Programming
This is my third year of entering into Computer Science, but my first year of learning "actual coding", as my first two projects were made with the visual programming software Scratch. Scratch, while being a valuable tool to learn the basics of coding, is not considered actual coding.
My first year, I made a project I called "Music Studio", in which you clicked on different clipart of instruments to make that instrument's sound. There was also a piano you could play one note at a time on. Exciting!
My second year, or last year, I made a US states/capitals quiz, which doubled as a means to study for Scholastic Bowl (more info later). This year, I finally learned actual text coding. This website was constructed with HTML and CSS. I learned from Khan Academy and some research of my own.
Other 4-H
This is my fifth year in 4-H and as a member of the Leaping Lizards 4-H club based in Homer (not counting my three years as a Cloverbud). I've been a junior photographer and snack director for my club a couple times and this last year I was our secretary. My three other projects here at the expo are a knitted sheep-pattern hat in Heritage Arts, a sponge cake in Cooking 401, and a preservation combination of strawberry jam and pickles in Food Preservation. Out of all my projects, this one probably required the most learning and possibly the most time. I also participated in the 4-H Public Speaking contests at the county and state levels.
I don't know if it's really considered 4-H or not, but I also go to 4-H Camp every year. This year I got to go for two weeks and became a CIT! If you can go, you definitely should; it's my favorite place in the world, no exaggeration.
Outside of 4-H
Outside of 4-H, I am in quite a few other clubs/activities, and because I desperately want people to validate my hard work, I'm going to list some of my achievements with each one. My website, my rules.
Scholastic Bowl (the same as Quiz Bowl but with a nicer name) is a trivia competition, which yes, is exactly as nerdy as it sounds. I won't bore you with all the rules, so I'll just tell you that it's extremely fun and you get to learn a lot of new things. I'm going into my fourth year. I was the only fifth grader in my grade allowed to join and after I finish my eighth grade year, I'll be the only person in my school's history to have played on the Varsity team all four years. I have over a hundred toss-ups and I'm usually captain for at least half the game. I really, really, really love the sport (it is technically a sport) and I've made a lot of great memories and friends. I always wait for the entire year and then the season goes by in a flash.
I'm also really invested in Student Council, of which I am going into my third year as a member. I was our secretary my second year and this year I'm going to be president. I'm also a District Representative for the IAJHSC (Illinois Association of Junior High Student Councils). That means that I had to go to the overnight convention in Springfield and campaign; I gave speeches and I answered questions in front of my entire district (around 1/6 of the state). I also went around and talked with people along with presenting my posterboard. I had three other candidates running against me and, after a primary and general election, I was sworn in as Mideast District Representative. My duties as a DR include giving an opening speech at both district workshops, presenting and voting on a charity for us to raise money for, going to the IAJHSC summer leadership camp for a week (which included coming up with/deciding a theme, making a picture to present that theme in the ultimate graphics editor Microsoft Word, writing a speech in about an hour, and presenting said speech in front of the entire camp), acting as a messenger between my district and the state, and running the general sessions (speeches, presenting keynote speakers, performing a skit, etc.) at next year's convention in front of a thousand students, give or take. It is a lot of work, but I'm glad I got the opportunity and I love it so far. The other reps are absolutely wonderful and I'm so happy I got to meet them.
A new club for me (and the rest of my school) this past year was STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) club. Aside from a few projects like wiring a model city, controlling a replica smart house, and launching model rockets, the main focus was on the competition hosted by the University of Illinois' Engineering Open House. The object was to build a small boat from a very specific list of recycled materials. My team's final design ended up being a milk jug with a straw-and-bottle apparatus on opposite sides. The straws allowed the milk jug to sink down in the water when weight was added while keeping the bottles, our main flotation devices, on the surface, effectively stabilizing it. It took forever to come up with that design and to construct a working model, but it was worth it. While we didn't win any awards for weight held, we did win "Most Innovative" and "Judge's Choice", so there's that! All in all, I really enjoyed STEM club and look forward to designing and creating something new next year!
Another new club introduced this past year was MathCOUNTS club. You can probably imagine what it consisted of- lots and lots of MATH. We had practices and tournaments and such, but again, our main focus was a competition. I won't try to tell you that it was incredibly exciting, because all it was was a bunch of timed math packets, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. We didn't win any big awards, but we did do pretty well for our first year, so I'm okay with that. I've always loved math, so I'm glad there's finally a school-sponsored outlet for it other than the regular curriculum.
Not all of my interests are so...analytical. I also really, really enjoy music, which is why I'm in band, jazz band, chorus, and the performances and competitions that come with all of that. I play the clarinet and sing as an alto. I'm also trying to learn ukulele on my own time, but I'm at a pretty beginner level, so there's not much to report on that. We have two concerts during the year, plus a jazz band performance for a senior's group, so seven groups of music to learn and play. With three songs in each group per year plus contest/audition pieces AND the fun stuff, I have what is probably considered too many pages of sheet music. I participate in the IESA Solo & Ensemble contest every year; I've received five Category I medals and a Best of Day award for my clarinet solo. Last year (and hopefully this year, too) I auditioned for and got into the ILMEA All-District Band. We performed at Olivet Nazarene University's Centennial Chapel. I'll be honest, I was quite scared to perform in front of that many people. In the interest of accuracy, I looked it up, and the chapel seats around 3,000 people (plus the people standing). It was quite the experience, to say the least. I only joined chorus this past year, so I don't have many stories there, but I hope to perform a solo in IESA and possibly snag a solo at a concert. On my own time, I practically never stop listening to music, so I really enjoy the thought that I can make my own.
As I sidenote, I played soccer for around seven years (indoor and outdoor) but I quit this year to make time for all of my other activities and school.
On another slightly off-topic topic, I'd like to take the time to thank one of my teachers, Mr. Hlinka. He helped out with a lot of these clubs and writing about them made me remember how much he did. STEM, MathCOUNTS, Student Council, coming to our meets and concerts, and all while being an amazing math teacher who taught us much more than he needed to and even had time to plan fun things like scavenger hunts for us- all while putting up with me and my constant questions. Honestly, well done.
Life
I would have called this a short autobiography, but that seems too final for a thirteen year old, so I'll stick with "Life."
I (13) live with my parents, my brother (17), and my parakeet, Sprite (about 2). (He's named Sprite because he's green and yellow, so I immediately thought of lemon-lime.)
I'm pretty terrible at condensing thirteen years of, you know, existing (memories, experiences, personality, etc.) into a paragraph or two, so my apologies if this is the worst bio you've ever read. Moving on!
Extras
This section is to show off some things I learned but didn't fit in with the rest of the site. Everything's just random from here on.
*Fancy Fonts (and stuff)
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Bumblebees Buzz Belligerently
Font Family: Serif (with "feet")
Font Family: Sans-serif (without "feet")
Font Family: Cursive
Font Family: Monospace
This text is 2 times bigger!
This text is 2 times smaller!
This text is bold.
This text is italic.
This text is underlined.
This text is overlined.
This text is underlined and overlined.
This text is left aligned.
This text is right aligned.
Tables and Overflow and Positioning (Oh My?)
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Are tables useful? | X | |
| Are tables visually appealing? | X | |
| Are tables fun? | X | |
| Are tables good for displaying information? | X | |
| Are tables quick and easy to make in HTML? | X | |
| Is Paige tired? | X | |
| Does Paige want to make a table? | X | |
| Does Paige hate tables? | X | |
| Is Paige making one anyway for the sake of the project? |
X |
Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
This text has been moved 200px to the right from its original position.
I would have added fixed and sticky text, but I didn't want to mess up the regular part of the website. I also would have added two things with one on top to show I know how to layer things and something with absolute positioning but I'm too lazy and crunched for time.