Over night adventure

So here we are, the last day of the epic upperclassmen overnight. Over these past four
days, it was filled with laughter, bonding, love, hate, and just pure amazingness. We awoke at the
crack of dawn, 6:30 AM! And after having all life sucked out of you between nature walks,
mono tone documentaries, swimming with sting rays, and pranks that could last a life time, just
getting up alone was a mission. Last night, we had our big family dinner at Applebee’s.
Everyone (except one of the more retro mentors, Julian) dressed in their best possible attire, as
some may say “we were stuttin’.” After a delicious meal, we headed back to the bus where the
rap battle between Mr. Torri White and Marckenson Dumell occurred, and let’s just say, no one
will ever forget it. As we said our final goodbyes and goodnights of the evening, among
approaching the hotel, a sudden bitter sweetness overcame the atmosphere.
This morning, once on the bus, we settled into our cozy corners, suffocated with oversized stuffed
animals, and soft blankets as frosty, artic air swirled around the bus, grey, gloomy, and heavily
raining outside, perfect for napping. Which was what almost everyone was doing until we
arrived at the aquarium. For an hour and a half to two hours, we were engulfed by the majesty of
graceful stingrays, misunderstood sharks, mesmerizing jellyfish, and tons of playful fish. Not to
mention the uncomfortable amount of screaming children.
Back on the bus once again, on our way to grab some grub at a local fast food chain
restaurant. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water, but it also makes my heart hurt. The
rest of the day was basically cuddling with more teddy bears, our bellies full, and our minds
swimming about these past four days. Finally, we arrive, worn out, sleepy, and hungry once
again, sad, but glad to be home. We say goodbye once again, hopeful to meet up once again, on
Monday morning. -Leandra

Impact+ Tampa= Randomness

 After a four day long trip to Tampa with the program, I learned three things:
1. Not to trust Anthony,
2. Mike needs some help with finding bus safe areas
3. Nicole always finds a way to look weird

Let’s go in order by which lesson I learned first and that would be Mike with the bus situation. It was the third day of our four day trip and I wasn’t all too sure about our stop. Mostly, because from the very beginning of the trip we weren’t all too clear about what were the plans for the days. But it was all good and sometimes it worked out. Yet, back to the story. We were heading to our nature walk area place thingy and the bus driver kind of passes the entrance. This is where things mess up. The bus drove up to this round road with a puddle grass cover area which didn’t look like a puddle. So the bus tried to drive on this round road. Picture it, a big coach bus, narrow round road and a puddle acting as a grass area. All equals death or at least a stuck bus. And that what happened. After some failed tries of getting the bus out, with leaning to one side of the bus and some crazy ideas of pushing the bus out, we gave up and walked to the area building for the nature walk, just leaving the bus and its driver, all alone in the Florida Heat.

This led us to the not trusting Anthony part. After resting a bit, we headed off to our nature walk without much help but just a map and bad directions. We all broke into groups and my group consisted of Marckenson, Aminah, Raymond, Leandra, Me, Nicole, and of course Anthony. After a few minutes of Raymond’s bad map-reading skills and hopeless walking, we were kind of lost. This is when the son of evil Anothony, thought it would be funny to pick up a branch and toss it into a bush. Funny for him but it scared us. So much that we all jumped and Marckenson clung onto Raymond...such a manly move. After some anger and getting even more lost, we started to head back. This is when Anthony scared us again by hiding in a bush and jumping out. He scared me half to death and for a small second, I was going to hurt him. When you add in the silly string prank (earlier shenanigans), I learned not to trust Anthony and to keep a close eye on him. Later, near room check time, which is when the mentors check if we are in our room by lock in, Nicole always finds a way to look funny. Think of an old lady getting ready to go to bed and that is Nicole. From wearing a shower cap and face mask to brushing her teeth with a cap on and fuzzy socks...can you say Granny? It was just all kinds of funny. So, one night, I joined in and put the face mask on. We took a silly ghettolicious picture and created ghettolicious names to go with it. My name was La’Tanyoya “Tampa” O’Riley and Nicole’s name was Carlessa de la Quinta Zhou. It was just all to funny that now the picture is my lock screen picture.

-Amanda

Tampa Trip Whoo Whoo

Ok so last week the upperclassmen went to Tampa which was very fun. While we were there, we mainly were on the bus just laid back however; even on the bus can things get a little wild. On the first day everyone simply socialized talking joking and a little bit of arguing when it was time for dinner Amanda, the student, keep on trying to party for some reason but it was all good. On the second day it was just like the first however, the movies they placed were pretty darn epic. For example we saw movies like the expendables ll, the losers and much more. Even though we were only then bus for the rides to and from they were pretty nice and everywhere we looked there was some sort of beauty. Whether if it was the sky with its rainbows after the evil dark clouds fly away. To the water of tampa bay which was very pretty and blue. Even though these nice things all happened on the bus….we still had some type of mishaps. For example on the third day we had gone to a park reserve that had a horrible map lay out. But when we got there we had to hit a U turn and the bus back left wheel fell in a giant puddle. This left us walking to the actual preserve. The third night we had a wonderful rap battle bus between Marckenson and Touri in which my boy Marckenson won and is now the champ. That was our trip on the bus which was very fun :)
                                                                               

                                                        -Raymond

Home Sweet Home !

Home sweet home!  Oh boy does it feel good to be home in my own bed. After four long days with our friends and mentors. Who would ever imagine Tampa, FL for a place to be? Well I guess  its what you make of every situation. Oh did we make the best of it by pranking our mentors. With my partners and crime liz and Claudia we were ready to take action. Since day one as we left Miami we were plotting our very first move. Restocking and reloading supplies every chance we get at different rest stops. Now were ready set and all geared up waiting for the mentor first move so the war can begin! On Wednesday, July 10 mid-afternoon while setting near the pool side at the hotel the mentor makes their move with us not knowing.  Later as we head us to our room one by one we figure that they pranked us. Our rooms smelled like rotten eggs, we had shaving cream in our shoes, and stuff animals went missing. This was officially the start of the prank war. Claudia prepared her stank bomb, Liz had a bucket of ice, and I took the baby powder  and we were ready to attack. Waiting for the first chance we get to make are move we just sit and wait. Early Thursday morning we manage to get her room key and attack! Claudia planted the stank bomb, I threw baby powder on her clothes and Liz put ice on her bed. Now few may wonder don’t housekeeping clean up the rooms in the morning? Well we took care of that problem by letting front desk know that housekeeping is not needed in her room. As the day go on we laugh and joke at our accomplishment.  As were half way through the day we make are way back to the hotel and wait for the reaction on her face. Mad, frustrated, angry at we had done we just sit in the room waiting to see what happen next. Will she get us back? Did we win the war? Will she get us back? What will her next move be? Unknowing of what’s next to happen we just sit in our room and wonder. Then we got a phone call that change are home game plan. There was damage to the room and we will billed and have to spit the bill between the three of us. We were billed, we couldn’t believe it. Was the damage to that bad? Well the next question that came to mind was “How much”? Well our question was soon to be answered when mike sat us down and gave us the news. The hotel damage was 1000 dollar. Jaw dropping with the news we talked things over and figured how it was going to going to get paid. Devastated with thee news we just decided to back down form the war. Soon to find out the billing was a joke and the war has yet to be continued. 

-Rithly

What happens in Tampa...

Last week we went to Tampa for our overnight trip, we went to MOSI museum. It was
one of the first places we went to. During the trip we went to Weedon Island Preserve. Over there we
had a nature walk. It’s basically confusing the path...especially the map. After we went to
the museum. After that, we had dinner, everybody dressed nice and everything. We went to
Applebee’s. The food over there is delicious. My friend and I had basically tried 5 different types
of lemonades. My favorite is the blue raspberry. The blue raspberry is really good, and sweet.
Another thing is we also had a chocolate overload. But mostly me. When they came with the
chocolate cake and ice cream we attacked it. It’s really good, like chocolate heaven. Things went
down at the trip also. There are some things that have to be stayed between the juniors and seniors
and the mentors and at the trip. What happens at the trip stays at the trip. But one of them was
pranking. Almost everybody pranked the mentors. The mentors got some of us. But we also had
revenge...muahahaha.
-Denise

Simulator machine at the MOSI Museum

Two essentials on any trip: Hydration for our bodies and our phones :)

It's Just a Little Log

Last week the upperclassmen took a trip to Tampa. On Thursday, we went to Weedon Island State Preserve. We split up and went on a nature walk. On our walk Anthony, one of my friends, decided to scare everyone. He found a broken branch which looked more like a huge log. He picked it up and threw it into a bush. Leandra jumped at the sound. The funny part is that she saw Anthony pick the branch up, but she still jumped. Marckenson, another friend, jumped and screamed. He ran away from the source of the noise and movement. He later told us that he thought it was a giant animal. I believe I was the only one besides the perpetrator Anthony, who didn’t get frightened a little. After that mishap we continued on our nature walk. Anthony continued to try and frighten us but it but it didn’t work after the first time. At one point we believed we were lost. We were searching for Observation Tower, where we would be able to see all of the State Preserve. We were convinced we got lost but refused to turn around. So we continued on our journey to a destination unknown. When we finally reached our destination it was just a bay, not Observation Tower. After a minute of looking at it we just wanted to get back. We made our trek back to the building we started from. It was over. Later that day, we had someone who actually made it to Observation Tower show us the way. In the end, my journey wasn’t in vain. I eventually got to my original destination after some sweat—scratch that—a lot of sweat and a little bit of pain. -Nicole

Learning on the go

Today we awakened to undiscovered treasures and fun excitement waiting for us. We gathered at La Quinta breakfast hall and ate as the big dysfunctional family we really are. We later departed to this beautiful beach with marine animals we only see on TV or elaborate tanks. Being the responsible and knowledgeable seniors we didn’t have to do “Book Work” or “Activities”. My crazy and outgoing mentors Amanda and Laura decided to let us explore the beach and go out and explore the beautiful landscape. With that being said I and the rest of the class of 2014 graduates went in the water only to be swimming with wild Sting Rays!!! Can you believe that; well we sure didn’t, we only realized that we were swimming with these big birds until one hoped out the water to show his/her dominance and because I’m so smart that I got the clue and banged it out of the water.  Well after all the crazy excitement we went on this really cool nature walk were we heard the story of how the Englishmen came and destroyed 2/3 of the Native American population. The British accomplished this when they brought unknown and incurable diseases to the Native Americans and because they had no defense against these diseases they quickly died off leaving a poor and battered Native American population. What was really interesting though is we seen their living conditions and all the things they used to survive. The plants the fish the supplies, it was all there. I guess it was a real eye opener for me because living in the 21 century, I couldn’t imagine myself walking through thick forests to find food and supplies to make it to the next day. But it also was an inspiration to show how we as people don’t need a GPS system or a gas/electric stove to make it through the day. These Americans did everything without what we have now and they did it well. But enough about the Native Americans, we then proceed back to the Hotel for some rest because Lord know we need the break before dinner! -Liz

Learning about De Soto and the Native Americans in the Florida heat!

Beautiful Tampa Beaches!

Conquistadores like De Soto killed off countless Native Americans in the search for riches.