August Writers are Here!

Read all of the selections for this month --   comments are for this month's group only (no earlier, last year's submissions)


Remember:
All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this month.  Everyone is required to comment on at least three different pieces of writing.  You must post the comment here on the blog (below the post is the "comments" link to click) AND cut and paste your comments, complete with dates and times, on to a Word document and turn it in to me by the due date.  You must do both to get credit for comments this month.

Remember, comments must be positive, supportive, constructive, and SPECIFIC.  No "Good Job!" comments, unless you follow that with specific things you thought were done well in the piece.  Show them you actually took the time to read and enjoy their work!

"'Welcome to Night Vale'--A Book Review" by Natalie A

     For my seventeenth birthday I asked for, but did not expect to receive, a certain book.
However, my parents surprised me and as I eagerly unwrapped my gift I was extremely happy to
see the novel Welcome to Night Vale looking back at me. I read it quickly and loved it, but found
there weren’t many people to talk about it with. The novel is based on the podcast of the same
name. It has over 100 episodes (of which i’m still not caught up) and was made by Joseph Fink
and Jeffrey Cranor, both of whom co wrote the book together. The book was published by
Harper Perennial. While the whole podcast is told through a radio show, the novel only
occasionally has excerpts from one. Additionally, the main characters from the podcast, Cecil,
Carlos, John Peters the farmer, The Faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, etc.,
are background characters, as the novel is in the point of view of two citizens of Night Vale,
Jackie Fierro, who runs a pawn shop and has been 19 for several years, and Diane Crayton, who
is the mother of a teenager who can shapeshift into anything he wants. The novel has a humorous
and strange tone, as true to the nature of the podcast. There is always something new you are
going to learn about the town they live in.
     The setting of the novel is in, of course, the town of Night Vale, and readers can finally
get a sense of what it is really like to live in the town. Immediately you see the traditions used at
Jackie’s pawnshop, as well as what it is like to actually have a seemingly normal job, like
Diane’s. Diane, as mentioned, has a son, Josh, who can shapeshift into anything, so she really
has no idea what he would really look like. Josh’s father, Troy, abandoned them, and Diane had
not seen him since, until suddenly he appeared to be everywhere. Meanwhile, a recurring
character in the podcasts, The Man in the Tan Jacket, appears to Jackie, and sticks a piece of
paper to her hand, which she cannot get off, which simply says, “King City.” Jackie, who hasn’t
aged in years, longs to figure out her past. Diane wants to keep her son away from Josh. An
important theme of the book is fear of the unknown, as Jackie fears “King City,” her past, and
The Man in the Tan Jacket. Diane fears what Troy’s reappearances means for her and Josh.
The podcasts are very strange, so the narration of the novel is strange as well. As in both
the book and podcast, many occurrences that may be weird or even disturbing to us are seen as
normal to the characters. This gives the book an odd sense of humor. Because of the bizarre
characters, many may not find it to be a believable story, but the oddness is what makes it to
charming, what makes it stand out. This is why I find it to be a good book, in terms of literary
value, and why it holds the reader’s interest. It is different than any other book I have read. It is
not a predictable story. It made me laugh, it made me confused, and it made me think.

"The Reminder of Death " by Anthony S

            At a young age, people fail to realize that death is more than a person you love passing. This is the story of one of the saddest days of my entire life. November 11th 2014, is the day my grandfather had passed. I was fifteen years old at the time, in my sophomore year awaiting the end of the first semester with eagerness. It was a Tuesday evening when I received the news of the passing. We had known that he was sick but did not expect his passing so suddenly, we had expected at least 2 more months with him. My grandfather was notorious for his swift grace and beyond natural charm.

He was in his early 70’s and had a grand sense of humor. I once stayed the night at their house with my little cousins and it was a night filled with sly jokes and intense card games. The day of his passing, the young ones were not allowed at the house due to the aura of sadness. The adults of the family thought it too much for them to handle and already had too much on their plate to handle. I arrived home after an enjoyable day at school and I began my homework. Not long after, my uncle stopped by to pick me up and placed the burden upon me. It was hard for me to accept it until I arrived at my grandparents house and observed my entire family scattered throughout the entire house.

 It was an interesting site due to my ignorance of the situation. I walk in through the side gate and enter the backyard area where even more of my family sit accepting what they had witness. I had made an observation that involved little no to children under the age of fourteen near the house. I lock eyes with my one of my older cousins and he describes the situation to me. Not long into his talk, he teared up and gave me a warm hug. At this point, my heart started to ache due to the nature of the situation and I started to tear up. Afterwards, I walk inside and make note of the aura of the room. It seemed very grim and if colors had a smell, it would smell like gray.  My grandfather was surrounded on his deathbed by family and I note my mother next to him, pleading for forgiveness. I did not understand at the time why she wanted to be forgiven but I assumed she was doing it for a good reason. Afterwards, I had a chance to say my peace with my grandfather. At that point, my face was filled with tears that were initially repented, but afterwards welcomed upon my grandfather's forehead. I had gave him a kiss of goodbye and I had to step outside where I locked eyes with one of my cousins that is of the same age as me.

As I walked towards him, I noted that he did not looked sad or down at all and I posed a question stating why aren’t you sad? He said he is trying to be sad but just cannot for some reason. To lift my spirits, I made a joke saying that his heart is made of stone. He smiled and went on to say his peace. Time went by as it does normally, and it was time for the journey to the graveyard where we would lay him to rest. It was about half an hour away from the home and the entire drive there was grim. We were escorted by police to our destination, courtesy of my uncle which had arranged it. We arrived at the graveyard and our priest from our church was there, ready with the necessary items needed to lay a soul to rest.  The service started and ended as it did and we laid him to rest. I lay a rose upon his casket and kiss it as a final kiss to my beloved grandfather. Not until the day after at school in English, did I learn that the people you overlook are really the people you love the most. My grandfather to me was just my grandfather but at the same time, I remembered all the good things he did to make me feel like I can accomplish anything in my life. That day at school I was let off easy from all the stress and hardships school can make. The day my grandfather died was the day I learned one of the hardest lessons in life to learn. In order to learn something, you must go through it first. Naturally, I was ignorant to the aspects of death and when it was finally time for my grandfather to go, the event hit me with a force of a thousand suns.

 To this day I regret not ever treating him like I should of, and always wish there was a chance to say sorry and make my peace from child to grandfather. I will never forget the one man that made me feel like king everytime I had the pleasure of laying my eyes upon him. But for now, all I can say is rest in peace my beloved grandfather, and I hope that you are watching over me with the same attributes you owned in life. As grim as this event was to me, it taught me the very hard lesson of death and how to deal with it. In the end, life goes on as it does, kingdoms grow and fall, life changes and becomes what I know now, which is tough yet enjoyable.

" How to Start Playing the Guitar" by Madyson H

Introduction: As one of the most influential guitarists of all time, Jimmy Page once said “I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.” I believe that once a person has some basic knowledge about the guitar and can proficiently play basic chords and scales then their artistic fingerprint can be formed and shown through their playing. I have been playing the guitar for five years now and every time I play I know that there is more that I can do to improve myself as a guitarist. Once you learn how to play the guitar you can only keep growing as a musician. I have a passion for music and I hope to inspire at least one person with this blog to pick up a guitar and start strumming. So, if you are interested keep reading to find out how to start playing the guitar.

Step One: First let’s start off with picking out a guitar. Choosing the right guitar can be a difficult task because it is hard to narrow down what exactly you want to invest in. I would suggest first looking at the type of music you listen to on a regular basis. This music will most likely be the type of music you will enjoy playing on the guitar as well. For example someone who enjoys listening to country should buy a steel-string acoustic guitar where as someone who listens to rock and roll should buy a solid body electric guitar and an accompanying amplifier. When you are looking to purchase a guitar always make sure to try it out in the store to ensure that it feels right and suits you best.

Step two: When you get your guitar home you are probably going to wonder a few things like what is everything called, what does everything do, and how do I even hold this thing properly. I will use an image as an aid to explain the anatomy of the electric and acoustic guitar and all of their components and explain how to hold the guitar.  

http://www.guitarcalculator.com/learnguitar/images/guitardiag.gif

The main components you will need to know about on the guitar before you start playing are the neck, strings, tuning keys, and the sound hole/pickups. The neck is where you will place your left hand (for most people) in order to hold down the strings on the fret board, this will produce sound. The tuning keys are turned in order to get each string to produce a certain pitch so that your guitar sounds like a proper guitar. The sound hole and pickups are what produce the sound of the guitar so that we are able to hear what is being played. As far as holding the guitar goes, you should sit up straight in a chair before you start standing up like Jimmy Page or Hendrix. You should let the guitar rest on your leg and then sort of cradle it on your stomach and chest. The biggest string should be on the top of the neck and the smallest string should be closer to the ground.

Step Three: Learning how to tune your guitar is very important as I mentioned briefly in step two, but along with tuning comes learning the names of the strings. Going from the biggest to smallest the strings are called E, A, D, G, B, and E. Once you know the names of the strings you can start tuning. Personally I use an electronic tuner which is what most guitarists use. When tuning you should put the tuner on the headstock of the guitar, this makes it easy to read the screen and get the most accurate tune. To tune you should pick the string and let it ring out, while this is happening you should be simultaneously either tightening or loosening the tuning keys depending on if the note needs to go higher or lower. The electronic tuner will display whether the note is flat (low) or sharp (high) on its screen.

Step Four: Before you start playing actual notes you should learn how to properly hold a guitar pick. It is not required to play with a guitar pick but it does make things a lot easier and it is less strenuous on your hands. To hold the pick, simply make a fist with the hand you will be picking with and hold the pick in between your index finger and thumb with the smaller end of the pick facing you.

Step Five: Now that your guitar has the right sound and you have the right position and handling, you can finally start making some music and playing some notes. To play a note you have to press your finger down on a string in between the frets, but never directly on the fret itself. You have to hold down the string firmly so that no buzzing sounds occur; it will take some practice to get a clear sound. Pressing down on the strings will also hurt your fingers at first until you develop a callus, just remember to keep going and persevere. Each note played on the E, A, D, G, B, or E string that is closer to the body will sound higher and each noted played toward the neck will sound lower.

Step Six: After you have mastered note playing, the next step is chords. When three or more notes are played at once as a harmonic group it is considered a chord. There are two different beginner shaped chords that can be played, a bar chord and a first position chord. First position chords are much easier to play compared to bar chords. Bar chords take lots of practice and muscle memory to get down. Personally, bar chords took me around three months of solid practice to fully master, where as first position chords only took me a few weeks. First position chords are played within the first three frets and their shape is formed by a combination of open (not holding a string down) and pressed strings. Bar chords require you to literally bar a fret with your index finger and then the rest of the strings and are a mixture of open and pressed. When you get the different shapes of the chords down, then you can start working on your speed and transitioning between the chords and notes. Pictured below, is a bar chord chart for beginners and a chart of first position chords. The following bar chord chart shows which fret the chord is played on, the name of the chord, and finger placing. On the first position chord chart, all of the chords are played on the first to third frets; this chart also shows the name of each chord and finger placing.

 

http://www.guitar-skill-builder.com/Bar-Chord-Chart.html

http://www.guitarhabits.com/the-8-most-important-open-guitar-chords-for-beginners/

Step Seven: Well if you have made it this far you are probably on your way to becoming a next level guitar master, at least I hope. Learning how to play the guitar does take a tremendous amount of time and effort, but every minute of practice is worth it when you reach your goal of perhaps learning a new song or getting down that new riff that you just heard. This last step sounds fairly easy compared to the rest, but for some like myself it is the most difficult one. The last step is to believe in yourself and have confidence while playing. It can be hard to put yourself out there and play in front of an audience or group because you do not want to face ridicule or criticism; I know I have been there too. I am here to tell you that once you get over the initial fear of playing to others, you will feel one hundred more times confident in your playing when you get support and validation from the crowd you played for.

"Love at first sight" by Julian A

 

It was the first day of school of my sophomore year. I was dressed in new clothes that I had ironed the night before. Fast forward to the end of first lunch and I was on my way to my fourth period class. I hope people don’t get the wrong idea but I’ll be honest here, the first day of any class I usually try to scope out the prettiest girls in the classroom. So with that in mind, I walk into my world history class and I was one of the first to get there. I thought that I was in a perfect scenario to see every girl that would walk in. So I sat down in a seat in the middle but still the front of the class and I was casually watching the door just waiting for a decent looking girl to stroll in. There were a few that weren’t that bad but none that really caught my eye. Slowly and slowly the time to get to class started to diminish and so did the open seats in the class. Then this guy who I’m not very fond of sits down next to me.  So that didn’t put me in a very good mood about this class. I then saw a girl approach the doorway. It was as if time stopped. But this was not just any girl. This was one of the finest specimens of woman I had ever seen. This girl had wavy dark brown hair that was unlike any other I had ever seen. Her outfit consisted of mostly somber black colors which struck me as mysterious seeing as I had NEVER seen her on campus before. Her skin was that of a well maintained porcelain statue. My heart literally skipped a beat and I could not keep my eyes or mind of her. But I had to. At least until the teacher called roll, only then would I have an excuse to even look at her. Trying to not look obvious I stopped looking and I didn’t get to see where she sat down. A few more students walk in. The bell rings. She starts taking roll. I’m attentively listening to the teacher, waiting for her name to be called. My name is at the top of the list because it begins with the letter ‘A’. It’s getting close to the end of roll. All of a sudden I hear the teacher call her name, “(CENSORED)”. I was surprised anyone on this campus had a name so exotic. I had heard that name before, but never had it sounded so beautiful. I turn my head around looking to match a face with that name but I just could not. To my surprise the girl who sat behind me was her who responded with a very subtle yet pleasant “here.” I turned my head and saw the most beautiful girl that I, to this very day, had ever seen with the most beautiful hair, the most beautiful clothes that lie on her porcelain-like skin and now the most beautiful name. This is what I believe to be love at first sight. To this day with god as my witness I have never seen such a woman come even close the beauty she had inside and out.

"Untitled" by Tyler R

     Hearing voices in his head was one thing but waking up falling from 10,000 feet was
definitely a clear sign that Oliver's life was changing. Considering his 18th birthday had just
passed and his mother did tell him his life is going to become “harder” he was thinking more
along the lines of getting a job and providing for himself rather than teaching himself how to fly
seconds before he became another huge stain on the paved road. This isn't the first experience
he's had with this weird stuff either, at age 10 he was hit by a car face first and when the
paramedics arrived they assumed the driver had accelerated head on into a tree or maybe a
small building. His mother claimed his father was a drifter and a loaner, and until they got
married, very briefly, there seemed to be something unnatural and special about him that made
him stand out from everyone else. She said how he was always so perplexed and interested by
her and when they were together reality seemed to slip away and she knew he would never
leave her by choice. These were many of the numerous explanations Oliver's mother has told
him since he was a child but now that he is an adult Oliver won't stop until he finds the truth
about his father as well as his own identity. His mom told him to trust the gifts he was given in
order to know where to go, but he hardly knew what his gifts were other than the fact that he
had a keen instinct to survive and become one with his surroundings. When he found himself
lost or unsure of himself he found comfort in surrendering his mind and body to the most natural
setting he could find, his backyard. Although his home isn't the most rural location in Southern
California when he clears his mind and accumulates himself with the earth and the world around
him his senses are intensified and he could begin to listen to the soft voices of the winds urging
him to join in their dance in the skies. So he began his journey to follow the winds of the world in
hopes to find any sign of his father or who he is. The first step was to fly, which he has done
before but once again the thought of turning into a human pancake is motivation enough to do
anything. He emptied his mind and willed the winds to carry him into the air as if he was a
feather in the wind and before he knew it there he floated 6 ft above his terrace. With his mind
cleared he closed his eyes and allowed the winds to carry him along with the rest of the leaves
and debris from trees and brussels around him and hoped that he wasn't led astray. When he
opened his eyes Oliver found himself in a plethora of vegetation and exotic creatures of all sorts
ranging from muskrats with wings to gorillas with orange fur. Oliver found the plant life was
peculiar as well not only were there Venus flytraps ,which he had never seen before, but there
were literally plants moving as if they were animals eating insects and smaller plants but not
paying any mind to the ominous herbivores surrounding them. Oliver said aloud, “Where the
heck am i?” and almost immediately he heard a tiny voice say, “Your home sir”. “Who said
that?”, Oliver exclaimed and again he heard the voice from right near his foot where he had
once seen the muskrat with wings, “I did sir”. He couldn't believe he was talking to this incredible
animal but beyond that he wondered why none of this felt incredibly impossible or weird, as if he
belonged there. “Where exactly are we?” Oliver asked. A deep and warm voice answered,
“Celestuis. The home of the earth God.” A burning sensation filled Oliver's stomach as the man
began to mouth the words “Welcome home son.”

"Why Do We Love?" by Kenny A

     Love is a feeling not unknown to most. By definition, it is the strong attraction felt for
someone or something, but such powerful emotions can be destructive. Love acts as a driving
force; but in most situations, it is harmful. Most instances of love end in sorrow, with few having
experienced the “true love” read about and sought after in fairytales. Love is simply a painful
reality clouded by a fictional happiness.
     Love is motivating; it acts as a driving force, and yet, it can ironically drag someone
down to a point where they can not do anything. When asking what love is to them, a person in a
long and successful relationship believes: “Love is a powerful emotion that you can’t control. It
has the power to make you feel like you’re on top of the world, and yet, it can take that and so
much more away leaving you thinking: ‘What went wrong?’” This happens surprisingly often, as
a friend was talking about a new girl he met at a party, and just how in love he was with her. He
loved her so much, but she was toying with him, playing with him, just to see how far he would
go with her. He would wait for two hours to find out that she stood him up, and he would go to
all these lengths just for her to ignore him. It came to a point where he was exhausted, mentally
and physically. He could not focus and was a victim to his emotions, due to letting love dictate
his actions, driving him to his own downfall in his pursuit of happiness.
     Love at first sight is a popular occurrence, as many people can become infatuated with
one another in such a short time span; yet as quickly as it occurs, the passionate feelings can
disappear just as fast. The high from love is short lived, and as it fades away, so have many
relationships. Successful marriages reveal that the one factor that keeps them together is the
choice to do so, while most relationships die off after someone does not feel the same attraction
anymore; but can such relationships accurately be defined as love? Love is, after all, the strong
feelings of attraction felt for another. If successful relationships are based off of love, then does
true love really exist, when they’re based off of toleration of one another instead?
     Love is associated with a wide variety of emotions, as such strong feelings cannot be
restricted to happiness. Sorrow, pain, and remorse are all common feelings associated with love.
Sorrow is experienced as an emptiness, that no matter what you do, you cannot fill, because
while time heals all wounds, sorrow is always present in a dull ache that is always there. Pain is
experienced in the relapse after the high felt from love, as a feeling now associated with the
memories you once considered to be happy. Remorse will always be there whenever you
remember them, because love can be taken for granted, and you never know how long you’ll
have someone before they pass away. They can leave you with nothing but your memory of
them, wondering why you weren’t with them more before their death. Love, although a powerful
high, has a far more powerful low.
     Love is commonly thought to be associated with positive emotions and feelings, and yet,
it isn’t. Love is associated with sorrow, with perseverance through pain, and tolerance, as highs
cannot exist without lows, and the higher you are, the more painful the fall. Strong feelings
cannot be restricted to one emotion, and love is the strongest feeling of them all.

"High-Flying Blu" by Shaylen N

            The bright, yellow fireball came up over the edge of the earth, brightening everything in its path. Its light beamed on the great ocean, illuminating it with a lapis blue hue. The same light touched the tall, green palms to the mocha brown coconuts, to the high flying seagulls to every grain of sand that shimmered. Everything came alive.

 Alive with the fireball’s light was also a very tiny and bright mandarin fish named Blu. Blu was covered with vivid and wavy orange stripes across his aqua-blue skin in addition to yellow speckles on his fins and face. He was no bigger than a fishing hook yet always looked for adventure no matter the danger.

Blu never seemed to care for his own world that much. He had lived in the coral reefs, but eventually  got bored of seeing the same purple and pink corals all day long, so went in search of a better, more amusing life to live.

 One day he came across a flatfish who had poked his eye out from underneath the sand to see who was there. Amused of this stranger, Blu tried to imitate the flatfish by hiding under the sand with him.

“Scram!!!” yelled the flatfish. “Who do you think you are just taking my sand and blanketing yourself with it, huh?”

Shocked to find out how angry the flatfish was, Blu nervously replied, “I’m really sorry. I thought I could just try to be like you. You did make it look pretty fun hiding under the sand like that.”

“Well, be sorry!” the flatfish shouted back. “You’re not even a flatfish yourself so you shouldn’t be hiding under the sand in the first place. Get outta here!”

With a rejected look upon Blu’s face, he swam away from the flatfish and continued his search for his new life.

A few days later, Blu came across a school of dolphin. He saw the way they effortlessly flew up and out of the water all together like a harmonious dance. This greatly fascinated Blu, so he approached one of the dolphins to see if he could swim with them.

“Excuse me,” Blu said with an optimistic tone, “do you dolphins think you could fit one more into your group? I just thought it was pretty fascinating the way you guys flew out the water like that. I’m kind of looking for my life and I think I’ve found it swimming with you guys.”

“Little fish, I don’t know if this is the life for you” one dolphin replied. “For one, we swim extremely fast so you’ll most likely not be able to keep up, and most importantly you’re not even a dolphin. How can you be in a school of dolphin and not even be one, hmm?”

Blu was speechless. He thought the dolphin did have a good point of him not being able to keep up with the others, but still disliked the point where he couldn’t be in the group because he wasn't a dolphin.

“I’ll tell you what,” said the dolphin. “You can’t be in our group, but I will tell you how to jump out the water. All you have to do is swim your fastest and flip your back fin as hard as you can to launch yourself up and out the water. Got that?”

Blu wasn’t pleased that he couldn’t be in their group, but was thankful for what the dolphin had taught him. With a genuine smile on his face, Blu thanked the dolphins as they began to leave him. He again continued his journey.

While swimming, Blu thought of trying to do what the dolphin had taught him. With a steady start, he swam as fast as he could then flipped his back fin as hard as he could. All at once he flew out the water and into the air then splashed back in the ocean. While in the air, Blu caught the attention of a seagull directly above him. The seagull glided down and sat on the water, bouncing up and down on the waves, waiting for the little blue fish to come back. As Blu splashed back in the water, now having thrill rushing through him because of the magnificent jump he accomplished, he noticed the seagull waiting on the water and approached him, hoping he had seen his successful jump too.

“Hello” said Blu enthusiastically to the seagull.

“Hello little blue fish” said the seagull with a very content voice.

“Did you see me flip out the water back there? It was pretty cool, right?” said Blu.

“I did, it was very spectacular indeed,” said the seagull. “How did you learn that? I don’t think fish like you are supposed to be jumping out the water like that.”

“A dolphin showed me, although I didn’t get to swim with the rest of them,” said Blu in a glum voice.

“And why is that?” asked the seagull with a curious look on his face.

“They said it’s because I’m not a dolphin like them. The same thing also happened when I met a flatfish who I thought was amusing but didn’t let me stay because I wasn’t a flatfish like he was. I take it I’m supposed to just live the life I was meant to, and not try to be something I’m not.”

“Nonsense! You can be whatever you dream of,” said the seagull with much certainty. “Like if you wanted, you could be a seagull like me.”

“You really mean that?!” asked Blu with an amazed look on his face.

“Why sure. Just jump out the water and I’ll fly with you.”

Overjoyed and filled with great elation, Blu flipped out the water to soar through the air with the seagull. Only the seagull wasn’t flying, but had his mouth open. The satisfied seagull gulped and flew away into the darkening sky with Blu.

"How a Pipe Learned To Be a Diamond" by Maezelle M

     Forty seconds left, the score is tied 56 to 56. As I dribbled up the court I took a
glance at my coach. His lips formed an O shape urging me to “Go!” and attack my defender
as the clock winded down in our first game of the season. I looked straight ahead to face the
basket, and saw the 6’2 player on the opposing team who had already stolen the ball from
me twice this game. I immediately remembered to put my arm up as I watched her
confidently squat in a defensive stance, preparing to swipe the ball from me once again. As
the point guard, I’m expected to take care of the ball while I set up our offense, but right
then and there, I felt like a quarterback seconds away from getting tackled. I tried to snap
myself out of it. I bent low until my eyes were at the same level as my opponent’s. Keeping
the ball on my right side and away from her scrappy hands, I threw my body to the right to
fake the defender, then made a crossover move to the left. It worked! I drove past her and
prepared to score. As I extended my hand to lay the ball up, one of the other players on the
opposing team attempted to block it, hitting my arm on the way. All three referees
simultaneously blew their whistles to make one collectively loud sound, signaling a foul. I
had a chance to give my team a twopoint a lead with 27 seconds left in the game. I slowly
walked to the free throw line as my teammates patted me on the back and gave me high
fives. They expressed their excitement, each yelling “Maezelle, you got this!” or “Put it in
Maez,” or “OHHH YEAAAH I SEE YOU BABY.” Words of encouragement filled my ear but
quickly turned into threats inside my head. They’re telling me I have to make it, I thought.
The crowd’s applause caused my heart to beat even faster as I stood still behind the free
throw line. The referee gently passed me the ball and the crowd instantly silenced. I
bounced it once, twice, and then stared at the basket in my shooting position. Then I shot
the ball. It trickled in and out of the rimc
lank, clankand
fell on the groundthug.

The opposing team’s fans cheered. But my teammates reassured me and again, spurred me on,
this time with a nervous tone. The ball was passed to me the second time, and again the
spectators ceased making noise. It was so quiet I could hear the sound of own heartbeat. I
tried to calm my mind, thinking to myself, you just have to make this one shot and you can
lead your t eam to a win. Just one shot. I went through my dribbling routine, squared up,
and shot the ball, hoping to hear a swish this time around. Every single person in the gym
stared at the ball as it floated in the air and hit the side of the basket. The opposite team
rebounded the ball and their coach immediately called a timeout.
My hands were shaking
as I ran to our team’s bench. I just blew not one, but two chances of winning the game. My
teammates and coaches released optimistic sounds from their mouths while their faces
evidently showed disappointment. I tried to remain confident throughout the rest of the
game until we eventually lost in overtime.
The following days were filled with various shooting drills, ceaselessly training my
body to make a free throw. I shot 200 shots a day, trying to regain my confidence. But the
irony was, if I was asked to do these drills before that first game, I would’ve made the same
amount. Free throws were a piece of cake even before, and I knew that. Yet, I kept shooting
my free throws to convince myself that if I can engrain the perfect motion into my shooting
form, I’ll make those game winning shots next time. However, as I kept on shooting, I
realized that making a shot at the end of a game isn’t about training my body, rather it’s
about training my mind. How come I make free throws almost 100% of the time in practice
and miss half of the time in games? It’s because in practice, I’m relaxed and confident. In
games, I’m tense and nervous. I allow the pressure to get to me, so I don’t shoot the same
way that I usually do. Missing those game clinching
free throws taught me that I succeed only when I have the right mentality. No matter the preparation, if I get intimidated byo utside factors, I will undoubtedly fail. But, if I instead take in that pressure, turn it into my b*tch, and still be my best in a situation, I will accomplish my goals. At that moment, I trulyunderstood the quote “Pressure can burst a pipe, or pressure can make a diamond.”

"Untitled" by Aryn L

The lights of this new world consumed my vision and I was blinded by its pure warmth.
This new world was new and different and most of all scary, threatening my fragile body. I
wanted to bark but only small yips escaped my mouth. As if instinct, a need for nutrients
overwhelmed me and I blindly crawled over to my mother who lied on her side exhausted from
the ordeal she just experienced. Little did I know the time I spent with her was a very limited
amount of time and I would soon see her no more.

*A month and a half later*
I was being carried in a brown cardboard box with my brother toward the front of some place
with a blue and yellow logo on the front. The new scents, sounds, and vibrations excited me,
adding onto my already energetic state. I jumped to stick my head on the edge of the box,
battling for space against my sibling and struggled to look around. Oh the people there you
would not believe! I wagged my tail in happiness for hours but no one neared me. I barked and
begged for someone to pet me yet the man holding the box was holding his hands out as if
asking for something in return for my brother and I. I smelled an interesting scent then turned
and saw a woman with a blonde mop of curly hair. She began talking to the man and looked at
my sibling and I. She picked me up, saying “You are just what i have been looking for.” I then
saw her hand the man two green pieces of paper and she took me. My brother was left in the
box while I was taken to a foreign car. I knew nothing of this woman and had never rode in such
a contraption before but before I knew it, my eyes had closed. What seemed like an instant
later, my eyes flew open and I was being carried into a house where a young girl grabbed for
me. I liked her alot. The way her shirt smelled and the way her brown curly hair tickled my nose
made me feel safe and I decided then that I would love and protect her. She took me up to her
room and we sat on the floor. I sat in between her legs and she stroked me, kissed me, loved
me, and named me Luna.

*7 years later*
My snout is now covered in grey hairs, the weight of my years shows in my slow step, and I am
now not the only dog in the house. I am not the pup I once was, nor am I as playful but one
thing has never changed, my Aryn is still my Aryn and she is the center of my world. I breathe
her air as she breathes mine, I sleep where she sleeps just as she positions herself around me
for my own comfort rather than hers, and this is the only way either of us will sleep a wink. I
protect her from the things she cannot see and offer her calmness in her times when tears
streak her face just as she makes sure I am always okay. She treats me as if I am her equal and
I protect her as if she is the difference between living or dying. We are connected. My heart
tears in two when she leaves every morning but I wait, patiently, quietly, sadly, on top of her
favorite pillow, counting the hours until she returns to me. I can hear her car pull up to the
driveway, followed by the door opening and the calling of my name. I bark to show her how
much I missed her and she pets me without hesitation. This moment makes all the agonizing
waiting worth it as my one true love has come home to me. I fear the day when she will return,
call my name, but I will not be awake to run to her. I fear the approaching day when I will not
feel her embracing arms around me and her soft touch that puts me at ease, but no matter
where I may be, my Aryn will always be my Aryn and I will always be her Luna.

"A New Beginning" by Aryelle E

March 15, 2016. The journey begins. No more stress for now on and I can focus
more on school and dance. But I was wrong. Let me take you back to December 9,
2015; the day I was told my grandma was diagnosed with cancer. Ever since that day,
no day has been a good day. I had a job and school to stay on top of and as a Junior I
couldn't have any distractions to ruin my grades that I had to keep up for my transcripts
to look good for colleges. But 2016 ruined it all.

For the first few months, my grandma was in and out of the hospital. My mom
would come home late while I was at school starting the semester struggling to focus
knowing my grandma wasn't okay. During that time I realized that she wasn't going to
get any better. No matter what the doctors gave her, I could see it in her that she was
struggling to get stronger and better. That was probably the worst pain that I could have
felt. Trying to talk about that to my mom was hard for me to say. I couldn't get the words
out and before I could say one word, I would break down and cry.

March 12, 2016. My uncle and his girlfriend flew out from Chicago to have dinner
with us. What was a fun and happy meal turned into a sad meal talking about my
grandma. After all the crying and expressing our feelings, we all decided that we can’t
see her suffer like this anymore and we knew that she wouldn't want to go through all
the torture as well. So we pulled the plug. But before we did that we told my aunt about
what was happening and that she needed to fly out on Monday to say goodbye. We
took her off of the machine on Sunday and although my grandma wasn't all there, she
was the strongest person that I know that stayed breathing until my aunt got there. I
knew she wanted my mom and her brother and sister to be together because as soon
as they all were she took her last breath leave her children together as the last image
she sees.

Although my grandma has passed, I have learned a lot about her. I can't say my
grandma was a legend because the world doesn't know her but she was. She was like a
mother to those who weren't hers. She would make friends with people so easily and
talk to them as if they were best friends since they were born. She was a really great
person that everyone loved. My grandma didn’t want to go through all the radiation and
chemo, which to me showed how strong my grandma was for only having 3 to 6 months
to live.

I also learned that even though she's not going to be here, she is still with me
wherever I go. She is looking down on me and protecting me with my grandpa. To be
honest, after her death I didn't try at all in school and in dance. But now I notice the
mistakes that I did and I know she wouldn't want me to be that way. In honor of my
grandma, I have lived everyday for her and whatever I do it's for her. Although March 15
might have been her last day on Earth, it’s a new beginning of the journey that I will
continue for her.

"The Tale of the Star Drake" by Mohammad A.

     In the far away land of Exomace, where the water was shinier than diamonds, where the
trees were full of life, and where the sky was as crystal clear as the dew rested on a growing leaf.
Life was paradise, and King Pathos ruled peacefully alongside his majestic wife, Zileana. King
Pathos was not born noble, no, he was a young homeless peasant in search of his next meal.
Around the age of 12, he got a job at the local butcher and became a well known figure to the
common folk. On a hot summer day, after finishing his shift, he ventured through the middle of
town in which he spotted a crowd, and pushing and shoving he went until he spotted something
incredible, A little dragon and its owner. He became almost obsessed immediately and this
dragon was known as Nar, Fire. His owner, Jacob, was a fallen knight whose hair is pure, he was
built like an ox, and as bright as the Sun itself. He told tales about the Seven Dragon eggs of the
world and they included: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Dark, Light, and greatest of them all, the
legendary Star drake. Not only is its existence questioned, but its power is beyond this universe.
All of the dragons, excluding the Star, were discovered, and were owned by The Knights Of the
King’s Circle, brave and noble knights that seek justice and purity. That day, King Lemont
spotted the boy and saw great potential and a son. He offered a spot in his family since his wife,
Queen Elizabeth could not have kids, and little did he know, he became a prince. At the Age of
20, he met the princess of Norway, Princess Zileana. A year later shortly before the wedding day
of Prince Pathos and Princess Zileana, there was a terrible war. Kog, Lord of the Lost Kingdom
Assaf 2 sought to rule both kingdoms. His wraith slaughtered hundreds of innocent lives and worst of all,the Knights of the Circle and their dragons. Kog was no ordinary man, but a demon fiend born
with one sole purpose, to rid the world of hope and purity,. His black magic gave birth to demons
and monstrous creatures unheard of which murdered hundreds of innocent lives only for his
amusement. He attacked viciously against King Lemont’s army and successfully slaughtered
piece by piece. The was no hope for Exomace and the valley rested upon the prince since the
king was dying of old age. There was only one thing that can save Exomace and its people and
that was the Star drake itself. The Prince and his nobleman went on a search to faraway lands
leaving but his Mother to rule in search of this mystical creature. After searching and searching,
nothing came up and by the time Pathos returned, Kog ruled alongside captured servant,
Zileana. Pathos felt there was no hope taking back his Kingdom until one morning near an amber
cave shined a crystal as the far as the eye can see. It was no ordinary crystal, it was the egg of the
Star drake. As he got closer, the egg started to glow and the more closer he got, the brighter it
got. As he reaches for the egg, the glow fades away, but the ground begins to shake the cave
which soon collapses onto itself. The dragon breaks free of its amber coating and rises into the
air as if it has been called. It's crystal clear body outlined stars seen in the dark sky with all of the
elements on its crown. The drake knew his purpose and so Pathos and his nobleman set off to
reclaim their kingdom. Soaring in the air, Pathos sees his kingdom dipped in darkness , fear, and
silence. Pathos drops his nobleman on the ground below and sours off with the Star drake. The
drake strikes from above like hell from above, and as the dragon takes on many, the nobleman
take on Kog’s demonic army and as a result, finally successfully make it through the castle. The
Star drake alongside Pathos and his noblemen were filled with bravery and encouragement, but it
Assaf 3 was not over yet, this would be for nothing if Kog was not dead. They venture through the
prickly stairs that await the knights and finally at the top, they spot Kog with Zileana. Pathos
noticed the drake backing off which showed that this was between him and kog his battle. They
draw their swords and began to strike, swords banging like the sound of thunder in the dark sky.
Pathos kicks back Kog and shortly after shatters both legs. On the ground, Kog reciting a ritual,
but before completing it, Pathos strikes him down. King Lemont’s legacy was saved by his son
and he ruled the kingdom alongside his brave nobleman, his queen, and his new friend he now
calls, Draco.

"What I Learned This Summer" by Alexis N

     It’s around 3 in the afternoon, my 3 other friends and I are resting on a small brick wall Six Flags, and we’re burning in hot summer weather. We’re resting in 80-90 degree heat and by this time we’re all tired, sweaty, and ready to go home. Keep in mind that the park didn’t close until 8 this day and we were already fed up with the theme park environment. We sat here together, talking, playing around, and being kids for about an hour before we decided it was finally time to get out of the wretched heat that the big, pale yellow sun was letting out on us. We started walking towards the front of the theme park and towards the parking lot as soon as we decided we had to go. The official time we left six flags was at around 4 and we had no clue what our next move would be. I remember us all of us arguing because none of us knew exactly where to go from the decision we had recently just made. The whole time I was deeply regretting getting out of bed and going with my friends to Six Flags. After 5 minutes of arguing about where to go, we finally decided to go to Lytle Creek, which was this calming and beautiful small creek out in the mountains right outside of the city back home in Fontana. Little did I know, that whole day, especially the road trip to the creek, was going to be a very beautiful memory. The road trip back home was a typical 2 hour drive in traffic which is usually something everyone dreads, but this one was something I honestly can never forget. The whole way home, we played indie music and rap music doing nothing but making jokes, watching other people in other cars laughing because of how weird people can be, playing roadtrip games, and just screaming occasionally at the top of our lungs just because we could. It’s around 5 when we stopped by at a random gas station because my best friend really needed to use the restroom (due to laughing so much). We lock her out of the car right after she gets off and she’s so upset after that because we start driving off little by little. After this we continue on the road for another hour or so and It’s now about early 6 and we’re at the mountains where Lytle Creek is located. At this point, my best friend is asleep on my boyfriends’ friends shoulder and he’s combing her hair back, then smiles so big at me. Truly one of the sweetest things I’ve witnessed with my friends. We’re all relaxed from the craziness that we pulled earlier with nothing but sweet tunes from Vampire Weekend, Mac Demarco, and other artists playing in the now silent and peaceful car. I look at my boyfriend, infatuated and in love with everything I’ve felt up until this very moment and I feel nothing but deep adoration and love for nothing in the world but him. It seems as if everything around us goes away and there’s nothing but just us four and our joyful, friendly, and fun-loving vibes between us that connected us together making this the epitome of the perfect summer day. We finally get to the creek, we park and walk up to it and start skipping rocks. We take pictures and videos and mess around a while more while the sun starts to set and when it’s almost fully down, we finally leave. The feelings everyone has are reciprocated and we decide to go to the park to play tennis for a while. It’s 8 and we’re exhausted with our feelings all fluctuating and we decide to all start going home. My boyfriend kisses me and drops me and my best friend at my house while his best friend waits to get dropped off too. Then we all say bye, and call it a night. I guess, what i learned is how it felt to fall in love, but not only with a significant other, but with everything that life has to offer. That day i learned to appreciate the beauty of life and I saw the world in a totally different perspective. 

"How to Become a Better Person" by Felisa M

     A system is a whole, organized method formed through a variety of elements that
connect together. Figuring out a system can lead you to be more successful being that it
is an organized goal that you plan thoroughly. If you create a system, you plan goals. If
you plan goals, you aim at something to accomplish making it easier to use to establish
a method.
     An area in life that i’d think is good to figure out a system for is character and
how to improve yourself as a person. I believe character is a strong aspect in your life
and being a positive person improves your way of living. Within character, kindness is
key. Being kind to others is hard towards those we don't know well or find difficult, but it
is a way to live in peace and harmony.
     Based on my observations of others and research, the biggest and major step I
have thought to come up with is, random acts of kindness. Now being kind may not be
perceived as general knowledge because some of us aren't too familiar with how to act
in certain situations. Showing random acts of compassion towards other not only makes
you feel good as a person, but others as well. No act is too small to make an impact, the
biggest act can cause little or the smallest act may be strong enough to make a change.
As British Philosopher Alan Watts exclaimed in an extract from his speech Does it do
you, or do you do it, “ you are something the whole universe is doing in the same way
that a wave is something the whole ocean is doing” (Tragedy & Hope, 2013). I would
once again agree that an act of kindness is not impossible to positively influence others
and that by seeing the joy of others through your actions, you will bring joy to yourself
as well. Not only do acts of kindness and love improve your character, but help you
learn the aspects of forgiveness as well.
     In this system, there are also a few more steps to help make the most of yourself.
The only tool you would need to fulfill these steps is effort and a strong mentality. Ways
to make the most of yourself are; being you, being open to change, complementing and
educating yourself. I believe these small steps help implement the idea of bettering
yourself. Emotionally letting go of anger, not making excuses, and being direct/honest
will lead you to making wise decisions. It is important to be you because who would
want to live in a world where everyone is the same? In order to improve the ways that
you treat others and any negative traits you may have, you MUST be open to change.
In my opinion, change is good. At times, it may be presented as something bad, but in
the end something good may come out of it. Complementing and educating yourself is
another step to improve your own character because it is helpful to obtain moral
selfesteem.
     Being a better person doesn't always mean towards other people, it can
also mean being happy with yourself. A happier and healthier character begins with an
emotional boost to make you happy. When you're happy with yourself, the happiness is
contagious to those around you following the system of kindness. After all, as Alan
Watts has also stated, “self implies other” (Tragedy & Hope, 2013).
Within my own experience, things that have kept me from improving my
character are other people. Seeing the way others and myself are treated have caused
me to flow along with other people's vibes. I’ve realized that emotions are easily
diffusible, why not brighten someone's day when they’ll possibly do the same for
another? It isn't much effort to be polite and say, “thank you.” This has helped me
decide that someone else's attitude is irrelevant to what behavior should be. For myself,
I have slowly used this idea in the way that I act and I can honestly say my character
has improved a bit more than how it was before. Using this mentality and applying it to
everyday life can be used anywhere. Whether it's being respectful, simply smiling at
others or just being helpful.

https://youtu.be/wU0PYcCsL6o
https://youtu.be/mMRrCYPxD0I

"How to Make Kofta" by Melanie B

Kofta can be made with a variety of meats, but the most popular for my family is beef and
what I will be instructing you on how to make today. It is also popular in Middle Eastern to make
the delicious dish with pork or lamb. Kofta is sentimental to me because growing up it was the
dish that brought my entire family together on my mom's side. Certain holidays like the Eid
alFitr which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, come along and my family would have
really big feast to celebrate. Along with seeing my family after a long period of separation eating
good food my my favorite part. I would like to share the easy to make Kofta “secret recipe” my
mom provided me with, to other families so hopefully they can experience the same tradition as I
do.

Materials:
● Large mixing bowl
● Sharp knife
● Large serving dish (after cooking)
● Cutting board
● Foil (to place on meat after it is done cooking)
● Grill
● Tonges
● Salt
● Pepper
● One Pound Ground beef
● One Onion
● 3 tablespoons Wheat bulgur
● ⅓ Bunch Parsley
● Measuring set
*This amount of materials will make 2030
Kofta rolls (depending on how thick they are rolled)

Step1: Once beef is thawed unwrap beef from package and measure out one pound. Place ground
beef into large mixing bowl. Depending on how many guests to feed the amount of ground beef
can vary.
Step2: Chop one onion finely and place into large mixing bowl. Up to your discretion whether or
not to place the entire onion into the bowl. For best results cut a medium sized white onion.
Depending on how many guests to feed the amount of onion can vary.
Step3: Cut ⅓ bunch of parsley up and place into large mixing bowl. Purchase fresh parsley for
best results. Depending on how many guests to feed amount of ground parsley can vary.
Step4: Place 3 tablespoons of wheat bulgur into large mixing bowl. Wheat bulgur is hard to find
at a normal grocery store. The best place to shop for it is at a local Sprouts or Arabic store.
Depending on how many guests to feed the amount of wheat bulgur can vary.
Step5: Add salt and pepper into large mixing bowl. Place amount of salt and pepper at ones own
discretion. Preferably until the gut intuition says to stop.
Step6: Mix all together and form 23
inches hot dog shaped rolls. Thickness of rolls are totally
up to the cook, however keep in mind the thicker they are the longer they take to cook on the
grill. Different shapes can be formed! This amount of materials will make 2030
Kofta rolls (if
rolls are shaped to fit in the palm of a hand).
Step7: Place uncooked rolls onto large serving dish.
Step8: Wash hands and prepare the grill.
Step9: Carefully place Kofta rolls onto the grill. Cooking time will vary with thickness of the
Kofta rolls.
Step10: Place cooked Kofta rolls onto large serving dish with foil over and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step11: For even better results serve with a side of warm pita bread and hummus.

Hope you enjoy!

"The 'Happy' Phrase" by Katie S

     When attempting to discover what my future career is going to be, the word “happy” has
come up in many conversations. I have frantically searched through school websites, sparked
conversations with strangers and sat for hours thinking about what I would like to do as a career
in the future. Whenever I ask for career advice, people always give me the same response: “Do
something that makes you happy!”. I understand where these people are coming from when
they respond with these exact six words but I do not believe it is that easy. As a person of youth,
I have not found something that I see myself doing everyday for the rest of my life. I have only
lived for seventeen years and most of that time is spent at school where I repeat the same six
period day over and over again. How am I suppose to discover what makes me “happy” when I
am not given many opportunities to see what specific careers are like? I know that college is
where you can dive into different options and have more of an interactive experience but as a
high school student people frequently expect you to know your career. They want you to leave
high school with a vivid idea of your future but I feel like I am taking a shot in the dark. I will
either be really lucky and hit something that makes me happy or I am going to fall short and be
miserable for the rest of my life. Many high school students claim that they know their career
path but students often say this to feel like they are where they are expected to be at this point
in their lives. A study on high school students by U.S News stated, “ Almost 80 percent of ACT
testtakers who graduated in 2013 said they knew which major they would pursue in college. Of
those students, only 36 percent chose a major that fit their interests , according to the study.”
(Sheehy, Kelsey). Students have started to choose specific paths solely because they feel
obligated to have one. I know for me it is extremely awkward when people ask me about my
career path. When I am asked this question I usually respond with a simple “I don’t know yet.”
and soon after that despised sentence I am left with a long and awkward silence from the other
person. If I am lucky I will receive an “Oh really! Well just find something that makes you
happy.”. Again, I am back at square one with the “happy” phrase. I want to have a career that
makes me happy but I still need a job that pays the bills. I can’t be happy if I can’t pay for my
house or put food on the table. There is a constant toss up between finding a job that I will be
excited to do everyday or find a job that will allow me to be financially stable. Do I sacrifice my
happiness or my stability? At this point in my life my main goal is to find medium ground. I am
not searching for a job that is going to make me a millionaire, even though that would be
wonderful. I am searching for something that will motivate to get up in the morning everyday
with a smile on my face and allows me to make a positive change in the world while still paying
the bills. I still have no idea what I want my career to be in the future but I have accepted that it
is alright to not know. Everyone is different and eventually I will “find what makes me happy”.

Study by U.S News:
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/highschoolnotes/
2013/11/11/studyhighschoolgradschoosingwrongcollegemajors

Welcome to AP Literature, Class of 2017!

It's great to have you in class this year and I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions to our class literary blog!  

To get started, look around in the archives and get an idea of the variety of submissions we've had over the last few years.  Soon, your own original writing will be part of our literary tradition!