INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Be compassionate and remember the other person's feelings. Take time to listen to and validate his response. Let him know you appreciate his vulnerability and value his feelings. You can say, "I know you must be feeling hurt or confused right now. I appreciate you asking me out. That takes a lot of courage and I can't imagine how hard that is." You might ask, "Is there anything you need to feel more comfortable? I know it might be weird since we still have to go to school together." If you trust or like the person who asked you out, but don't want to date her, you might be able to offer your help in other ways. Suggest other options for how the two of you could have a relationship. Suggest a friend who might be a good fit for her to date. Get your friend's permission first. Ask if the two of you could just be friends, if you aren't already. Ask for more time if you're unsure of your decision or can't agree to a date right now, but are interested in dating her in the future. Suggest spending more time with her one-on-one if you don't know her well, but would like to get to know her better before formally dating her. Beware of people who persist to ask you out or refuse to accept your refusal. Watch out for reactions of anger or abusive language. If something about the person is disturbing, offensive, or inappropriate when you refuse him, you can ensure your safety by: Letting someone know where you are, if you're alone with him. Leaving the situation immediately and going to where there are other people. Blocking him on any social media applications or dating websites where you talk to him. Avoiding responding to his phone, email, or text messages. Avoiding being alone with him in person in the future. While you may be graceful in your refusal, the other person may not take it so well and have a strong negative reaction. This may lead you to feel guilty maybe you should have said yes, just to be nice? or the person may try to outright guilt-trip you, but you don't need to feel bad or guilty about being honest and genuine to what you are feeling and thinking. You can't force yourself to feel a certain way, and if you're not connecting with that person on a romantic level, you can't talk or trick yourself into feeling that connection. The person's reaction is her own, and if she reacts poorly, you are not responsible for that.

SUMMARY: Show empathy. Suggest alternatives. Be safe. Deal with feelings of guilt.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The ideal potato is firm and smooth. It's not sprouting and doesn't have any green coloration this indicates that it is starting to produce toxins and could have an undesirable taste and even lead to headaches or diarrhea. Be wary of potatoes with soft spots or blemishes, too. As for the type of potato, that's ultimately up to you. There are waxy potatoes, starchy potatoes, and all-purpose potatoes. Waxy potatoes (Rose Finn Apple, Russian Banana, Red Thumb) hold their shape better and are great for boiling or roasting. Starchy potatoes (Russet, Jewel Yam, Japanese Sweet Potato) are great for baking and frying. Check to see if the recipe requires them peeled or unpeeled and peel them if needed. If they don't need peeled, scrub them under running water until they're about as clean as they're going to get. If they do need peeled, with your potato peeler or a sharp knife (be careful!), peel them above a bowl or the trash. This makes clean up a lot easier. Wash them after peeling for good measure. Potatoes take a long time to cook, hence why you're parboiling them, right? To make sure they all cook at the same rate, cut them to the same size. If some potatoes are larger than others, they may not be done at the same rate as the smaller ones. And, in general, the smaller the potato, the quicker it'll cook. If you have really big potatoes, cut them into quarters just to cut down on your parboiling time.

SUMMARY: Choose your potatoes. Clean the potatoes. If necessary, cut them to matching sizes.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Most people don't know what cheerleading really is. If your parents think that cheerleaders are mean people that do nothing but wave pom-poms, explain to them what you really want to do, how much you love cheerleading, and that all-star cheerleading is not the same thing as cheering for your school or football. Make sure you aren't putting them on the spot. Make sure they agree with you and you aren't pressuring them. They will more likely help you if you stay calm and show them your mature. Be happy, smile, make friends, don't be mean, laugh a lot, and be sporty! Remember that being mean and rude to other teammates could get you kicked off the cheerleading team, so remember to be nice to everyone in your team and outside our team. Also make sure that you pick a good team. Before you become an all-star cheerleader, you need to know what all-star cheerleading is. Look up videos on Youtube or visit the USASF (US All-Star Federation) website to see how it's like being an all-star cheerleader. Know all the rules and levels so you'll have an idea what level you'll be on and what you'll be doing. And be sure to know the difference between all-star cheerleading and football/basketball cheerleading before you sign up! If you're tall and strong, you'll probably be a base or backspot. If you're short, flexible, and agile you'll probably be a flyer. If you're a combination of both, maybe you could be two things at a time! Look on the website for pictures, look on youtube for videos, and see if on the website they have requirements for the team you want to try out for. For previews on competitions go to websites like Jamfest or U.S. Nationals. Remember to find a good team. If the team only has seven girls or goes in only two competitions a year, you might not want to join if cheerleading is your passion. Make sure you join a good sized teams with plenty of levels and that goes on competitions! And if possible, try joining a team that goes to Worlds.

SUMMARY:
Get your parents permission and support. Start acting like a cheerleader, even before you make the team. Research good cheerleading. Decide what you're going to be. Research an all star team in your area so you have all the information.