Final Reflection

As CASL comes to an end for this year, I can look back and say that I did a lot more than I did last year. My objectives for this year were to fulfill the CASL requirements as well I can, and to understand each activity more and how they could help my future. Those were my overall goals, and many of my activities had their own goals. For hockey, my goal was to make the starting eleven. For band, it was to learn new techniques and rhythms, and for service, it was to actually make a difference by doing something that does not benefit me as much as other people.

For each section in CASL, I had more than one activity. My creativity section was not hard at all. I have been in band since I came to ISK, so I just continued that tradition my performing and practicing with the Jazz Band and the Concert Band. I also took part in the musical; You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. For action, I played hockey for the ISK team, and I joined the Track and Field team. I also went biking in Nanyuki for five days during my intercultural trip. For service, I helped out in my local mosque, and the Charlie Brown also counted as I was giving up my time to help other people.

The outcomes of all these activities were mostly positive. The sports helped to keep me fit and improve my skills in hockey. I was always kept busy with the serving, which popped up at random times on the weekends. The outcome of serving was just the feeling of selflessly helping others. Band’s outcomes were about the same, the feeling of playing the drums, the natural high.

I found that I had successfully reached my objectives that I had set. I had made the starting eleven for hockey and I received a lot of playtime. I played in every match for at least one half each. In band, Mr. Ligon forced me to learn new beats through the music he chose. I was forced to learn samba beats and more complex jazz beats, and that helped me to reach my goal. My final goal was I little tricky to complete, but I managed to complete it through my serving at the local mosque. The serving did not benefit me in any way, but it did help those that I was serving.

There were not too many difficulties in any of my activities. The one main problem was transport to my mosque for the service. My mum would usually go in the afternoon to cook, but I would be needed in the evening. This was a difficult situation, as the drivers did not work that late. However, my mum was able to come pick me up once in a while so I was able to make it there on time.

I feel that through the activities I have done, I can apply what I have learned to new situations. I have learned that through time and effort, you can achieve your goals, no matter how difficult they are. Also, I learned that if you continue to try and learn form your failures, you can grow as a person and develop a better character. Finally, I learned that selfless acts are always better than selfish behavior and that helping people can always bring joy to those who sacrifice their time.

Serving for Service

Most of my service for CASL was done at my local mosque. I would go there every month or so when they needed me to help serve food at different community events, such as concerts, dances, big religious days, etc. The serving itself would never be too hard, but what bothered me the most was the late nights serving.

The serving in the mosque was not boring at all. In fact, I found it very fun. I was always busy bringing food to the serving area, or taking empty dishes back to the kitchen. It was never boring as I was always keeping myself busy with different things. I normally felt awkward walking around doing nothing as I had come to work and serve, not to sit around idly.

The work was difficult sometimes however. Sometimes the pots were hot and heavy, and other times the trays were unwieldy and filled to the brim. Also, the events could go on until midnight or even later. Some prime examples of this were the concerts and the big event at New Years. I do not regret sacrificing my New Years to help my mosque, as I would not have done anything better during that time as I did not have transport of any kind.

I am happy that I could help my community in the ways that I have over the course of the year. In the process, I have made a new friend and with my mum also helping at the same time as me, I never feel alone. The overall experience was fun and I hope that I can continue this in the future.

Drumming my way Through 10th Grade

Another part of my creativity involved playing the drums in general, mostly for the school bands. I am part of the Concert and Jazz Bands in ISK, so I end up practicing up to five times a week. This does not affect me. I have had the same set up for two and a half years, so the waking up early and the overwhelming drumming throughout the week does not stress me out or tire me.

Concert band this year was a completely different experience than last year. As I stepped into the classroom on the first day of school, I did not see any of my fellow drummers from last year, or any of the trumpets, flutes and low brass. This was shocking as the entertainment from band last year came from both the music and the cross-room arguments and competition between the different sections. I knew it would not be the same as the new nine-graders did not have the brash loud nature of some of the band players in my grade: T.J., Fanuel, and Nandi. I was right.

After a few classes, I did not like band as much as I had used to. The drummers that had come from the Middle school were lacking the basic skills needed, such as sight-reading and rhythm. I was assigned by Mr. Ligon to help teach the new drummers basic music and skills, but they were disruptive, stubborn, and preferred talking to each other rather than playing music. I had nearly given up on them. I was playing all the music for the drums section while they were talking. If one of them had not made an effort to learn, I would have dropped out of the band.

However, by the second semester, I had seen some improvement in all three of the drummers. They had started to try, started to take on more challenging music, and most importantly, they were focused. Mr. Ligon’s decision for me to help them had paid off and one of them looks like the perfect replacement for me when I leave the school and the band at the end of this year. The concert band taught me leadership above all and how to improve other drummers as well as myself through it.

Jazz band was a completely different experience. As usual, the music was challenging, fun, and different. All of my old band friends were still in Jazz Band so I was not as lonely as I was in Concert Band. Waking up early was no problem as Jazz band always woke me up like sports did. Mr. Ligon pushed me to my limits with the complex music, and at some points, I would temporarily give up until I had mastered the beat or section. This was the pattern for the entire year. Today, I am happy that Mr. Ligon pushed me so much as my skills have improved a lot and I am ready for whatever challenge that involves music awaits in my new school.

Hockey: Action Dec 2011-Mar 2012

The hockey season has ended, but I still wish it were going on. Hockey practice was a way for me to unwind after a hard day of school, or a way to wake up my body during the morning practices. It well under my action criteria for CASL, but CASL did not force me to do it. I play hockey because I find it fun and exhilarating.

Last year, I did not have much playtime as I was still a ninth grader and my skills were not too sharp. However, by the end of the season last year I was ready to make the starting lineup this year. My goal was reached and I started nearly every hockey match during the season. I was very happy to have made it to the starting eleven, as last ear I barely had any playtime.

The practices everyday were very hard on my schoolwork at first. Getting home at six three days a week did take its toll for a few weeks as I ran out of time when doing my homework and I didn’t want to stay up after 10 pm. By the time February came, I had gotten used to the system, so the late days did not affect my homework as much. However, getting home at 6 pm did exhaust me and I was very tired during the season as a result.

I enjoyed the hockey season in general. It was a fun pass time that kept me fit. Unlike track and field, it was not tedious or boring, as my team was aggressive and playing with them pushed me to the limit. With all the playtime during matches I had, it was hard to not like playing with the team, as I was a main part of it. I only wish that next year I would be able play with the same people as one of the senior members of the team this time.

Charlie Brown Musical Jan-Mar 2012

As part of my creativity for CASL, I decided to take part in the High School Musical, Charlie Brown. I chose to audition for the band, and I knew I would make it as Mr. Ligon had already come and asked me the week before. I was excited as last year’s musical had been a fun experience, and this year’s was about something I knew already, Charlie Brown. However I did not expect to get as much work as I did.

The music for the percussion section was very complex. Many pieces used instruments that I had not played for years, such as the xylophone, timpani and auxiliary percussion. When I first got it, I was confused, as most of the songs did not keep a steady drumbeat. However, as the practices went on I learned to play each song and by the end February, I could play each song perfectly on all the instruments.

One of the new things I learned while playing in the musical was how to play a xylophone with three sticks. Before the musical, I was struggling to play with two sticks, but the music demanded three. I had to learn fast as we didn’t have too many practices until the show itself, but it was simpler than I thought it would be. After a few runs through the song, I was able to play with three sticks, barely. It was still hard, but at least it was a new experience.

A few other obstacles I faced were the cramped space and the actors. In some of the numbers, the actors were slowing down, speeding up, and in general changing the song and making the band’s life more difficult than it was already. However, I was able to cope as I have been playing the drums for nearly eight years. Changing the tempo and skipping the odd beat here or there was not hard for me. The cramped space made moving to the different instruments very hard, as I could knock something down easily or just makes unnecessary noise.

Overall, I enjoyed the musical. The late nights in school were a pain, but the musical practices themselves were never boring. I enjoy playing the drums and I will at any chance I get. This musical was a good way to improve my skills, and I had fun in the process. The musical was also a way of helping the ISK community, and I am proud that I was able to do my part in the musical.

Service November - February

My service for the past four months has been quite slow. There haven't been too many occasions to help at my mosque as their has not been too many functions. However, there was two or three events in December, the most notable ones being at New Years Eve and Christmas Day. The one at New Years stretched on until about 1am, where I was working for most of the time. Other than the ones in the break, there were a few that appeared after school started.

Creativity November - February

For the past four months, I have kept up my drumming. Jazz band twice a week and Concert band 2-3 times a week. This pattern continued until the end of the first semester in the third week of December. For the break, I did not do any drumming. When the second semester started, it was back to the same routine, until the High School Musical practices started. Once they started, I was needed Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings. As February started, the practices started to merge with the cast ones, meaning that I was staying in school until six o'clock nearly everyday, drumming with the cast.