Riva's Remarks

     “Icarus” is a documentary about doping . Bryan Fogel, an amateur cyclist, is devastated by Lance Armstrong’s confession that he took banned substances yet never failed a drug test. He decided to design a doping program for himself similar to Armstrong’s that would prove that drug-testing systems were inept. Fogel began using performance enhancing drugs. The film vividly portrays his everyday use of the drugs and how he administered them to himself. This made me feel very anxious. The way that he injected the drug into his skin daily made me uneasy. I could imagine injecting the serum into my own skin, and I could feel the pain. When he started injecting the drug into his butt and it bled, I felt afraid. The whole concept of injecting foreign substances into a body gave me a very uncomfortable feeling. It felt very unsafe. Then, when he would cycle like crazy to see if the drugs were working, it felt exhausting and maybe even dangerous.      I was surpr...

 Now that I’m at school and in a fall routine, I sometimes sit back and think about summer and how much easier life is. My summer usually consists of doing odd jobs, weightlifting, playing a lot of basketball and relaxing. It’s so nice not having a regimented schedule. It’s also nice to be able to sleep on some days. Yet, my fondest memory of summer comes right before school begins. My family along with my grandparents go on a week’s vacation to Door County Wisconsin. I have gone on this kind of vacation all of my life. We spend one week in a beautiful home, sometimes on the water, sometimes in the woods. I usually start my day going to the YMCA to work out and shoot. This year my sister came with me, and I helped her with a work out routine. Then, I go back to the house for breakfast or lunch. After this the fun begins. Do we go fishing, boating or to the beach? We try to vary our activity. One of the best days is when we rent a pontoon. Then, I am able to navigate the boat as wel...

I've written a lot of papers, especially in the last four years. My AP English classes in high school were demanding, and I spent many hours focusing on how to write a quality paper. I always started by brain-storming, writing an outline then a rough draft. Finally, I was ready to write the final draft. Then, it was time to proof-read. Most of my papers were three to five pages, so I had time to express my ideas in a lengthy fashion. I got used to writing this type of paper and eventually ended up writing a research paper. This type of writing is ingrained in my mind, for this is all I really know. Then came my college CARD 101 class. The first thing I’ve been asked to do is to write a microtheme on a topic of my choice. Not totally comprehending the assignment, I felt I would be writing something about a couple of pages long. I did this and found out it was totally too long. I went on to Plan B and rewrote the paper condensing my ideas. Wrong again! After having another conversati...

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. My name is John Riva and I will be telling you guys about myself. I was born on February 16, 2004, to John and Jennifer Riva. I was a whopping 9lbs 9 oz and 22 inches long, and today I am 6’5” and 190lbs. I’d say my parents and grandparents fed me well! I have always been a happy person. I never went through the terrible twos or terrible teens, but I joke with my family that there is still time! I enjoy having fun and being silly, but I can also be serious and stubborn at times. I am a homebody and enjoy the company of my family and close friends. I try to look at the bright side of every situation and make the best of every moment.   One of my first childhood memories is of me running. I was constantly running, just like Forrest Gump!  We had a big yard in Ladd, so we were always outside. Whether it be playing tag, swinging on my swing-set, jumping on my trampoline, zooming my cars or trains around or just exploring, we spent a lot of ti...