Hello, January!!!!!!

 

https://www.1zoom.me/en/wallpaper/352202/z1537.5/

Welcome Back and Hello, January 2022!!!

After a Winter Holiday, it is back to business :)

This month's collection contains an array of different pieces.  We have quite a few "How to-s",  a couple of Book Reviews and a sprinkling of Flash Fiction and the Abstract.

Make sure to read ALL 11 submissions for this month.

Choose at least three pieces to leave comments.  You are always more than welcome to leave more :)

For those of you who are able to leave comments here on the Blog, please do so.  Otherwise the Discussion Board is open on Canvas.  You can leave your comments there, too.

Comments are due Tuesday, February 8.

I will see you in class. Remember to be kind to yourself and others.

And always Feed Your Soul.

XOXO,

Mrs. Solano

The Reunion--Pooja

 I sat with jitters that overwhelmed my stomach. The same jitters I got on our first date. Every date, I got more anxious and it became obvious as I fiddled with my fingers and tapped my roller skates on the musty carpet. This was going to be our fifth date but to me it still felt like the first. 

As I tapped my skates in a rhythmic pattern, I heard my name get called, “Hey Laura!”. 

I looked up and saw the same boy that gave me those jitters. His luscious black hair and chocolate brown eyes. I don’t think I could ever forget those eyes. Those eyes were what caught my attention on the first day of freshman orientation. 

He stood me up and I fumbled around, trying my best to keep balance. I definitely did not want to embarrass myself in front of him or the twenty people skating around. The 80’s music was playing and disco lights began to slowly shine on the people skating. 

He grabbed my hand and told me, “Don’t worry, I got you.”

This boy definitely knew how to make my heart jump. 

We began skating and the light, from time to time, would shine on us. In that moment, it felt like we were perfect and nothing mattered around us. His smile would warm my heart and I would get blinded by his chocolate brown eyes. He would make me laugh and make me forget all my problems. He made that night unforgettable and I thought he was the one. 

But now, he was becoming a faint memory. 

I got up from my blue rocking chair and put my baby in the crib as it slept. I looked at my phone to take a break and opened up Facebook. Many of my highschool classmates disappeared or disconnected, thankfully, my best friend still stayed in contact and helped with my child. As I scrolled through the posts, I stumbled onto my old highschool page. It’s a miracle that it still existed. I saw our class picture, football videos, and anything yearbook got a shot of. It was funny seeing the trends from low waisted jeans to sky high ponytails. I laughed for a good minute until I saw a notification go off about a reunion. I clicked on the post for more information and it turned out that the class of ‘04 was having a reunion. I became excited as I reminisced through the old posts and missed my old friends. I wanted to catch up with them and have fun like old times. 

I clicked on the given link to RSVP for next Sunday. However, my excitement died down when my baby started crying. I went to go make her a bottle while I thought about the reunion. The week was tough to get through as I was super excited for Sunday. But as a single working mom, the week was super busy and hectic which kept me distracted. 

I chose a semi-length black dress with flower accents on the shoulder and wore black wedges to give my motherly feet some rest. I tied my hair into a ponytail to show off my collarbone and diamond necklace. I dropped my baby off at my mother’s house and I was ready to have fun tonight. As a mother, I deserved some alone time and the reunion was the only thing keeping me alive throughout the past week. 

The reunion was held in a ballroom in downtown Los Angeles. The theme colors were black, white, and gold, the colors of our highschool. 

I opened the gold doors to a huge ballroom filled with about three hundred people. But before I could look at everyone with a closer eye, I was grasped into a tight hug. It was my best friend, also my baby’s godmother. We found a table to sit at and I began looking at everyone on the other tables. Everyone changed so much, from hair color to facial features. I spotted the popular girl from a table over and she had completely changed. She used to have blonde hair and blue eyes but now, she has brunette hair with green contacts. Nonetheless, she was very pretty. She was also the woman engaged to the boy who I thought was the one, according to my best friend. It wasn’t surprising though, she was pretty and successful and he was, well, perfect. 

I looked behind her and there he was, standing with one hand in his pocket and the other around his fiancee. They looked like an amazing, untouchable couple and it made sense why we didn’t work out. We definitely did not look like that when we were together. 

As I stupidly stared into his brown eyes, we made eye contact and he began walking over to my table. I began panicking but realized that we ended our relationship as friends and there was no need to freak out. I took a deep breath and stood up from my seat to meet his eye level. He came up to me and gave me a tight hug. It took me by surprise but I missed him. He let go and we catched up, from my new baby to his upcoming marriage. The more we talked, the more I was reminded of why I liked him so much. However, he was engaged and I had to be happy for him. 

After our long talk, we hugged once more and he returned to his fiancee. The night went by fast, from me taking glimpses at the perfect couple to watching my best friend flirt with the single former football players. 

It was close to midnight and everyone started their goodbyes. I told all my goodbyes and gave all my hugs. I headed for my car when suddenly, I was stopped by the shoulder. It was the boy that once gave me the jitters. He gave me a piece of paper with his number and left with a sly smile. 

 It was at that moment, when I realized that he wasn’t the perfect one.

Book Review: Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard--Avia

 Introduction and Background: 

Appearing in 1843, philosopher Soren Kierkegaard released two volumes of his work Either/Or following a breakup with his fiancee. The volumes are written under a series of pseudonyms, “A—The Young Man” and “B—Judge William”, and imply the existence of two separate authors of the book, though these aliases were eventually traced back to Kierkegaard as the sole writer. Kierkegaard’s dedication to anonymity throughout his works even led him to adopt a pseudonym for the editor—called “Victor Eremita”—a spot he filled himself. This pen name is Latin for “victorious hermit”, an intentionally unique choice made in respect to his poetic vision as an idiosyncratic author. 

Summary:

“Rank, knowledge, renown, 

Friendship, pleasure and means, 

All is but wind, but smoke: 

To say it better, all is nought.” 

These words introduce the work of Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard. Immediately, he begins with comparing civilized society (“rank, knowledge renown”) with elementary connections to happiness (“friendship, pleasure, and means”). This comparison sets up the remaining arguments of the publication, where Kierkegaard proposes that individual purpose exists on a spectrum of aesthetics to ethics. Essentially, Either/Or examines the opposition between pleasurable, sensation-seeking conduct and principled self-control. 

Volume 1, written by “A”—The Young Man—follows the life of the aesthete. The Young Man writes of loving pleasure, the sensory world, and excitement along borderline hedonistic suggestions. Art for art’s sake, beauty, seduction, and more are detailed in this section of the work—serving to remind rigid readers of carefree styles of life. Not only material pleasures, but emotions free from civic judgment are delineated in “A”’s perspective—something we come to realize is simply Kierkegaard’s uninhibited and indulgent side. Art and relaxation are glorified in Volume 1, though there is a limit to “A”’s acknowledgement. The Young Man develops to love pleasure so much that he finds evil in ironically inevitable boredom and repetition: “Idleness, we are accustomed to say, is the root of all evil. To prevent this evil, work is recommended.... Idleness as such is by no means a root of evil; on the contrary, it is truly a divine life, if one is not bored....”. As The Young Man indulges in life, he finds himself only able to live in the present, eventually abandoning commitment and love in search for stimulating activity. Thus, throughout volume 1, Kierkegaard highlights both the joy and pain in the extremely esthetic lifestyle—full of pleasure yet impermanence. 

Volume 2 differs greatly from the first. By comparison with the previous pseudonym, “B”—Judge William—lives a rather responsible and dignified life. He finds The Young Man to be incredibly selfish, as “A”’s immoderate and hedonistic lifestyle would require the neglect of societal roles, standards, and duties. Judge William lives ethically, therefore his decisions are shaped by perceived societal good, rather than sensory satisfaction. For example, Judge William, unlike The Young Man, strongly advocates for the institution of marriage throughout his volume of the work; As a symbol for the civilized, conscientious, and committed, he fervently disagrees with the seductory and nomadic romance of “A”—instead defending eternal devotion as a means of being. Judge William concerns himself with doing good, giving further advice on becoming a functioning and worthy member of society before finally offering a dissenting opinion. In a chapter titled “Ultimatum”, Kierkegaard offers that the life of the purely ethical man is not realistic. Instead, he claims the compromise must be made between the aesthetic and ethical—between the surface level and metaphysical state of humanity. It seems that, in this sense, Kierkegaard’s ultimate ideology lied searching for balance between the two extremes of aesthetician and judge. 

Analysis and Review: 

With its many perspectives and varying points of view, Kierkegaard’s work may be difficult to appreciate in its initial impression. However, the strength of his claims in Either/Or remain relevant even to this day. While most modern students and scholars will not find themselves in the position of a self-destructive pleasure-seeker or an over-concerned justice, the conflict between social responsibility and individual vigor plagues everyone regardless. Taking the higher road in an argument versus exploding for the sake of release, for example, circles back to Kierkegaard’s proposals almost 200 years ago. Following his advice, I find that much progress can be made in modern society by compromising between personal and public interests, thus demonstrating the significant social and literary value of Either/Or itself. 

Note: Modern readers may find it especially difficult to understand the merit in The Young Man’s perspective, which is central around immediate pleasure and gratification, but this was intentional in Kierkegaard’s commitment to the extreme portrayal of his aliases. In psychodynamic terms, The Young Man “A” might serve to represent our core selves: the Id—while Judge William “B”: the superego. It is only through finding balance in Ego that both these sides of Kierkegaard’s vision may come to agreement. Ultimately, the lifestyle one chooses to pursue between “A” and “B” does not necessarily matter. Rather, it is the degree of medium one is willing to take that determines our realities. As said in the first lines of the book, “All [the ethical, the aesthetic] is but wind, but smoke: To say it better, all is nought.”

The Shining--Kylie

 Psychological horror is one of the many subgenres under the overwhelming genre of horror in literature. This kind of horror has been attempted time and time again, but many authors fail to fully exploit its complexity and true effects on readers in their works. However, one of the few authors who has done just this throughout his career is Stephen King, who has written one of the most foundational works of the psychological horror genre, “The Shining.” 

King begins the novel by introducing readers to the main character of the story, Jack Torrance, as he is being interviewed to be the new caretaker of The Overlook Hotel during the winter due to the position being suddenly open. This position is open, as Jack is informed, because the previous caretaker murdered his family and then ended his own life after doing so in the hotel the previous year. It is then revealed that Jack is an aspiring writer who also has a family consisting of him, his wife Wendy, and his young son Danny. However, Jack is a recovering alcoholic who consistently became abusive and angry when intoxicated, which had created a wedge in the relationship that he has with his family. 

Jack takes this offer of becoming the hotel’s new caretaker, believing that this new experience will allow him to both mend his familial relationships and help him get rid of his writer’s block that is holding him back from success in his writing career. The Torrance family is given a tour of the Overlook Hotel by a man named Dick Hallorann, whose relationship with Danny Torrance reveals the supernatural abilities that Danny has along with Hallorann, which allow him to communicate with others telepathically, see the future and the past, and to see what lies beyond the reality of the living.

 During their time at the Overlook Hotel, the Torrance family experiences strange occurrences as time progresses. For example, Danny begins to have visions of the supernatural beings that haunt the halls of the hotel and of the horrific events that have occurred there in the past. Wendy sees how Danny is acting and becomes more and more concerned with his well-being, even going so far as to accuse Jack of abusing their son because Jack is also acting strange. The hotel is taking over his mind, causing him to act more aggressive toward his family and becoming more isolated and focused on his work. This factor along with the fact that a snowstorm had hit the Overlook Hotel and therefore prevented the family from interacting with the outside world furthered Jack’s insanity and intrusive thoughts and impulses. 

Jack’s madness is intensified specifically when one night he finds himself in the ballroom of the hotel, where he is in the middle of a ghostly party and receives drinks from the ghostly bartender working the bar. At this ball, Jack has an encounter with the ghost of Delbert Grady, who tells him that he must murder his wife and “bring” them, with “them” being the ghostly inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, his son Danny. So, Jack attempts to do just this, as he tries to strangle Wendy with his own hands. Wendy, however, uses a glass bottle to hit over Jack’s head and therefore cause him to go unconscious. Wendy and Danny drag Jack’s body into a pantry and decide to leave him there. When Jack awakens, the ghost of Grady greets him and reminds him of his given mission, and then unlocks the pantry and lets him out.

 Jack once again attacks Wendy with a mallet. During this time, however, Danny uses his “shining” powers to relay a message to Hallorann begging for help and protection. However, when Hallorann arrives at the hotel, he is attacked by the hotel’s hedge animals themselves and is then attacked by Jack. Danny is then targeted by Jack, but Danny is running around the hotel and realizes that the voice he hears, Tony, is him from the future trying to warn him about the grim future. Danny then returns to Wendy and Hallorann, who then end up leaving the hotel and Jack behind, along with their evil natures and insanities. 

Through this story, King is trying to portray the message that family structures can be divided and broken apart due to personal issues and stresses such as alcoholism and overworking. The events that occur in The Shining and the characteristics of Jack Torrance are inspired by Stephen King’s own experiences, as he too struggled with alcoholism and the fear of allowing it to damage his familial relationships. 

I personally love The Shining, as the novel and the film have been major parts of my life regarding my interests. The story of The Shining was one of the first few horror stories I had heard that made me more interested in the dark and supernatural aspects of life. 

This novel transcends multiple genres, but those who enjoy a good scare, specifically the kind that give a sense of anxiety and make audiences fear their own minds, The Shining is a perfect read in one’s free time.

How To Successfully Pole Vault (and hopefully not get seriously injured)--Miguel

 Pole vaulting to many people may seem extremely simple, I mean come on, it’s just running with an extremely large stick and landing on a soft mat right? Wrong! Pole vault is a complex sport that requires countless hours of practice and discipline and incorporates physics as well as athletics all into one. So, if you’re ready to begin your long, and at times disappointing, journey in order to attain the metaphorical “biscuit” then below is the basics of how to pole vault. If all goes well, by the end of this article you will face the pit with the confidence and skill essential to success. 

Why should you believe or trust anything I say? Because I am a pole vaulter myself and, after speaking to multiple coaches and doing this sport for 4 years, I have picked up a couple of things along the way. My goal is to prevent you from injuring yourself and hopefully save you from some of the common mistakes new vaulters make as they learn this sport. Also, I hold the junior school record at my high school and am on track to break the school record during my senior year.

First things first, you will need a couple of important things to be able to pole vault. Obviously, you will need a pole but not any pole will work for you. Each pole is a different length and can hold different maximum weights. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds then you should not jump on a pole that has a maximum weight of 120 pounds or it will break. ( and let me tell you this is traumatic as well as extremely expensive). The length of the pole determines how far you will be running with it as well as your experience levels and goals for the day. If it is your first-day pole vaulting, a 15 foot 190 pole might be a little extreme for you. I would recommend a 12 foot or 12’6” pole for your first day and you can grip lower or high based on your personal needs. Your grip will limit how high you can jump as well as how stiff the pole will feel in your hands. 

( This is what the normal weight label will look like and in the smaller text, the length will be stated).

 [Image from https://www.gillporter.com/gill_store/weight-label-pole-vault-replacementwt-label.html]

( This is what a normal pole will look like).

[Image from https://www.gillporter.com/gill_store/pacer-one-vaulting-pole.html]

The next crucial piece of equipment that you will need is the landing area and standards which hold up the crossbar that you will need to practice with as well as to use during competition. The landing area is usually compiled of multiple mats that are soft and a larger top foam cover is added on top to make the landing area even softer. While this might sound over-the-top it is very necessary seeing that no one really wants to land on the solid track or whatever surface you are pole vaulting on. The standards are what you will use in order to change the depth of the crossbar which will come in handy when you are knocking the crossbar over because it is too close to you and you do not have enough time to reach the peak of the jump. The standards are only allowed to move back a certain distance from the front to the back. It is typically allowed to move 80 cm either forwards or backward in order to give you more time to clear the crossbar or to bring it closer to you so that you do not have to stretch out and kill your momentum which will stop you from clearing the crossbar. The crossbar is set at a certain height depending on the level of experience of the pole vaulter. The crossbar will not be set at 7 feet if the average Olympian opening height is 19 feet. While everyone wants to avoid hitting the crossbar because it will knock them out of the competition, they also want to avoid hitting the crossbar because it is typically made of carbon fiber and leaves a nice-sized bruise if you do hit it. The final piece of equipment you will need is the plant box however most schools and practice facilities will already have this built-in for you to use. The other option is to have the landing area and the runway you are running on placed on a raised platform and have a plant box inserted in front of the landing area so you have somewhere to place your pole.

(This is what the landing area, crossbar, standards should look like when completely assembled.) 

[Image from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-setup-of-the-pole-vault-event-with-the-bar-standards-pit-and-box-runway-not_fig1_328252741 ]

Congratulations! At this point, you now have all of the equipment you will need in order to begin learning and practicing pole vaulting. Below are the steps on how to pole vault. 

Step 1: Run very fast while holding the pole up. The distance in which you will be running depends on the height you are trying to clear as well as the size of the pole you are using. You will not need an 18-foot pole if you are running 11 feet as that would be almost impossible to push far enough to land safely. When you are holding the pole, the distance between your hands should be around an elbow-length apart. To correctly hold the pole, you should have the correct pole grip and rotate it so that you are holding it up with the pole tip pointing in the air. This will make the amount of force that you use to plant in the plant box stronger and will help with your overall jump.

(This is how your grip should look while you begin your approach). 

[Image from https://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/npvca-curriculum-3 ] 

Step 2: Plant the pole in the plant box. This might seem obvious but it is a crucial and often overlooked step in your vault. The plant is very important because it is the transfer of the built-up kinetic energy from your run into your pole which is what causes your pole to bend and launch you into the air. If you are right-handed, the pole should bend to the left which means that you should plant your pole in the left corner of the box so that it bends far out to the left. If you are left-handed then you should plant your pole in the right corner of the box because it will bend to the left. It is also important to remember that your pole label should be facing outwards or away from you. An easy way to make sure that this happens is to make sure that when you pick up your pole to begin your run, the label is facing you so when you plant it will be facing the opposite way. The other part of the plant is the drive knee and trail leg. The drive knee is typically the foot that you push off with when you start your run so for most right-handed people it will be your right knee and the trail leg will be your left leg and vice versa for left-handed people. 

(This is how the plant should look when you are about to jump off of the ground).

[Image from https://www.comsol.com/blogs/reaching-new-heights-in-pole-vaulting-a-multibody-analysis/ ]

 Step 3: Jump. This is by far the most deceiving part of your vault. It sounds so simple but it contains the most work and you have to do it all in the 2 seconds that you are in the air. First, you need to make sure that when you are about to take off you are standing straight up, your hands are roughly at a 90-degree angle in order to make the pole easier to bend, and you need to make sure that your drive knee is pushing into the plant box while your trail leg is getting ready to swing up so that you can begin your inversion. Right when you take off, you need to push the pole forward towards the landing area. This is because the drive knee and trail leg is what is going to propel you to safety. Next, you are going to swing upside down with your trail leg and shoot off of the top of your pole like an arrow. This inversion will be what gets you to clear higher crossbars and is crucial to becoming an elite pole vaulter. Then the next step of the jump is to turn so that you are looking down the top of your pole while you are inverted. This is because it will be easier for you to bend at the stomach than it will be for you to bend at the back and it will benefit you by making crossbars easier to clear. The final step of the jump is to make sure that when you have begun your descent from what feels like 4,000 feet you land on your back instead of your feet in order to prevent any foot/ankle injuries. ( The image below depicts the diagram of the complete vault).

[Image from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Pole-vault-model-1-Run-up-phase-2-Take-off-phase-including-the-last-touchdown_fig1_46106599]

 Now you are officially ready to begin pole vaulting! Good Luck!

How do you know yourself?--Lorenzo

 A world on fire. An impressionistic painting made up of changes in temperature, air density, vibrations and subtle smells. 

I rewatched Marvel’s Daredevil recently, fascinated by how Mattthew Murdock, a blind lawyer, lost his eyesight, but is still able to see far more than you or I could ever imagine. I watched the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen explain how he saw everything as “A world on fire” like I mentioned before, but was more drawn to how his powers allow him to understand someone so intimately. How he can hear a heartbeat from meters away to tell if someone’s lying to him. How he can sense changes in someone’s breathing, the heat coming off of their skin that shows that they’re stressed, scared, or uneasy. The way his perception of others was portrayed made me question my own perception and understanding, of others and of myself. 

What does it mean to understand yourself? To know who you are? 

Of course, there’s the image of yourself that you and everyone else around you can see. Like how I know that I’m 5’11, have black hair and brown eyes. I know that I mostly dress in clothes that I can fall asleep in at any given moment. I have a rough idea of what I look like when I walk through the halls, and a rough idea of what type of guy I am just from the things I’m into, the jokes I tell, and how I’m shamelessly writing a blog that includes Marvel’s daredevil as part of its centering concept . But I believe that to understand yourself, you can’t just base it on just what you see or know about yourself. To me, if you want to know who you are, you need a little help from other people.

 I don’t necessarily mean to get somebody to listen to your heartbeat, or feel the slightest change of your body temperature when you feel embarrassed. But understand that others can see so much more about you that you overlook.

 Other people have the privilege of not only seeing how you dress or how tall you are, they get to see your enthusiasm when you’re enjoying a conversation. They get to see how you laugh when someone tells a funny joke, or even get to laugh at a joke you told yourself. They can hear how much you enjoyed a movie or show you watched, what your plans are for the weekend, and see how you light up with excitement when you talk about both. Those lucky enough to be close to you get to hear your advice, they get to see how you persevere through life when it’s beating you the fuck up, they get to have you with them when they need comfort. 

To understand yourself, you need to understand your impact on other people. The way you make them feel or the things you inspire them to do. When you’ve been with yourself your entire life, you miss out on how your presence feels to the people around you. The image of yourself, as complete as you think it is, is missing the mark you leave on the world.

How to create an "anime-like" persona -- Lina

 Did you ever think about drawing your own self persona? I'm sure you have noticed once in a while, noticing how other artists can draw people in their own art style. It looks cool right? Yet you might've tried or even doubted yourself to even try it. Well, I'm here to give you some tips on creating your own persona(somewhat)! 

Now before we start, let's get a few things straight. If you just started out drawing and you don't see your drawings as perfect as others, don't worry about it! You'll get frustrated every now and then but that's okay! You are your own critique (I'm quite harsh on myself when drawing too...). 

I'll keep it as simple as possible, however the more you learn to draw, you'll realize the more complicated it actually can become depending on how far you would like to get. For this certain practice we will be attempting my art style… or your own! 

To get started, let's start by learning the body. When drawing you need to make sure how tall the character will be. Every character has 7-8 heads. For now, we will be using 7, it's the most commonly used head length. Here's an example!

Quite easy to understand right! Somewhat...? Well… Now that you've learned (hopefully) about the 7 heads, let's talk about materials so we can get into it. We will be doing traditional drawing. What's that? Well traditional drawing is simply drawing on a piece of paper

Here is an example of the materials that I use most of the time. A sketchbook that is 11 x 14, a Pental brand pencil that is .7mm, Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser, and a moldable eraser. You may use any pencil and eraser you would like (it’s suggested that you get a hi-polymer eraser, they erase very well when you draw too dark). However the choice is yours!

 P.S. I will be drawing digitally for better quality to provide for you.

Now that we’ve got our materials to draw, let’s get started! First, we will be drawing our seven heads to identify how long our body will be. Make a circle (they do not have to be perfect), and from there try and create the same circle another 6 times down in a row! DRAW LIGHTLY!

Now we will start with the first circle. Create two lines on both sides of the circle and create a triangle for your chin. Now to identify the face, create two lines that will cross each other. One from the head down to the chin and another across the face where the eyes would be placed. 

P.S. Creating the face helps identify the rest of what body type this character will have. It is optional and can be done last after completing the body proportions

Now we will be working on the next two heads to create your chest area. Create a circle for your shoulders. Afterwards connect your neck to the head, line the shoulders up, and create another sloped line for your chest area. You will then create two lines from the circles for your stomach. Afterwards just think of a rectangle and create your waist!

Now let’s work on head 4. Here we are working on the waist and private area. Just create a similar shape to mine (purple).

5,6, and 7 will be more difficult than the previous sketches we’ve done. When drawing the leg let’s identify where the knee and feet will be. Once identified drawing a small circle/oval. Now create a line from the end of the waist to your circle (your lines will be curved slightly). From the knee create another one to the ankle.

Great! We’re almost done with the body. Yes… just the body. Now let’s go back to your chest area. We need arms (unless your character is armless then… Cool!) The arms will be treated the same as the legs, slightly curved lines and a circle/oval for the elbow and wrists. Your hands will end on the thigh, for now we will make the hands simple (it’s pure pain to draw them now). Your hands will be shaped as a small rectangular box. Just like this!

We finally finished everything. Now it’s time to connect everything and make it look like the reference anatomy from the beginning. It does not need to be perfect! It’s a sketch after all!

Ta-da! We did it! You don’t like it? Well you’re going to hate it even more! Let’s start giving this persona a visual personality! Here you are free to do whatever you please, I will provide you color coordinated clothing to help you out. You got this! I think…

And… DONE! We did it! We finally got a sketch! That was a pain, right? I appreciate you even trying this with me. I hope you did. You most likely didn’t just by looking at the first image. That’s not a problem, I appreciate it anyways! I myself have been drawing for a couple of years now, ever since I was a kid so I’ve gotten used to it. Since middle school I’ve had a huge dream to become an animator and entertain people through the anime community. I hope you enjoyed trying or learning about the process of drawing a character.

The Pina Colada--Frankie

 The best drink of all time, the Piña Colada. Literally meaning, “strained pineapple,” this drink is creamy, refreshing, and most importantly, delicious. I could drink these for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, midnight snack…you get the point. Unfortunately, they are not as simple to make like a Shirley Temple, but that does not mean they are complicated. The recipe provides so much room for error that the only way you can mess it up is by getting the wrong ingredients. 

So, onto the ingredients: 

- Cream of Coconut 

- Pineapple Juice

 - Frozen Pineapple Chunks 

- A Lot of Ice 

- (Optional) Coconut or Pineapple Rum 

- (Optional) Maraschino Cherries 

Remember how I said that the only way you can mess up is getting the wrong ingredients? 

- Cream of Coconut is by far the most important ingredient, and the most easily missed. It is important to ensure that you get cream of coconut and not coconut cream or coconut milk. This ingredient cannot be substituted at all. Personally, I prefer Coco Reál because it comes in a bottle that can be opened and closed as much as you’d like. 

- Pineapple Juice is another vital ingredient, but has a way to be substituted. If you choose to get fresh pineapple instead of frozen, you can triple the amount of pineapple added to get the same effect as pineapple juice, but it will make your drink pulpy.

- As mentioned previously, frozen pineapple can be substituted for fresh pineapple. I prefer buying frozen pineapple as it’s cheaper and I also like my drinks to be icy. However if you choose to buy fresh canned pineapple, the can usually contains pineapple juice to hold the fruit. 

- I don’t drink alcohol and never will, but a Piña Colada is commonly an alcoholic drink and so many will enjoy the addition. Here you have two choices between coconut rum and pineapple rum depending on the tastebuds of the drinker whether they like more coconut or pineapple taste. I do not recommend using a plain rum as it can taste too strong in the drink. 

Tools: 

- Strong Blender 

- Measuring Cup 

- Stirring Spoon

 - Drinking Glass 

16oz Piña Colada Recipe: 

Measure out ½ cup of cream of coconut and add to the blender. 

I recommend doing this step first. Since the cream of coconut is a thick syrup, that means it is difficult to get all of it out of the measuring cup and into the blender even when using a spoon. By doing this first, it means that when pineapple juice is added, the cream of coconut will come out too. If you prefer a coconutty taste, you can add one or two more spoonfuls of the cream while leaving pineapple juice at just ½ cup. I like to add three.

Measure out ½ cup of pineapple juice and add to the blender. 

Try to get out the remaining cream of coconut by adding this to the same measuring cup. If you prefer a pineapple taste, you can add one or two more spoonfuls of pineapple juice while leaving the amount of cream at just ½ cup.

Measure out ½ cup of frozen pineapple chunks and add to the blender.

I say to add ½ cup of pineapple to be exact, but it is always much easier to add just a handful which usually comes to around ½ cup.

Measure out 1½ cup of ice and add to the blender. 

Ice usually comes with a bit of variation. For me, this is the exact amount of ice to make the colada thick, but not too thick. If you want it thinner, add less ice, around 1 cup. If you want it thicker, add more ice, around 2 cups. However, if you choose to add fresh pineapple chunks instead of frozen, you will always need more ice. Also, if you choose to add alcohol, you will once again need more ice. A basic rule for this would be to add ½ cup of extra ice to each thickness level for each change. I also recommend adding cubed ice instead of crushed ice, it also contributes to a thicker drink.

(Optional) Measure out 3oz of flavored rum. 

Once again, choose the rum to your liking. Coconut rum adds a stronger coconut taste, but pineapple adds a stronger pineapple taste. This is always an optional step and the drink will taste great regardless. Always remember to drink responsibly and only when you are of age. 

Blend, blend, blend. 

Once everything is in the blender, turn it on to a medium speed for about a minute. Pay attention to the blender and take your time, but not too much time as it could cause the Piña Colada to become a piña liquid, not fun. If your blender only has two speeds, set it on high and do constant checks till you reach the desired thickness.

Serve. 

Depending on your desired thickness, serving can be a breeze or extremely difficult. If it does not pour out, open the lid and use your spoon to scoop out the drink into a nice glass.

(Optional) Garnish. 

Using the maraschino cherries and a spoon, serve two cherries onto the top of the drink. Since it is icy, they will not sink and instead rest on the top. To go even further, take a spoonful of the maraschino syrup and drizzle it on top gently so it does not mix.

Enjoy. 

The taste is always doubled when you make it yourself. Take a seat and relax. Sip on your drink slowly and let it melt on your tongue so that the flavors are slowly released. You deserve this.

To Overcome Insecurity--Iris

 Loving yourself may be easier said than done. 

In my freshman year, I vividly remember a day when I was wearing a striped t-shirt from Kohl’s, black shorts, and black nike shoes. One of my friends asked, “Didn’t you wear that same outfit two days ago? Why do you wear casual-boring clothes?” Following that, she says, “You look funny.” As much as I was annoyed by the ongoing comments, it hurt me. It may be that I was oversensitive, but that moment changed me for the worse. I began to change myself for others in order to perfectly “fit in” with the majority. I bought clothes that I wouldn’t often wear in order to match “trendy” styles and I began to compare myself to other people which eventually drove me to become self conscious towards my own appearance. I ultimately stopped being the “real” me. My necessity to impress someone so that they would like me gradually swallowed me whole as I found myself wanting to make others happy rather than myself. 

But what I don’t regret is learning from that experience. 

Insecurity. It can be defined as the feeling of uncertainty and self doubt that drives someone to be anxious of oneself. It triggers how a person behaves as they lose trust in their own capabilities. 

We have all been prone to insecurity at some point, maybe even without realizing it. Have you ever wanted to raise your hand in class to answer a question but were afraid of saying the wrong thing? Then you would regret not saying it after finding out it was actually the correct answer? That too, has happened to me multiple times. That doubt, that thing keeping us from doing even a simple task exemplifies our lack of confidence. Have you ever said “I can’t do it” before actually trying to do it? It’s small temporary moments just like these that are all related to feeling insecure about yourself and being afraid to do something. Although your insecurities can be anything, most people are insecure about how others perceive them and how others would judge them. As humans, it is in our nature to judge by physical appearance thus, making oneself worry about how they appear to others as well. Our insecurity shines through by taking advantage of our heads with a tiny voice that tells us all sorts of things to lower our self-esteem such as “I’m not good enough,” “I look ugly,” “I don’t think they like me,” and “I’m not good at this.” It is our responsibility to fight this voice in our heads, and to conquer our insecurities with words of positivity. 

Insecurity stems from self-doubt and the lack of confidence in oneself, and the only way to combat this is to tell ourselves that we are good enough. That we are the best versions of ourselves. In the end, we are all the same and we all want to be loved, but hiding the best of you to please others will not guarantee you happiness. You have to let people acknowledge your true self rather than a fake side of you. Do not let your insecurities prevent you from doing what you do best- which is being yourself. Yeah, so what if you're awkward, nerdy, weird, quirky, or whatever words you’ve called yourself or that others have called you by? That is what makes you, you. That is what makes you unique from others. The most important step to overcoming your insecurities is to love yourself

How to Get Good at Fighting Games--Shaun

Throughout the course of quarantine, you may have picked up a new hobby to keep you busy. Whether it’s cooking, tending to a garden, drawing, or playing games. For those of you who may not be veterans at games, here is a way to get better at one of the most common types of video games, fighting games. 

Step 1: Get the right controller 

Now, if you are a new person to fighting games or even games in general, you want to have a comfortable way to play so that you can play to your best ability. You can have different controllers based on console, PlayStation controllers allow easier use of the d-pad, Xbox controllers are usually easier to use sticks, and pc is its own area where you can have many buttons to change any input to. These are not the only options however if you really feel you need another option, there are many. One of the most common options is to buy a gaming pad. These pads are like taking off the controls for an arcade game. Looking for the best controller that fits you is the first step into getting good at fighting games as if you are not comfortable with your controller, it will only make your life more difficult. 

Step 2: Picking the right characters 

For every fighting game, you must pick at least one character among the roster to play against other people online. Some fighting games even allow you to pick multiple characters. When choosing a character, there are 3 ways you can choose your main characters. One way is to go off of looking at which characters are the best in the game if you like to win more. The second way, if you care about the characters you play, choose the one you feel is the coolest or speaks to you. The third way to choose a character is by looking at the way you would like to play. Most fighting game characters fight into a category that represents how they fight. For example, a grappler likes to go in and mix up opponents with grabs while a range type might stay back and fire projectiles. Finding a play style that you would like to play as helps motivate you to play and train more. Many fighting game rosters can be huge and terrifying, but if you really can’t choose, play every character against a friend, AI, or even online if you want to since you can see how other people play that character. The basis of your success is choosing a team and learning how to play those characters to the best of your ability.

Extra step: Pay to Win 

Some games have DLC, otherwise known as pay to win. You can pay extra to unlock new characters or more training that will give you the upper hand. If you feel like it and have some cash laying around, paying for the DLC characters is very beneficial. Since they are new, the creators are usually experimental with their abilities and make them some of the best in the game. Most of these characters have special things that no one else has that have special abilities. For example, in the game dragon ball fighterz, the dlc character UI goku has some of the most abilities in the game, as well as many moves that let you dodge things other characters can’t.

Step 3: Learn the moves 

Though very simple, learning all the moves you have available to your character(s) is crucial to getting better at fighting games. Most fighting games have character-specific moves that make them unique. Going into training is the best way to learn what moves to help you the most. Most fighting games have an area that teaches you the basics as well as specific moves and combos for characters. The best way to start is to choose your main team and go to the training specifically meant for your characters to better understand them. Learning moves allows you to react to certain situations you couldn’t have before. Some moves are special and take up a certain resource, while others are free to use whenever. Many of these special moves need a special command put in like inputting a half circle then pressing a button on the controller. There is a universal number system and name for certain inputs that I will have a picture for below. Knowing what moves do what and what they cost to use lets you adapt to your situation best when in battle.

Step 4: Practice with your specific team 

You can go into the training and train with your team or character and see what you can come up with. Sometimes learning your own combos for certain situations helps at the beginning when you are still learning. Even reacting to situations with 1 hit attacks can help you win. Once you feel you are used to your controller, used to inputs, as well as understand your team, you can start to look up the basic BnB (bread and butter) combos for your team. There are plenty of guides online that teach you how to do basic combos off of any move, as well as how to react to certain moves. Some moves are so annoying or so good, people have gone out of their way to show you how to counter them. This will help you tremendously online, as people like to spam moves that are good. If you have one of these moves, go ahead and abuse it until it stops working. Once it stops working, you can use your other combos and training to help you win.

Step 5: Play Online 

After you have learned combos, even the hardest and best combos, go online and test yourself. Not only to win and have fun, but to learn new things. No matter how many times I play a fighting game, I learn something new playing online. Not everyone follows the same steps as I have listed, so they go online and just do what works. Many people just learn the “online tactics” such as spamming grabs or fast attacks. Learn how to counter these online tactics and rise to the top. All that’s left is that you play. I hope this guide helped and good luck.

The Meaning of Life--Ashley

 What defines life? What does it mean to be alive? Is it the ability of our hearts to pump blood through our veins? Is it the cheap thrills we find in everyday shenanigans? Is it the joy we feel when we’re with those we love? Is our ability to feel, our ability to experience happiness, sadness, and anger? Many define the meaning of life in simple, concrete details. Life means alive. Simple, easy, and comprehensible. Others try to find more self-actualization in discovering said meaning of life. Life is more than what exists in our planes of reality, life is the understanding that all things work together cohesively in the grand scheme of the universe. A little more abstract, but the idea is still there. No matter what, everything boils down to one question: What exactly is the true meaning of life? While simply adding the words “exactly” and “true” to the original question makes the topic seem repetitive, these small details are what narrows down the answers to this question. Is there one true meaning for living? 

To answer this question, we must first consider the subject at hand. Consider the definition of life. Merriam-Webster found three “Essential Meanings of life” with twenty sub meanings that provide the “full” definition of life. Google provides five definitions, and Dictionary.com has at least twenty-seven different entries for the meaning of the word “life”. With all these definitions written and revised by official lexicographers, then it would seem almost certain to find the answer you’re looking for, right? Even so, one can read each and every single one of these definitions, plus more so and still feel discontented with their final answer. But why? 

Here’s why: dictionary definitions are not the only things that give word meanings. Knowing the denotative definition of a word cannot possibly give you the satisfaction of understanding the meaning of life if no connotative definitions are considered. Think of the context of “life.” What have you been living for? What have we been living for? Are you looking for a way to put your own life into words, into its own definition? Are you considering what it means for an organism to be alive, or considering what it means to feel alive? 

Perhaps putting together both connotative and denotative meanings of life would produce a somewhat collective, concrete definition of this concept. But even so, circling back to the original question at hand, does this cover the true meaning of life? Not exactly. Another important thing to consider in this so-called quest to discover life’s true meaning is how others may define life. Thinking about the interpretation of others could establish a better definition overall. How do others feel about life? There are countless “relatable” posts throughout all of social media that cover how people feel about life. Poems, memes, pictures, and small posts cover how other people may feel about life, whether they’re grateful or spiteful about it. There are countless different ways to explore the definition of life, along with the connotative meanings and emotions associated with this topic, but there ends up never truly being one singular meaning you can find about life. 

In the end, life is basically what you set it out to be. Of course, there are still numerous definitions and attempts at defining life collectively. However, not one person in this world can tell you that life is concretely defined by one thing, by one belief, and by one person. Life, living, and being alive are ideas that are up to the interpretation of the reader. To contemplate life can hold a completely different meaning than to think about living. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, therefore the meaning of a concept as broad as life itself is up to the interpretation of yourself.

 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/life 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life 

https://www.google.com/search?q=life+definition&oq=life+defin&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46i5 12j0i512l2j69i60l3.1421j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The Icarus Effect--Karol

 When I first laid eyes upon you, I couldn’t help but gravitate towards your radiance. I wasn’t the only one who had felt the same; everytime you would walk into a room, heads would turn and marvel at the beauty you are. I was the most surprised when you had laid your own eyes on me, noticing the ordinary person in the crowd. You wanted to know more about me and so I told you everything; my hopes, dreams, and fears. You told me that I was beautiful and that I was an angel. When you reached your hand out towards me, I could feel myself reaching out to take itdesperate to know how it feels like to touch a star. 

The moment our fingers grazed each other, I felt as if I could fly. You gifted me with wings and showed me a world that I never could have seen in my dreams. Obstacles that had once towered over my small form on the earth were now miniscule from the view of the heavens. You became my sun- my god; I being your faithful cherub. 

You taught me how to exist, how to grow in this new world- how to grow with you. As time went on, we soared through new heights and skies. My wings grew as well as I was always ever so faithful to you. Soon enough, I became the only thing filling our skies, chasing away the clouds and birds that dared disrupt your light. I wanted to show the world below how bright you shined; however, I also wanted to keep you for myself. I couldn’t help but selfishly keep all your attention on me. The light you gave me made me feel as if I was the most precious thing in the world. The thought of no longer being your angel had become my biggest fear. 

But no matter how many clouds I had blown away or how many birds that I struck down, your light began to dim. I hadn’t noticed it at first- I was busy clearing the sky of anything that polluted the world’s view of you. But soon, I had begun to notice the shadows dancing on the ground below, despite not having anything in the sky to block your light. 

At first, I believed that it was something polluting the air- something that was destroying your light. I did my best to rid you of anything that was harmful. Until I realized what was stealing your light. 

Me. 

And so, my wings melted away and I fell into the ocean abyss. 

As I began to sink, I bathed in your light before I succumbed to the darkness below