How to Finesse Chipotle--Josh

Do you love getting more food than what you paid for? Well then I have the perfect solution for you! Very few people know about the finesse that comes along with Chipotle. Chipotle workers and the company in general do not want their customers knowing these classified secrets. They don't want you to know that you can actually get multiple scoops of everything for free, but meat is the only option that you have to pay extra for for more than one scoop. I walk in and people are like "Josh, is that even legal?" I reply back saying "Of course it is many youtubers have unveiled this finesse through years of research and trial and error." Here's the secret to the perfect meal from Chipotle. We'll start from right when you're about to order.

1. Order a bowl (Make sure you ask it's "for here" because they are going to have a hard time closing it up for you when you're done). In addition, if you had any buy one and get one free vouchers from twitter, their website, or a worker, well now you can have double the enjoyment of this marvelous meal!

2. Ask for however amount of tortillas you want (It's meant to replicate eating a burrito, but with more goodness inside).

3. Ask for taco shells (This can be used later as tortilla chips once you crush them).

4. Ask 3-5 scoops of whatever rice you want, but an alternative is 3-4 scoops of each rice instead.

5. Ask 3-5 scoops of whatever beans you want, but an alternative as well is to get 3-4 scoops of each beans.

6. Instead of asking for double scoops of meat, ask for half of one of your favorite meats and half of another type of your favorite meat (They're more inclined to give you two big scoops instead of small half scoops)

7. For some pizazz, add some fajita veggies before you get to the sides part of the ordering.

8. Ask for every side, besides guacamole and queso. (Unless your a big baller then go for it!)

9. Once you get all the mild, medium, hot salsa, sour cream, corn, monterey jack cheese, and lettuce, ask for sides of your favorite toppings as well (This means double the corn and double the sour cream!)

10. If at any point in time a worker tries to deny you from steps 5 to 9, just ask for those toppings to be put into the little containers because it never says in Chipotle's slogans, handbook, etc. they can not give you a certain amount of a particular topping to charge you with (except for meat).

11. Pay for your food, drinks, and thank the worker for helping you concoct this masterpiece I would like to call a burrito bowl.

12. If you did not get a drink, then ask for a water cup because that will be extremely helpful.

13. Go over to the napkins, forks, and various utensils to get some for your future journey.

14. Sit down at one of the beige colored tables, or outdoors with the umbrellas, and place all your items in front of you.

15. Now that you have the power in your hands mix the bowl, put it in a tortilla to replicate a burrito, eat it separately, or do whatever your heart desires because now it is your time to indulge into the abundance of flavors in front of you.

If you don't believe that this is possible, watch various youtubers have their own twist on this concept, and here's a visual representation if you decide to use the information I have given you all to good use.

I wanted to uncover these secrets to you all because we're about to start college soon and every college student's favorite thing to do is save money. You will gain more bang for your buck because this bowl will help supply you for at least 3-4 meals for the day depending on how much you eat and portion it out. This does not necessarily only apply to Chipotle, but at different restaurants as well such as Blaze Pizza, Mod Pizza, Subway, and any other food establishments where the customer has various options for what they want to put on top of their meal, but for free of charge. Hopefully, with this new information in your lives it will help you get the best bang for your buck wherever you choose to eat when you go off to college.

Do not go gentle into that good night--Chloe

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, Ra- POP!” This was the sound that suddenly interrupted the poem blasting over the large speakers. I fall to the ground, dazed, wondering why I was down there and why I was no longer dancing. I try to stand up and am greeted by a sharp pain coming from my right leg, I examine my knee and find that it is no longer in its socket. I attempt to stand again which causes my kneecap to shift back into place with another sickening “pop!” This action ushers in a fresh wave of pain and brings me back to my senses. Like a wounded animal I sat there, helpless, clutching my knee as my teammates continued to dance, unaware of my situation. I look stage left and my dance teacher, who saw the pain and panic clearly written all over my face, frantically beckons me towards her while mouthing “CRAWL!” So I did. I dragged my body with shaky arms, slowly but surely off stage all whilst hearing ”Do not go gentle into that good night..” playing faintly in the background.
That was the night of April 1st, 2017, a Saturday. My team and I were there for the weekend to compete and take dance workshops in a hotel in Irvine. The morning following the incident, I felt no pain in my knee after a night of rest, ice and overwhelming concern from my teacher and teammates. It was Sunday and I was toted around from class to class on various people’s backs, prohibited from walking or dancing whatsoever. Everyone was fussing over me while I remained calm, holding onto the belief I was completely fine. Never have I been more wrong. I remember the moment the doctor presented me with an x-ray, and with a sympathetic expression said, “You have torn your patellofemoral ligament and fractured your knee cap.” Next thing I knew, my entire right leg was encased in a locked brace, I was handed a pair of crutches and was told I would need them for the next three months or so. He told me I would not be able to dance for the rest of the year and was unsure of when I would be able to again. I looked down in a state of shock as he droned on what my treatment plan was. This meant I would not dance alongside my departing senior teammates for the last time, would not perform in the biggest and final show of the year, would not be able to dance period. The following months consisted of numerous orthopedic appointments, two surgeries, and a lot of pain. It is amazing how much we take for granted and this includes working knees, functional legs. During this time I sank into a period of depression. I was forced to sleep downstairs because it was difficult and tiresome to travel up and down the stairs. I had to rely heavily on my mom to perform daily tasks I was now no longer able to do. I couldn’t sleep because every time I would start to drift off, a throb of pain would wake me. Unable to bend my knee, I felt as if my entire right leg was a stiff log I was forced to haul alongside me everywhere I went. I went to school not paying attention, forced to crutch across campus in a timely fashion which caused me to sweat, my arms to ache, and my armpits to chafe. I sat in the back of the dance room, watching my fellow dancers turn and leap gracefully across the floor. I lost motivation to do anything, I was unable to do what I loved, to dance and feel free from the pressures and stress that was high school. It was not until I met the most positive people I have ever encountered taught me that despite everything I was still blessed, I was alive and loved. With this new mindset, I plowed my way through two surgeries and nine months of physical therapy. It has been about a year

since the incident has occurred and I am reminded of that moment everyday with four ugly scars and a weak knee. However, I am dancing again and I am getting stronger as the days progress. Although my knee will never be how it was before and I experience pain almost every time I dance, this will not prevent me from doing what I love and I will continue to stay positive in everything I do. I have learned so much from this experience especially that I can not listen to the poem, “Do not go gentle in that good night,” without hearing that sickening pop in the back of my mind.

"Growing Up"--Aaryn

There’s always been this unspoken agreement in my family that I have abided by for as long as I can remember. You don’t go against what your family believes. It’s not that they’re mean or cruel, they’ve just always been stuck in their ways, and challenging those ways was something that I didn’t have the courage to do. How exactly do you sit down and tell your devout Christian family that you have never been (and probably never will be) religious? How can you explain to women that spend every day of their lives catering to their men, that you don’t like the concept of marriage? How do you tell your family that believes that people are either straight or gay that you fall on the spectrum? In simple terms, you absolutely do not. For so much of my childhood I was brainwashed to believe only in the things that they believed in. I’d dread going to church on sundays because I didn’t feel anything, and then I’d feel guilty for even having those thoughts. All of the things that I attribute to who I am today, once upon a time made me feel like a freak. The people I looked up to, the music that I always played too loud, the books that I read over and over, they were things that I was ostracized for because they weren’t things that the rest of my family liked and did. Growing up feeling like everything that I liked and was interested in was weird ultimately made me really insecure. I never let my friends at the time see who I really was because I was scared. I was content to be the shy, agreeable girl that everyone liked. I was okay with pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Around freshman year, I sat back and thought about who I was and how I felt, and I decided that I didn’t like what I saw, and that I wanted to be different. I started opening up to my parents, I started dressing differently, and talking to new people with different mindsets. These seemingly small mental and physical changes actually had the largest effect on me. For the first time in my life I felt confident enough to be myself completely, to express my beliefs and interests, and to open up about what I wanted and what made me happy. As Im nearing the end of my senior year I can acknowledge how different I am and how much I’ve grown up. Obviously my current circumstances are very different, simply because I got older and stopped caring. Nowadays I live with the mindset that nothing really matters besides living life the way that you want to and being your most authentic self. I still feel resentful towards my family and I’ll always live with the knowledge that they will never truly know me or understand me. With that being said, I’m happy I have friends that I can be completely myself around, as well as great parents and siblings that go out of their way to respect how I feel and haven’t tried to mold me into the person they think I should be. In hindsight, I guess growing up the way I did was actually beneficial because it gave me thick skin and taught me that not everyone is going to feel the way I do about certain things, and that’s okay.

How To Be A Good Friend--Alessandro Seminario

To me, friendship isn’t necessarily hard, however to have a good friend takes a little more. I can’t say i’m a professional at this nor do I think I am the best type of friend to be making this list. However, now that I have been put into a situation in which I will be moving away from a lot of my current friends to a new start, I think it’s important to note and share some general qualities I have observed from my few but great friends I’ve made, past or present. These are also qualities I hope to continue to improve on as I too stretch myself out to different people and the endless possibilities in making good quality relationships.
1) Loyalty
This couldn’t be more obvious, and we all have different types of loyalty and different levels of them. In my opinion, a friends loyalty is based on the simple fact of just being there and earnestly wanting to be there for your benefit. Constantly knowing you have someone who isn’t family and makes a choice to be there for you is an unmatched feeling. A friend that can provide that type of comfort no matter what you do or go through is a friend you should keep. The constant reassurance of an outsiders compassion and dedication to what one needs won’t be overlooked or dismissed by anyone.
2) Honesty
No one likes truth, we hate it.. A good friend won’t care. If you need to be told something because you’re too stupid to see it yourself, they’ll tell you, you can rely on that. Obviously a lot of people are more sensitive than others and a lot of people don’t take what they need to hear well, I guess thats what will truly test your friendship and your own loyalty to them. Keeping a perspective on what you need will be provided by this friend granted they know you well enough to say what it is, and the advice or simple truth given is what you need. Through anything difficult it’s easy to get in one’s own head and only make matters worse, improve your life and surround yourself with people that can help see what you wont like but may end up helping what you thought was helpless.
3) Creativity
A fun friend is the best friend. I think I’ve found this trait to be the most beneficial to me and really anyone in general. Being creative in any aspect is only meant to bring you new, exciting, and overall good times. Whether this friend is creative in jokes, art, ideas, craft, planning, etc. all of these provide an open mind. Having an open mind that allows you to experience or try new things wont hurt in any way, a lot of us are challenged in that aspect and It’s easy to say that pairing yourself with people that expand your mind is what really brings happiness. Whether that rubs off on you or not, the presence of a mind always ready to bring new fresh things to you can only help growth while introducing aspects of the world and anything else that can use creativity.

Though general, it is in your best interest to search for people that have these qualities, not anyone can just be someone you hold high in your life and its important to be particular in what you need and what you want in someone that is supposed to be there for you. Hopefully reciprocated, these traits are (in my opinion) guaranteed to provide the highest quality friendships that you can unapologetically look back on and see how far you’ve come because of that person.

How to quit your job/transition smoothly into the next--Kylee Klein

So recently I have been offered a new position at a job that paid more and had better benefits for someone my age, I currently have a job and had to go through the “how the heck do I quit my job” phase and thought I could spill some knowledge I learned this week. I want to mention this method is a very professional method and you can use this for jobs as little as a part time position at Target to a full time job you acquire post college (i.e. a management position) I learned this information partially from twitter and my mom who is a director at a university and has experience with teachers she manages and how she views a professional way of quitting a job while still keeping in good standing with the employer. Hope this helps in the future or quite possibly now!

1. Identify that you are unhappy in your job and have a backup job before continuing the following steps
   
2. Don’t lie to your future employer that you don’t currently have a job and a commitment to another company. So mention that clearly in your interview and you don’t need to tell them why and definitely don’t bash the company you work for as it is poor character traits, I mean who’s to say you’re not going to talk about them like that when you get the job?
   
3. Let your future employer (upon giving you a position) know your start date will be two weeks from the current date due to needing to give your two weeks notice to your current employer. I promise you they will have respect for this as they will learn that you are a loyal employee who won’t leave them hanging if you choose to quit.
   
4. Most important step is to not tell your co-workers BEFORE you tell your boss, it looks much better coming from you than your boss hearing about it in the break room. Imagine hearing from your significant others friend group that they are planning on breaking up with you and they have not said a word to you about it? You would be super upset no?
   
5. Type up a formal letter to your employer informing them that you are giving your notice, it should include a formal intro (i.e. Dear, employers name Thank you for the employment opportunities and all of the valuable lessons I have learned in working here. I regret to inform you that I am moving on from (company name) and this is my two weeks notice. Thank you.)
   
6. You can go more into detail in your letter but most importantly sign it! I would also highly recommend you sit down with your boss and tell them in person and then give the letter to them for documentation.
   
7. MOST IMPORTANTLY I know we are teenagers and texting is more common to us than a good ol’ phone call but DON’T TEXT THEM SAYING YOU QUIT! I cannot stress
   

enough how unprofessional it is and it will ruin your ability to use them as a reference in
the future!
8. Finish out your final two weeks thoroughly and on your final day end on a good note as
you will be on your way to bigger and better things. Be sure to thank them again on your last day if you see them!
Congrats! You now know how to quit a job the right way! I hope this helps in the future if you even remember it. I will give personal update that I quit my job today using this method and my boss offered me a raise to stay so stay strong! Personally I was really nervous when I went to talk to my boss and so I definitely recommend practicing! Another tip would be to bullet point what you want to say, so if you want to explain more in depth why you are quitting you should tell them thoroughly why and not just beat around the bush. I also was complimented on the professionalism of how I handled things so good luck if you use this method! Another thing, if you are looking to just say you’re quitting to see what kind of raise you can get as they bribe you to stay, at least be sure you actually have another job lined up, it’s better than quitting and your boss just saying “I understand, okay” and you don’t even have another job!

Excerpt from "The Wonder Years"--Akunna

 

"John!" screamed Mrs. Brown, his mother. "John Louise Brown! Where on earth are you hiding?"

            It was a warm June afternoon and Mr. Brown was busy at work. The benevolent Mrs. Brown knew her son John, like most kids, craved fun and excitement. Thus, she decided to take him out to their local park for some fresh air.

"Good heavens." she groaned to herself. "That boy sure can be a handful". Mrs. Brown continued looking for her droll son, asking fellow parents if they have seen him.

"His short dark hair shouldn't be too difficult to find" she thought to herself.

Seven-year old John snickered behind a tall tree.

"Mom is gonna be so mad!" he said to himself. John then laughed and continued to hide from his mother.

            Normally, his friends would be with him while playing outside, but not today sadly. Tony was in Georgia on vacation with his parents, Jim had gone to visit his grandparents in New York, and Benjamin had a cold. He had other friends, but none close enough to play outside of his neighborhood.

John sighed, now growing tired of his hiding. "Mom probably won't find me for another hour. Might as well just give up." he thought bitterly.

            As he got out of his hiding spot, John stood still, marveling over the natural beauty of his surroundings. He never took the time to actually think deeply of the pleasantness of the world. He watched the grass blow swiftly in the breeze, the bright yellow, egg-like sunshine on the world, and the many kids and adults running and walking around the park. The young boy smiled, enthralled by Mother Nature.

Suddenly, a random person tripped over John, making him fall back first to the ground. "OW!"' He yelled in pain. "Who or what on earth did that!?"

            "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry"' a girl's voiced said very quickly. John then opened his eyes and was surprised by what he saw on top of him. A girl about his age. Cute. She had short brown hair and wore a poofy dress.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked.

            John didn't respond, still in the same spot looking at the girl with a somewhat confused expression.

"Umm...hello?" The girl smiled awkwardly at John, trying to be polite.

            John finally got out of his stage of mesmerization then frowned. "Of course I'm not okay! You practically tackled me like a linebacker! Are you stupid or something?" John knew he was overreacting, but felt the need to do so for some queer reason.

The girl was shocked. In an act of frustration, she pushed John, and then ran off in tears.

 "Wait!” John called out, but to no avail. He sat there, stumped.

"JOHN!"

            John jumped and quickly turned around to see the sight of his mother in fury.

"I've been looking for you for 2 hours! Where have you been!? And why did I see Madeline running away crying?"

            "Madeline?" John thought to himself. "That's her name?" He sat still for a while in his own thoughts, ignoring what his mother said.

"John! Go over there and apologize right now!" Mrs. Brown said in frustration. "God knows what Mrs. Fitz will say about this during the next book club..." she mumbled grimly to herself,

            Mrs. Brown’s awoke John out of his thoughts. "WHAT!?" he barked. Right when John was about to protest against the proposal, his mother gave him a glare that read, "You better do it, or I'll tell your father what you did".

John gulped then quickly ran off to apologize to Madeline.

            John witnessed the young brunette sitting next to her mother, recovering from her tears. He stood there awkwardly, guilt filling up his body.

Madeline's mother looked up at John with a bleak face.

            "Uhh...” he started. “Sorry for yelling at your daughter."

Madeline's mother, Mrs. Fitz, formed a small smirk. "Shouldn't you be apologizing to her?” she said. The woman then pointed to Madeline, who was now lying on the grass looking at the clouds absentmindedly.

John blushed slightly, embarrassed by his action.

"Oh, sorry" he said quickly to Mrs. Fitz. He turned his attention to Madeline, observing her. The girl's innocent face and cute dress made him feel even more nervous.


            John went a little forward to Madeline. "I'm...sorry for yelling at you. I overreacted" he grumbled out.

Madeline blinked, and then said, "I should be the one who's sorry. I did trip and push you. I apologize."

            Mrs. Fitz and John were both in shock; the former by finding out what triggered the altercation and the latter for her apology.

"Sweetie, why didn't you tell me that in the beginning?" Mrs. Fitz asked.

            Madeline held her head down, letting her short hair cover her face. "I don't know" she said quietly.

John stared at Madeline, trying to think of something to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Umm..it's okay." John finally said. "I still shouldn't have yelled at you."

John then walked off back to his mother. She was smiling when he returned. "See, was that so hard?" she asked.

 John didn't reply, too busy thinking about Madeline.

            Mrs. Brown looked at her watch and noticed it was almost 6:00 P.M. "Good heavens! " she exclaimed. "We better get on going John.”

 The two began to walk off towards their neighborhood.

"Madeline..." John thought. "So strange yet...nice"

It was queer to John that the girl would be so forgiving.

"I hope I see her–NO!" He shook himself out of his thoughts. "Why should I care about some random girl who practically tackled me like a football?" he thought bitterly. "I don't care about her..."

            John then arrogantly smiled to himself. No way was he going to let some girl make him a wuss.

In a couple of minutes, he and his mom made it back home. Just as Mrs. Brown opened the door, John dashed by her and went into his room, slamming the door.

"Christ!" Mrs. Brown exclaimed. "That boy sure can be a nuisance." she grumbled while walking towards the kitchen.

John began looking through comic books while on his bed.  This took his mind off of Madeline for a while. He then fell into a nap, still thinking about the young girl.