The 2013-2014 National Basketball Association (NBA) season is upon us! Being a basketball fanatic, I am very excited for this upcoming season. There are so many events that took place this off-season: including trades between teams for players, coaching staff hirings and firings, player signings, contract extensions, and even new team names! I have been a loyal fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since I began to watch the NBA, and I have high hopes for the team this coming season. I really do enjoy watching the pros compete against eachother, even if it is not the Thunder! My love for basketball translates for my love for the NBA, and every year you can find me online looking at stats or highlight videos, watching a game on the couch or even at a NBA game physically! This year in particular, I am looking forward to the performance of the Thunder, the playoff race and the come-ups of the rookies of this year's NBA Draft. 
     When I became interested in playing basketball, I also sparked an interest for watching basketball, college and the NBA, but mostly the NBA. I wanted to learn moves and tips from the pros, and at the time I did not have a favorite team like the rest of my friends did. In 2008, the Seatle SuperSonics sold the city's franchise to Oklahoma City, and decided to name the team the Thunder. When I saw this, I saw an oppurtunity to become a fan of a new team, so I did and I've been a fan ever since. The Thunder were not very good as a team when they first made the move to Oklahoma City, but with time, the youthful team grew together and began to win more games. Showing great chemistry, the Thunder rose to the top of the Western Conference in 2011, and have been a top contender since then. The Thunder made a NBA Finals appearance in 2012, but lost to the Miami Heat in a very good seven game series. This year I am hopeful for my team, go Thunder! 
     There are many great teams within the league, and this season, most of the great teams got even better. By this, I mean that the teams with good players and good coaching, signed even better players or made trades for better players over the offseason. The Western Conference is dominate over the Eastern Conference, containing most of the better players and teams. Even more star players from the Eastern Conference and other star players on the not so good teams at the bottom of the Western Conference ended up getting traded to or signed to the best teams of the West, making the West that much more difficult to compete in. The playoff race is always extremely tight towards the end of the season, and this year will be even tougher.
     There is always a lot of hype centered around the top prospects that come out of college to the NBA via the Draft, and this year is no different. NBA teams enter a lottery, based upon the team's performance the passed year. The worse the record of the team, the better the chance of a high pick in the draft. The better prospects in college get picked higher in the draft, while the lower end of the prospects get picked later in the draft. Draft picks then sign with the team they were drafted by, and continue with practice and training camps until the season starts, where they will prove themselves and the team that they were worthy of being drafted. There is a lot of talent that came into the league this year via the Draft, so I'm excited to see how they will perform.   
     Overall, I predict this season to be one for the ages. The Thunder, the playoff race and the prospects this year are all things to keep a close eye on. I love the Thunder, but on a more broad scale I love the NBA. To take it further than that, I love basketball. It's not just a gam

     I love music. All genres: Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Rock, Alternative, Country, Tejano and any other genres of music as long as the music sounds good. I admire the time, effort and skill artists of all genres put into their music, whether it is incredible vocals, amazing instrumentals, or jaw dropping pieces with an instrument. Music takes a lot of practice and skill. When I was a sophomore, I decided to pick up an instrument and learn to play. I wasn't sure which instrument it would be, but I knew that music was what I wanted to learn to play. 
     After hearing the famous "Hotel California" performed by the Eagles, I decided to learn how to play guitar. The guitarists in the Eagles played with such skill and passion, and I felt every note they played. I wanted to do the same: learn how to play beautiful music on the guitar with incredible skill and passion so I could move and awe people as the Eagles did to me. I received my first guitar that Christmas, and I immediately began to practice and learn basic chords, which I got better at with time. I enrolled in a guitar class my junior year, which I learned how to read basic music notes and counts. Guitar became a big hobby of mine. I would play all of the time, trying to make my own music pieces or trying to play some songs from some of my favorite Country and Rock artists. Guitar has stayed a big hobby of mine, and though I am not naturally musically talented, I try my best to play to the best of my abilities. I really do enjoy it, whether learning to play songs, playing purely from emotion or playing with friends. 
     I've always enjoyed learning famous pieces from songs that are well known. Hotel California was the first piece I learned how to play. I've observed some of my friends play songs on the guitar that are on the radio, and people always sing along and gather around, having a good time singing and listening to the guitar instrumental in the background. I wanted to be the entertainer that was able to play for people, so that was one motivation for me. Since then I've attempted to learn to play numerous songs that are well known, some pieces being more successful than others, but nonetheless I tried with the best I had. To this day I look up tutorial videos or simply listen closely to learn how to play songs.
     I've been moved by guitarists with incredible skill. I have always been quite the emotional person, and when I feel blue I always run to my guitar. Most times I play soothing chords and notes, trying to calm down or make myself feel better, and it does the trick every time. I love music so much that playing soothing pieces while I'm down seem to cheer me up every time. My guitar is always there waiting for me to pick it up when I'm feeling down. 
     I love friends, and my friends and I share a mutual love for music. I'm lucky enough to have some friends that share a love of guitar with me, and when we have our guitars with us we always play together. We have a lot of fun, and often times we end up learning how to play different songs together, whether it is two of us or five of us. Currently, we are trying to learn songs from a group called "Explosions in the Sky", a group of three individuals who all play the guitar with no vocals. I strongly recommend music from them. Anyhow, my friends and I always have fun playing together. 
     My love for music radiates through my guitar. Though I'm not the greatest player, I love playing and listening to the beautiful sounds that come from the strings. I plan on keeping guitar a close hobby of mine, and with time I will become better at it. Guitar is my passion. 

     Basketball is not just a game, it's more than that. "Use basketball, don't let it use you. Basketball is a vehicle, to get you from point A to point B" (Dru Joyce). Basketball means so much to me. It has always been there for me, whether playing with friends, myself playing alone and practicing, or an outlet of my emotions, basketball has always been there for me. In my opinion, basketball is one of the most beautiful sports there is to play. 
     My friends and I have always had a good time playing the sport we love together. This dates back to sixth grade, when I played in my very first pick up game with my friends. Ever since then, my group of friends have always enjoyed eachother's company while playing basketball. Basketball has a way of bonding people together due to to the teamwork and chemistry it takes to play together as a team, and my friends and I are a prime example of that. We have so many great memories from basketball. We have played organized basketball for our school and city, played recreationally and played just for the fun of it. No matter where we were, whether it was a gym, a pavilion, park or even at home, we always have a good time playing basketball. We always manage to have fun in some way, whether we are at practice for our team, playing a pick up game, playing mini games or having shooting contests, or even filming videos from our phones to post on our social networks so we can look "cool", we always have a good time together. 
      There has been countless times that I can recall myself sitting at home and suddenly getting the urge to play basketball, even if I was alone. So, I'd lace up my shoes, grab my ball and head outside to my backyard, where I'd practice shooting and dribbling on my portable basketball court. These urges came for no particular reason, and most times happened more than once a day. So there I was, having the time of my life, in my zone and practicing to become a better player, all alone. Being alone didn't bother me, for my love for the game was so immense that I'd have so much fun by myself. I have spent countless hours playing basketball alone, just working on my game and having fun. The best times of being alone are when I couldn't sleep in the wee hours of the night, so I'd get dressed and play in my backyard while everyone was asleep. These are the best times for me, for I'd blare my favorite music and practice for a couple of hours, before I'd come inside and showered and finally went go sleep. 
     I have always been the emotional type of person, and I consider it to be both good and bad. Anger, sadness and happiness trigger very quickly within me. When an event occurred in which changed my mood instantly, whether it was good or bad, I'd always run to basketball. It was a way to take my emotion out and calm down, or rejoice in happiness. I can recall countless times of myself doing this. Basketball means so much to me, and when I step onto a court it seems to become my sanctuary, everything being blocked out. 
    Though I am not the best player out there, I take pride in my game and how I play, but I always remember to have fun. Basketball has taught me character, and how to be mature. The court is my sanctuary. I love basketball, and it will never be just a game. 

    Alas! The now king of the Geats has been slain by a mighty dragon! Throughout the epic poem of Beowulf, Beowulf himself showed many traits and characteristics, some being good and some being bad. His courage and pride make up his good traits, while his greed and being overly proud make up his bad. In my opinion, Beowulf manages to stay a static character throughout the epic poem, that is, a character who stays necesarily the same throughout the story or poem.
    In the battle of Grendel, we see a very confident and proud Beowulf, who boasts about his power and might before the battle. Though he did not get the chance to take Grendel on one on one due to the monster's ambush, Beowulf still managed to slay Grendel, showing his great courage and fearlessness. We see this from Beowulf throughout the epic. 
    In the battle of Grendel's mother, again we see a very pround and confident Beowulf, who this time goes down into the lake to fight the monster alone. Showing great courage and pride, Beowulf manages to avoid death and slay Grendel's mother and her minion lake beasts, and while at it beheads the corpse of Grendel to bring back to Hrothgar. This may be a sign of greed, for this act was unnecessary and the arguement could be made that Beowulf had become too obsessed with fixing his family name. 
    In the final battle agaist the mighty dragon, again we see a proud and confident Beowulf for the final time within the poem. Beowulf only takes a handful of men with him to the sight of the battle, and before the battle he boasts for the final time. In an act of over confidence, Beowulf tells his men that he would enter the dragon's barrow alone, knowing of the great danger of the situation. This act, proved to be lethal for the king, who was fatally wounded from a dragon bite to the neck. One of his men named Wiglaf comes to his aid, and eventually Beowulf slays the dragon despite his injury. Beowulf, showing great greed, claims that he will be buried with the treasure that he fought the dragon for. 
    Beowulf stays necesarily the same throughout the epic poem. He is a hero who displays great strength, courage and pride, but he is not perfect. He shows greed, and at times over confidence and too much pride for his own good, which kills him towards the end of the novel. Beowulf is a static character.