Tyler Viducic 4/26/09
My Bucket List
· Get my Masters Degree
· Hit an expensive electronic device with a hammer
· Fly to Croatia
· Crash a Ferrari
· Go to an NHL Stanley Cup game
· Learn to surf
· Paint my chest for a sporting event
· Go to a tail-gate party
· Work at Area-51
· Fly in a F-16
· Write a book
· Meet Alexander Ovechkin
· Own a Jeep Wrangler
· Watch every Bond movie
· Visit Australia
· Meet my entire family
· Win the lottery
· Enter the World Series of Poker
· Finish the Iron Man race
· See all the kids I keep in contact with from JrNYLC
· Go indoor skiing
· Break the most-eaten-hotdog record at Ruts Hut
· Have a planet named after myself
· Donate millions of dollars to Scientology (as a joke)
· Make Varsity hockey
· Base-jump off a waterfall
A Bucket List is a list of things you want to do before you die. My bucket list has a wide variety of weird things like crash a Ferrari or hit an expensive electronic device with a hammer. However, there are several things on the list that mean a lot to me. These are things that I want to do the most before I die. Each has its own special meaning and is important to me in its own way. Before I die, the things I would like to do most are get my Masters Degree, fly to Croatia, finish the Iron Man race, see all my friends from JrNYLC again, and make the Varsity Hockey team.
Before I die, I want to get my Masters Degree in some type of science or engineering. No one in my family has ever been to college and I want to be the first to not only attend, but to graduate with a higher degree. To me, there can be no higher honor then to be the first in my family to achieve such a tremendous accomplishment. I know it will take much work, but I am prepared to try my hardest to do this before I die
Also, before I die, I wish to fly to Croatia. You may be wondering “Why Croatia?” Yes, Croatia is a very small and inconspicuous country, but I want to visit it because my family is from Croatia. My grandmother lived in Croatia during WWII. My grandfather lived in 6 countries but has always claimed Croatia is the most beautiful country he has ever been in. More than half of my extended family lives in Croatia and unless I visit, I will never meet them. Also, my grandmother owns an Island in Croatia that may eventually fall into my hands. It is the place of my origin and I want to see it badly.
Another “item” on the list is finishing the Iron Man race. The Iron Man is the hardest triathlon in the world. It takes place in Hawaii and consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a marathon. It is the ultimate test of endurance and ever since I have heard of it, I have dreamed to become and Ironman. My goal is not to win, but to finish. To finish, you need not only to complete the courser, but finish in less than 17 hours. While this seems like an impossible task, I feel that with proper training and will power, an average guy like me can complete it.
One of my hardest-to-achieve goals is meeting up with all my old friends from JrNYLC. We are scattered all over the country and the likelihood of seeing them again is very slim. They are some of my closest friends and will be my peers fro the rest of my life. It would be the best day of my life if I saw them again. It is such a pity that I have only seen them once and will make the biggest effort of all my goals to complete this one.
Lastly, I want to make the varsity hockey team. I have been playing hockey for my entire life. However, I have played roller hockey for most of it and started late in the game for ice hockey. Roller and ice hockey are two completely different games, and it is very demoralizing to not be so good at ice hockey, where it really counts. It would be a great achievement to make the varsity hockey team since I only started playing ice hockey in eight grade, and never played travel hockey until this year (coincidentally yesterday I started, or made the team).
These are the top things to do on my bucket list. These are the things most important to me and the things I would like to do most before I die. While the list does include some stupid, random stuff, there is also significant meaning behind it. Most of the list is very real, and I want to complete most of it. I hope I can do everything on it.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Camparison essay
Tyler Viducic 4/7/09
“Wit Beyond Measure is Man’s Greatest Treasure”-Ravenclaw motto, Harry Potter
If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you have probably heard the famous Ravenclaw phrase “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure”. Shakespeare often includes characters of great wit in his plays. In Romeo and Juliet, the character of wit is Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend. In Much Ado About Nothing, there are two characters: Beatrice and Benedick. All three characters add a comedic aspect to their play and make the mood either light or heavy. However, Mercutio and Beatrice are the two that should be compared. They both have an extremely quick tongue, scorn the notion of love and while one eventually embraces it, the other dies alone as was sworn by the other.
Wit is the bond that brings these two characters together. Both characters are often engaged in witty fights. Romeo has a verbal fight with Mercutio, and Beatrice has verbal fights with every one. Other characters often acknowledge their wit. “You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her. They never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them”-Leonato, line 50-51. Often though, their wit turns into anger, in which case wit becomes malice and insults. An example of this is when Mercutio, while telling Romeo dreams are nothing, gets quite carried away and becomes impassioned and angry. Wit sets the mood. It can make the mood light and comical, like the witty banter exchanged between Romeo and Mercutio in act two, scene four. Or, it can bring the mood down, like during the later half of act one scene one of Much Ado About Nothing.
Both characters look down upon love. In Romeo and Juliet, this is obvious when Mercutio tells Romeo that he is confusing love with sex, and that love is nothing more than desire. Beatrice speaks openly that she will never fall in love and she will die a bachelor. “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.”-Beatrice, lines 104-105. However, Beatrice’s reluctance to embrace love may be seen as foreshadowing her eventual love and marriage with Benedick. Both try to convince others that love is an illusion, or that is not for them. However, I think Beatrice was more afraid of love, while Mercutio simply believed it was a fantasy he did not or could not entertain.
The great difference between Beatrice and Mercutio is that Beatrice eventually embraces love. She, at one point, hopes she will never marry (“Just, if he send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening.”-Beatrice, lines 23-24). But then, she falls in love with Benedick, the man she “hates”. They marry each other at the ending of the play. However, Mercutio makes good on Beatrice’s promise, and is killed by Tybalt before he has the chance to embrace love. He never changed, always looking down upon love. Therein lies the difference. The fact that Beatrice was able to overcome her predisposition of love and was able to fall in love and the fact that Mercutio died criticizing love. While they are very similar, they are very different also.
This very obvious relationship shows that Shakespeare often put very similar characters in his plays and sonnets. Pairs such as Mercutio and Beatrice, Romeo and Claudio, and Tybalt and Don Jon are very evident in all of his works. Beatrice and Mercutio is a good pair to evaluate. They have such strong similar traits, like wit and a scorn of love. However, they are very different since Beatrice is able to change. Her promise of never marrying is broken, and she ties the knot with Benedick. So, despite their many similarities, they are very different.
“Wit Beyond Measure is Man’s Greatest Treasure”-Ravenclaw motto, Harry Potter
If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you have probably heard the famous Ravenclaw phrase “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure”. Shakespeare often includes characters of great wit in his plays. In Romeo and Juliet, the character of wit is Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend. In Much Ado About Nothing, there are two characters: Beatrice and Benedick. All three characters add a comedic aspect to their play and make the mood either light or heavy. However, Mercutio and Beatrice are the two that should be compared. They both have an extremely quick tongue, scorn the notion of love and while one eventually embraces it, the other dies alone as was sworn by the other.
Wit is the bond that brings these two characters together. Both characters are often engaged in witty fights. Romeo has a verbal fight with Mercutio, and Beatrice has verbal fights with every one. Other characters often acknowledge their wit. “You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her. They never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them”-Leonato, line 50-51. Often though, their wit turns into anger, in which case wit becomes malice and insults. An example of this is when Mercutio, while telling Romeo dreams are nothing, gets quite carried away and becomes impassioned and angry. Wit sets the mood. It can make the mood light and comical, like the witty banter exchanged between Romeo and Mercutio in act two, scene four. Or, it can bring the mood down, like during the later half of act one scene one of Much Ado About Nothing.
Both characters look down upon love. In Romeo and Juliet, this is obvious when Mercutio tells Romeo that he is confusing love with sex, and that love is nothing more than desire. Beatrice speaks openly that she will never fall in love and she will die a bachelor. “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.”-Beatrice, lines 104-105. However, Beatrice’s reluctance to embrace love may be seen as foreshadowing her eventual love and marriage with Benedick. Both try to convince others that love is an illusion, or that is not for them. However, I think Beatrice was more afraid of love, while Mercutio simply believed it was a fantasy he did not or could not entertain.
The great difference between Beatrice and Mercutio is that Beatrice eventually embraces love. She, at one point, hopes she will never marry (“Just, if he send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening.”-Beatrice, lines 23-24). But then, she falls in love with Benedick, the man she “hates”. They marry each other at the ending of the play. However, Mercutio makes good on Beatrice’s promise, and is killed by Tybalt before he has the chance to embrace love. He never changed, always looking down upon love. Therein lies the difference. The fact that Beatrice was able to overcome her predisposition of love and was able to fall in love and the fact that Mercutio died criticizing love. While they are very similar, they are very different also.
This very obvious relationship shows that Shakespeare often put very similar characters in his plays and sonnets. Pairs such as Mercutio and Beatrice, Romeo and Claudio, and Tybalt and Don Jon are very evident in all of his works. Beatrice and Mercutio is a good pair to evaluate. They have such strong similar traits, like wit and a scorn of love. However, they are very different since Beatrice is able to change. Her promise of never marrying is broken, and she ties the knot with Benedick. So, despite their many similarities, they are very different.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
JrNYLC: Alumni Boston (autobiography)
Tyler Viducic 3/5/09
Autobiography
How many people can say that they have gone to Boston without parents, just hundreds of other kids, for a week? I had this amazing opportunity at JrNYLC: Alumni Boston. JrNYLC stands for Junior National Youth Leadership Conference. JrNYLC is a program that teaches young leaders the skills to become better leaders. There are two JrNYLC conferences. JrNYLC, which is in Washington D.C, and JrNYLC Alumni Boston, which is for people who have already attended the Washington D.C conference. Boston, to me, was way more fun and I learned way more. I met some truly amazing people, who I still am in contact with, I learned some great leadership skills that I use often, and I saw some historic sites. It was the greatest weeks in my life.
It all starts in Washington. To go to these conferences, you have to be nominated by a teacher. I was nominated by Mrs. Tompkins, a music teacher in Veterans Memorial Elementary School. The first time you go, it is scary at first. I was in sixth grade, and it was my first time away from my parents. However, in as little as three hours, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. Washington’s main focus was leadership needed to be in the government. We visited places like the Capital building, the Vietnam War Memorial, and Arlington Nation Cemetery. However, the best part of Washington was not what I did, but whom I met.
In Washington D.C, I met my best friend, Parker. He lives in Georgia, but yet we are very close. This relationship shows what JrNYLC can do. He now comes to my house every summer and he is considered part of my family. It is a funny story of how I met him. For one of our day trips, we were both very late to our bus because we both overslept. Being the last ones, we had to sit in the same seat. So, the following summer, we were both invited to JrNYLC: Alumni Boston. He came to my house for a week and then we headed up to Boston.
Boston was the greatest time of my life. Boston’s main focus was on history, and the leadership skills needed to free our country from the English rule. It was the most fun time I have ever had. From randomly singing in the dining room, to axe bombs, to lactose intolerant Parker drinking milk. It was a six-day trip and every day was amazing. I can recall every day perfectly.
On the first day, you arrive. For this trip we were at the Sheraton Colonial Hotel. For the first day, every thing is semi-formal. The kids all must wear tan pants and white oxford shirts. I remember as I walked into the hotel, I was very nervous. None of my friends besides Parker were going to this particular trip. Parker and I were both assigned to different groups. But, I soon forgot about him as I met new people. Again, my friends from Boston do not live anywhere near me. One lives in Florida, the other in Washington state, and still others in Texas and Hawaii. Also, on the first day you get your roommates.
I walked into my room and I see two guys and two beds, and by beds I mean a king and a blow up mattress. It was possibly the scariest moment of my life. As it turns out, the hotel ran out of queen-bed-rooms and had to give us a king. So, rather than sleeping with another guy, we had to go through a whole ordeal and get a different room. It worked out all right though.
Day two was a trip to the Plimoth Plantation. There, we learned about the lives of both Wampanoag Native Americans and the Colonists who settled there. We visited the actual Plimoth Rock, which is actually quite small and disappointing. On the trip we learned about Teambuilding, a vital skill that if the Colonists had not possessed it they would have died. Also, when we returned we had what the group leaders called a social event. What it really was a party. Loud music and dirty dancing. Who knew the future leaders of America could throw a cool party?
On the third day, we went to the town of Salem, where they held the Salem witch trials. We visited the Salem witch museum and learned about the horrible events that occurred. That day we learned of tolerance. If the people of Salem had possessed tolerance, the massacre might not have occurred. We also learned of stereotyping, and how the young women of Salem were stereotyped, which ultimately led to their deaths.
Day four was a trip to Boston. We went all over and looked at a whole bunch of historic sights like Lexington and Concord, the Freedom trail, and the Boston courthouse. Also, in JrNYLC tradition, we went to Hard Rock Café for nice meal. It was a sad event though, because it meant that it was the last day in Boston for us, as we would spend the next two days elsewhere. It was a day where people got to socialize a lot. I met some people who are to this day great friends in Boston.
The fifth day was possibly the greatest day of my life. We slept on the U.S.S Massachusetts. The U.S.S Massachusetts is a retired WWII battleship. It is a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was so much fun. We didn’t learn that day, there were no rules, and it was just five hundred kids on a battle ship. We went on a tour of the boat, front to back, bottom to top, which was awesome. We were allowed inside the twenty-inch guns, and we were allowed to turn them, which was a pretty cool experience. But the best part was sleeping in the bunks. I do not know how they expect a bunch of 14 year old boys to go to bed after a day on the a battleship, especially at only 10:00. So, we goofed off and screwed with the guy trying to keep us quiet.
Finally, the sixth day. The sixth day was an emotional day. It involved saying goodbye to some amazing friends and some wonderful memories. We heard some speeches by some people we did not know, and they didn’t make an impact. But then some of our peers made speeches. They were the people who most accurately displayed out feeling, and they were the ones who inspired us to lead more.
We arrived back at the hotel heavy hearted. I met a few people who made an impact on my life. Every one exchanged phone numbers with promises to call each other. Tears were shed, and there was a lot of hugging. I walked to my car, bags in hand, and left the greatest week of my life behind me.
Autobiography
How many people can say that they have gone to Boston without parents, just hundreds of other kids, for a week? I had this amazing opportunity at JrNYLC: Alumni Boston. JrNYLC stands for Junior National Youth Leadership Conference. JrNYLC is a program that teaches young leaders the skills to become better leaders. There are two JrNYLC conferences. JrNYLC, which is in Washington D.C, and JrNYLC Alumni Boston, which is for people who have already attended the Washington D.C conference. Boston, to me, was way more fun and I learned way more. I met some truly amazing people, who I still am in contact with, I learned some great leadership skills that I use often, and I saw some historic sites. It was the greatest weeks in my life.
It all starts in Washington. To go to these conferences, you have to be nominated by a teacher. I was nominated by Mrs. Tompkins, a music teacher in Veterans Memorial Elementary School. The first time you go, it is scary at first. I was in sixth grade, and it was my first time away from my parents. However, in as little as three hours, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. Washington’s main focus was leadership needed to be in the government. We visited places like the Capital building, the Vietnam War Memorial, and Arlington Nation Cemetery. However, the best part of Washington was not what I did, but whom I met.
In Washington D.C, I met my best friend, Parker. He lives in Georgia, but yet we are very close. This relationship shows what JrNYLC can do. He now comes to my house every summer and he is considered part of my family. It is a funny story of how I met him. For one of our day trips, we were both very late to our bus because we both overslept. Being the last ones, we had to sit in the same seat. So, the following summer, we were both invited to JrNYLC: Alumni Boston. He came to my house for a week and then we headed up to Boston.
Boston was the greatest time of my life. Boston’s main focus was on history, and the leadership skills needed to free our country from the English rule. It was the most fun time I have ever had. From randomly singing in the dining room, to axe bombs, to lactose intolerant Parker drinking milk. It was a six-day trip and every day was amazing. I can recall every day perfectly.
On the first day, you arrive. For this trip we were at the Sheraton Colonial Hotel. For the first day, every thing is semi-formal. The kids all must wear tan pants and white oxford shirts. I remember as I walked into the hotel, I was very nervous. None of my friends besides Parker were going to this particular trip. Parker and I were both assigned to different groups. But, I soon forgot about him as I met new people. Again, my friends from Boston do not live anywhere near me. One lives in Florida, the other in Washington state, and still others in Texas and Hawaii. Also, on the first day you get your roommates.
I walked into my room and I see two guys and two beds, and by beds I mean a king and a blow up mattress. It was possibly the scariest moment of my life. As it turns out, the hotel ran out of queen-bed-rooms and had to give us a king. So, rather than sleeping with another guy, we had to go through a whole ordeal and get a different room. It worked out all right though.
Day two was a trip to the Plimoth Plantation. There, we learned about the lives of both Wampanoag Native Americans and the Colonists who settled there. We visited the actual Plimoth Rock, which is actually quite small and disappointing. On the trip we learned about Teambuilding, a vital skill that if the Colonists had not possessed it they would have died. Also, when we returned we had what the group leaders called a social event. What it really was a party. Loud music and dirty dancing. Who knew the future leaders of America could throw a cool party?
On the third day, we went to the town of Salem, where they held the Salem witch trials. We visited the Salem witch museum and learned about the horrible events that occurred. That day we learned of tolerance. If the people of Salem had possessed tolerance, the massacre might not have occurred. We also learned of stereotyping, and how the young women of Salem were stereotyped, which ultimately led to their deaths.
Day four was a trip to Boston. We went all over and looked at a whole bunch of historic sights like Lexington and Concord, the Freedom trail, and the Boston courthouse. Also, in JrNYLC tradition, we went to Hard Rock Café for nice meal. It was a sad event though, because it meant that it was the last day in Boston for us, as we would spend the next two days elsewhere. It was a day where people got to socialize a lot. I met some people who are to this day great friends in Boston.
The fifth day was possibly the greatest day of my life. We slept on the U.S.S Massachusetts. The U.S.S Massachusetts is a retired WWII battleship. It is a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was so much fun. We didn’t learn that day, there were no rules, and it was just five hundred kids on a battle ship. We went on a tour of the boat, front to back, bottom to top, which was awesome. We were allowed inside the twenty-inch guns, and we were allowed to turn them, which was a pretty cool experience. But the best part was sleeping in the bunks. I do not know how they expect a bunch of 14 year old boys to go to bed after a day on the a battleship, especially at only 10:00. So, we goofed off and screwed with the guy trying to keep us quiet.
Finally, the sixth day. The sixth day was an emotional day. It involved saying goodbye to some amazing friends and some wonderful memories. We heard some speeches by some people we did not know, and they didn’t make an impact. But then some of our peers made speeches. They were the people who most accurately displayed out feeling, and they were the ones who inspired us to lead more.
We arrived back at the hotel heavy hearted. I met a few people who made an impact on my life. Every one exchanged phone numbers with promises to call each other. Tears were shed, and there was a lot of hugging. I walked to my car, bags in hand, and left the greatest week of my life behind me.
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