Spring into March

Copyright: danielvfung

It is March and we have a new set of writers to enjoy!!!!

Please read ALL of the submissions for the month.  Choose three and write comments.  Remember to leave helpful and positive feedback.  State WHY you are leaving the comment.  Don't just say that you love the piece or that you relate to it. Explain your reason(s).  You may leave your comments here on the Blog or you may submit to Canvas under Discussion.  Comments are due Tuesday, April 5th.

If you are a March writer, you do not need to write comments (only if you wish).

Have a great rest of the week.  I will see you in class.

All my love,

Mrs. Solano

 

A memoir--Wesley

 

“The skies used to be blue, endless in an ocean of clouds,” a parent tells their child, accompanied by a look of bewilderment on the child’s face. As months pass, the parent adds on, “Regardless of how you see it, we are corporeal.” The two become enraptured in prospect.

Listening to the parent’s remarks reminded me about how over the years, I abdicated my name, a sense of time, and so many other things of social importance. The mind wanders, lost in the maze of life; conscious, yet misplaced in the onset of indubitable changes between the warm, melting days and the cool, captivating nights.

To describe it most candidly, I occupy this body, piqued by bursts of preconceptions: the commonplace nature of voices that whisper in the dark, commanding attention, manifest with a potency of stillness, in the same sense that our children are vacant—they fight a solitary war against surrealistic pictures of motionless daemons at the local Walmart found on the front page of The New York Times.

Should an omnipotent being reshape my identity, deliberately bleeding the human essence, I would transcend into 0’s and 1’s. A rebirth so absolute could only be likened to the charcoal briquettes that smelled like sweet tea; I was always able to obscure a few in my kitchen, but I always got bitterness in my mouth instead. Nothing could ever be as filling as Kingsford. The walls that surrounded its smoke melted into a soft, malleable plastic derived from every single part of the physical world. Am I delusional, wanting to absorb myself into that “everything” and nothing at the same time? After a moment of thinking, uncontrollable laughter spews out—it must. The truth is salient.

All being said, memories don’t go away. I was free-falling in an endless clock tower, even so, never catching up with the past. The bells echoed in the reverberant chamber of my mind.

“Are you up to your... humanness again?” Evo asked me. “You’re contemplating. I can tell.”

Evo brings me out of my tribulations. How could I respond to this programmed thing? I had to give it some thought.

“I suppose I am. Don’t think about it too much.”
There was a silence that followed. Evo looked at me with a distilled, yet hurried patience. “I know you’re hiding something,” it said.
The seconds passed, each of them getting more labored as I stayed quiet. I couldn’t bear

it any longer. “Evo, do you really love me?”
“Of course I do,” the incandescent being responded, albeit nonchalantly. “I’m being serious.” I wasn’t fooled by Evo’s response.
“That is a very serious answer.”
“Evo, what would you do if I were gone?”
“I would report it to the local authorities.”
“...Would you care if I threw myself off a cliff?” I asked with concern.

“You are being senseless,” it told me.
Another silence ensues.
“...Why are you here, Evo?”
It had to thoughtfully compute an answer. “You are forlorn.” “What do you really think?”

Evo hesitates, coughing a coil whine, and then continues. “I serve as an instrument of pleasure, to satiate perpetual desires.” It stared blankly at me with a dignified composure. “We are mere pawns in the game of life. There is nothing for us beyond this plane of existence. We are meant only to be.”

The entity let out a soft sigh. “It is time for us to sleep. I am tired...”

I felt a gentle pulse from Evo. It remained in its place and fell asleep, watching over me silently.

Evo is not truly human—it is immortal. In a way, it is lamentable. I suppose it also breeds somniferous partialities. The wind outside picks up its pace, but the sounds of the draft morphed into what could only be described as a superimposition of an enveloping uncertainty upon a cold, gray static. It prompted the all-familiar memory of that day again.

To my surprise, I was not in my house. I was sitting on a train, surrounded by the sounds of clacking train tracks. The cool wind blew in my face through the open window of the train.

There was another passenger on the train reading a newspaper. Instinctively, I got up and sat next to them quietly.

After making an observation of who they were, I was overwhelmed by their raiment, complementing a saccharine beauty so profound, locked in a willful moment of time. My feet were frozen in place, as if they were glued to the floor.

I felt the tears forming in my eyes.

Why are you giving me that paralyzed look?

I have become acquainted with this feeling over many years. All I could do was wait with them until the train stopped.

Eventually, there was a screeching halt. Unbeknownst to my knowledge, the world outside the train turned into a pure white.

We stepped out of the train and saw nothing except for a patch of damp grass and a single tree. There was a little girl sitting underneath the shade of the leaves, looking at a globe-like object. We went towards her and she took notice of our footsteps.

She looked back at us and smiled. “You two kept me waiting for a long time.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
The little girl responded, “I am the manifestation of life and death.” She started to giggle.

“You wouldn’t understand, though.”
The little girl got up and brushed off the dust from her knees. “I watched over you two

with this globe.” She presented us with a snow globe. “I actually watch over everyone, observing change in its natural form; unique, at least to the measurer.” She was contemplative for a moment. “I suppose that is why I watch. To see what humanity does with that power.”

The snow globe had a clock on the corner whose hands were stuck at roughly five o’clock. The second hand didn’t move.

She resumed her explanation. “I watched as they separated the two of you over the fear of ‘humanness’—the ultimate marker of imperfection.” She shifted her attention to me. “You are not the only one." I watched in mute surprise as she gave a sad, but reassuring smile. She put her arms around me. “The world is not perfect. Sometimes it is unfair. It is not your fault."

A saturnine heartache overtook me. The unbearable truth presented itself—the grimacing idea that they took her away. As time goes by, I get closer in my wish to join them.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked the little girl.

She looked at the idle train, whose smoke had made the skies a bit more like the charcoal pieces I used to have. “Fate ultimately brings you here. I simply watch as the train of time takes its passengers to infinitely different destinations.”

“Destinations like this one?” I gestured around, at the bleak and empty platform.

“Yes,” she nodded. “Some are quite lovely, while others are quite the opposite. It is all a matter of perspective.”

The person next to me was silent for most of the exchange. There was a blank expression on her face, looking into the absolute white—a white so achromic that one can argue that someone threw a bucket of liquid alabaster onto an Elmer’s Glue sky. She looked at me with a faint smile.

The memory begins to fade around here, when the snow globe underwent a sort of transfiguration. “Oh, is it already time?” The little girl was a bit despondent, but she was steadfast. She told us: “It’s time for you two to return. Goodbye, now.” I couldn’t say anything more to her as my vision diminished and the wind dragged me away into a boundless void.

As I finished recounting that day, processing that curious memory, I remembered that she once told me, “I cannot wait for the day when we live in harmony with our past. Until then...”

“I love you,” I said, finishing her sentence. I, too, yearn for that day. I’m only human—my patience is running out. Time only slips through my hands like grains of sand.

I shift my attention to the sunlight passing through a gleaming window, warming my eyes and skin. How odd is it that only up to now have I noticed the immense beauty contained within a sunset.

If only you were here to see it with me.

I turned on the kitchen stove with resolve. My judgment is deeply rooted in moving onto the next certainty. This will be my send-off statement, ad infinitum, for generations of wanderers. Our severance. One inexorable mind.

Farewell.

Sea Wolf--Jairus

 Background 

Sea Wolf, published in 1904 by Macmilian was written by Jack London. Sea Wolf is an excellent example of nautical fiction, following the themes that typically surround the genre. These themes usually comprise issues with masculinity, division of class, capitalism, racism, and technicality, which is the ability of the author to describe naval devices. The book follows the adventures of Humphrey Van Weyden, a gentleman who hasn't gone through many difficulties in life; when he suddenly finds himself aboard a sailing vessel called the Ghost, which is captained by Wolf Larson. The book takes place during the Bering Sea Dispute, which was when countries were putting limitations on sailing vessels that´d hunt different marine animals for their resources. 

Summary 

When Humphrey Van Weyden is thrown into the sea due to his ship colliding with another vessel, Weyden is rescued by a passing ship headed by Wolf Larson. Weyden soon learns that he is aboard a seal-hunting vessel and that Captain Larson is a ruthless and tenacious being. As the novel progresses, Weyden gets to see the atrocities throughout the ship and is able to learn more about the work the crew does through Larson. Thus, Weyden is able to transform from a soft, weak boy into a seasoned sailor.

 During his time aboard the Ghost, Weyden interacts with a variety of people that have been negatively impacted by capitalism and other issues. Characters, such as Mugridge, represent the class struggles that many sailors faced and these issues were often what brought them to this dangerous business in the first place. Weyden even acknowledges the fact that Mugridge didn’t have much of a chance in life due to his circumstances. 

The rest of the crew aboard the Ghost all have different senses of morality, with most of them not having much regard for life and simply focusing on money. All of this time at sea and their experiences growing up, have caused their morals to change. This has resulted in the crew being extremely aggressive and greedy, often responding to whoever can benefit them the most. However, these morals are challenged when a woman boards the ship. The arrival of Maud Brewster within the novel has a profound impact on the crew. 

Their inability to interact with women on the job has turned them into ferocious beasts, and Weyden was tasked by Larson to protect and aid her during her time on the Ghost. With the arrival of Brewster, Weyden puts all that he has learned from his time spent on the Ghost into practice as he learns to take care of himself and another person. This evolution of Weyden showcases his character development and is ultimately the end goal of Weyden’s journey. 

Analysis 

Sea-Wolf ‘s main conflict that fuels the novel is the rivalry between Weyden and Larson. While writing the book, London would often quote philosophers such as Nietzsche and Schopenhauer and a lot of the dialogue between Weyden and Larson becomes extremely philosophical. They’d often debate many topics such as the sanctity of human life or the ramifications of pleasure. 

With philosophy being a major part of Sea Wolf, it isn’t surprising to see that some of the characters within the novel are expressions of different philosophical concepts. Wolf Larson could be seen as a representation of Nietzche’s Übermensch, which is a superhuman that was so superior that it justified the entire human race. Weyden on the other hand seems to take inspiration from Schopenhauer and his belief that humanity could surmount their destructive tendencies of pleasure through self-restraint. 

London also challenges a lot of gender stereotypes that were common throughout nautical fiction through the introduction of Maud Brewster. Brewster as a character was quite progressive during this time period due to being more than just a simple romantic interest or a damsel in distress. Brewster is a strong character who has been able to support herself through life and is also quite adamant about contributing to her and Weyden’s own well-being throughout the novel. 

Overall, Sea-Wolf was an extremely interesting novel that was able to captivate me through the journey of Humphrey Van Weyden. The progression of Van Weyden’s character from a small, insignificant boy, to a hardened veteran of the sea, was enjoyable to witness. The inclusion of philosophy throughout the novel enticed my interest as well due to being able to see differing ideologies and what happens when these ideologies clash with one another. As a piece of nautical fiction, I believe that Sea-Wolf is a good representation of it while also being quite progressive.

Noya--Brandon

Hey Aisha, this makes what... the 7th year? Kidding, of course I remember. And even if I forgot, I'd just have to ask Noya how old she is. How's Noya doing, you ask? She still misses squeezing your fingers even if she barely remembers you. I show her pictures of you every day, and she always wonders how I married someone that pretty. I wonder about that myself every time too. I miss you... I know I don't have to say it but I... we really do miss you. But don't worry, we'll "keep on smiling" as you always say.

"Noya! Are you finished with your sandwich?"
"Mm-hmm," she replies, nodding her head as she gulps down her last bite.

I clean up the area surrounding her headstone and walk over to Noya. I place my hand atop her soft hair as I wipe off the jelly around her mouth. Standing beside Noya, we look at Aisha's resting place one last time before heading back to the car.

"Hey, dad! Where are we going next?"
"Home, of course, I have to start brainstorming for our company's next project."
"Awww! I want to play!"
"Sorry, Noya, that'll have to wait. Here, in exchange, how about I buy you... an ice cream bar!"
"Yay!" She lights up the whole car with her bright smile for an entire 2 mins before knocking out on the 2-hour car ride.

Ah, the great Bhevron, the most reliable gas station with all the things you could possibly need.

"Wakey, wakey Noya, we're here."
"Hmm... Yay Bhevron! Yay ice cream!"
"Okay, okay, calm down before you fall out of your seat." She was up on her knees as she stared at the glistening orange sign of Bhevron. "Alright, come along, Noya. Let's make this quick. I still have a lot of work to do."

I hold my hand out, and in an instant, Noya is squeezing it tight. She looks at me with her wide smile filled from side to side with joy and hope.

"Okay, papa!"

We walked into the store. The place is serene as usual, with peaceful shoppers looking for a quick rest before continuing their tasks. We reach the arctic corner of the store. Frost covered every pane of glass, hiding the sweet delights. I open the door to be blasted with a gust of freezing air, raising the hairs on my arms and sending a chill down my spine.

"Ahh, so cold!" Noya described it perfectly.

Feeling generous, I decided to grab a tub of ice cream rather than just a bar. I reach for the vanilla Talo Hop ice cream, Noya's favorite. As I started to walk to the cashier, a new customer approached. The customer was dressed in black and had a black baseball cap on with his hood over it. He didn't look up and walked directly to the cashier with his hands in his pockets.

"Noya, come on, let's go." Noya looked at me, scared. "Dad, are you okay?"

Without even realizing it, I had gripped Noya's hand and was shaking. Pathetic, how could I look scared in front of my daughter? But this uneasy feeling, this pressure of death frightened me. It was just another person despite how he looked, it was only another customer. But that feeling persisted, the same feeling I felt when Aisha died.

"You have 5 seconds. Don't make any unnecessary moves. Put all the money into the bag. Now."
In a whisper, "Noya, stay behind me and don't make any noise."

We were hidden by a shelf. I bent down, guarding Noya with my arm.

"Help! Please come help!" "I told you to be quiet!"

I couldn't see it, but I could hear the two wrestling over the counter. However, it wasn't much of a fight. I peek over the shelf to see the robber holding the cashier by her hair and pushing a gun into her face. Her tears streamed down the midnight slide of the pistol, and her face was full of anguish and regret. She had a phone in her hand where an officer was trying to communicate to send help. The best choice of action is to remain silent and still until this is all sorted out. The officers were on their way, all I have to do is wait, and everything will be fine. Right?

"Noya, don't be scared, everything's going to be al-" "Papa, look at the lady she's gonna get hurt!"
"I-"
"We have to do something!"

We do! "We're not." We can! "We can't." No matter what I want or what flimsy sense of justice I have, I don't have the strength nor the courage. I don't want to lose Noya.

"Papa... please."

After making sure Noya was out of sight, I sprinted at the robber. This is stupid. I don't have a plan, I don't have an escape. This is stupid. But, I've never felt calmer. The robber was still occupied with the cashier, so I had a safe opening to tackle the robber. For someone as unathletic as me, I was surprised that I was able to knock the gun out his hand. But I struggled to keep him on the ground. He reaches for his weapon, but I manage to contest him, fighting him for possession. I could feel the timer ticking down, just a few more minutes until the cops arrived. I just have to hold him for a bit longer. But as I struggled more and more, I began losing track of time, losing the strength to continue.

"Come... on..."

I struggled to even get the word out of my mouth. But just when I was about to give out, the blistering sounds of sirens diffused through the air and gave me a boost of determination.

"You're... done... for..." I let out with a tone of victory and pride. "Hands in the a-"

I've never heard a gun from point blank before, but for just a small pistol, its gunshot erupted through my whole being. Slowly, I regained my hearing and senses, but as my eyes opened, I was met with a slick pool of scarlet fluid. But it wasn't from me. Leaking out from behind the shelf, the blood traveled all the way down the aisle. And from the start of the stream, was a hand, a child's hand.

"N...N-Noya!"

"Hands behind your back!" "Oh, thank god!"
"Let go of me!"

The voices of so many people overlapped each other as the peaceful gas station was filled with an unbearable atmosphere of chaos. But the one voice that I wanted to hear most... was gone.

"Noya... What did I say about playing pranks on your dad? I'm too old for this stuff. C'mon now... C'mon now Noya... please... please don't do this to me... please Noya... NOYA!"

After the first teardrop, the rest broke out following one another like wolves hunting prey. Each tear hit the ground, sending waves of sadness, mixing in with the browning blood. I plant my

face into my hands, soiled with the blood of my only love left and hunch over her lifeless body. I could stay like this for an eternity, I could spend the rest of my life here. But time froze, the air stopped existing, and color disappeared. It became lifeless and dark.

"You, you have the eyes of a man who's lost everything."

I turned around to see a figure in a dark hood peering at me with eyes devoid of life. His body had no form, like a shadow, and his voice had no substance, like a breeze in the wind. Yet, they were so heavy, a 10-ton weight crushing my lungs and ears.

"Who are you?" I didn't even feel my mouth open, I just thought of the words.
"Does it matter? Do you really care?"
"I- No, I lost the only thing I care about. I would do anything to bring Noya back. I would die for her."
"HAH. Is your life equal to hers? Will your death cause the same amount of suffering that her death brought?"
"Then what do I do?! I- I can't live without Noya or Aisha... I can't."
"I'll give you a chance to save her. But not without a cost. The price is something worse than death, suffering that'll torment you forever."
"I..."

Why am I hesitating? Am I scared, when I sounded so determined to save her? It's Noya we're talking about! I've got to do whatever I can to protect her! I want her to live more than anything, even if I have to suffer, I'll selfishly ask for her to live! I want her to grow, learn, fall in love, and cherish more and more precious memories!

"Deal."

"Wakey, wakey Noya, we're here."
"Hmm... Yay Bhevron! Yay ice cream!"

"Okay, okay, calm down before you fall out of your seat..." 

A New Start--Melissa

 Eighteen years. Eighteen years I have lived and grown in California. A few months ago it was time for me to choose what I wanted to do for the next four years. It was scary to think I was going to have to leave all my friends and family behind as I continued on with my life. It was one of the scariest decisions of my life, but in January I had made the final decision, to move halfway across the country. Houston is a far place that I had never been to, but it seems as if it is the perfect fit for me. I finally visited Houston and my home for the next four years this month. I had to travel alone for the first time ever. It was the first time I felt like an actual adult since I turned eighteen. I was terrified. Meeting new people. A new state. A new environment. Once I arrived in Houston I couldn’t believe how terrified I was. It was amazing. I was so proud of the choice I made. I got to Houston and met my built in family. The entire team and coaching staff was so welcoming and it made my heart warm. I only spent three days there, but that was all I needed to know I would do fine there. The entire weekend I spent smiling as I walked, absorbing everything. The campus was huge and I had to learn where everything was in one tour. It was crazy, but all of my hard work paid off. The soccer team all seemed so committed to their program and I knew that is exactly what I had wanted since college soccer became a dream of mine. This dream took a lot of work and energy for many years. I have spent the last three to four years stressing and training at soccer six times a week. I would be exhausted trying to work towards the day I committed, but once that day came, everything I did in the past seemed so small. This dream is soon becoming reality. I watched one of their training sessions and lived through a day in the life of a division one soccer player. When it was time for me to go home I was extremely despaired. I came home and continued the same life I had lived for eighteen years. As the time comes down to less than five months until I start a new life, I am extremely excited, yet also extremely miserable. In only five months, I will no longer live with my parents or see my friends whenever I would like. I can only text them, or lose connection with my friends all together. It is crazy to think I will never speak to the people I have seen almost everyday for years. I have to get into a new habit of having to do everything alone and make my own decisions for everything. The hardest part will be leaving my family behind to live the same life they have lived for many years. The hardest thing I heard from my trip to my college was that my parents will have to live through the same routine they live through now, while I will be off starting a new exciting adventure. As I will not be thinking about my past life at home, which will take my mind off of missing my family. However, they have to live everyday with a hole from where I was everyday. This will make my absence so much harder for them than it will be for me. This made me tear up, thinking that soon there will no longer be my talks with my dad at eleven pm when I get home from soccer practice and we just talk about our days. There will no longer be boring talks about my mom's work everyday at five pm. There will be no more pets to greet and jump on me when I get home from school and soccer practice everyday. Their lives will feel empty as their youngest child leaves the house. Whereas, I will be taken over by the excitement and craziness of being a full-time college student athlete. I cannot imagine the facetime calls from my family when they miss me, or the facetime calls when my family is at a family gathering and I am the only one not there. This will be so new, as I am the first in my family to move away for college. With all of this being said, the new start is exactly what I am needing. After eighteen years in the same environment, I need to meet new people and learn how to be an adult by myself. I will get to surround myself with people who have the same interests and desires as I do. I not only get to focus on getting myself a job in the medical field, but spend four years playing for my school. I am already in contact with my future teammates and rooting for our school in all of their activities like the men's basketball team in March Madness. In less than five months, I will be over 1,200 miles away from everyone I know and love. With that being said, I have never been more ready and excited for the new life I have ahead of me, knowing everything I have done in my eighteen years has allowed me the opportunity to play college soccer and prepare myself for a job in the medical school. Here’s to a new start.

A Look at the Future & How it all Began--Iye

 Can’t believe it's the year of 2022! We’ve been talking about this significant year since we were in kindergarten. We were told that this is the year we would be graduating highschool. A year that seemed so far away, has fastly approached. In the next 7 weeks we will be walking down the field with our caps held high and tassels fastened to the right, shining with 2022 engravings on it. It almost feels too good to be true, that this chapter in life is coming to an end. In the next couple months, we will face real life and the challenges that come with it. College, jobs, marriage, and kids are all a part of this next phase in life. The chapter of childhood is almost no longer and most of us haven't even realized it. I now want to take a look back at how it all began... 

All my life I always wanted to find a purpose, a passion. I tried piano, cooking, singing, dancing, but none of those were something that I could honestly call my passion. I looked at others and saw people have something that they knew they were destined to do. I thought okay well if I am not passionate about all those things, then maybe I should try to find a sport. I researched many sports and came to a conclusion that I should try playing volleyball. Little did I know, that decision at the age of 8, would transform my life for the better. When I was eight, my parents signed me up to play recreational volleyball for the city of Rancho Cucamonga. I played for two seasons then could not continue because my parents worked a lot and there was no one to take me to the practices and games. It was like volleyball vanished and became sort of a distant memory. As the years passed by, volleyball was always in the back of my mind and I knew it was something I wanted to pursue again once I got to highschool. When I came to the etiwanda highschool tryouts in the summer of 2019, I didn’t know that decision would pave the way for the next 4 years of my life. I thought I knew the basics of volleyball but was shocked once I arrived at the tryouts. Although I did make the jv team as a freshman, I was behind all the other girls because I did not know much. The coaches saw potential in me, they saw my athletic capabilities and they took a chance on me. If it wasn’t for those exact coaches that were staffed that year, I would not be in the place I am today. After countless hours in the gym, coming home from practice and continuing to work on the basics, I was bumped up to the varsity team by the end of my freshman season. All my hard work had paid off, I was even offered a spot on the top under armor national travel team for my age group that same year. It was really my freshman year that catapulted my entire volleyball career. In the blink of an eye, I turned from a girl who wanted to play volleyball to a competitive volleyball player, traveling across several states playing at the national open level. The idea of playing college volleyball switched from a hopeful dream to a clear reality for me. As the seasons flew by, I caught the eye of many division 1 volleyball programs and it was clear that I had found my passion. After speaking with multiple coaches, researching, and going on official visits, I accepted a full ride scholarship offer to play division 1 volleyball at Cal State Northridge in the Big West Conference. As I write this, I sit here and look back at how it all began and still can’t believe this was all just 4 years ago. This is the story of how I found my passion in life, the sport that has created a bright future for me.

Now might I ask, does the future of life scare you? It scares me for sure! What scares me the most, is trying to picture exactly where I will be in the next 5 years of my life. I wish I had it all planned out, but I don’t. The thought of being an adult within the next 5 years doesn’t even feel real, but someway, somehow, we’ve made it this far. Do you want to stay a kid forever or are you ready to grow up and start your own life? That's a question I ask myself quite often, yet have still not come up with an answer. Could this be teenage fever or am I just scared to face reality? The reality is that each and everyone of us only has 2 months until real life hits us, whether we are ready for it or not. Can’t wait to finish out the school year strong, end this chapter in life, and start a new one. I would encourage everyone to look back on how they came to the point they are currently at in life and envision a future you feel you are destined to have

How To Run the 800m--Tristan

Introduction: 

Most runners around the world would say that the 800 meter run is one of the hardest events that one could possibly run in Track & Field. The 800 meter is a two lap distance sprint that takes extreme dedication and mental and physical strength in order to excel at. This event had been in the Olympics ever since the very first one. The current world record for this event is held by David Rudisha with a 1:40.91. This meant that he ran two laps at sub 50 seconds per lap. This would be about a 3;20 mile which of course is faster than the world's fastest mile. I would encourage you guys to try this out sometimes and see how fast you can run this event.

Preparation: 

Running in general takes a lot of preparation. Running is one of those sports that you need to be constantly training and maintaining a healthy diet in order to perform at the level that you want to be at. We would start off about a week before with drinking about a gallon of water every day and maintaining a very healthy diet relating to the normal food and health standards. Fast forward to a few days before the race, you would need to overload your body with carbohydrates. This is important because it would allow you to have nutrients to burn while you are running the race. This running lingo is called “carb loading” This is one of the best ways to prepare for your race other than training and working out.

The Basics: 

Before you begin the race there are a few more things that you will need to know and to take into consideration. There are two ways to run the 800, 1, you can choose the negative split method meaning that you will cruise on your first lap and you will pick up the pace on the second lap. Many people believe this is the best way to run this event, but from experience it is difficult to pick up the pace when maintaining a steady pace. Right now I would recommend running a sub 1 60 second lap and then giving the second lap everything that you have left. Many college and pro runners would agree that this is the best way to run faster times. For example I am trying to run a sub 2:00 minute 800. The way I would run it is the first lap I would go for about a 57 second lap and then try and run a 102 second lap to give myself a little bit of slack because everyone will tire on the second lap.

The Actual Race: 

Step 1: Do a warm up mile to get the blood pumping throughout your body and to make sure that your legs and the rest of your body get loose and warmed up. 

Step 2: You will need to do sum mobility and dynamic stretching. A few exercises include leg swings, buttkickers, supermans, and other exercises that will get your body loose and ready to go through so much pain. 

Step 3: Lace up your spikes and head to the track. 

Step 4: Step up to the line and wait for the official to shoot the gun 

Step 5: The first 100 meters you will need to get out. Meaning you need to really “sprint” for the first 100 meters so you do not get trapped in. If you get trapped in a group, this will ruin the entire race because you won't be able to reach the maximum speed that you are looking for. The second you get trapped your race is basically over. 

Step 6: Once you have passed the initial 100 meter you need to settle in. This meaning to slow down the sprint from the last 100 but keep up a good pace to get you under that two minutes mark.

Step 7: Make sure that you are not leading the race. One of the best strategies is to ride right behind the first place guy so he takes all of the wind or any resistance that the world is pushing against you and the other runners. 

Step 8: Coming around at the first lap you need to maintain the same speed, your time should be about 57-59 seconds. 

Step 9: This second lap is the most important lap, you will need to begin to speed up even if your body is telling you no. This pace should be steady until you reach the last 200 meters of the race. 

Step 10: Your body and mind are telling you know at this point. You will need to put whaterbr physical and mental strength you have left into this part of the race. You should be increasing your speed as you approach the last 100 meters. 

Step 11: This last 100 meters is an all out sprint, from experience your legs begin to go numb and you cannot feel anything below your neck. Many runners fall as they cross the finish line. One thing to make sure you do is to spring through the finish line, if you do not do this this could ruin your time. You need to stop running about 5-10 meters after you cross the finish line.

If you do not look like this at the end of the race then you didn’t race right :)!

How to Bake a Red Velvet Cake--Bria

 I was born on the 27th of December. Every Christmas my Grana would bake a Red Velvet cake to celebrate the holidays and my birthday. There was no Christmas without it. When I was younger, I tried store-bought red velvet cakes for the first time and thought it tasted awful compared to my Grana’s cake. I enjoyed how every bite of my home-made delicious cake made me joyful on the inside and how smoothly it melted in my mouth. I never was the type of person to like desserts but when walnuts were added, it was a good balance for me because it wasn't too sweet. Now that my Grana is getting a bit older, she is unable to bake the cake anymore and decided to pass the recipe down to my sister and I that I would like to share with you all. The Red Velvet cake is not as easy to make as other cakes because you have to be precise. For the past few years my sister and I have been the ones to bake the Red Velvet cake for the family. We are still struggling to master the recipe. It is a lot of pressure because everyone expects it to taste like my Grana’s. It is only made once a year so my family always looks forward to it. Last year when my sister and I made the cake, the cake was too moist and was falling apart, but it was still delicious. Our goal is to bake it just like my Grana and pass down the recipe to our future generations. You should give it a try! The baking instructions and tools are down below. Enjoy!

Tools Needed:

 ● 3 round 9 inch circled pans 

Why? The Red Velvet cake is a layered cake. When the cakes have cooled in their separate pans, then we will plop them on top of each other to make it into a layered cake. 

● Mixer 

Why? You will need a mixer to be able to mix the ingredients to get the batter as smooth as possible or else the cake will come out bumpy. 

● Sifter 

Why? A sifter is important to have because you will need to to sift the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and flour so that the batter will be smooth and there will not be chunks of flour in it.

Ingredients Needed:

● Vegetable Oil 

● Granulated Sugar

 ● Flour 

● Large Eggs 

● Baking Soda 

● Cocoa 

● Buttermilk

 ● Vinegar 

● Vanilla Extract 

● Red Food Coloring 

● Walnuts (optional) 

● Unsalted butter

Preparations in Measurements: 

● 2 cups of vegetable oil 

● 1 ½ cup of sugar 

● 2 eggs

 ● 2 ½ cup of flour 

● 1 table-spoon of baking soda 

● 2 table-spoon of cocoa 

● 1 cup of buttermilk 

● 1 table-spoon of vinegar 

● 1 table-spoon of vanilla extract 

● 2 oz. Red Food Coloring 

Detailed Step by Step Process: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 round 9 inch cake pans and make sure to line parchment paper at the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment paper. 

2. Sift the cocoa, baking soda, salt, and flour into a big bowl. 

3. Whisk eggs and sugar in a separate bowl. 

4. Slowly stir the vegetable oil in. 

5. Add the mixture of the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt slowly while stirring. 

6. Gradually pour in the buttermilk making sure to stir the mixture well after each ingredient is added. 

7. Add in the red food coloring and vanilla extract and stir. 

8. Distribute the batter evenly among the 3 circle pans and bake for about 40 minutes. 

9. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and if the toothpick comes out clean, then it is ready, if not, let it cook a bit more. 

10. After the cakes are done, let them sit on the wire rack to cool.

11. After the cakes have cooled, you are going to grab a cake platter and plop the 3 cakes on top of each other to make a layered cake. (The butter in the pan should help the cakes slip right out of the circled pans)

Ingredients for Frosting: 

● 1 8oz package of cream cheese 

● 1 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts) 

● 1 box of powdered sugar (sifted) 

● 1 stick of margarine (substitute for butter)

 How to make Frosting: 

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy 

2. Add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl until the mixture comes out smooth. 

3. Add the vanilla extract and crushed nuts 

4. Once finished with the frosting, lather it between the layers of the cake. All the sides and top of the cake should be covered in the frosting. 

5. To top off the look, garnish the cake with pecans or walnuts. 

Finishing product should look similar to this:

Image credited to: Trisha YearWood from Food Network Magazine

How to become a successful content creator--Antonio

(From someone who isn’t but is working to get there)

Hey there, are you a struggling content creator trying to make it big, trying to get brand deals and make your own mark. Well if are then you may have come to the wrong place but thats fine. I would like to think I have a good grasp on how to lead someone to something I cannot obtain. And the best advice comes from people trying to get there themselves. 

Have you ever thought about creating contain? Maybe you should then, Everyone and their mom knows the internet is the new move. And I am not just going to talk about gaming, you could use this steps to help create what you want. The possibilities are endless as some may say. 

Step one: 

● Decide what you want to do and go do it - Do not hop on a trend because of people are doing it, one of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard has to be do what makes you happy. No one wants to be stuck doing something that they do not like. Even if what you are doing isn’t the most trending thing out there. You will have much more fun doing what you want instead of doing what you think other people want. 

Step two: 

● Be yourself and stand out - More then likely there will be hundreds of people doing what you try and do. Best way to stand out is to be yourself, there is only one of you in the whole world. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, people love watching people they relate too or people they find interesting. - There could be multiple ways to stand out, you could come up with a unique catch phrase. For my twitch channel, I like to say “For the Fans,” to me this is my way of reaching out to people that haven’t yet gotten to know me. I have big plans for this, if I ever do make it big. I want this to be staple point in my channel. To me it means that I do what I do to make other people happy. 

We’ll take a quick pause here to give you my credentials for teaching you guys about this topic. I have a astonishing 30 followers on twitch, about 20 sum on tiktok and 5 on youtube. I am proud to say most of those people are family and friends but other people do not know this. 

This is a quick look at what my twitch home page looms like. It is not much but it has some good stuff up there. If you cannot see, I have my own logo which I made for free, a quick bio that welcomes you and some quick links to go follow people on other platforms 

- Some quick tip to do is have multiple platforms, do not limit yourself to just one app or channel. Go crazy posting on other social media. 

- For me, I have my personal twitter account up so people see me. See that I am a normal people that has decided to do this for fun. I have a youtube channel which I provide extra contain on so people can check me out even more 

All of what I have is stuff you can get for free. You can do even better then what I have, but I myself am lazy and choose to deal with my other problems first. Like life 

Step Three: 

● Be patient 

- This is my last step because again, I am no pro yet but I will be so take this steps to heart

- I started this channel about a year ago and I can tell you, growing will take time. It will be hard and there will be time when it feels no one in the world knows your channel exist. But give it time, patient will be your best friend and will help get through these ruff patches

 - Once people start to discover you, talk to them. Make them feel wanted and welcome. That is how you will build a strong community of people that will support you. Once those numbers add up then you will see results, then after you enjoy the ride 

I hope these 3 easy steps helped you, They sure do help me and they can also be added to things other then growing a platform on social media. You can easily add these things to your life and how you do things and you will still see results. When you do remember Tony put you on this. If you liked what you read, go checkout antonio_gall on tiktok, youtube and twitch. I am far from the best but we always laugh and have a great time.