How to Build Your Own Custom Keyboard--Dwayne

 

During this time of pandemic and quarantine, many students sat down at their desks in their foldable chairs, Mac or PC, and whatever keyboard and mouse that came with the unit. Earlier in the year, Anthony wrote a blog on how to build a PC. And if you are going through the process of building a PC, might as well give yourself the best tools possible to operate it. I was one of those people using the wireless keyboard and mouse that came with the computer. However during quarantine, I was introduced to the world of Mechanical Keyboards. Mechanical Keyboards are keyboards that have mechanical switches. Most keyboards today such as the Apple Keyboard and other basic keyboards come with membrane switches that allow the keyboards to follow suit with the current ‘minimalistic’ design language manufactures are catering to.

Credit to RTINGS.com Credit to Forbes.com
Although functional, the membrane dome switches don’t allow for the user to feel the keys on the keyboard and does not allow the user to customize their typing experience leaving them with a dull, muted, almost squish-like feeling when pressing down a key.
Mechanical Keyboards allows the user to fully customize their experience with a plethora of different switches, keycaps, boards, and cases. Having a custom keyboard allows you to personalize the second most important tool in your computer set up (next to the computer itself, which is also customizable). As I have said before, there are many different options you can use to fit whatever theme you are trying to achieve, with many different pre-built options for inspiration.
Building a mechanical keyboard may seem like major task that requires a high level of skill, but with today’s technology, anyone with a hands and a screwdriver can put one of these boys together, no problem. Like with most activities, there are different levels of keyboard building of varying difficulty. I will go over the easiest and quickest way to build your keyboard.

Materials You Will Need:
(Sites to get materials will be linked, as well as my personal build) 60% Keyboard Case
Hot Swappable 60% PCB
Plate (if needed)
Foam (if needed)
Mechanical Key Switches
Screw-In Stabilizers

Keycaps

Lube

Basic household tools And A Lot of Money

Step 1
First things first, you want to install your screw-in stabilizers to your PCB. Stabilizers are exactly what you think they are, they are stabilize the keys such as they space bar, shift keys, and the enter key. It is common practice to lube the stabilizers with contact grease or a specialized stabilizer lube to negate any rattling from the metal-to-plastic contact from the stabilizers, however, it is not required but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Take the stabilizers and screw the correct stabilizer to it's designated place on the PCB (it will be labeled on the PCB)

Step 2
Mount the plate onto the PCB, aligning the holes on the pate to the holes on the PCB. The mounting plate is where the key switches will be mounted onto, hence the name mounting plate. These plates could be made out of many different materials such as aluminum, brass, gold plated aluminum, and more, all producing different sounds when typed on.

Step 3
One of the easier steps, this is where the mechanical portion of mechanical keyboard comes into play. Mechanical switches are one of the most if not the most varying aspect of the keyboard with hundreds of different kinds of switches. There are three major types of switches: Linears, Tactile, and Clicky. In three categories of switches there are even more types of switches. Each switch have what is called an activation force, which is the amount of force needed to activate the switch. The most common is a linear switch with a 45g actuation force, usually noted by different companies as “reds.” The three most common “red” switches being Cherry MX Reds, Gateron Reds, and Outemu Reds.

What ever switch you choose, you must mount one switch to each space shown on the plate. When completed, it will look like this.

Step 5
The next thing you will need to do is to grab your keyboard case. There are many different kinds of cases of many different colors and materials. Some are made of plastic, various metals, or even wood. And just like the mounting plate, each case will have their own distinctive feel and sounds when typed on. This particular case is made of aluminum.

Once you have your case, you want to align the stand-offs and USB hole with the PCB and carefully place it into the case. Then, screw in the PCB to the case with the included screws. When completed, it should look like this.

Step 6
Now for the easiest, most exciting step, we move onto the keycaps. This is where the theming and customization of your keyboard can get wild, there are thousands of different options for keycaps with different designs, materials, and shapes. The most common shape for a keycap is Cherry shaped keycaps, and the most popular material for keycaps is PBT plastic, which gives the keycaps a *THOCK* kind of noise. However, if you are truly passionate about your keyboard, you may want to look into GMK keycaps. These can run you about 200-600 dollars for one set, however the designs and quality of the keycaps are second to none.
So once, you have your selected keycaps, make sure the space-bar, shift keys, and enter keys fit, and press the keycaps onto the switches. And this is what the final product will look like.

Custom keyboard building is a simple and easy way to take your office or gaming set up to the next level. With the endless combinations of switches, keycaps, cases, and plates, no keyboard builds are really the same which really allows you to have that individuality. And there is no short supply of information either, there are many YouTube accounts dedicated to help you learn the in’s-and-out’s of keyboard building such as TaeKeyboards, Hamaji Neo, :3ildcat, and my favorite Taeha Types. There are multiple subreddits and forums you can go to for inspiration on your build, as well as an great community that is eager to help beginners who are starting out.

PIcture Credits to TaeKeyboards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVaUvywGMw)

How to Build and find all the right tools for a Skateboard--Daniel

 

One of the most favorite sports I have played and still do to this day is skateboarding. Skateboarding is the sport which normally contains a wooden deck with metal trucks and wheels attached that rides basically wherever you want. A lot of people think that building a skateboard is hard and get discouraged to build one themselves and will just have someone do it for them. But I feel like building a skateboard can be a pretty self accomplishing feeling that everyone who rides a skateboard should do and feel.

First step to building a skateboard is finding a deck and grip tape

You can find decks at skate shops, online, or even some clothes stores. Finding decks is extremely important, There are many different decks you can find and buy at skate shops and the prices vary for each deck. For beginners I suggest buying and riding a blank deck which normally costs anywhere to $40-60. If you have been riding for a little bit I suggest buying a little more expensive and reliable board for instance a “Baker” deck or FA board. A baker deck or Fa board has a different design than a normal blank deck, that keeps the board more sturdy and reliable. A baker board and FA board can cost about $60-100 so it's understandable if you just want the blank deck for cheaper. When you buy a deck from skate shops, you usually get yourself a griptape which they put on for you for free. They also already drill holes in the board for the next steps to building a skateboard which is for screwing the trucks in. Make sure you get grip tape with the deck because the grip tape keeps you steady when riding and doing tricks, without the grip tape you would pretty much just end up sliding off your board when attempting tricks.

Next step to building a skateboard is getting trucks, wheels.
After getting yourself a deck, you're gonna need trucks and wheels for your board. You can find these again at skate shops, clothes stores or online. Trucks and wheels varry as well just like a deck, You can find some cheap trucks and wheels all varying in price or get yourself a little but more expensive but more reliable trucks like hollow and thunder trucks that normally cost about $30 for each truck. For the wheels I would suggest getting bone or spitfire wheels that vary between 20-40 dollars. Getting yourself the recommended trucks and wheels like thunder trucks and bone allow you to do more tricks and grind on rails without damaging your trucks and wheels faster.

Next step is finding “hardware” or just screws and bolts to equip the trucks and wheels to the board and bearings for the wheels to spin on the board
You can find hardware pretty much anywhere, I would recommend skate shops like pharmacies or just buy them online. The hardware is only a couple of bucks and you can find bearings for about 15-20 dollars all depending on the store.

Finally is assembling the board.

To assemble the board it's pretty straightforward you attach the trucks to the board with the hardware. You can do this with a phillips screwdriver and a wrench or a “skate tool”. After you screw the trucks into the deck with the hardware, you put the bearing into the wheels and screw the wheels on the trucks with a wrench or skate tool. After that, You have pretty much built yourself your own skateboard, hope these tips were helpful and enjoy riding!

Rose--Kayla

Life as we know is full of ups and downs, regardless of the situation. There’s never a time

where we won’t be presented with the hardships this life has given us. This can mentally and

physically harm our well being, where if faced with similar situations, our automatic response is

to flee. Let’s say, losing someone that meant the world to you, more so felt as your home away

from home but when you needed them the most, they stab you in the back as if you meant

nothing to them. Seems quite painful, doesn't it? This is where I begin my story. As the

independent woman I am today, my life hasn’t been the easiest route to get to where I am, as

some may think. I have always had a hard time getting along with my family, which in some

cases felt as if I didn't belong. There were and still are, only a handful of people I can confide in

when dealing with these family problems. I have never been one to fully express my truth when

explaining personal situations, because I feel as if I should never ask for help and deal with these

things on my own. That being said, a few years back in 2018 i had met someone who i never

intended to mean anymore than just an acquaintance. That year was extremely difficult for my

family and I. We could not see eye to eye for the life of it. Coming home felt so exhausting to

where I'd just be in my room until the next day, when I'd have to leave for school. Coming home

should never feel uneasy, but more so your peace after a long day. But that’s just something I

never seemed to fulfill. Let’s call this person, Rose. Rose was the most charismatic, smart,

charming, full of life, understanding, and most patient person i had ever met. At the time, I had

never met someone with such a nurturing feeling, where I could confide in them so quickly.

Meeting Rose was what I looked for when coming home but never seemed to have gotten it. As

cliche as it may sound, there is a saying that says, sometimes your home isn’t always your home,

but maybe your home is within a person. This was my person I felt most vulnerable enough to

talk about my family problems which comes from someone who is afraid to let their guard down,

this was out of my comfort zone. Every Time i had something going on this person was just here,

giving me the right words of advice and made me feel valid but not all things last forever, am I

right? After months of being inseparable, there came a day where things started to change, both

with Rose and my family. Rose had been acting distant, and felt so far but so close to me at the

same time. While, my family situation had gotten to the utmost brim point. I started to feel alone

and afraid as when i did before meeting Rose, but i couldn’t do anything about it because I

wasn’t going to force someone to try and help me, as it is not their obligation. But when

confiding in one person with all this information, to have them just disappear was painful and put

a strain on my heart. Dealing with how both situations got hard at the same time, did not do me

well. I felt lost, a burden, and a disappointment all at once. Come to find out, Rose never had the

intentions of being in my life for the long run, but used me for their enjoyment purposes until

they were happy. Seeing Rose happy, while I was suffering made me feel so much that I was

overwhelmed but I wasn't and still am not the type to ruin a person's happiness for my own. I left

Rose to be, because all I had thought of them was how much peace they’d brought me for a long

but short period of time and this was the most I could do for them. To some that may be wrong to

do, but that’s how much peace a person had brought into my soul that all i wanted was to see

them happy, always. Never will I forget Rose, as they had changed me for the better and taught

me the good and the bad. I learned that it is okay to confide in a person, but be careful with a

person's intentions as it is not always pure but also to never forget how a person had made you

feel if that was good or bad. Know where you stand, your worth, what you deserve as a person,

and to let things go if they no longer serve their purpose. To conclude, “there is no way to hold

onto something that is truly beautiful, not without consequences. There is a reason why Roses

have thorns.”

Showers of April Writers

 

The time has come for we are at the end of the 2020-2021 school year and that brings us to our last batch of  writers.

We have a small collection this month.  Enjoy reading the How-Tos this month.

Your April comments are due Monday, May 10.

Please read all the submissions and leave comments for your faves---at least 3.

I will see you in class :)

Feed Your Soul,

Mrs. Solano

https://www.google.com/search?q=free+april+showers+images&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=9qxo5U3TGl_IxM%252CUP9-kh7ijJG9HM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQu7s-7CgW7vV4ar9utZqgsIeLUnA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwifsYHylqHwAhW5CjQIHfT5CioQ9QF6BAgQEAE&biw=2144&bih=1194&safe=active&ssui=on#imgrc=9qxo5U3TGl_IxM

Ego--Luke

 

“And I’ll never let my son have an ego. He’ll be nice to everyone, wherever we go.” (New Day by Kanye West & JAY-Z). 

Ever since I gained consciousness in the fact that I was alive and my existence in the grand scheme of affairs I started to tiptoe along the line of “right” and “wrong”. I would try and adopt good routines and stay away from bad habits and in the early stages of my life I thought egotism was bad. There’s a stigma towards having an ego and it is typically seen in a bad light, even when you look up ‘ego’ it even gives suggestions like “How do I kill my ego?”. Meanwhile, being humble is praised and admired even, on one occasion, I won a student trait of the month for being modest and bragging about it on this blog is the best part. Is it good to be modest? Is it bad to be cocky? Ego is the foundation of a better person. When you garner self-respect for yourself, you not only find yourself more prepossessing, but you find more appreciation in the life around you. So why is there a negative connotation with egos and their role?

There are multiple reasons as to why people think an ego is bad and the first reason is personal experience. There are always those people who are looking in the mirror too much or trying too hard to get attention, and while they are egotistical, they are more narcissistic if anything. Narcissism is when someone performs an action to get attention and admiration, but being egotistical doesn’t coincide with narcissism, since you can think you are great without ever wanting any attention at all. Take Kanye west for example, “‘Til I got flashed by the paparazzi. Damn, these n***** got me, I hate these n***** more than the Nazis” (Flashing Lights - Kanye West). Speaking of Kanye West, he is probably another reason as to why people don’t like the idea of having a big ego. Ever since the 2009 VMA awards, the incident where Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during the award ceremony, people fortified the thought that celebrities have big egos and most do, like Madonna, Connor Mcgregor, and Alec Baldwin. Finally, the last major reason for the way ego is looked at in today’s world is the stories and themes that we read and grow up with. Take the “Tortoise and the Hare” for instance. The hare was too cocky and that got in the way of him winning. The Bible even has a story about humility with King Nebuchadnezzar. With all this evidence considered it seems like having a big ego is detrimental and hurts the relationships of those around you, but this isn’t all true. 

Your ego is there when no one and nothing else is there for you, we ultimately rely on ourselves to get through the day, but situations are not always that hopeless. It’s easy to say having an ego is bad, but like many aspects of life; if you have it under moderation, then it can help you grow. There is a study by the APA that states that having a strong ego builds your willpower which allows for the dedication towards major projects, self-improvement, etc. A common notation is that cocky people are annoying to interact with, but people who constantly bring up their flaws and want constant reassurance are no better than the individuals who try to take the spotlight for themselves. Accepting and embracing your ego is part of accepting who you are because if you suppress it completely you cut out parts of yourself that set you apart. There are many people who struggle with self-confidence and boosts to an ego can help their lives immensely. In my eyes anyone can be an “Odyessus”, meaning anyone can be the main character of their lives and triumph, except not everyone triumphs all the time. As cliche as that may sound, prioritizing yourself without being a hindrance to others is a huge value and should never be looked down upon. 

Works cited

 “APA PsycNet.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F2333-8113.1.S.19. 

Bellis, Rich. “Why Real Leaders Have Strong Egos (And That's A Good Thing).” Fast Company, Fast Company, 13 Jan. 2017, www.fastcompany.com/3067133/why-real-leaders-have-strong-egos-and-thats-a-good-thin g. 

Bondy, Halley. “Why Having a Big Ego Isn't Always a Bad Thing: Executive Coach Liz Bentley.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 24 Dec. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/why-having-big-ego-isn-t-always-bad-thing-e xecutive-ncna1104591. 

Genius, 2007, genius.com/Kanye-west-flashing-lights-lyrics. Flashing Lights - Kanye West 

Genius, 2011, genius.com/312725. New Day - Kanye West & JAY-Z

Cosmogyral--Alissah

 

“If you were an animal, what animal would you be?”
“I’ve never thought about it. What do you think I would be?” Mallory responds.

“Hmm,” Giselle spun around in her swivel chair while tapping her pencil on her head before coming to a stop and looking at the ceiling, “probably a koala.”

“Why a koala?”
“Cus you’re lazy.”
“Because I’m lazy?!” she shrieks in shock then smiles, “well you’re evil, like a crow.” “How are crows evil?”
“Don’t ask me, I'm not a crow connoisseur.”

The girls laugh at the remarks and go back to work. They begin to discuss the gossip going on within their University and laugh some more. The conversation soon fell dead as the girls began to work on their homework again. Their hard work is disrupted by the text tone of Mallory’s phone in which she checks.

19:25, Thursday.
Maybe: mom

Come home now.

“Who’s texting you? Your boyfriend?” Giselle teases her with a smirk. “It’s just my mom again. She wants me to come home.”
“I thought she didn’t want you home.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”

A loud banging that came from the front door interrupts them. Both girls quickly whip their heads in that direction then exchange expressions. The girls look outside the window. It was dark outside with little to no light near the window area but they realized

they could see a figure. Mallory grabs Giselle’s hand and pulls her down to hide under the bed. Their hearts began to race and fear quickly filled their stomachs. The figure approaches the window and peers inside as if it were looking for something. Mallory kept her gaze on the thing while Giselle covered her mouth and put her head down. The figure begins to bang on the window. The pounding gradually got louder and harder until it stopped abruptly and the figure left. Both girls wait a few minutes before getting from under the bed just in case they hadn’t actually left. Mallory rubs Giselle’s back to comfort her while her mind is riddled with fear and confusion. She gets from under the bed and shuts the blinds immediately.

“It’s okay, G. You can come from under the bed now.” She tells her.

No response follows, nor any movement. Mallory bites her lower lip knowing Giselle feels unsafe. She walks back to the bed and looks under to help her come out, but Giselle wasn’t there. The fear that went away quickly rushes through her body again. She calls out to Giselle, but is met with silence again. She walks around the apartment calling out to her in confusion and worry yet there is no sign of Giselle anywhere in the apartment. Mallory quickly grabs her phone and begins to text her, spamming her with multiple messages before deciding to call her. The phone rings a few times, then a ringtone is heard from the room.

“Giselle?” She calls her name as she approaches the room cautiously. A pit in her stomach begins to rise. A feeling of negative energy radiated from the room. It was almost as if the room was on fire. Mallory grabs the door handle but gets burned by it. Smoke began to ooze from underneath the door and the heat grew hotter.

Help me! A familiar voice called from inside the room. Mallory recognized the voice as Giselle and began to try to kick down the door. The knob was too hot to touch and it seemed the harder she tried, the farther she got from understanding what was going on. An ungodly amount of heat radiated from the room. She kicks at the door one more time before it breaks open. Black smoke filled the hallway of the apartment quickly causing Mallory to cough and cover her mouth while swatting the smoke.

“Mal, help me!” Giselle cried again.

As soon as Mallory saw Giselle, she was also met with a black figure holding Giselle’s head and mimicking her. Mallory screams in terror and darts for the front door. The black figure follows her down the hall and to the front door where she gets thrown to the wall and knocked unconscious.

--

She wakes up in the woods, holding a book with READ ASAP written on it. She sits up, waiting for the raging headache to dim down. After collecting herself for a few minutes, her mind began to clear up and soon be filled with the memories of before. She quickly stands up and looks around. She had no idea where to start looking. On the floor there were crumpled up pieces of paper scattered in no specific form. Mallory begins reading the book in her hand and feels the same feeling in her stomach when she was by the door that radiated the negative energy. The first few pages were filled with tally marks and schemes or plans of some sort that ended up being changed or crossed out entirely. She continues to flip until she reaches a page with explanations.

If you’re reading this, you have to get out of these woods now. Find the tree with the animals on it and touch the crow.

Mallory looks around and notices almost immediately the tree the book referred to. As she walked up to the tree, she noticed all types of animals on the tree. Cows, dolphins, snakes. She looked around the tree and noticed the grow was red while the other animals were green and a dolphin was blue.

What is this thing?

She looks inside the book for notes and finds a page speaking on the dolphins.

DO NOT TOUCH THE CROW. If you want to get out of this hell, you have to touch the

In confusion, Mallory notices that it was the last page with writing on it. Before she could wonder anything, she feels the same heat as she did from the room radiating behind her. Without taking a look, she darts through the forest looking for an exit. The heat follows her and keeps up with her until she reaches a familiar street. It was the University. She ran to the apartment where Giselle stayed and ran to the door banging on it. No answer. She runs over to the window and peeks inside seeing nobody inside. Everything was normal. Giselle’s head wasn’t cut off, there was no smoke, and even their homework laid where they had last put it.

Am I going crazy? Mallory thought to herself.

She begins pounding on the window and calls Giselle’s name, but is still met with silence. The streets were empty and all the lights in the apartments around seemed to be off. Mallory turns around and sees multiple posters all over the area. Once she had gotten closer to read it, her heart sank into her stomach and she dropped the book.

How to Meditate--Aidan

 

I had seen meditation as a hobby hippies did in their free time but now I incorporate it into my everyday life because of the impact it has left on me. Meditation is used widely around the world and for a variety of purposes that can shape a person into their highest self. It can be used in your daily life to build resilience against stress and to center yourself when you are thrown off by anything that causes stress.While meditation is known universally, there are different practices and items to add onto meditation that will bring a better and more impactful outcome. Using my knowledge of meditation I want to give some advice and tips on how to meditate.

Like me, many people struggle to clear their mind when meditating because that is what they are told to do. Using a subtype of meditation called Mindfulness Meditation you do the opposite of clearing your thoughts and instead be mindful and focus on the present instead of your past or future. You first want to find a peaceful place and sit in any relaxed position with a straight back so you are breathing properly. You then want to clear your mind of any past trauma or thoughts and any worries you are overthinking about in the future and only focus on the good things that have kept you where you are now. By acknowledging and thinking of only the present you are able to ease and let go of negative thoughts that aren’t currently affecting you and have hold of you. Using this technique helps reduce fixation on negative emotions and improves focus and memories. This technique has personally helped me with a bad habit of negative thought patterns that currently don’t happen as often as they did before.

(credit: Damazen.com)

A certain meditation called Breathwork Meditation is the use of breathing exercises to increase the supply of oxygen to your brain which promotes a state of calmness and relaxation. To achieve Breathwork Meditation you first must sit laying down or in an upward position with

your back straight and hands on your lap or to the side. Once in the right position close your eyes and repeatedly breathe in and out of your nose while inhaling and exhaling your stomach with each breath you take. Once you get a hang of this technique you will feel a feeling of relaxation. Breathwork is also a good way to transfer into regular meditation because your mind won't be as clustered as it was before you started the breathwork. I have gone to some breathwork classes in the past months and all of my experiences have been very impactful on my emotional and mental health which introduced me to new people and promoted a lot of self love.

(Credit: Jessica Linderman)

A very life changing meditation that has helped me grow with others and all my loved ones is called Metta Meditation also known as Loving-Kindness Meditation. This meditation can be done by yourself but it is recommended to do with friends and family. You can lay in any comfortable position to your liking which then you start to recite a mantra-based meditation directing the positive energy towards yourself for example “I am healthy”, “I am lucky”, “I am loved”, etc.. You then link the energy towards the person you are with(unless alone) and go on to link it to people who you love, who you want to love more, someone who you have a difficult relationship with and concluding the meditation with the love for all beings. Metta Meditation is known to promote strong feelings of love and compassion with yourself and others. Doing this meditation with loved ones can greatly help create a better bond and help clear off frustration or resentment.

(Credit: BFJ Media)

All types of meditations are great practicing on their own but you can always incorporate different items into your meditations to help clear your mind and relax your body. When I usually meditate I burn different types of incense and cleanse the areas I am in to keep a positive environment while I meditate. Using different herbs like lavender, sage and mugwort can heighten different senses while meditating which helps stay in meditation. While these items are always good to have for meditating they aren’t necessary and I guarantee that practicing any type of meditation will always help you in a positive way.