Our First Group is Here!

 

 All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this group --September writers).  Everyone is required to comment on at least THREE different pieces of writing.  You must submit comments on Canvas (for each one, include the name of the author and the title of their piece, and then your positive, specific comment ) by Friday, October 13 on Canvas.

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!

"Dr. Stevens Report: May 6th 2123 " by Nicole C

 

 

100 years ago, the world was perfect. But because of those people, the world has now become destroyed, split off into three different parts. The North and the South, an endless blizzard, creating mountains of ice colder and taller than the peaks of Everest. No life would be able to sustain itself there. Around the equator, is where the ozone layer broke off. Those UV rays make the equator uninhabitable, as simple contact would burn and melt all that tried to challenge it. The ground had been melting away ever since that day. Cries of pain were heard as people boiled from the inside out. Life wouldn’t be sustainable here either. The only place left that people were able to live at was in between the poles and the equators. That was the only place humanity was able to protect. The only place where the winds still whistled and the grass still danced. This is the story of how the world was destroyed.

 

Today, I got invited to do an interview with Professor Steven. I got out of bed, made my breakfast, then put on my coat. I walked through the door and entered the OLE

 

campus, where we study the environment around us. The OLE stood for “Original Life Experiments”, which is because this university was created by Professor Steven Olson to study the environment. This university was founded back in 2082 specifically to focus on protecting our planet. After years of human recklessness, our world had begun losing its atmosphere. With the return of chemicals known as the CFC, the once healing ozone hole had returned. Professor Steven and his team were supposed to find a way to fix this as soon as possible. However, something went wrong, and everyone knew it wasn't accidental.The Professor was one of the scientists who participated in that mistake.

 

“Good morning, Prof. Steven, how are you doing today?” I said, nervously.

 

“Very well, actually, I’m glad to participate in this interview with you,” He replied, ”then we can settle things once and for all”

 

Then the camera man came in signaling us to sit down. “Have you been talking to any of your old co-workers this year?” I asked.

 

“You mean those guys that used to work in the lab? No not after what happened.” He answered.

 

I was taken aback when he said this, because they had been working together for about 10 years, and were always known to be pretty close.

 

“So I know we were all confused when the “mistake” happened. Can you explain what led you to work on fixing the ozone layer?” I pushed, hoping he would elaborate.

"I think in 2110 I was a scientist known for studying the environment who understood a lot about the atmosphere. Somewhere around that time, I heard the speaker talk about his plans and ideas to seal the ozone layer. I was excited about his ideas and decided to contact him immediately. I ended up joining with them to turn his ideas into reality. So for 5 years, all we did was design a way to go up into the ozone layer, but nothing was ever mentioned about fixing it. When I started to talk about the ozone layer, they would have confused looks on their faces and looked like they didn’t care.”

 

“After I finished my studies- it was about a spacecraft that can provide a way for people to stay up there longer, they started contacting me less. That's when I started to think that they had other intentions. So I went up to our project manager, also known as that speaker, to express the confusion I had on what we were doing. That’s when he told me the truth. He told me that we were still going to fix it, but we needed money. That’s why he was sending people up to gather expensive chemicals, to sell to the other nations so we can make money. He turns around and pulls out stacks of cash, telling him to not worry about it and just to continue working.”

 

“How did you feel when he told you they needed to make money by selling the chemicals?” I replied trying to comfort him.

 

“At the time, I knew deep down the cash wasn’t going towards fixing anything, but I still wanted to keep my head up and hope for the best. Thinking back, I should have stopped him right then and there.” He told me, with a blank stare on his face.

 

“Then what did you do next?”

 

“So I took the money and kept doing their bidding, knowing they wouldn’t start working on fixing the ozone layer. I knew I couldn’t change anything by myself, but I forced myself to believe that what I was doing was going to save this world. One day when I visited the spacecraft, I saw a lot of people transporting boxes upon boxes of chemicals. I went in shocked, because they weren’t even pretending to be doing something productive. All I saw them doing was making money for the sake of themselves. When I told them of the dangers, they ignored me and continued packing up the boxes. That's when I realized the mistake that I had made. So I ran back to the facility to try to talk to our project manager, but the security blocked me from entering. I left that day knowing I had helped the wrong people out. The following days were the same. Me, trying to go back into the facility, and the security not letting me in. Then the thing I was worried about happened. The spacecraft exploded because of the over contamination of chemicals in the unprotected rooms. The release of those dangerous chemicals into our atmosphere lead to the full destruction of our ozone layer and the ecosystem as we know it. So many people died that year, but because of me, the people who worked on the project have now become the richest people on this planet.”

“Ding!” The timer sounded, signalling the end of the interview. I thanked Prof. Steven for being on this interview and left the OLE campus, to go back to my office. Walking on the sidewalk, I replayed the interview back in my head. I was fairly shocked about everything that I just heard. If it was me, I probably would have done the same thing too. Sometimes you cannot change the world with only one person. Maybe sending this interview out would also have few reactions but I know overall it wouldn’t change anything for the better. As I walked through the door of my office building, I stopped and looked at the trashcan. I slowly walked towards my desk knowing it's my job to release this interview to the public. As I walked past the trash can, I accidentally dropped the report into it. I thought about quickly picking it back up, but stopped halfway. I thought about it, then I walked away, with the report still in that trash can. Maybe some things are better left unsaid.

"World of Dance Battle" by Ethan S

In one year I went from a kid dancing in my room with absolutely no connection to the dance community to battling on the World of Dance stage, and it’s all because my brother chose to download Instagram. My parents have a history of being super protective over social platforms or anything dealing with the internet. In middle school, it took over a year to convince my parents to allow me a private YouTube channel. So when they found out that my brother had secretly downloaded Instagram without telling anyone, he was definitely in trouble. However, what happened next was surprising, because shortly after, they told me “It wouldn’t be fair if my brother had it all this time and I still wouldn’t be allowed to have it at all”.

So there I was a sophomore in high school, scrolling through Instagram when a certain post caught my eye. World of Dance had just announced their event happening March 27th in Anaheim at the House of Blues. I remember watching viral videos made by World of Dance as a kid, seeing my favorite dancers on stage, doing moves I had never seen before or even thought were possible. World of Dance has been a huge inspiration for me since elementary! Despite my initial excitement, I almost didn’t go to the event because I noticed a lot of the performances that were being featured were team routines and I was more interested in freestyle dancing. However, before I had a chance to decide, my dad had already bought the family tickets.

The day of the event I wasn’t sure what to expect. I could see the rich blue background displaying the words “World of Dance” highlighted by the grand stage lights. Illuminated from underneath, were these teams embodying the space, who hit every beat, and whose movements were so sharply coordinated that you could easily tell they’d been practicing on this one performance for months! I wasn’t amused. It was only when I saw this small dim room on the left side of the main theatre wall that my interest peaked.  There was a significantly smaller crowd, together they formed a circle, and their attention was all drawn to the center. It was a cypher! People took turns dancing in the middle to freestyle to random songs played by the DJ. The key here is that you must freestyle and adapt to the beat that is being played. It’s the true expression of yourself and your own mind through the medium of the music and movement rather than just following a script or copying a move invented by someone else. It’s this freeness that interests me so much in freestyle dance, but you must unlock it first.

I was someone who hadn’t unlocked it. True freedom means you are expressing yourself, not changing yourself for the crowd. Even though my movement quality was decent, 90% of freestyle dance is beyond the moves. The real challenge is mental. When I walked into that room I already knew I wanted to dance in the middle. I saw these great dancers I’d never seen before throw out these amazing freestyles in the middle, but the more I saw how good everyone else was, the more my self-consciousness overflooded my determination. I started to overthink everything. Suddenly I caught at the corner of my eye someone who looked familiar. His afro is what immediately stood out from the crowd, it had highlights at the top to make an outline of yellow around his original black hair, and directly underneath was a white bandana wrapped around his forehead. He wore yellow-tinted glasses, blue leather Nike shoes that could’ve been brand new, and a t-shirt that was coincidentally the same as mine. Then it struck me! He was CJ Rey! During quarantine when I binged dance battle videos, I saw him battle dancers like Velo and Fikshun in Battlefest and he is one of the big reasons I decided to take dance seriously. Although most people you ask wouldn’t know who CJ Rey is, to me he was a celebrity.

If that original mental pressure wasn’t enough I now had a celebrity in the room with me that could watch me mess up at any moment if I danced in the middle. There was no shot I was going to perform in front of all that, in fact, I was too shy to even say hi to CJ, so I pretended I didn’t know him, that I didn’t know how to dance, and I just stood there watching as opportunity faded away. My mom had other plans though. When she saw that I wasn’t going to talk to CJ she pushed her way through the crowd and forced me to take a picture with him. I was so embarrassed, but it helped me realize something. After actually talking to CJ and seeing how chill he was, I was less nervous. There was something about taking that first step to do something I was uncomfortable with, that created this momentum within me that called for me to keep going. My mom had made that first step for me but the next one called upon my own courage.

Quite literally I just took a step forward from the back of the crowd telling myself I didn’t have to dance but at least walk one step forward. One step led me into the next step and then into the next and before I knew it I was standing right in the middle of the cypher. The wall of strangers now surrounded my every direction and as if I hadn’t been dancing for 8 years, my body became drunk with nervousness. This feeling was way different from dancing in your room. I’d forgotten everything I knew, I almost fell at some point, and my movement had a mind of its own that I couldn’t control. When I was done I knew it wasn’t my best work but I was proud for overcoming that mental barrier that seemed so tall before. As the day went on I spent the whole time in that small room not paying attention to any of the main performances. I got to dance many more times in the center, meet new people who danced just like me, and felt for the first time what it was like to be a part of the dance community.

While I was sitting in the car on the way home that night I was still so hyped to have been there. This was the first dance event I’ve ever been to and it was such a impactful experience that it forever changed me to chase more moments like that. The next day while I was posting some of the footage I had collected from last night, I got a notification. I checked to see who had messaged me and it was CJ Rey! I was geeking out because this was the equivalent of a celebrity messaging me through my eyes. I clicked on the message, and read his text, and my heart dropped. He was asking me if I had a teacher. Was he implying that he was willing to become my teacher? I texted back that I was self-taught and then just as I had anticipated, he asked if he could be my teacher!

I’ve only ever been to World of Dance twice and the second time was on stage. After CJ became my teacher he had many connections to the dance community that allowed me to keep pushing my dance forward. CJ had hooked me up with two dance battles and my second one had caught the attention of someone who worked for World of Dance. Since CJ had a connection to World of Dance they asked if he could host a rematch of my second battle on the main stage. In the time span of a year, I transformed from an audience member gazing at the World of Dance stage to the one actually dancing on it!

I’m so grateful for having been given such plentiful opportunities all of which I could’ve never planned for. Reflecting back, I was quite literally just a kid dancing in my room, training every day with such passion and determination to become the best version of myself. Keep in mind that if my brother had never secretly downloaded Instagram, my parents would’ve never let me download it myself. If I never downloaded Instagram, I would’ve never seen the post about World of Dance. If I had never seen that post, my Dad would’ve never bought tickets. If my Dad never bought tickets, my mom would’ve never forced me to take pictures with CJ. If my Mom never forced me to take pictures with CJ, I would’ve never found the momentum to take my first step. And if I had never taken that first step, I would’ve never ended up dancing at the center of the cypher that night, CJ wouldn’t have seen me dance, he wouldn’t have become my teacher, and I wouldn’t have battled a single person up to this day, especially on the World of Dance stage.

I prayed every day about how badly I wanted to achieve this dream and without me knowing, God had created that path for me. To achieve a dream that seems out of reach, does it take luck or hard work? Both; and if you don’t have any luck it takes a relationship with God for a path to be made.

 

Pstttt… If you’re curious, this was my battle at World of Dance: https://youtu.be/PfguRkYFjm0?si=EaZr56Zwnj00ATg1         

Also, this is my Instagram… I’m curious as to how I’ve progressed to the future generations who read this: @singular8y_dance_

"Trip to Yosemite" by Justin M

 

            A few years ago, my family planned a last minute vacation to finish Summer break strong before returning to school. This came as no surprise to me, as my family has planned last minute vacations before. My family had always wanted to take a road trip to Yosemite, as my family enjoys going on hikes and this setting. This made choosing our vacation easy. My mom booked the best reviewed AirBnb available, and we left that same night. I had to pack up quickly for the 3-day trip due to us leaving on such short notice. I also had to pack supplies to bring my dog because it was too late to find a dog sitter. Despite the minor inconveniences, we still committed ourselves to the trip and began the 5 hour drive to Yosemite. However, this road trip wasn’t the fun summer vacation we initially planned it to be.

 

            The drive to Yosemite began slowly, mainly because of the need for food and drinks. Because of this, we stopped by a gas station then continued the 5-hour drive. However, there were other problems relating to the drive, due to our dog. About 2 hours into the drive, he began to vomit inside of the car, dramatically slowing us down in the process. Although this made the drive uncomfortable, we still managed to continue the drive, and we eventually arrived in Yosemite. By the time we made it to Yosemite, it was about 2 A.M, making it harder to navigate the area. There was also no connection to the internet, so we did not have any navigation tools that would help us find our AirBnB. Luckily, my mom saved the directions to her phone just in case something like this occurred. We used those directions to eventually find what seemed to be the exact AirBnB we booked.

 

            We were all originally excited, as we were all thinking of which rooms we would choose, and fantasized about the different types of games that would be available at the AirBnb. What we found though was a situation we never could’ve predicted. When pulling into the front driveway, we noticed there were two parked cars, which led us to believe that we somehow drove to the wrong location. We checked the directions towards our location and confirmed that there were no mistakes made, and that there was no possibility of us being at the wrong spot. At this point, my whole family was in complete shock about the situation, as we’ve booked AirBnb’s numerous times with no problems. My parents didn’t know how to handle the situation, as confronting the people inside of the house would've been dangerous, due to the chance of the uninvited guest being robbers or having any weapons. However, any doubt we had over safety of the situation was reinforced, when we noticed that the window was broken into. The only reasonable option in this scenario was to call the police. With that being said, we created a distance between where we parked and the AirBnb.

 

            Out of nowhere, one of the people who were inside of our AirBnb walked outside to check the area, as they must have noticed our car lights when we pulled into the driveway. What we saw was unexpected, as it was an old lady who looked far too old to be a robber. She walked up to our car and asked what was going on, as she didn’t understand why we were outside of the AirBnb this late. We explained that we were the people that booked this AirBnb and that there was some sort of mistake. The lady explained how she also paid for the same AirBnb and told us that her whole family was inside the house. Not believing this story, my mom asked her to show a picture of the information of the AirBnb she purchased. At this moment, we immediately identified the problem, as the address of the AirBnb they showed was completely different from this AirBnb.

 

            Shortly after finding out the problem, the cops arrived and questioned both our family and the other to understand what was going on. Afterwards, the other family packed their belongings and drove to their correct AirBnb. From what we know, they weren’t charged for breaking and entering, as they claimed that the cracked window wasn’t caused by them and that they entered through the unlocked garage. We, on the other hand, were disappointed over the situation, as all of the beds were slept on by random strangers, worsening our experience at the AirBnb. However, we were happy that the situation wasn’t more serious and that we weren’t stranded 5 hours away from home. 

 

 

 

 

"Limbo" - Elijah A

 

Lost, blindness from the feeling of nothing, I always wanted this suffering to end. I've hated my life over and over. Stuck in the ephemeral lust of dreaming, as I wake up to continue the nightmare. You who have seen my life through triumph and struggle. The torture of a week, the pain of the a month, the endevor of a year. Throughout a lifetime I have been stuck with this fate. Yet it was fate, the bright joy that it has brought me. Giving purpose and value to my soul, fate gave me a life to enjoy.

 You intertwined me with a beautiful beloved. Intertwining came into the existence of one. My child, My dear sweet child, oh how I regret bringing to life and to my dear beloved, how I wish I never had the chance to meet you. I wish to never see you two with the ending of a torned heart, how I never wished the fate that has brought upon us. Just as how easily fate has given me joy, it has stricken me with an indescribable pain. The string that has connected us, cut by moirai, separating us, unable to ever hold you. From one simple stroll, a crash, that leaving of two. As I remember the past, I dread the future. Alone, I can only see the vivid memories of what once was, happiness. My only escape from darkness, to dream. As I dream, I dream of my aspirations, the feeling of loss, my love.

I close my eyes, feel myself drowning, then SNAP. I see myself as I was young. My life was chaotic. I always had an abstract mind, wanting to be free, let my mind go loose. I always want to show my life wanting glory, fame, and riches. Two aspects in which I wanted to have. I decided growing up that I want those two to be my main pillars to my life. Bit by bit, as the dream goes further, I see my work and effort pay off. Working as an artist, I could fulfill my desires. Everything that I ever wanted, although it was a bit lonely.

However, I never knew how close I was to someone until I finally knew. As the dream continues, I see my hope and my dreams not alone, but with someone else. They brought me so much joy in life, I was blinded by the tragedy. I remembered everything and wished to see them. I dream of them, my child and my partner. I see them in the house we bought, the place we called home. Still, even if this is a dream, I am afraid of reaching out, I only watch afar. So close yet so far, in this dream the distance between us may be small but feels so far. I watch as I dream of my beloved and my sweet child growing without me. I can feel their sadness, yet I am unable to comfort them. And as the dream starts to fade, I wake up stuck in darkness, waiting for my trial, my final dream.

"The Idea of Happiness " by Marcos S

 

“What is bad? What is good? What should one love and what hate? What does one live for? And what am I? What is life, and what is death? What power governs all? There was no answer to any of these questions, except one, and that not a logical answer and not at all a reply to them. The answer was:

“You’ll die and all will end. You’ll die and know all, or cease asking.” But dying was also dreadful.”

― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

 

Since the first moment a human being sat down and simply thought, impossible to answers about us, life, and existence have been asked. It’s a staple of mankind, of our humanity to ask those unanswerable questions. What’s the meaning of life? Where did we come from? How did we get here? Why do we dream? What does it mean to be alive? I don’t really ask myself those kinds of questions, because the way I see it is that those questions and their answers have no effect on my actual life in the moment, so why worry about it? But there is 1 question kinda like those that I do think about sometimes.

 

What does it mean to be happy? What is the meaning of happiness?

 

I’ve never thought about it too much until I began writing this, as I’ve always been happy so I’ve simply never cared enough to think about what that really meant. But today, I’ll try to find and tell you what happiness means to me.

 

I started attempting to answer this question by looking at myself. As I've said, I've always been happy with myself and my life. Not completely, I've lost loved ones before and I'm very self critical, but overall, I’ve always been happy. But why?

 

After thinking about it for a few weeks, I’ve finally figured it out. My definition of happiness, is to be content with one’s life. Let me explain.

 

I’ve always been contempt with my life. Of course there's more that I want, especially when it comes to my future after high school. But right now, in the moment, I am very content. I have close friends, a loving family, good education, good opportunities for my future, good entertainment, and a decent amount of money. Could they all be better? Yeah, of course, but I’m fine with it all as they are now. Of course I want it to be better and improve, to have more, but it could stay the same and I would still be just as happy.

 

And I believe that this can apply to others as well. If your content with your life, you have a good job, good income, good family, good friends, good house, good food, a loving spouse, and whatever else. If you are content with your life and don’t need anything else, then you are happy.

 

Of course, just because you are content with your life and happy, that doesn’t mean you can’t want or strive for more. Perhaps some people reading this may think that I believe you can’t want more of anything and be happy, but that could not be further from the truth. Even if you are satisfied with your life in the moment, people are always going to want more. Whether that's a new car, more money, a love interest, a dream job, a new phone, or anything. People are going to want to have and achieve more than they have, but you can want more and still be happy with where you are now.

 

That all being said, it’s important to remember that happiness is a vague concept that doesn't have 1 true meaning. Your meaning of happiness does not have to be 1 exact thing or have a specific meaning attached to it. Happiness can come from the smallest things in life. Do whatever makes you happy, and find your own meaning of happiness and try to achieve it if you're not already there. But if your struggling with finding a meaning, maybe try to remember what my meaning was. Maybe it could be yours too.

"Role Model" by Rida W

 

            I’m not a role model to others. School, and my family had constantly let me down. My parents were going through a divorce during middle school and I became a fantasy, a person who does not care about the world. I began doing band in 5th grade, never practiced music, never learned how to play the music well, just sat there and did what I could. If I struggled I did not ask for help because I was not too motivated to get any better, I was fine where I was at. I had this mentality until my sophomore year of high school. Persisting band regardless of numerous claims of my departure. I normally never practiced did not show up to any extra sectionals or practices if I did not want to, came late, and messed around with my friends the entire practice.  In marching band, I learned how amazing people are at music, and how players had solos in the show or performed fun and enjoyable music. I recognized people who were passionate about the band and people who went home even after rehearsal to play more and get better. I never felt the same way until the second semester when marching was over people were placed into separate groups based on skill and I was the lowest. All my friends were in the top groups while I was with the freshmen at the bottom. This made me feel extremely embarrassed. I thought to myself how have I done band all my life and still be ranked the worst? I saw how all juniors and seniors were good at playing their instruments and if I am going to continue playing then I must be good as well. At the end of 2022, I began doing private lessons, practicing, watching YouTube videos, and researching on the internet how to get better. I then joined an orchestra and actually began to become passionate about music and enjoy it.

             The end of junior year approaches and I’m ready to release the bad that came with it. The constant stress of school and trying to get better in marching band was not easy for me. An idea of hierarchy formed in my head, the stereotypical cheerleaders and football players. The popular people all played their instruments so well and did not put in as much effort as I did but were much better than me. Occasionally tardy, messing around but they were able to act like this because they knew their music. I felt that I had worlds of work to catch up and be like them and when I tried to mess around or was late I was always given a hard time. I came into a limbo of thoughts believing I should move on from the band and truly quit because I’m no longer finding happiness. However, instead of that, I decided to ask for help. I came to my music coach for guidance and practiced with him getting the music down made it fun for me and soon those foolish thoughts began to fade and I was confident and content with myself. I wanted to take a step further in the band and become a clarinet section leader. This is a role in leadership for a band, you have to be a role model to others and lead your section to success. The application process was one of the scariest things I’ve done. I put myself in a position where I've only recently begun to put my entire self. I had to submit an application, complete an interview, and create a video displaying my creative side and who I am outside of the band. Days and days passed with anxiety. Did I get in? Should I quit if I don’t? Unexpectedly at a season-ending party, I was talking to my teacher to when it was revealed that I got the position and it was the most fulfilling feeling I ever felt. This was the first time I worked hard and spent countless hours feeling anxious and constantly worrying about being a better player and being a better person. This truly felt like I made it.

            This event of getting section leader was significant because it demonstrated my personal development. The upperclassmen younger me so desperately wanted to be the person everyone looked up to, but now it was finally my turn. It was the first time I had a goal and actually achieved it. Despite my section leaders yelling at me in past years for arriving late and not having my music down. I proved that greatness can be found. Nobody, not even I, saw me here. I never imagined that I would hold such authority. This event has shown me that I am capable and I cannot simply work when I feel like it. I had to develop the ability to push and improve myself so that I could be a better person not only for them but for future generations to come. So when the next section leader comes they look to me as the leader they wish to embody. In marching band you have to be like a regiment, a word typically describing the army. It is a strict environment with heavy hours. It took me a long time to start taking it seriously but I learned how I wasted so much of my time participating in band for hours and I never even tried to get better at it. That's what being a section leader has taught me. Now I'm a role model.

"Personal Narrative" by Isaac L

 

When my sister was 16 and driving I always badgered her on when she was going to get a job because she always said she was going to get a summer job but never followed through. My sister did not end up getting her first job until she was 18 and out of high school. And of all the jobs you can possibly get as an 18-year-old with a diploma, she got a job in fast food and she only got it because her friend worked there and vouched for her. After getting this job, she only worked there for a couple of months, though she complained about someone or something every night when she came home. As you can see it would be very hypocritical of me if I did not show some initiative and get a job of my own at the age of 16 to prove to her that it really was not that hard. The main issue with attempting to find a job is the work and time that goes with it and to me, extra work is the enemy. So when I decided that I was going to attempt to find a job for myself I looked up job titles that would interest me but the majority of them required you to be 18 just as I was ready to give up I received a canvas notification. I typically ignore notifications from my canvas email because they are junk mail in the sense that they go over things that don’t concern me or things that have already been gone over by my teachers. I still check every time just to be sure though and this time I was not disappointed. It was Tuesday the 8th of February 2022 and I was ecstatic I read an advertisement that explained to me that Baskin Robbins was hiring and the ad elaborated that they wanted workers 16 and over and did not require you to have previous work experience or a resume. The creation of a resume is what was holding me back because I was too lazy to make one. Another plus of their application process was that it was in person with a physical application. As soon as I was done reading it I got in my car to pursue this job opportunity. I had assumed it was the one right by the school but as I read the advertisement more carefully I soon discovered it was a different location a little bit further away that was fine by me though because I enjoy driving. As I drove I was gitty with excitement in hopes of landing myself a job the weather was a perfect 75 degrees that day and the sun was shining. When I finally got there I awkwardly requested an application from the older gentlemen behind the counter and hurriedly filled it out. When I walked in there was someone else also filling out an application but they left without handing it in. I was pleased by this as there would be less competition for the job. While filling out the application I got to the references portion and was unsure what to put but I soon remembered all the odd jobs I had done for my neighbors in the past to make a little extra money. I put down one of my most frequent customer's phone numbers, with their permission of course, and then checked no on the felony box. Once I was done I rushed up to the counter and handed it in and due to the store being so quiet on this particular day I was able to receive an interview on the spot. The Interview went well and they told me they would give me a call. Once I got home I paced around in suspense half expecting to never hear from them again but then 5:30 rolled around and I got a call from the owner of the store explaining to me that I needed to do the online training course as well as get my food handler's permit. I completed both items that night and she told me my first day would be on Saturday the 12th. This event occurred just over a year and a half ago when I was unknowing of just how much it would mean for me. This job has allowed me to get experience in the workforce, build skills in customer service, and given me the ability to save money for my future. I am forever grateful to that man behind the counter for taking a chance on me.        

"Leaving the Lights On" by Keira S

 

"Why are you not afraid of ghosts?" I asked my mom. “I am more worried about people than ghosts,” she responded. I looked at her confused. It was simple to me, people were real and visible. Ghosts on the other hand were unexplainable and unpredictable. These various unanswered questions filled my mind, making me forever fearful of the supernatural.

 

When I was younger, my brother would go on to recount his own ghost stories, “While I looked into the mirror, I saw a tall black figure peeking out from the door. I wasn’t scared though, I just stared at it until it vanished.” Terrified by the idea of the unknown, I wrapped myself in a blanket until my mom comforted me. With a look of pity, she would always give me the same advice, “The best way to deal with a ghost is to not let it feed on your fear. What you give is what you receive.” Still, this advice did not stop me from sleeping with the lights on.

 

            It would not be long before I found that ghosts were not the only things I had to worry about. One day my mom stopped by the mailbox, and I watched as a flier posted on its side caught her attention. With a confused look, she readjusted her glasses, then turned towards me to roll her eyes. As soon as she opened the car door I asked her what the flier was about. “Nothing, don’t worry about it,” my mom replied.

 

Overwhelmed by curiosity, I later walked back to the mailbox to examine the flier for myself. Reading each word felt like swallowing daggers. “Gays are not welcomed in this neighborhood” titled the paper in bold, followed by a quote from the biblical story of Sodom and Gommorah.

 

I spent the rest of the night pacing through my room, taking frequent glances outside to see if I would spot any activity at the mailbox. This hate was unexplainable, out of the ordinary, and in the heat of frustration, I realized that people and ghosts were more similar than I thought.

 

When I realized I was gay, I knew there was not always going to be a safe place for people like me. Accepting this reality, I trained myself to become my own pillar of stability, radically accepting the person I was despite the opinions of the outside world. Now I realized it was not enough if I could not incorporate the same sense of stability in my own community by uplifting the unheard voices around me.

 

 I reminisced about what I would usually do whenever I heard a scary ghost story, leave the lights on. While my lights would not eliminate the ghost problem, it offered me a sense of comfort, illuminating my space to remind me that I was not trapped in an overwhelming sea of darkness, but rather, the room I had grown up in since I was little. If I wanted my neighborhood to be a space of self expression, I needed my written word to be the light to challenge this intolerance.

 

On a piece of paper, I wrote a quote from Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” I knew my neighbor’s views were already set in stone, but my goal was to send a message to the whole community. It was my way of lighting up the room, bringing a sense of comfort that one person’s views do not reflect the values of the entire neighborhood. The next day, I stuck the paper onto the mailbox, hoping to use religion as a mode of establishing respect to unite us, instead of as a weapon to divide.

 

Today, the same ghost stories that used to have me cowering under my blankets have become my biggest inspiration. As I look out into my neighborhood, my mom’s words echo in my mind, “What you give is what you receive.”

 

Advocacy has become my life’s work, weaved into passions, I look to the future with hope. A hope I carried when I helped plan my first queer event when I was a youth ambassador for Youth Mentoring Action Network. A hope that I carry as I spend days planning local cleanups so that people no longer have to witness barren grape fields become dumping grounds. A hope that as I continue to learn, I can use my education to propel me to give back to my community.

 

Though my problems may not vanish easily like an apparition, I continue to stare down and confront the challenges I encounter in my everyday life. While looking out my window, I make a promise to myself, to no longer be caged by fear, but to carry the light of hope, viewing every moment as having the potential to be transformative.

 

"Hell Hath No Fury" by Emma M

They say that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Well, even if I did believe in a heaven or a hell- tonight, I feel it’s red fire simmering in my bones, rolling beneath my fingers and pulsing through my blood. My fury is a righteous, unending one, the kind an avenging angel would have, holding the sword of justice. He thought he could get away with it, breaking my heart and giving the pieces to another. We were happy, Him and I and Her, until I was removed and it was just Him and Her, Her taking my place with Her blue eyes and brown hair, Her pinks and purples and blues, everything He ever wanted. They were my heart and my soul, each completing a piece of me, Her making my lips curl and Him making my toes do the same. My best friend and my lover. No longer either, her blue eyes staring into His chocolate ones, practically a perfect pair. His eyes, the ones I still think of when I smile- His smile, big and bright, that matched perfectly with his laugh that I love- no, loved, because now all it reminds me of is Her. Everyone else is on His side, with His charming ways and clever brain He’ll win them over and say I’ve gone mad. Well, mad I am. If they want a show, if they want a spectacle, this old sleepy town of mine, I’ll give them one. They will see that I will not crumple with despair, I will not break like a used porcelain bowl, and I will never show their probing eyes a weakness to be exploited. Everyone is watching me like a sinking boat, wondering when my fire will burn out and my head go under the water. But thanks to Him, my fire is unending, burning with a cool determination to eat everything in its path, and it will last for the rest of my life. I will make them suffer. “She made a deal with the devil!” they'll say as I make their lives crumble before their eyes, and I’ll laugh. I didn’t need a devil to feel like one.

         I’ll sneak over at night- yes at night, where the moon is high and I am hidden in a blanket of darkness. I will go to the bedroom window, right under the curve of the white roof, and wait until I catch them lying together between those pale green sheets. Yes, this way my revenge will be complete and all-encompassing, why do twice what you can do once, for both the brown and blue eyes are at fault. And then I shall take the knife held by my hand- the one with blood on it, Her blood. The one that's drip-dripping down the blade and staining my shirt with blood, the one that was buried in her pretty chest, cutting through layers of caramel and crimson. I’ll give this tainted blade to Him, bury it in his sheets, wrap his crooked fingers around it as he sleeps, staining those green sheets a bright scarlet, and I’ll go home. I shall burn my clothes in a fire that rivals the ones from Hell, its orange flames licking up and devouring any trace of a friend I once had. And as he wakes, as his brown eyes open to find the pale face and glazed eyes of his new Partner, I’ll smile. He’ll remember, He’ll know, that Hell hath no Fury like mine.