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Victor Richardson’s Senior Valedictory Portfolio

Anticipation for graduation and beginning my journey in college, unexpectedly seems intimidating

and life– altering. Wrapping up my senior year of high school, reminiscent thoughts easily run

through my brain. Back to when I first arrived at Fishers High School; a naive and joyful kid who

admired the well-built senior’s every stride. Bizarrely, now I’ve become a senior and the idea that

“time flies” is becoming a more realistic thought each day. There just isn’t enough hours in the day,

and we must make the best out of time as it quickly fades away. I appreciate everyone who finds time

to read my portfolio in the mist of their busy schedules. Enjoy this glimpse into my life!

Oft

en we

become

so co

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with

our ow

n

lives

the st

ruggle

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be so

focus

ed on

our

goals

that w

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me bli

nded t

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what’

s

happen

ing in

the w

orld a

round

us. Al

most l

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everyo

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glasse

s. A w

indow

that p

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them

to onl

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ings t

hat li

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y our

memory

can

tell w

hat’s

behind

, and

everyt

hing o

utside

of

our wi

ndow i

s seen

with

cloude

d eyes

. I ch

ose

this t

opic b

ecause

wante

d peop

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see li

fe the

way I

see it

.


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Where are you going?

the meaning of life

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Before the throne of the

Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions.

For God alone reads our hearts.” Defining yourself can seem like a stressful deed when invested in high school drama. Often, I sit

back and reminisce about the times that I have experienced over

the years, but my subjective memory gives me a tainted view towards myself. My friends say overthinking how others view me

causes me to shift between two extremes. Yet the thoughts

continuously run through my brain causing internal stress. Although I’ve never strived to be the most popular person or the

most liked, the comfort of knowing how people view me would

be alleviating. I’ve always tried to limit my stress over things I can’t

control, yet constant thoughts of what people think of me or

reading their minds to know what they’re thinking can become a major stressors. Unfortunately, I can’t control what people think

or say about me. This is kind of saddening because I’m not a

perfect man, or even remotely close to it. I just pray that people can see past my faults and see my intentions have always been

pure. (201)


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My Inspiration His eyes slump boldly with a hint of exhaustion, and his smile consumes his face hiding

any hurt, stress, or fear. It’s hard to read a man when his eyes and smile tell two contradicting

stories, almost making their lives a mystery to the outside world. As far back as I can remember,

lies thoughts of my grandfather’s puzzling personality. A wise old man with knowledge to spare,

his room decorated by framed diploma, showed me how to be a man. Historically my grandfather

played the role of stronghold or backbone of my family. He possessed this paranormal ability to

keep our whole family together and forced us to show love towards one another. As a young kid I

always categorized him with superheroes like superman or Mr. incredible, no one could anticipate

how correct that categorization actually was.

Although he doesn’t possess some intergalactic superpower his will power to survive is

equivalent in magnitude. Unlike these other superheroes his villain lives within. When faced with

cancer most crumple over and weep as if death is the inevitable. My grandfather’s refusal to allow

the inevitable control his life makes him my inspiration. Knowing the battles that he faces each

and every day makes my struggles seem trivial in comparison. (209)

Family

A Helpful Hand Most of the times fulfilling the duties of a grandson

are fairly simple. Most grandchildren are only expected to

give hugs and accept Christmas presents. Although I know my

grandmother would love to provide me with the same kind of

life as most children, her petite body renders her incapable.

Arthritis flows through each bone in her body, making her body

drastically weaker and incapable of doing some of the everyday

task needed to survive. Just standing up is equivalent to

climbing a mountain for her.

Fortunately, as her body began to weaken I was growing

into a stern young man. She relentlessly struggled for a

while, determined to continue her independent ways, but the

harder she would struggle the more her body would ache.

Eventually we both came to an understanding that she needed me

and I was willing to step up. I became her strength. The

arthritis attacked from the inside, and I would bear the

burden for each muscle that strength was taken. After

willingly jumping at the opportunity to help one thing became

clear to me, family is everything. (199)

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I remember taking my first step out onto the field. The frostbitten

grass glistened in the sun as I nervously observed each corner that wrapped

around the field. Second thoughts quickly raced through my head causing

me to stand motionless as the rest of the team rushed onto the field. My

coach read my facial expressions and assured me it wouldn’t be that bad. I

moseyed onto the field, my body stiff like an ox, and started stretching

with my team. Maybe it was the twinkling grass, or maybe the arousing

spring air, but something about that field made me feel alive. As practice

progressed I could feel an oncoming obsession with the sport. I had only

practiced throwing the ball a little prior to that date and I feared that I

wouldn’t enjoy the game; that assumption was far from the truth. After that

affirming practice ended, I knew that I found more than a new sport. I

found a team that I would shortly call my brothers, and I knew I was

destined to become a rugby player. (222)

A Glimpse into the past

Starting something new always sounds good, but easily we can

overlook the cost of getting what we want. I remember about 4 years ago when

my dad announced that he planned on starting a new church. My whole family

cheered around the house all day, naive towards what lied on the road ahead of

us. For a couple of months we couldn’t find a stable building. We juggled

between various schools around the city, and as a young teenager I couldn’t

understand why all these obstacles blocked us from fellowshipping. Doubt

overwhelmed me, leaving me confused about what to really believe. I would ask

myself things like, “If God is real why would he put us through this.”



My First Practice

Doubtless

I continued with that ambiguous mentality for about another

three months until I heard the song Meaningless by Anthony Evens on

the radio. Particularly the chorus which said, “It's meaningless without

you. It's Meaningless these treasures I possess. Because only you can

satisfy and only you sustain my life and without you, it is meaningless.”

That song allowed me to view the world less close-mindedly. All of the

material things, cars, clothes, and buildings became insignificant and I

could doubtlessly fellowship once again. (242)

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Approaching exhaustion we stood on the field, as a unit, awaiting the start of

the second half. With a tied score, uncertainty over the outcome of the game

consumed each player’s thoughts. After a previous defeat of 47 to 0, against the

same team earlier that season, a thirst for vengeance ran through each Tigers (my

team) veins. After the bell rung every thought and fear stopped, quickly being

replaced by instinct and determination.

The heart of a tiger became evident to everyone surrounding the field. We

pushed ourselves past the limit and the opposing team responded accordingly. Finally

it came down to the final three minutes and the scoreboard shined with a score of 17

to 15, their lead. Each player slumped over with eyes burning red from the sun’s rays

and jerseys bleeding sweat. With only enough time for one more drive we decide to

give our all but that wouldn’t suffice. The feeling of exhaustion began to overwhelm

our bodies making each step feel weighted by a hundred pound brick. The final

whistle blew leaving the score 17 to 15, shamrocks win. Although the scoreboard

deemed us unsuccessful we gained the respect, honor, and praise of each person

watching that game, and that made us triumphant. (209)

I remember it like it was yesterday; a luau themed gathering,

an overabundance of food, and a comforting atmosphere. Previously,

we all voted on a few awards to acknowledge the hardest working

players on the team. The main three awards included best forward, best

back, and MVP. The whole year me and the other center (Tyler) fought

each game, combined we scored more than the rest of the team. Each

person holds a certain role on the rugby team, the job of centers mainly

consisted of running the ball and trying to score. Undeniably, one of us

deserved to win that best back award. After giving away the rest of the

awards, time came to give away the big three. Best forward went to

Trey Henderson, best back Victor Richardson, and MVP Chase Buhl.

A bittersweet shock ran through my body, although I was excited my

teammates appreciated the hard work I put in, I felt as if Tyler deserved

some sort of recognition. I walked back to my seat unconfidently, my

face overtaken by a half-smile. As I approached my seat coach

muttered that he still processed a couple of awards. Shock overtook the

whole room because each award that we voted on already found its

owner. Coach rambled on for a couple of minutes about how he

gathered with other coaches around the state and picked these awards.

Finally he announced that two players from our team won All-State.

Almost like deja vu the names Chase Buhl and Victor Richardson rang

through everyone's ear. This award had me completely

discombobulated. This award showed that the whole state admired the

hard work I put into the game and that meant a lot to me. Although I

can’t always win games or award its nice every once-in-awhile to enjoy

a pat on the back and be reassured that hard work actually does pay

off. (314)



An Uplifting loss

Make It Pay

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Ocean Vs. Brown

Recently a brawl broke out between two of R&B superstars, Chris Brown and Frank Ocean. I can’t say I wouldn't imagine this from Brown because earlier in my high school career he was on trial for domestic violence charges. Although Ocean allegedly only retaliated out of self-defense the example he set for younger kids is subpar, to say the least. I understand there was probably a lot of tension between the two A-listers but violence settled nothing. They said it all started when Ocean claimed that Brown stole his parking spot and escalated with the help of some strong language. Younger kids minds are so susceptible to the treacherous influences of media and as role models of these kids the two superstars should settled their problems a more efficient way. I understand that they are young also but when they established themselves as monumental figures in these kids lives they should have also been willing to protect the sanity of our youth. It is common knowledge that to whom much is given much is expected; well they have been given millions of dollars, cars, clothes, and most importantly the attention of our youth. Now all we expect in return is for them to be decent role models. (207)

Pop Culture News: http://www.tmz.com/2013/02/05/chris-brown-frank-ocean-brawl-faggot-incident-report/

Personal Reflections on Pop Culture

Beyoncé and Family Beyoncé tied the knot with one of hip hops most successful rappers towards the beginning of my high school career (Jay-Z). Since then she had baby and is expecting one soon. She is chasing the American dream and it is a beautiful thing. Not very often do you see Hollywood couples trying to stay together and raise a family, and seeing them together is a breathe of fresh air. They decided to have a baby so that their first born, Blue Ivy Carter, can have a lifelong friend. The thing that I find so interesting about this family is I had never heard about Beyoncé in a relationship prior to Jay-Z. Seeing someone who has self-preservation as a trait has become such a scarce commodity in our society. I think her kids will look back at the life she has lived with admiration opposed to how most kids view their superstar parents. In todays society to keep kids away from all the mental danger that they can encounter. I believe the best way is to be an adult, set an example, and do show them the difference between right and wrong. (195)

Pop Culture News: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/beyonce-pregnant-child-report-article-

1.1347133



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Obama Wins Often it’s hard to go outside of our comfort zone; its hard to do things when so much is against us. When Barrack Obama decided to run for president he did just that. For hundreds of years America managed to always elect a male of Caucasian decent as president. Anything different was highly frown upon, and anyone who tried to encourage change was highly hated. That’s probably why Obama has received more death threats than any other president in history. He built his whole campaign on the idea of change. Having an African American president draws attention world-wide. With America being such a major world power the people look towards us for help and ideas. Seeing a minority president in power grants hope towards aspiring humans worlds wide. It shows that everyone is accepted in America, and if you work hard enough any dream is obtainable. It’s hard for people to accept people for who they are. Its hard to ignore someone’s past and embrace who they’ve become. It’s hard to alter what has become so prevalent in our lives. Once we begin to stop allowing things to taint our views and start reading peoples heart then we will grow. (202)

"Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened?" CNN. Cable News Network, 14 Dec.

2012. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.

Personal Reflections on World Events

Sandy Hook Overwhelmed by the hustle of life, 20 minutes never seemed detrimental in my

eyes. Whether approaching A 20 minute car ride, withstanding 20 minutes left of school, or

enduring 20 minute of rugby practice me along with extraneous amounts of people

categorize 20 minutes as a short period of time. Unknowingly, parents waved goodbye to

their kindergarteners and first-graders, as they enjoyed their last 20 minutes of life.

Discovering 20 elementary kids lost their lives in only 20 minutes made my heart crumble.

Confined to the ignorance of my life, blissfully, I failed to notice all the danger lurking in the

world. Viewing school as a safe place, I never imagined the lives of any creature being

threatened outside of science class. Undeniably, traitorous thing occur each day, forcing

millions to live in fear. That fear often turns into hatred which quickly becomes cancerous

and spreads to those who surround us. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness

cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can

do that.” We all should just take 20 minutes out of our busy schedule to show love towards

someone who is trapped in a world of hatred, and hopefully we can save a kids life. (211)

World Event News: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/us/politics/a-divided-nation-keeps-

the-status-quo.html?ref=barackobama



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Time Capsule Reflection

This time capsule is an attempt to capture a few prominent parts of my life

now and explain its importance to me. I also believe that this will help me

remember what is shaping me to be the man I’m destined to be.

Time Capsule Piece 1: rugby ball

This item will show where my passion is. I love playing

rugby and I feel like holding this ball will bring back

some joyful memories.

Time Capsule Piece 2: Ray Bandz

These glasses, although a little nerdy, define me. They

are the most recognizable thing I have and the only

thing that follows me where ever I go.

Time Capsule Piece 3: Bible

The Bible has a countless amount of benefits. It holds the answers

for a lot of the hard questions it life. My studies of the bible have

made me the man I am today. The quotes and words of inspiration are

incomparable and I think it should be acknowledge.

Time Capsule Piece 4: Watch

I want to be remembered for who I am. A harmless kid

who loves to have fun, and is occasionally late. I got this

watch in attempts to stop being late and failed

drastically but it’s a work in progress.

Time Capsule Piece 5: Family Photo

My family has been there for me since day one. With all

the people in it can be hard to stay in touch with

everyone but they have all played a prominent role in my

life.



He has one of the best flows known to man. His lyrics

can get a little mind-boggling at times. He also raps

about real life situations unlike most rappers who just

rap about how much better their life is than mine.

Although he causes a lot of controversy Chris

Brown produces some great music. A lot of

people hate his character but admire every song

he is sings.

Drake is an extremely chill rapper; Unlike other

rappers like lil Wayne. Drake came out with an

album called Take Care and I enjoy every song on

it.

Justin Timberlake is the symbol for “cool.” His

music is soothing to the ear and his swag is the

foundation for attracting girls. Needless to say,

JT is the man.

Miguel has one of the best voices this

generation. He has a pretty exotic style which

may seem a little flamboyant to others but I

truly enjoy his art.

5 – J. Cole

2—Justin Timberlake

1— Drake

3—Chris Brown

4—Miguel

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Music is an important part of my life and knowing the types of music someone listens to

can tell a lot about them. I want people to understand the kind of man I am

He is a great rapper. I think that he takes a lot

of time to perfect his music and his rhyme

scheme is each song is superb.

He simply produces great music. Frank Ocean has

a very universal style so a lot of people can enjoy

it.

His music relaxes me. When I need to study or just

take my mind off of life I always revert back to

listening to John Mayors music.

There is a time to relax and there is a time to

get hype. Rick Ross’s music can hype anyone up.

I listen to him before games to get me in game

mode.

When I'm cruising around in my car, windows

down, and music blasting I always listen to Asap.

His music is fun and I have made some great

memories listening to his music.

10— Kendrick Lamar

7—Rick Ross

6— John Mayor

8— Frank Ocean

9 –Asap Rocky

Top Ten Musical Artist of 2013



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