January Writers!!!!!!

Welcome to a new decade AND the submissions of our January Featured Writers!!!


This month we have a total of 11 original pieces for you to read and enjoy.  The selections are from the following categories: Personal Narrative, Flash Fiction, the How-to and the Abstract.  Read ALL 11 pieces, choose 3 and write your comments.

January comments are due Sunday, February 9 by 11:59 PM.

Have a great week :)

See you in class,

Mrs. Solano

https://www.google.com/imgres?

Crow--Arianna

I lay here, on the mushy overgrown grass, staring at the boundless sky wondering, “What else?” It’s the same sky I’ve seen everyday for the past 17 years I’ve lived on this earth, except this time with noticeably more clouds. The leftover wind from last night’s rainstorm decides to make itself known with a gentle breeze that grazes my skin as I search for the rest of the universe hidden behind the clouds. Often times, I visit this empty field to vainly look for an answer to my life. “What’s my purpose?”, I think. This question seems to be of the utmost importance seeing that by this following year, I should already have the blueprint of the rest of my life prepared. I stare at a flock of birds flying towards the mountains, and I can’t help but feel envious. They live simply by instinct. They have no preconceived notions to live by nor do they have any external pressures guiding them towards a certain path. They’re just birds. But unlike them, I’m not just a person. I’m what my parents want me to be, what my teachers expect of me, and what society anticipates from me. I am one of billions of bodies that occupy this planet with a seemingly endless amount of options on how to live my life, but really only having a certain fraction of them attainable. After my mind falls into an existential rabbithole, I hear in the distance... ​Boom Boom.​ Thunder. I appear to have fallen so lost in thought that I failed to notice the growing cold and looming darkness that enveloped my surroundings; I guess I’ve invaded the hospitality of this field and overstayed my welcome. I quickly gather my things and head towards the single

direction of home. As I make my way across the freshly dampened mud, I pass the towering guarding trees that omit any remnants of sunlight left from the day. The claps of thunder don’t hold back and threaten me to a faster pace while the winds strengthen, and my nose feels the biting cold. By now, I’m running home. My breathing gets heavier, and I begin to pant. As the adrenaline starts to surge, I notice something off and pause to take a look around. I find myself next to the same trees that lined the perimeter of the field. “I thought I passed you”, I say in my head. I glance ahead and realize that I’m only a couple steps away from the opposite part of the field which I had exited through. “There’s no way this could’ve happened since I never made any turns...”, I think to myself. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention? Or I actually mis-stepped? None of my made up excuses make sense, but I give myself the benefit of the doubt. I again set forth in the same direction that leads home, this time being conscious of where I’m going. Once I reach the other side of the field, the rain picks up, and I re-meet the trees that appear to taunt me. However, I can’t help but feel watched. I examine the branches and come to discern a large crow that has taken shelter under the dense leaves, leaving me with a great sense of apprehension. By now, the thunder is sporadically clapping, reminding me that I NEED to get home. Drenched, I focus myself through the familiar route I had taken earlier, but this time I succeed. I reach my doorstep, leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind me, and attempt to unlock the door. Already feeling queasy, I pull out the key from my soaking bag and enter it into the keyhole, but the key doesn’t turn. I check to see if it’s the right key, which it is, and jam it in again. Nothing. Before I know it, tears of frustration and worry have streaked my face. My only other roommate, my mother, is working late tonight. All of a sudden, I hear a car pull in. I wonder if my mom got off early, but as I turn my head, no one’s there. I glimpse around, but only to see everything

completely still as it was when I arrived. Convinced I’ve lost my mind, I hopelessly try the key again. ​Click.​ I emphatically push the door open and step inside. A quick wave of relief falls across me as I secure my body behind these walls. I turn on the flickering lights and find comfort in seeing all my homely possessions perfectly situated like they always are. After taking off my sodden shoes, I make my way to the dimly lit kitchen for a glass of water. As I refresh myself with a sip, all I can think about is what the hell’s going on. I’m too exhausted to logically find an explanation for all the ill-boding occurrences, so I decide it’s best to rest my body first. Before welcoming a well-needed sleep, I direct myself to the bathroom to clean up my disheveled grimy self. When light catches the room, I see someone in the mirror, but I don’t see myself. I immediately close my eyes in hopes that my hallucination will end. When I reopen them, I’m no longer in my bathroom. I’m highly elevated, looking at my person standing at the edge of the field, while raindrops hit my feathers.

Sharing Germs--Jacob

December: The most festive time of the year when families spend joyous nights setting

up Christmas trees or lighting candles for Kwanzaa or Hannukah. However, I found myself in constant awareness of my surroundings as the month was also the second most active time for the flu. “Achoo!” Someone in my biology class just sneezed and covered it with their hands. Disgusting. Even the script of the onomatopoeia ​makes me cringe. Proudly making it past the eighth grade as a mild germaphobe, I had already endured the worst. From the dripping snot of fellow kindergarteners to the demonstration of the five-second rule by my fourteen-year-old peers, my experiences prepared me for anything high school would throw at me. A bottle of hand sanitizer was clipped upon my right belt loop, just in case I accidentally touched chewed gum stuck underneath the desk. Or even worse, if someone would ask to “shake my hand”: an immense exchange of microbes that a person has collected throughout the day. The bell rang to end class and I stayed behind for lunch to avoid as much human contact as possible. However, when I stood up to talk to my teacher, her co-teacher, Andy, placed himself uncomfortably close to me and attempted to lick me. Luckily, I avoided and left the classroom promptly. Although disturbed by the moment then, this behavior was not unorthodox of Andy. 

Andy was known for greeting people with his tongue, leaving a wad of saliva on each of their faces. Being the germaphobe that I was, I was repelled by the idea of it​—​but also intrigued.

As I was struck with a cold about two times a year in week-long periods, Andy was always present at school in a healthy state. So I started studying the human immune system. After some online browsing and YouTube videos later, I learned that when an unknown microorganism enters the lymph nodes, lymphocytes familiarize themselves with what is being presented to them and utilize that information for future action. I finally understood what Andy’s goal was: He wanted to achieve virtual immunity by forcing his body to accept any pathogens that were unknown to him. I later realized that society is constructed similarly. In order to initiate change, unrecognized ideas need to be shared with the community, and the community will respond back. This is evident in our history, even dating back to the Founding Fathers, as they presented new ideas back and forth on how our country should run through the Federalist and Antifederalist papers. Albert Einstein put the world in awe with the Theory of Relativity, which would be later challenged by the subject of quantum physics. I wanted to pursue the same conviction in my own way—large or small. 

Inspired by my background in helping my grandmother in her backyard throughout my childhood, I founded the Botanical Gardening Club to educate my peers on the native foliage that lay within our grounds. This was done by teaching the members about plants such as the Lacy Phacelia and informed them of facts like the plant’s growth period and its maximum height. Incorporated with hands-on activities such as serving at local community gardens and farms, the club used their hands to root out weeds and cultivate the Southern California culture. More importantly, however, I was also able to learn from my members. Through their suggestions that ranged from t-shirt designs to social event ideas, I was able to get a better gauge on how a successful club works and ended up creating a new family at school. 

I also found sharing in my life outside of school. Within my friend group, an exchange of our different backgrounds was evident in the numerous discussions of controversial topics such as the protests in Hong Kong to the legacy of Robert Mugabe. With these small seminars that occurred within our group chat on WhatsApp, each of us was able to gain an understanding of everyone’s opinion as each statement was listened to and tolerated before being combated with our own. This created a new learning process for me outside of school, as I obtained perspectives aside from my own, contributed from my friends whose backgrounds varied in gender, culture, and ideology. 

As my freshman year went by, I gradually outgrew my germaphobia, leaving the bottle of hand sanitizer behind. Now, when I introduce myself to new people, I welcomingly shake their hand in hopes of exchanging germs​—​my experiences and knowledge with theirs​—​and search for more, adapting and conforming to new ideas to become better.

A Unique Trip--Matthew

“Ah, but how woefully sad ‘tis the day on which it all shall be for naught! All shall be for nothing and nothing shall be all that can be reached in this sad and desolate world!” 

“Hmm, it’s true that nothing can be seen here, but I’m sure there is something here. It’s impossible for ​nothing​ to be here. There ​has​ to be something!” 

As I continued to walk along the shattered, fractured road, that was strangely damaged despite being recently paved a week ago, the echoes of my words plague my mind as they violently consumed the other thoughts that were drifting about at that moment. I couldn’t help but think of how I ended up here. I couldn’t help but think of the moment I came to this monochrome and inverted world. I simply couldn’t help but think... “How did all this happen?” and “Who is this clown?”. 

It was cold, very, very cold as I woke up. Everything was dark, everything was black, everything was shrouded. Nothing could be heard, nothing could be seen, nothing could be felt that would indicate that the vestiges of life were in the room I was in. To my right, something could be felt. To my left, nothing was felt. As I looked up, nothing was seen. As I looked down, the cold surface I was laying on could be seen after straining my eyes. After I finished checking my bearing, I gently pushed myself up, using the support to my side as a brace, to maintain my balance. As I leaned against the presumed wall, my eyes began to calibrate to the extreme lack of light in the room and observe the world I currently knew of. My mind began to process the seemingly empty world around me. My fingers started to feel the gentle breeze that was flowing through. My nose started to experience the faint scent of the humid air that was present. My ears perceived the pitter-patter of something smacking itself against the sides of the shelter that was protecting me. The faint fluorescent glow of the surrounding flora started to permeate the dark abyss. The creeping vines radiated a gentle green which illuminated the dimensions of the room before me. With light akin to the glow of life, the true nature of the room was revealed to me. Inside the room devoid of life, there were indeed signs of those who once lived in it, furniture that lacked the touch of time, toys that were littered about in pristine condition, photo frames that I could not make out the details of, and various other decorations from their journeys in life. As I watched all the fragments of life that were littered around the room, the hidden world behind the darkness told me much about the denizens of the large room, from their age, to their enjoyments in life, and various other little parts of them that made them the residents that they were. This was something that I learned from the nothingness that I originally saw. The claws of fear started to loosen as the unnatural glow of the odd plants embraced me. Everything was okay for now. Everything was clear for now. Nothing would hurt me here. Nothing could reach me here.

As I sat in the vacant seat of the former tenant of the room, in the far end of the room, a shard of light cleaved through the room before an unnatural BANG sounded the room and the remains of the door fell down, dousing the room in an unforgiving light. Along with the baptistism of light, a jolly “​HELLLLOOOOO?​ ”, could be heard as I met him. The source of the cheery and odd voice was a young man who seemed very average in height and young in age. Despite his lackluster physical disposition, the oddball of a creature had a dignified and proud stature, equivalent to that of a gentleman, but the air of a child with a goofy smile that was unfit for his appearance which had an uncanny appearance to that of a Victorian man. Situated on his little head was a top hat which looked quite funny in this day and age. He said that he wasn’t important and that I could call him “R” before he lead me out the room in a merry skip while saying that there was somewhere we had to be with a familiar and nostalgic tone. 

We walked and marched to the sound of his heels tapping on the rarely empty street for what felt like an infinite amount of time, equivalent the preposterousness of the cause of this death march, and then he finally stopped. 

“I was born from your first mistake and watched you after your first lie. Since then I grow as you grow sharing the same thoughts as you.
Changing your action as easy as can be but never changing your personality. I will be with you till death and shall be with you forevermore. What am I?” 

As I was about to speak my answer, the world started to fade away. Everything crumbled and everything turned to light. The world that was dark and dreary originally, started to look like an effervescent paradise that could only be gazed upon. Ethereal flowers along with ethereal creatures started to appear and vanish at the very same moment. Everything turned to white and gentle playful spirits floated around before the sensations of life came back to me. 

When I looked around the unfamiliar room, the word “regret” came to my mind and lingered until a voice called out to me and said, “It’s been some time since you’ve awoken, but welcome back, mister.” The voice told me that I “had been asleep for a long time” after an “unfortunate event” happened. Along with the news brought to me, the only thing I could think of were the words, “Memento mori” and from then on, “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”

Dreams from Endless Nights--Zhong

“BEEP,BEEP,BEEP”. As I hit the snooze button I look at my alarm and it says 19 of
October 2030 6:15 AM. Barely making it out of bed, I reluctantly wake up half asleep and did my usual morning routine, you know, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, cleaning my bed, skipping breakfast and driving to school. On my way to school I noticed that the weather today was as beautiful as possible, a nice cool breeze swept through the town letting us forget about the hot desert sun. My school is of average size with multiple buildings built 4 stories tall, the buildings are as close together as possible and wherever I walk there is no lack of shade to bask into. I arrived at school just in time for my zero period class; god why did I take this class it forces me to wake up early. Tired I try to catch a quick nap but this seemed impossible. Like every time I dipped my head to the sleeping position, I am rudely woken up by three crashing cords, repeating itself over and over again. For someone who has sensitive hearing, this caused unbearable pain and I was ecstatic when my saving grace arrived, the bell. Running out of the classroom, I dash to my first real class of the day. The teacher here is what you expect out of school, a lesson that takes the whole period with proper and adequate explanation on all topics he discusses. Nothing much happens but the constant ringing of the clashing cords from earlier is stuck in my head. My next period or as I like to call it my sleeping period, was normal as usual,

the teacher got lost in his lesson and stuck in explanation. In preparation to take full advantage of the time, I laid my head down I prepare to take a nice nap but something weird occurs, every time I close my eyes my name would be called; it feels like someone is whispering my name to my ear becoming more frantic by the second but every time I looked around I see nobody called me. It must be my imagination but it was successful in making me more restless, I can't fall asleep. After many futile attempts, I give up and listen to him very carefully, trying to catch up on the notes I missed. After this class, I arrive at the 3rd period class with glee. The teacher is very relaxed and usually has an empty lesson. As such nothing unusual happens just the occasional typing on the computer. However, during the class, every fifth person’s face started to go black. This gave me quite the scare but I attribute this to a lack of sleep. Terrified, I go to the 4th period class, a mandatory physical education course taken by students of all grades. It also seems like my hallucinations are getting worse as now every third person's face is blacked out which yet again is terrifying . What's even worse is that today is the weekly mile run. As an unfit person such as myself, I hate this as I believe it is a waste of time and energy. Due to fear and lack of sleep I got a personal record of 9 mins on the mile. After PE is my favorite time of the day, lunch. Trying to act like nothing is happening, just rush to my seat next to the field and sit down to eat my delicious nonexistent food. That reminds me I forgot to make lunch. Depressed I wait for the bell to ring in 20 minutes. As I walk to the 5th period an earthquake starts from nowhere. It looked like the set of the movie 2012 out here. Frightened I run to the open field near next to where I sit for lunch to stay safe. While running I keep stumbling as every step I took I lost my footing. All of a sudden I trip on a rock and fell to the ground hard, it felt as if someone punched me in the gut. Then my world goes to black and I wake up in bed, finding that my

roommate has been trying to wake me up. It seems that my alarm has been going off constantly and my roommate has been shaking my bed, constantly yelling my name to wake up, and just recently punched me in the gut as a last ditch attempt to wake me up. He says, “Wake up sleepy head we are almost late and you still need to drive us to school.” As I turn my head towards my alarm, it says 19 of October 2030 6:45 AM.

The Great Filter--Gil

The Fermi paradox is the contradiction that exists from the fact that despite the universe being so vast, containing large amounts of planets similar to Earth that are capable of sustaining life, life that could be capable of interstellar travel by now, our Earth has not come into any form of contact with any of these civilizations. There have been many theories and explanations for this paradox that include the idea that we are the first advanced civilization, or that other civilizations see no benefit in contacting us. However, of all of these theories, the most ominous one is the theory of The Great Filter. The idea behind The Great Filter was that all advanced civilizations would come across an obstacle so immense, that it destroy all life before it had the chance to become interstellar. The year is now 2250, and it appears that our civilization, the homo sapiens, has arrived at this filter. There were many theories and ideas as to what this Great Filter could be that could cause the downfall of all major civilizations. Many believed that the filter would be a massive plague that would come down upon the masses like an angel of death, sputtering out the lives of billions of people unlucky enough to be infected, leaving behind a crumbling society too decrepit for the few that may have survived. Others believed that the filter would come in the form of nuclear Armageddon, brought about by the greed and paranoia of a people against others of the same species, cleansing countless lives and histories in what would essentially be a blast of atomic hellfire sent from the heavens to cleanse the universe of sin. Scarier still than these would be the theories that the filter would come in the form of something that we could not control, that could not be averted, something that was not caused by our tragic flaws, theories that included a massive asteroid strike, or a stray blast of gamma radiation that sterilizes the planet of all life. Unfortunately in our case, the filter is none of these theories, our downfall was brought about by our sins and evils. The death of our species and all that it accomplished will be due to the greed of a few and the apathy of many, leaving our legacy to be forgotten forever. Our end did not come about as some apocalyptic event that quickly brought about our demise leaving us no time to react, instead it came slowly, deliberately, and obvious enough that had we actually heeded the warnings, we would still be around. Our filter came in the form of the slow degradation of our home, Earth, through the constant and obscene use of fossil fuels that slowly made the climate of our own habitat so inhospitable that through our ambition, we made ourselves extinct. Through our unrelenting dependence on fossil fuels we created enough greenhouse gases to increase the temperature of our planet to levels so high, droughts became commonplace, wildfires occurred year round, and major cities became unable to provide enough water. Through our unrelenting dependence on fossil fuels, we created so much plastic that it eventually polluted every last square inch of planet in some way or form, making its way back into nature and our diet, resulting in the fact that humans eventually began to consume the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of plastic a week, and in the process, disrupting precious ecosystems and killing millions of animals.

Through our unrelenting dependence on fossil fuels, billions have died due to famine, illness, and war. The end of humanity is nigh, and as of now, it is too late for us to do anything apart from watching our slow demise as we feel a pang of regret for having done nothing to prevent this. The sun has set on the empire of mankind, and now all that is left is for us to die off in the cold of night. The Great Filter has once again done its job, and now it awaits once more for the next civilization to let its hubris grow too large, to then bring them down like Goliath and repeat the cycle anew. Perhaps some civilization may be able to surpass the filter in the future, learning from the errors of those that came before them, learning to leave behind all feelings of greed and envy, and to work as one. Sadly, for us however, we did not learn, and have become another tally in the filter’s death count.

How to Personalize Your Instagram Feed--Jeanine

In today’s world, one must have to agree that the birth of social media has given rise to a numerous amount of influencers who have made considerable impact on the world, whether it be by voicing their views on certain global issues or sharing their artwork and unique techniques with their followers. However, for the rest of us common folk, social media is not only a platform to exchange ideas and find inspiration, but a method of capturing the little moments in life in posts that have the ability to express ourselves. To do so in the best and most accurate way possible, there are steps that can be taken to ensure that the pictures that you choose to post are perfectly YOU! Here are the tools needed:

• -  Camera
  
• -  Pinterest
  
• -  Afterlight
  
• -  Photo app on phone
  

Step 1: Discovering Your Aesthetic
When considering the appearance of your feed, you must first ask yourself: “What is my
style?” Are you edgy or perhaps minimalistic? Do you love color, or is monochrome more pleasing to your eye? If you don’t already know, a great way to spark your interests is by finding inspiration from others whose feeds you find fit your aesthetic. Searching up hashtags on Instagram can also help you find your interests more efficiently. For me, Jenn Im’s account is one of the many that suits the style I personally like. 

Step 2: Taking the Photo
With the evolution of photo editing apps, the most expensive camera isn’t necessary to
achieve, well, a ​really​ good picture. So, don’t stress, your simple smartphone camera will do the job! It’s also important to note that while there are moments that can be effortlessly captured in one perfect photo, these opportunities are usually hard to come by. So, don’t be afraid to take as many pictures you want until you are satisfied.
If you are taking pictures of yourself, lighting is one of the most important factors to take into consideration. Pictures taken outdoors usually give you the best outcome. In my experience, optimum lighting isn’t accomplished in direct sunlight, but rather, in a shaded area. This eliminates the possibility of squinting eyes from the bright sunlight and also prevents the light from washing you out. While taking photos facing the sun can make achieving your desired photo more difficult, you must also ensure the photo isn’t taken completely against the light either, for this will only capture your silhouette rather than your beautiful face. An example of a photo that implements these tips is shown below: 

Another good tip to take into account–should you feel that today just isn’t your most photogenic day–is to try out poses that you feel are the most flattering or feel the most natural for you. If you find yourself feeling stiff or just flat-out awkward, Pinterest is a great app to use to help you find poses that suit you and the aesthetic you want to give your feed. This way, you can get more comfortable in front of the camera and experiment with different looks. Examples of ideas I have pinned are shown below: 

But if all else fails, just smile!
Step 3: Editing Your Photo
Making edits to your photo is probably the most crucial step in improving the quality of
your photo and executing the ideas you retrieved from Step 1. The app Afterlight is one

photo-editor that provides a wide array of tools to fit the needs of your photo as well as cool features such as light leaks, double exposure, color shifts, and so much more. 

Once you open the app and have selected the picture you wish to edit, you can play around with the different filters by tapping the rainbow triangle in the center of the toolbar located at the bottom of the screen. By finding a filter you like and sticking to it, you can consolidate a common color theme throughout your photos so that they compliment each other once they are compiled together. If you find that the filter is too intense, adjust it by tapping on the selected filter a second time to reveal a bar that allows you to decrease the strength by dragging the little circle to the left. This is demonstrated above.

Once you have found the filter you like best, tap the icon directly to the left of the triangle to adjust the photo’s brightness, contrast, warmth, and more. This allows you to brighten up areas of the photo the filter might have made darker or help you change the tone of your picture to make it warmer or cooler, depending on the effect you wish to accomplish. This is accomplished the same way the intensity of the filter can be adjusted. For the photo I have chosen, increasing the brightness would definitely prove helpful in improving the quality and coinciding with the theme of my feed. I also went ahead and used the cropping feature so that photo doesn’t seem to have been taken as far away. 

After making all your edits, you can review them by tapping the clock at the top of the screen. 

If you’re satisfied with your edits, you can tap the “NEXT” button and save the edited photo to your camera roll. Here is a before and after: 

Step 4: Organizing Your Photos

If you are a perfectionist, planning out the way your photos will look once compiled might prove helpful to you! If you have an iPhone, you can rearrange your photos by putting them in an album and holding down on the photo until you can move it around, as shown below: 

Step 5: Posting!
Now you are finally ready to post your photo(s)! Come up with a witty caption, or one
that you feel goes with you picture best. Press “Share” and you are done! Below is an example of a feed I put together: 

Although some might find this process a bit too meticulous, I consider it a fun and artsy way to share parts of myself with others, something that my shy personality has always struggled with. Self-expression has proved to be a beneficial way to discover and appreciate myself, and in this way, I am able to exhibit the person I am through a simple Instagram profile. I hope that with this article, you might be able to too.

Full of Life--Hailey

The smell of banana pancakes in the morning could wake me up better than any alarm. I
used to fly down the stairs and race to see my grandmother cook the magical recipe. As the delicious smell filled my nose, I would observe the small family of houseplants on the windowsill she had accumulated over the years and admire the wind chime hanging outside. It was ornate piece, complete with monarch butterflies and jade stones cascading around the silver rods in the center. At the kitchen table, we’d sit across from each other; me, scarfing down pancakes as fast as I could with my feet happily swinging below me, and her, warning me to slow down with a content smile on her face as she brought coffee to her lips. If I was lucky enough, my grandmother would pass her cup of coffee to me and I’d have a sip without my parents knowing. Honestly, I found the drink disgusting, but it let me pretend that I was older and wiser like she was. Soon after, I’d offer to help her wash the dishes, which was quite difficult considering that I had to stand on the very tips of my toes to see over the sink. Nonetheless, she would make me feel important by handing me a towel and an already dry dish. 

My grandmother expressed her creativity through quilting and it always seemed a new one had appeared every time I saw her. She would create abstract patterns that were loud and colorful or even animals that looked as if they were moving through the scenes the threads created on the quilt. I used to love observing how her hands danced as she created these pieces of art, and I was always excited as to what new masterpiece would be awaiting on the couch whenever I visited her. My father and I would stop by the local fabric store before we dropped by, because he knew his mother would appreciate a new set of colorful fabrics much more than a bouquet of flowers. I remember the silent joy he had on his face when he spotted a pattern he picked out for her in her newest creation. 

In her early years, my grandmother was a teacher. I was still able to witness this firsthand as she not only taught me how to read, but slowly incorporated our culture and traditions with the curriculum I was given at school. Due to her patience and perseverance, I was able to tell my mother I loved her in Tagalog with my grandmother beaming behind me, but quietly reassuring her that I would get the pronunciation right after I had bounced away feeling accomplished. In the autumn, the wind chime would grow cacophonous until the strings of jade would tangle with the families of monarchs, creating an unpleasant banging. 

One morning, like any other, I flew down the stairs to meet my grandmother. Only this time, she wasn’t there. I had woken up before her. Upon the countertop, I saw the wind chime untangled and neat, but unable to make the peaceful ringing it had made before. Morning after morning, I began to memorize the new routine I had to follow. A bowl of cereal along with a glass of mango juice, waiting on the cashmere sofa wrapped in the quilt that seemed to have been there for an unusually long amount of time, and holding my grandmother’s hand as she slowly made her way down the staircase to join me on the couch, where she would rest again. I was too young at the time to realize she was ill, I didn’t witness her coughing or sniffling. I didn’t see the way she was slowly thinning out or thought too hard about the headscarf covering her balding head. She still managed to carry her happy personality and smile her contagious smile at me with her tired eyes. When she had to be in a wheelchair, too weak to walk, she would joke about how proud she was to see me so tall above her. 

My grandmother visits me in my dreams sometimes. I fly down the stairs and see her making those banana pancakes and this time, she pours another coffee cup for me. She tells me to slow down when I eat, and exclaims in joy when she realizes how my feet can touch the ground below me. I clean the dishes for her, and I observe the same family of houseplants she cares for so well and the monarchs flying happily around the strings of jade as they catch the light when they dance. I see her make her way to the couch, ready to start a new masterpiece with a box, that may have been larger than her, filled to the brim with colorful fabrics. It’s like every other happy morning.

Ocean--Kendall

My first time seeing the ocean was an intense and vivid memory I will always hold in my heart. It wasn't a normal drive an hour go to Huntington Beach with beach balls being thrown around. It was an extremely long five hour drive for five year old Kendall; through wine country, through woods, an hour more of coastline then finally to a tiny secluded town called Cambria. The first thing my small family did was see a castle to our right... with zebras. My five year old mind was blown. To my left, the coast of the beautiful salty ocean was waiting for me, but to my right there was a mansion home with thousands of yards of land and cattle with an occasional zebra somehow. The rich of Central California in the 1930’s will build and preserve some crazy things. Begging my parents to feel the sand in my toes for the first time, I was told no for about the millionth time. Instead, we drove for another century it felt like; but what kept me steady was the constant smell of refreshing salty beach air with the car windows rolled down. Younger Kendall, daydreaming about the water was suddenly snapped out of it by the distinct and intense smell of blubber. A very strange experience once again, which upsettingly wasn't the ocean. Instead, I was standing about a foot away from a humongous elephant seal, only two logs and a small grass hill separating us. There were fifty of them laying on the beach, making horrendous loud noises and throwing warm sand on their bodies. In that moment I had wished I was a gross looking elephant seal because at least I could touch the sand. My mom took about a billion pictures of me next to said elephant seals, I can precisely remember after the last picture was taken, running to the car and saying I would stay there forever and never leave my car seat unless we went to the beach. My parents finally gave in and we drove to our oceanside hotel. The anticipation and overwhelming joy I felt running down the rocks to the sand, then through an uproarious amount of sand, to eventually where the precious ocean water meets the sand. The sand in my toes and shocking feel of that freezing cold water, I fell in love. I had found my favorite place in the world. I felt nothing but serenity, just me and the ocean, and the wind in my five year old bob haircut. No Harry Potter book gave me this type of peace, and those books were my pride and joy. All the waiting, all the pleading to feel the ocean was worth this moment with my toes in the sand. Before I knew it, I was silly and waking straight into the ocean. Young Kendall being about three feet tall and sixty pounds max was quickly swept away by the water. The next thing I know I'm laughing and spitting out salty water, having a grand ol time; but my dad is picking me up out of the ocean terrified of my potential being swept away or drowning. I had the biggest smile on my face they tell me after nearly giving both my parents a heart attack. They thought I would never want to go back, but once they were consoling one another that I was okay, I immediately ran right back into the ocean. I haven't ever stopped running since then, the ocean is my happiest place, the place I feel most at home and the most at peace. The salty air being breathed in and out with the squishy soft sand in my toes is what brings me bliss. Five year old Kendall had not-patiently waited for the place that gives me the most profound happiness and comfort and I will forever be grateful for my awed parents who pick me up every time the current takes me away.
The ocean is very cool and I like it a lot. We should also try to save it and the earth. So that's cool, thank you so much to the people that do help save it. I think it's super awesome and we need more people like them. Thank you. aisudbaljsfhsdkfhierjKBFK;Jne;ugiE;IFUHLW/D;sifsfliweyfvffkfhlia8yefjgs.kvhai8flawegf.iweaafy; 9a8wfligwaeaf.hwae;o8fyweligfiwehf;o8weyflige;ofhwe;o8ywe7ft8;we fowey f87 tifu

The New Me--Kylie

I do not believe in the phrase “I’m scared of the unknown” I live in a society of people
who do not reach for their dreams or do what they truly want in life because it scares them. They live in discomfort, and fear taking chances because of unknown consequences either good or bad. Because of this I do not approach life in a way to be fearful but to live life as a learning opportunity, and to understand what living means. Towards the end of my sophomore year, I had an epiphany. I had gotten in my mother’s car after a practice of mine and saw the distress written amongst her face. I got this hit of realization when I found out my dad lost his job and my mother was panicked, he was the only source of income in my household. My mother told me she was scared and was unsure of what would happen to us. As soon as she told me this, I realized we need to look at the bright side of things, be optimistic so to say, and this was that maybe his job was not the best for him and he should move on to bigger and bighter things. So he did and within two months he had a job, with more opportunities; being closer to our house so I saw him more and being given higher pay. This put into a perspective that bad things happen but you accept that and not fear it. You go with the punches and rise after the downfall. After this moment of my life, I said to myself “you need to do the things that scare you most in life so that when something like this occurs, you can overcome it.'' 

And so I began this journey. Towards the end of my junior year, I realized I lost a sense of who I was. I realized I was not the confident, spontaneous Kylie anymore. I needed to change this, and so I did. I was in the marching arts program at my high school and was playing and marching a clarinet, but it was not how it used to be. I always had something new to look

forward to and lost track of time, but it became monotonous; taking a toll on my behavior and affected the people who were around me. So because of this inclination, I decided it was time for a change. The idea of change had scared me but what I feared more was knowing that I was becoming a worse person and not doing anything about it. So I made this change although it took the time, countless hours of pushing myself and exceeding expectations, I accomplished it. When I changed I went from something I had known for almost a decade into something I had no idea about. The unknown part about this switch was what truly scared me, but I did not let it affect me. The switch from band to Colorguard was tedious and hard work. That of which I had to practice some of the same things like tosses and catches every day, but I learned and I became outstanding at it. And for that, I’m so grateful for Colorguard. This change that scared me led me to a greater direction. I found everlasting friends, gained the confidence I needed back, and most importantly became not the same Kylie I was before but a better one, the one who did not feel undermined and angered at what was becoming of her. But one that would sacrifice her life for a new opportunity that would lead to unknowingly brighter horizons. I found myself not to fear the unknown but to be happy to take risks and face them head-on, possibly knowing they would lead my life in a greater direction.

Don't Worry, Be Happy--Destiny

It’s a Saturday afternoon. The sun is out and it’s a bit chilly, but that doesn’t stop us from putting all of the windows in the car down. In the background, “Suicidal” can be heard playing, along with awful singing. We don’t really know where we’re going, and we don’t really care. As I look around at each of my friends, belting out notes and laughing until they’re halfway out of their seats, I realize that in that moment, I am truly content. I am happy. 

Little moments like these often make me wonder what happiness really is and why it seems so hard to obtain. According to Merriam Webster, happiness is a state of well-being and contentment. This appears to be a straightforward answer, yet it only leaves me asking more questions. How do we know when we’ve reached this state? Why isn’t happiness universal? Why is it so difficult to sustain that feeling of contentment? The solution is simple, right? If you like doing something, keep doing it. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible. Happiness is partially circumstantial. Not everyone has the ability nor the resources to do the things they love to do. Whether it’s a matter of money, a busy schedule, lack of transportation, etc., there are numerous obstacles that prevent people from pursuing their passions. At the same time, happiness is not based solely on material possessions. It can stem from yourself, family, and friends as well. In several cases around the world, it has been found that even some of those living in the worst conditions have been able to find some source of happiness. 

I believe that true happiness is that inner feeling of excitement to wake up and live the next day, that feeling of bliss when you take a look at your surroundings and know that everything will be alright, that feeling of satisfaction when you can be unapologetically you. As a society, we have cultivated an environment in which we are too concerned with our aesthetics

and other’s opinions of us. As a result, not a lot of people feel comfortable enough in their own skin to take pride and indulge in the things that make them happy. The girl in your fourth period class is afraid to talk or post about anime because it’ll make her seem “weird” or like “she’s trying too hard”. The boy next to you really loves One Direction but he can’t express that because he knows he’ll be ridiculed for it. At what point do we stop doing things for others and start doing things for ourselves? When we allow people to dictate our actions and interests, we lose ourselves in the process. And the sad truth is, you cannot attain happiness if you’re not true to who you are. 

Happiness is different for every individual. There is no set standard or guide that tells us what should make us happy and why. It is something we must ultimately determine ourselves. As you search for your answer, keep in mind the things and/or people that allow you to be yourself and make you excited to see another day. 

“Happiness.” ​Merriam-Webster​, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness.

Weaknesses Are Not Weak--Taylor

“You are not intelligent enough. Your goals are too unrealistic, you seek after an illusion. You have an unapproachable demeanor, smile more.” Faults are something each individual possesses and it is usually a topic much dwelled on as we strive for a form of perfection. We must race against time to emphasize our beauty, maximize our talents, and create an idealized persona. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of weakness is, “​an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person's character.” If I were to view most of my inadequacies with this perspective, I would be much more negative, displeased, and angry at the world for having to conform to a set of standards. As a result, my definition of weakness challenges the previous in a more positive light. To me, weaknesses are diverse traits that give each person differences from each other, highlighting their skills and personality. 

Imagine, we live in a world where the abstract concept of weaknesses does not exist and everyone is perfect. Where is the diversity? Where are the traits that make us each special? Just because another person might excel in a subject or ability that you lack in, does not make you inferior to them. These “weaknesses” accentuate our future goals and indicate the pathway in which we should strive for. The “dumb” kid will become the future football star you watch on your televison every weekend. The overly political person might just become the lawyer who defends you in court. The too “sympathetic” individual will be the person saving the environment creating a safer future for you and your kids. Having an inclination towards a specific characteristic should not be deemed as a defect. Possessing weaknesses does not in the slightest make you weak. They offer lifelong passions, goals to work on, and diversity in an ever growing society. 

In my own personal life, one of my greatest challenges was trying to become great in the sport of volleyball. Beginning this activity my freshman year of high school, I was already plagued with inexperience. For the position I play, I was considered short, not extremely athletic, and sloppy due to a lack of proper training as I was new to the sport. Any typical individual would view these weaknesses with a negative connotation, suggesting I quit right there and then. In my mindset, I viewed these faults as challenges and worked harder than anyone I know. Day in and out my mental toughness and physical abilities improved drastically due to the work ethic I implemented. Not only has this hard working character trait I have crafted become my greatest gift, it stemmed from the numerous weaknesses I possessed. I was fortunate enough to become way better than I could ever imagine or anticipate due to my endeavors. 

If we view our faults in such a pessimistic attitude, they will have the opportunity to consume our very lifestyles and change us for the worse. Weaknesses accentuate our given talents while also providing a lesson of humbleness. Accepting and acknowledging our areas of critique allow us to become responsible and empowers us to become even stronger. Weaknesses do not make you weak; they just emphasize our differences, diversity, strengths, and future challenges. After all, a life without challenges is a life filled with an absence of experiences and passion. 

Sources
“Weakness.” ​Dictionary.com,​ Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/weakness.