You're in Luck! New Writers Are Here!

 All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this group  (March writers).  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) by Friday, April 9, on Canvas AND the blog. 

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!

"Untitled" by Melissa S.

 

Its such a simple concept. Such a simple truth. And yet it is not always easy to remember or care about when you are going through loss. When people leave your life, when you leave others, when a season in your life has passed and you are only realizing you need a sweater to keep warm now. Even when you feel you've lost yourself.

 

But the truth is we never really lose.

 

Everything in our lives is meant to leave, nothing is ever meant to truly stay.

 

Which sounds dire, but it makes you appreciate the temporary of the now.

 

That you get to experience all you are experiencing right now, that you get to be around the people you are around now. You get to be who you are in this moment. You have all the control you want right now. And you’ll never get this kind of control again.

And even if the now has gone, it leaves room for the next. And the next, and the next.

 

And even though we know to appreciate the now, we can't help but feel so tethered to what we've had, what we’ve lost, and what we might lose. You can't shake this bittersweet feeling knowing nothing lasts.

 

I never used to believe that I could feel extreme loss for anyone or anything really. I had heard of others and what they had lost in their lives, of movies that showed people sobbing over their past, and people in their life. When I was younger I remember anxiously anticipating the passing of someone I loved because if someone I knew had lost someone, I thought well at one point or another, I must be next to learn grief. I’d be so terrified of losing people in my life, or of losing how I feel. Afraid of the unknown, really because lucky for me, loss was the unknown. I’d hold onto things that were never mine and be afraid that one day I’d have to face that.

 

I never expected to lose in the ways I have. I didn't know loss could mean anything other than death. That you can experience loss even while all the ones you love still breathe. You can grieve over people that are still walking around without you. That people could be so close to you and yet feel so far. And that you could face loss, without ever physically losing.

 

I never knew I could feel the loss of people that were still sitting next to me. That I could feel so far away from the very person whose eyes I was still looking into. Who as I listened to, their voice sounded like distant echoes and memories I was preparing to replay in my head. That as I looked at them they’d no longer look like a person from my now, but a memory from my past. That they were not there anymore.

 

I was grieving people who hadn't even left my life yet. Those that did not leave because they had no choice, but precisely because that was their choice. And it stung.

And even as those in my life I held onto by a thin string snapped from it and went on, I’d grieve before it even happened. Never knowing I missed out on the now I had. The power I had to appreciate the temporary now.

 

I realized loss isn't what I expected. It wasn't accepting that loss happens. It was realizing sometimes change happens. Sometimes things leave, people leave, you feel lost. And sometimes it just has to happen.

But mostly I had to realize it’s not a bad thing when we lose because there was nothing to lose in this life. The most constant thing about the temporary now is that its always changing and I always have that control to keep it moving. Im always in the now. I can appreciate the now.

 

The things I have now, they aren't meant to last, but it makes me appreciate it more

 

Who I am now will change, things in my life, people in my life, everything will change and grow but they’ll always leave room for my next temporary now.

 

Right now I need to appreciate the now, because tomorrow I’ll have a brand new one and I’ll miss the today that I didn't live.

 

I have to let the sun set so I can watch it can rise again.

"Why Bother Caring?" by Laura C

Warning: Mild discussion of Anorexia

We live in a society where we have to suppovily live up to be this perfect person and look a certain way. But why do we have to constantly think about what we are going to wear tomorrow, the way we act or counting every last calorie? We always ponder about what others think about us, even though they are thinking the same exact thing about us. When I was a little kid, I was either known as the really quiet kid, Mrs. Clark’s daughter, or the kind of weird girl. But never once did I ever think of what the other kids thought of me. I just was myself. They could have been saying how weird or annoying I was and I would have never known because I was never taught to make impressions on people. My friends would ask me “What is your most embarrassing moment?” and I would never know what to say, because I did not think of what other people thought of me.

Then came middle school.

Some kids made comments on my forehead, teeth, or eyebrows every now but it never got to me. I learned to like those attributes of myself because my Dad once had those exact features painted on his face. 7th grade I did NOT like my classmates, and I was never scared to call out the kids and stick up for myself when needed. But, I also never had a good set of friends, and by 8th grade I basically had none, but I did not mind. I enjoyed the company of myself in my teachers classroom during lunch, mindlessly eating dinosaur chicken nuggets while watching netflix on my phone. I honestly could have been bullied in my middle school days, and never knew it because I did not think of what other people thought of me.

Until the very last day of 8th grade.

Yes, I remember the exact spot, exact place, exact person, exact time. I was being my typical stubborn self when we were in 8th grade promotion rehearsal, when me and this boy got into a little disagreement. He decided his comeback would be,” Shut up Laura, you look anorexic.” Never in my life has anyone said this to me, and really threw me off guard. I knew I was not sick like that, and was not my story at all. I was really just a late bloomer and my body could not catch up with my growing height. You would think such a thoughtless and ignorant comment would just slide off my back. But it did not. It changed my brain's wiring and how I looked at myself and even the world. I started to care what other people thought of me.

It got even worse when I got into highschool and went into band. People were expecting me to be this crazy talented saxophone player, because of my siblings' success. The saxophone was literally bigger than me. They never called me anorexic to my face, but always made fun of how weak I was, and side remarks to each other. I never realized how much of a bad environment I was in, until much later but quickly left. But I still cared about what other people thought of me.

My insecurities were then mainly based on how skinny I was again. I always had compared myself to other girls my age and they didn’t look as skinny as me. I tried to eat more, but that was not the problem and my weight was something I learned I could not control. I was very sensitive when people told me I was skinny, had long legs, said I looked anorexic, because no matter what I did, I just stayed the same. I used to be in an unhealthy relationship in which one incident he made a joke with his friend right in front of me about how I looked “so anorexic”. He knew how insecure I was but still decided to make the joke anyways, me being mute the rest of the day drowning in my thought of insecurities. Still caring about what other people thought of me.

Then quarantine hit.

2020 was the year I went back to my old habits. Broke up with the boyfriend, started reading again, rewatched my favorite TV series, rode my RAZOR scooter everywhere, all the fun stuff. Most importantly, I had so much alone time with myself just like how it was in middle school. It took me some time, but without this constant pressure of my peers I learned to focus on myself and that only. In 5 years from now, you are not going to care or even acknowledge these people that you are constantly worrying about making an impression on. Once I learned this during quarantine I felt like I had all this time on my hands, because before I constantly tried to fix myself to meet the social standards. I no longer cared or thought of what other people thought of me.

In the long run, never judge someone by the way they look, and do not just make assumptions about them. You never know what little comment can do to someone's self esteem. :)

"How to Make Warbats" by Elyana S.

Warbats are a traditional Middle Eastern sweet that are usually presented in events or gifted when visiting family. For as long as I can remember, my mother and grandmother would make these on the days we would have guests over or have a family reunion. They always proved tasty as every time the sweets were put out, these were the first to go. Although I was grateful for the abundant amount of delicious sweets, I never understood why every time we saw each other we would have to bring something homemade- until I started sitting with our elders. They explained to me that in our culture desserts are always used in celebration and are a symbol of thankfulness. When I learned about the meaning behind this dish, I fell in love with how my culture believed in giving back and unity. I began wanting to learn how to make these so I can be part of a huge value in my culture, but never seemed to have time. Recently, due to my enthusiasm for sweets and the unlimited free time during the beginning of quarantine, I started learning how to make these with my mom. At first it seemed so complicated, but after some practice it became second nature. This recipe allowed bonding time between my mom and I, it truly became our little tradition to bake these and take to our family in the neighborhood. This dish symbolizes family coming together and they’re my preferred Arab sweet, as they’re so versatile and are always delicious! I hope to bring some of that Middle Eastern hospitality to you guys through this tasty recipe!

Tools Needed:

❖  Measuring cups

❖   Tablespoons

❖   Multiple bowls

➢   Of varying sizes

❖   Mixing spoons

➢   Wooden for making the flling

➢   Stainless steel for the rest

❖   Baking brush

❖   Baking pan

❖   Small pots

➢   To melt butter

➢   Make the flling

❖   1 pint of whipping cream (ultra pasteurized)

❖   3 tablespoons of cornstarch

❖   1 tablespoon of sugar

❖   1 package of golden fake filo dough

❖   1 stick of unsalted butter

❖   1 capsule of rose blossom water

❖   2 cups of sugar

❖   1 cup of water

❖   Make the filling

➢   Mix cornstarch with whipping cream on low heat until it thickens

■     Use small pan and wooden spoon to create it

➢   Set aside until room temperature

❖   Make the syrup

➢   Mix 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water and 1 capsule of rose blossom water

■     Use another small pan and mix with metal spoon

■     Keep on medium heat until it thickens

◆    Careful as it could become very hot and dangerous

●     Set aside until room temperature

❖   Melt the butter

➢   Place in bowl and microwave for 1 minute

❖   Get the dough sheets ready

➢   Separate each sheet and cover it with butter

■     Using a baking brush

■     Careful as they can rip easily

❖   Spread butter on baking pan

➢   using the same baking brush

❖   Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

❖   Lay the buttered dough sheet fat and fold into threes

➢   Similar to the “hotdog method” but three folds

❖   Place filling at the bottom edge of the sheet

➢   Using a full tablespoon of the filling

❖   Fold up until the flling is covered

➢   About 2 inch fold

➢   Make sure to have a tight fold to ensure the flling does not escape the dough

❖   Fold the sheet across to the left then right

➢   Continue folding pattern until the sheet is shaped into a triangle

❖   Place each warbat on banking pan and spread butter on top of them

➢   When placing them place each warbat fat side matching with another to maximize the pan space

❖   When the pan is covered or dough is fnished, place in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown

➢   Should feel crunchy on the exterior

➢   Soft on the inside

❖   Once completed remove from oven and spread the syrup on them

➢   Each warbat should have a hefty amount of syrup on it

❖   Optional: place crumbled pistachios on each warbat

➢   Do immediately after syrup to ensure they stick

❖   Allow them to cool down and enjoy!

 

 

 

The fnal result should look similar to the image above. A nice golden-brown exterior with a crunchy texture and the inside should be fufy and smooth, and have a white color. It tastes like a sweet explosion in every bite, fulflling during any time of day. These can be placed in the refrigerator to keep fresh and could even be eaten cold! And they taste incredible even after microwaving! The recipe is really simple and very enjoyable, and I hope you guys give it a try. Thank you for reading this recipe and allowing me to share some of my culture with you guys!

E