the first day since June 5th that I have touched my computer. That’s ten days without getting online, well I take that back because I did get online at the library last week. So where have I been? Grandma K’s is the answer. The day school let out, June 5th I went to my grandmas to do a major painting project. I had it all planned out and everything is going well. I am painting two bedrooms, the trim (woodwork), and getting new carpet installed in these rooms at my grandmas. It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of work. That’s where I have been for the last week and a half, but I’m not done yet. I will be finishing up the entire project this week and should be done this coming Friday. A lot has been going on and I can’t wait to get back into my office and start writing and blogging. Have a great week everyone and we’ll talk this coming weekend. I am sure to have lots of painting stories.