"For Her " by Emily G

 

In the middle of homework, I hear Mom call us down for dinner. I follow after Dad once I hear the croak of the stairs underneath him. As I help Mom to set the table and serve our plates, Dad sits down with a sigh, but we don't question him. About ten minutes into dinner, he finally tells us what's been bothering him.

"Well, Aunt Rose isn't doing well. Ma told me that she's in pretty bad shape in the hospital, so her and Dad are going down to San Diego tomorrow.” he says in between a drink of Iced Tea.

In complete denial of what I had just heard I thought to myself, "Just a month or two ago she was in bad shape and she's still okay...how bad can she be?" Sudden memories of not being able to see Grandma Lucy (my great grandma) before she passed away flooded my mind. Before I could bite my tongue, I looked to my dad and said, "I want to go to San Diego too. I need to see Aunt Rose."

"Your Aunt Tina is going down tomorrow...you can go with her. But I do not want you to leave Tina's side! Do you understand me?"
I nodded yes.

Aunt Tina picked me up at around 9 on Thursday morning. On the ride down, we gossiped about family and what was going on at school and in work. I could feel her almost tense up when she told me, "Emi...now Aunt Rose is very sick. I just want to warn you, she doesn't look or seem like her usual self so if you can't handle it that's okay."
I simply shook my head so she knew I understood and looked out the window, not quite knowing what to expect.

We got our visitor wristbands and found Aunt Rose's room. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of my beloved Aunt Lucille, whose diabetes is slowly stripping her body and life away. "Oh mija!” she said with a big smile. I gave her and my grandparents a hug and a kiss.

I turned and instantly whispered, "Oh, Aunt Rose". A terrible surge of sadness rushed through my body. She was simply bones with jaundiced skin, her yellowed eyes bulging out, and her hair oddly thin and discolored. "I know, I know. Don't say my name in that way. I already know.” she responded to me. I walked over and held her hand. To take our minds off of everything I smiled to her and said, "You know I just got my permit last month." Her eyes got even bigger, as if that was possible, and with shock in her voice answered, "Don't leave your car open. Always lock it. People will take anything they can from you!" It wasn't quite the response I was anticipating, but I've only forgotten to lock my car twice in the past two years; each time I hear her words of advice ring through my ears. Aunt Lucille broke the silence and started telling stories, and making the whole room laugh even in the saddest of times. The hospital discharged my aunt, and they sent Hospice to her daughter, Shonda's house, since that's where she would be staying. We stayed for the rest of the day and made sure she had been properly moved in to Shonda's house, and after that we returned home at around 9 p.m.

The next day was a Friday, and Aunt Tina and I had gone out once again to San Diego to be with Aunt Rose. This time, my mom and sister, and all of my Nana's (Dad's mom) sisters and brother had gone down. Even though this is my dad’s aunt, he refused to go down because he doesn't deal with death well and prefers to remember people by who they were while alive and not while they're extremely ill.

Little did I know that the Thursday before would be the last time Aunt Rose would talk unless she was crying out from pain. Even though she couldn't respond I still held her hand and told her I loved her, and I could still feel a slight response, like she would just barely squeeze my hand, and I knew she was trying to tell me she loved me too.

My mom, sister, and I decided to not go back down to San Diego on Saturday so we could let all the siblings be by her side. At about 8:20 p.m. my mom received a text and tears grew in her eyes. She stated what I had already known. "Girls, your Aunt has passed on." My sister, who had been sitting next to me on the couch, ran upstairs with immediate sobs slipping from her lips. I sat on the couch for about ten minutes, completely numb and a feeling of blankness engulfing me. I got up, and with every step towards my room, I started to shake and had tears flowing down from my eyes. Never in my life had my heart ached so much.

In those three days, I learned to not take the time and the moments I had with my family for granted. I realized that there was no point in loving someone, whether it's family or friends, if you're not going to love with your whole heart.

"The definitions of materialism and terrorism" by Taha U.

I could of done this on things like my passions and hobbies in life like filmmaking and poetry, false romance stories, or anything cliche or nonsensical but I decided that since there’s an overall lack of substance and deeper thinking in some of the previous months this needs to be addressed from the heart . Growing up as a Muslim  I’ve always been confronted with the topics of materialism, inner desires, and terrorism. From the beginning people have always assumed that I’m “missing out” by not following my desires, what I mean by desires are the things we as humans want to do but they’re not the right things to do according to the rulings of God.  

If we want to understand what materialism is you need to know what it means, by definition materialism is defined as “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values”.  

What do we see today? People have replaced God in their daily lives with the temptations of this world. Why do we see the richest of the rich who have everything getting ready to commit suicide while others across the world are forced to live in refugee camps?  Before I get fully worked up this isn’t a rant on why we should embrace socialism or any “isms” of that matter.  

The issue is that when  people forget God they become senseless and they forget themselves.  Instead we see people trying to senselessly imitate people like actors and musicians in everything when we don’t understand that even people like them are merely happy on the surface, how many times do we hear about the broken or dysfunctional personal lives of the people we idolize?  People only live life for their coffee in the morning, their social media following, and the latest releases of things like fashion and the newest IPhone. This disease can be seen everywhere, in today’s world the problem often causes people to doubt their existence.  The same people who practically worship celebrities and their own material wealth are always the first to say they’re unhappy when they have enough in life. People pretend to be content in life as long as they have their Supreme, Thrasher, and any other brand you can think of. I’m not attacking you either if you enjoy looking nice, but the purpose in life in deeper than simply having nice things.   

The worse aspect of it all is how people are never thankful, the contrast is that people have absolutely nothing in life and they can still smile but yet people decide to complain when they’re unable to get the latest tech or name brand items.

The prophet Muhammad ( peace and blessings be upon him) once said that  “the One who’s biggest concern is this world, God ordains poverty between his two eyes and causes his affairs to become disjointed and dissipated, And as for one who passes his time with his biggest concern and goal the afterlife, God puts contentment to his heart and gives a wholeness and unity to his affairs.

This statement is not far from reality, why do you think the depression and suicide rates are so high among people in the richest countries?  Wealth does not buy you happiness or contentment, submission to God does.

Sometimes people look down at me when I tell them that wealth is not my end goal in life. I believe my purpose in life is to worship God and God alone by following what he has ordained in the Quran (Muslim holy book) and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him). At the end of the day you need to ask yourself the question: What will my wealth do for me in the grave or on the day of judgement when I’m asked by God what I did in this life? As a Muslim we believe that when God has given you something good or bad it is a test from God, if someone were to achieve wealth from  legitimate or  illegitimate methods, God will judge accordingly to way it was earned and also the way it was used. On the other hand, the REAL contentment of this life is through submitting to God, some individuals love to place blame on others when they fail to realize that this life is a test and that sometimes our bad actions can lead to consequences. If you’re still reading by this point I can tell you one of the greatest enjoyments I have in life is not through money, intoxicants, clothes, or anything else but it is through Salah or the five daily prayers, building and strengthening your relationship with God is something that will get you through life. The scariest thing of this all is if someone’s only goals in this life are wealth and status when they reach old age they feel as if they have nothing to live for anymore, the reason why it is essential to worship God alone and accept his rulings is because in the long term it will be beneficial to you not only in this world but also the afterlife. The Prophet Muhammad also said to Be in the world as if you were a stranger or a traveller along a path, we never know when we’ll return to God, life is uncertain but real honor is given by God. You might read this and laugh it off but don’t be shortsighted as we’ll all stand in front of God one day.
-----------------------------

Part 2: Terrorism

 I apologize for this being long but I felt like this needed to be said. Another experience I’ve had growing up as a Muslim is how we’re often correlated with terrorism.  Growing up in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, many people gave into the fear and hatred that was being promoted by others, some of the worst memories I’ve had in school were being called a terrorist and even being told to ‘go back home’ and that I didn’t belong in America. This isn’t meant to be some sort of sob story but the record needs to be set straight.

When we look at the definition of terrorism, terrorism is defined as the use of violence and intimidation to achieve a political or religious goal. Be honest, when you think of terrorism the first thing that pops up is the image of a Muslim man in a beard or a Muslim woman in a burka. I don’t blame you if that’s what comes to mind, but with the definition of terrorism you need to look at all sides and at the same time the likes of

ISIS or Al Qaeda do not represent Islam or Muslims in general. As a Muslim it is impossible for someone to support their injustice and oppression towards anyone.  Terrorism is the story of how millions of native Americans were wiped out by European invaders in a lust for greed and power. Terrorism is when millions of Africans were stolen from their lands and placed on cramped disease and starvation ridden boats, only to have their families broken up and denied their rights for hundreds of years.  Terrorism is Israel expelling over 700,000 Palestinians in 1948 like how the Pharaoh exiled Moses and his people, terrorism is also how Israel continuously bombs the Gaza strip’s schools, hospitals, and homes with white phosphorous turning people into ashes like the incinerators in Nazi camps all  in the name of ‘defense’. Terrorism is the west’s imperialism on Iraq and Afghanistan, killing millions while creating deformed children in Fallujah from the usage of depleted uranium  and stealing countless natural resources in the process of bringing “freedom”. Terrorism is oppressing people of color by forcing them to live in slums while introducing drugs and guns to them, you can take a look and see that policy’s effects linger on in the streets of  South Central LA, Chicago, and elsewhere. Terrorism is plundering and  colonizing the world under the pretense of white superiority and ‘bringing civilization’.  Terrorism is Russian involvement in Syria causing over 400,000 deaths and many to flee their country all for the sake of supporting a mad dictator hellbent on only securing his power. The list goes on, you need to put your humanity in check and understand that the narrative that we’re often forced to believe is not the truth, in fact Malcolm X even said that “The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent”, you can’t make up your own definition of terrorism while things like this happen neither can you blame a single group for the ills of violence in today’s world. I wanted to get this out here because people need to understand what reality is.

At the end of the day I’m proud of being a Muslim and I will not let anyone change this.

"Who Am I?" by Marta K.

     Who am I? It’s a question I have struggled to answer since I came out the womb. Of
course I’m a human, a female to be more specific, and my skin is brown. But what does that
mean? Who do I identify with? I have struggled to answer these questions for most of my life
and I only recently came to terms with my identity. Both of my parents were born and raised in
Ethiopia, but later moved to Sweden due to political unrest in the country. They met there and
got married, and were blessed with the presence of their second child: Marta Kiros. When I was
1 years old we moved to America, so it’s safe to say I know very little about what life was like in
Sweden. America is where I learned how to walk, talk, run, play, and grow as any other child
would. But for some reason, I never felt at home. I never felt like I mixed well with everyone. The
life I had at home was so different than the life presented to me at school, and soon enough I
became ashamed of my Ethiopian heritage. Kids who looked “African” at school were often
made fun of so I asked my parents to only speak English in public so no one would know.
Even though I spoke English fluently and was well accustomed into American culture,
things didn’t feel right. I was labeled as too “White” for the most of the Black kids and too “Black”
for White kids. Being stuck in this middle ground was confusing and pretty harmful for my self
confidence. Even though I had plenty of friends at school, I never felt truly accepted because I
hadn’t even accepted myself. As time went on, social media platforms such as Twitter exposed
me to thousands of other Africans just like me. I was finally exposed to people who experienced
the same feelings of loneliness and confusion because we came from different backgrounds.
Over time, it became easier for me to claim and identify myself as an Ethiopian and I began to
do extensive research about my country and its history. I realized that I am lucky to even have a
culture, and surrounding myself with other Ethiopians has definitely helped me gain more pride
in my country.

     Fast forward to this past summer: I was fortunate enough to visit Ethiopia for second time and
my I was left in awe. The thought of there being a whole different side of the world is still mind
boggling to me. After meeting so many family members and visiting so many historic sites, I
realized how selfish I was in being ashamed of my culture and background. By attempting to
erase that part of me, I was erasing the hundreds of family members I have back home, the
fierce bravery of my ancestors who fought for Ethiopia to be the only African country to never be
colonized, and the love for community that is so strong there.
Even now, I still don’t feel 100% Ethiopian, American, or Swedish, but I have learned to
embrace every side of my background, especially my Ethiopian heritage. My culture, food, and
language is so beautiful and I would encourage everyone to dig deeper into their own. The
mixture of our backgrounds is what makes America great, so I will never let anyone convince
me that I have to let go of my Ethiopian culture to become a true “American”. Embracing my
background has helped me learn so much about myself and I have met so many wonderful
people through the process. I hope everyone can one day come to terms with their heritage
while respecting and appreciating other cultures as well.

January Writers Are Here!

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

Remember:
All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this group  (January).  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 February 9.  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!

"Dear Diary" by Kofi A

Thursday ,15th October 2020

Dear diary, i saw her again today in the lunch line. It was raining outside so her hair was all wet. Even so she still manages to look good. Dennis caught me looking at her again and tried to get me to go and talk to her. He doesn't understand the mechanics of a relationship. These things take time i must first plant a seed which will then bloom into the beautiful flower of our love. I told him this and he didn't get it. He says Emily is just a regular girl. Crazy right. Shes only the niece  of senator West, Captain of the intergalactic cheer team and has a 4.0 GPA and she makes the best brownies. Well so i've heard. When shes my wife i'll finally get to try them.She was looking as beautiful as ever. She got a jello cup and chocolate milk with her lunch, i remember because i said “hey you like jello” and she said “i guess” and then her friend told me to keep it moving. It was a magical moment.

Monday, 20th October 2020

Dear diary,Emily sat down next to me today in hover robotics. It was the only available seat i guess i got lucky. This is the beginning of great things. Shes new to the class so i can show her the ropes maybe help her work on her board, get it to float off the ground,That's really the only hard part. Its perfect i can get to know her better and find out what she likes. We talked a little. She was saying something about the elections and moving in with her uncle and BLAH BLAH BLAAAAH. She kinda talks a lot  it's hard to keep up. Iv noticed she likes to use big words. I could barely understand what she was saying. I just kept smiling and nodding.

Tuesday, 21st October 2020

Dear diary, I checked out a dictionary from the library. It didn't help :(

Thursday , 5th November 2020

Dear diary, I don't want to get too excited but i have a date tomorrow night. With Emily. The love of my life. Emily West.  but i'm playing it cool you know. I don't want to be too eager but i am excited. So excited. I'm about to lose control and i think i like it! She  doesn't know but we are going to a fireworks display in honor of Guy Fawkes. She says that she's always wanted to go to the UK so some british culture should be fun. Wait maybe it was Ukraine that she's always wanted to go to. Either way it's non refundable tickets so whatever. They're pretty much the same place right?

Sunday, 8th November 2020

Deary diary, For the record the UK and Ukraine are definitely not the same. She liked it though she thought it was very romantic. I found us a great view right at the top of a hill that was nearby. It took us like five minuets to get to the top but it was definitely worth it. I laid down a blanket i brought a little picnic basket with some sandwiches and fruit and things like that . Luckily we got to talking on the way up the hill and she told me about her peanut allergy. I quickly threw out the pb&js i made. Dodged a bullet there. Once the fireworks started it was like that scene out of toy story 5. Emily had her hair down and it was all curly. She was still a little sweaty from the walk up the hill but i didn't care. When the fireworks started things got even better. She told me about her life and what she wanted to do in the future. She is thinking about going into politics. There was kind of an awkward moment when she was reaching into the picnic basket and i thought she was leaning in and i ended up kissing her neck. Still as far as first kisses go it was pretty great. It would of been really great if one of the fireworks could go up and explode to read ‘I love you Emily your the best’. We can put a man on mars but we can't have instant message fireworks. People just don't understand priorities i guess.

Monday 10th November 2020

Dear diary,So i guess emily's uncle won the presidency. It not finalized yet but it's pretty much a done deal. I knew he was a senator but i didn't know he was running for president. Sometimes i can be so oblivious. I'm surprised emily didn't say anything about it thought. I feel like we are so connected i should've sensed this. It's kinda cool when i think about it. My girlfriend is related to President Kanye West. I wonder what this will mean for me and emily. We will be like celebrities on campus. Probably win prom and homecoming and everybody will love us. The new jay z and beyonce or should i say kim and kanye since we are family now. Actually nah i like jay z and beyonce better.

Tuesday 11th November 2020

Dear diary, Life is over. Emily dumped me and moved to washington. I texted her to see where she had been and to tell her that i missed her and she hit me with that oh we were nothing we went on one lame date and i'm doing bigger and better things with my life. Wow you give something your all and it turns around and stabs you right in the heart. With a fork which is even worst than a knife. I thought she was the one and she goes and does this to me i can't believe it. Maybe she's messing with me or something i dunno. She seemed kinda serious. I'll never love again.

Monday, 23rd November 2020

Dear diary, i saw april standing in the lunch line today. Is was raining outside so her hair was wet. Even so she still managed to look good. I think she might be the one.

"Homemade Wild Rice Salad" by Claiborne Beitz

            One of my all time favorite family recipes is my mother’s homemade wild rice salad. It has a unique blend of flavors that combine into one of the best rice dishes I have ever had. The dish itself is very colorful, appetizing, and will feed up to twelve people. Bringing it to a picnic, lunch, or dinner party will be sure to leave the guests amazed. The ingredients that will be needed to prepare this dish include:

●      2 cups of wild rice

●      4 cups of water

●      4 nectarines

●      3 cobs of fresh corn (preferably in season)

●      1 cup of chopped unsalted raw almonds

●      ½ cup of craisons

●      1 bunch of flat Italian parsley

●      1 large finely chopped red onion

The dressing will include

●      1 cup olive oil

●      ⅓ cup of sugar

●      ⅓ apple cider vinegar

●      A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds

             Now that you have all your ingredients bring out a large pot and bring your 4 cups of water to boil. Then add in your 2 cups of wild rice, letting it cook until about half the rice kernels have split. Strain the rice in a strainer and rinse under cool water. Set the rice aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

            The next step is the dressing which should be done ahead of time so it will be able to cool in the fridge. A quick way to prepare dressing is to put all the ingredients into a sealable container and shake until combined. My mother always uses a Mason jar mix it, but a separate bowl and whisk will do just fine. Add in the olive oil, sugar, and apple cider vinegar into the jar or bowl, and begin to combine the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Now mix in the toasted sesame seeds and put into the fridge to cool.

            With a sharp knife start by chopping the 4 nectarines into bite sized pieces and add to the now cool rice bowl. Next you will chop the corn away from the cob and put them in with the rice. Take your bundle of flat Italian parsley and chop it finely,  then add it to the rice. Next remove the peel of the red onion and chop it finely in order to add to the mix.  Now you can add in the 1 cup of pre-chopped raw almonds and ½ cup craisons to bowl. Finally, with all the ingredients incorporated, pour on the cold dressing and stir it all together.

            The dish is really simple to make and tastes amazing. It’s a dish that tastes best cold so making it ahead of time to store in the fridge will help the flavors fuse together. A great thing about this dish is how versatile it can become by adding different fruits or vegetables the taste can be changed to match any bodies cravings. If you want to add more protein cold, cubed chicken makes a great addition too. It can last in the fridge up to a week if you don’t eat it all by then!

           

"The Athlete" by Allysia T

     I picked my month for the blog entry for a specific reason, and that reason was because I made January my goal. Everyone that knows me knows that I play softball, but know one knows what goes on “behind doors”. As you get older it gets harder and harder to fully enjoy your sport or it was for me and two of my closests friends. It becomes a job. We bust our butt trying to sculpt ourselves to be the best athlete we can be in order to get a scholarship and we lose sight of having “fun”, which is the ultimate goal. My parents signed me up for softball when I was four years old and i’ve played it ever sense. When I was 12 years old, that was when I started travel ball, and that's when everything would change. I stopped going to birthday parties, concerts, beach trips, vacations to the river or to the desert and Sunday gatherings that my family and I used to have every Sunday after church. But you get used to it, you get used to the fact that friends and family stop inviting you places because you have practice or a tournament. You start to live and breathe softball. You become a robot doing the same thing almost everyday eat, sleep, school, homework, softball. But like I said before, you become accustomed to it and you enjoy all the friends you meet that become family and that feeling of making a great play or hitting a homerun, you begin to enjoy every minute of it. Until I got on a team where I could not even make friends because the girls are rude and annoying and my coaches were total jerks all the while trying to be at the top of my game not only trying to win a starting spot but also so I can be seen by colleges. Causing me to not be able to find the energy to get out of bed in the morning knowing that I have to surround myself with people that I hate and tons of stress. I began to hate everything about the sport and saw all the negatives, but then a couple months later I got back onto a team who was not as bad. At first I was a little intimidate because the last team I was on all the girls were nasty, so I dipped my toes in the water and before I knew it I was surrounded by a team who is literally my family, and we have just won the championship game to go to Nationals. This team was not all that great but we had chemistry and although that took us to nationals it did not get us through it and we were eliminated early in the tournament. However we were a young team and we were excited because we knew we would be with each other the following year. There was a turn of events just before our next season started, our coach who was like our Dad at this point had gotten fired for something foolish. At first we all stayed since we were like family, but this new coach and his daughter (also a coach) were just awful and cruel. And now we are back to where we started, hating everything about the sport that you can not even find the energy to get up in the morning. The only thing that kept me from quitting  and allowing me to get up in the morning were my two best friends, Jayda and Maddie. We stuck it out but every time I was driving to practice or games I got sick to my stomach and did not want to go. All three of us left and went to another team which ended up being 20x worse. We split up and this year found teams that suit us and that we are able to enjoy. However it is hard to find enjoyment in the sport itself because all of the stress that I have endured throughout my career and I have totally lost sight on why I even play. More recently I was asked this question, knowing that I was on a team that truly cares about each other and getting far in our season and could not say what first came to my mind, which was “to earn a scholarship”. I could not say that because to them and deep down to myself meant way more than that so I said “I play because it is home. In a home there is fights, arguments, and sometimes you can’t even bare to look at the people who live with you and you just want to leave but at the end of the day it's home and you can’t wait to go back.” I am still searching to try and have fun and it is hard because it is still a job. My goal for January was to be committed to a school with a scholarship, but my goal was a month too early for me reach. At the end of this month I am going on 3 visits to colleges and hopefully I will be committed in February and I can finally focus on enjoying my sport and having fun.

"New Years Resolutions" by Tyra R

     New Year’s Resolutions. I have tried to do it and did not succeed. What happens is, every year people around the world make these resolutions in order for them to change their lives. They look forward to the New Year’s because they believe that it is a chance to start over and change for the better.  But, how often to people actually change? Why do they do it if they know they will not stick to it?

     Whenever someone makes a New Year’s Resolution, chances are that they will not stick to it after the first month or so. For example, if you go to the gym during January you would see so many fresh faces there working out, their resolution probably was to lose weight or be healthier. Then go to the gym later on in the year, let’s say September, not many people will be there. This is because many people drifted away from their New Year’s Resolution to lose weight or be healthy. The act of someone drifting away from their New Year’s Resolutions is actually very common and happens for many different reasons, one being that the person had a goal which was way too big for them. They make these huge goals because they are so motivated at the time, but for most that motivation will not stay throughout the year.

     Even though people know that they will not stick to these resolutions, they still make them. One reason they do this is because their lives are so bad that they need these resolutions to get them out of the dumps. These resolutions can be a start for some people, this means that they might not achieve their goal but they did change. They started the process to achieve their goal and that is what they needed, they need a little push to start off the year if they ended the last year badly. Also, some might make resolutions even though they know they will not achieve it because they like the path it takes them on. Take the last reason into account, some might start the process to achieve their resolution but change routes. They might learn something else about themselves and make a new resolution. Everyone is different but if one makes New Year’s Resolutions it is for a reason and all you should do is support them and help them achieve their goal.

     Personally, New Year’s Resolutions do not work for me. I have tried it and I never succeed! It is like the beginning of the school year when you are so motivated and want to try hard and study but the desire slowly dies off. However, throughout the years I have learned that instead of making New Year’s Resolutions, I need to just make little goals throughout the year. For example, each month I tell myself that I am going to either focus on a certain thing or during that month set up a little goal and try to accomplish it. By doing this I do not have a huge goal that is intimidating me and most importantly I am growing as a person.

"Change" by Ashley G

     It was the beginning of seventh grade at a new school I was attending. I left behind all
of my friends who I had known since preschool because we moved to Fontana. At the time it felt
like everything was so different since I was in a new environment. Shortly after the move, school
began and I remember feeling like a bundle of nerves, not ready for any change. The first day, I
woke up extremely early just thinking about how this school would compare to the previous one
I went to. Finally, after about an hour of procrastination, my mom told me it was time to leave
and I hurried to the car. I was fortunate enough to have my cousin also go to Summit
Intermediate, but she was in eighth grade so we only really saw one another before and after
school. When I arrived I remember the bell had rung and someone told me I was late which did
not help out my nervousness. I began to rush trying to find my first class only to realize I had no
idea where I was supposed to go. After about a couple of minutes I found someone to ask where
I needed to be and they happily pointed me in the right direction. Upon entering the class I
immediately noticed the teacher made name cards for every student, so all I had to do was look
around until I found my name. I felt relief that most of the students were either searching for
their seats or talking so my being late wasn't an interruption. Once everyone was seated the usual
first day of school, teacher introductions began and all I remember was looking around in a sea
of unfamiliar faces. As the day droned on, I still did not have a single conversation with anyone
and it didn't help that I was a shy person. When it was time for lunch I remember walking very
slowly because I failed to meet someone who I could hang out with. This was the first time in my
whole life that I felt truly alone. After lunch I continued on with my classes until it was finally
time to go home and I felt happy again, knowing I would be home where I was more comfortable
with things. My mom picked me up and the first thing she asked me was, “how do you like your
new school?” and I gave a vague answer, not wanting to go into details. The days went by and
when Thursday came, around lunchtime this random girl came up to me and asked me, “Would
you like to sit with me and my friends?” Although I didn’t know her, I followed her to the tables
and we quickly became friends. School was no longer something I dreaded, but instead was
something to look forward to. In an instant my situation changed and I realized that all it takes is
one act of kindness from someone to change your attitude. Change is inevitable, but from my
friend I learned that it does not always have to have a negative impact on your life.

"How to Swim Butterfly" by Spencer C

 

Phase 1.  Be a proficient swimmer.

I know this Phase is pretty obvious, but it’s actually critical if you want to do the stroke correctly, since it requires a level of endurance to perform that the other strokes do not.

Phase 2.  Dolphin kick.

In order to do a Dolphin kick you must keep both legs together and kick with them at the same time.1) Lay on your stomach in the water. 2) Dip down with your chest then kick down with your legs. Make sure to start the kick from your hip and flex your abs while you do this.

Phase 3.  Butterfly Stroke.

This in my opinion is the most crucial part of doing the stroke correctly. In order to perform the stroke,

1) Have your hands come together at the top of your head in the shape of a pencil.

2) Separate your hands then pull them down in front of your body through the water to your hips (make sure to keep fingers together as if you were trying to scoop water with them).

3) After the completion of this step lift your arms out of the water (Hands are now above your hips with palms facing the sky), and in one fluid motion spread your arms out to either side of you (Imagine making a cross) and then (move to step 4)

4) move them to the front of your body (fingers are still together with your thumb pointing towards the water) so that your arms make a Y shape.

Now repeat the steps 2-4 of this phase. Now when you are first trying this out do not use Dolphin kick. Use either Breast Stroke kick or Flutter kick, I recommend the latter.

Phase 4.  Swim Butterfly.

Now once you feel comfortable with Phase 2 and 3 its time for Phase 4 in which we combine the two. Now when you start off I recommend pushing off the wall and performing Dolphin kicks while your hands are in the pencil position. This helps set a rhythm since which is necessary to perform the stroke with less difficulty.

1) Push of the wall with your hands in the pencil position and do Dolphin kicks to set a rhythm.

2) Once you reach the surface pull down (Phase 3 step 2) like you would if you were just performing the stroke, but at the same time perform a Dolphin kick(Phase 2).

3) Then once you are in the process of moving your arms to the Y position (Phase 3 steps 3&4) perform another Dolphin kick (Perform this Dolphin kick just after you make the cross with your body).

Repeat steps 2 and 3 of this phase until you get tired or you make it to the wall.

Good luck I hope this was informative.

"Discovering My Passion" by Ryanne N

I grew up with a passion for games. It all started when my dad introduced me to Pac Man and Sonic Adventure on his Sega Dreamcast console to Crazy Taxi and Splashdown on the Xbox. My dad, sister and I would always play together competitively trying to beat each other’s high score and work together to complete a challenge or a mission in any game we were playing. As I started to grow up, my dad would buy me the latest console that would come out. As I got older my sister grew out of playing video games and my dad was still stuck on games that were made in his generation, so I played video games by myself until I found other people to play video games with. After many years of playing videos games on the consoles I had, I became bored of it and took a break. First semester of freshman year, I was eager to play video games again due to new games being released. However, I did not want to play the new games that were being released on a console because it would not keep me entertained for long. So, I researched other platforms that I could play games on and this is when I discovered PC.

            I spent 5 months gathering all the information I needed for a PC. I first did research to learn about all the components a PC has and gained an understanding of how each component works. Then, I started looking at prebuilt PC’s from different companies trying to find a decent price that matches everything in the PC, but all I found was that the prices did not match the components in the prebuilt PC. I looked up how to get a PC that matches its price and a lot of comments from websites and forums persuaded me into building my own PC. Building my own PC would mean that I could have the same parts as I saw on the websites with the prebuilt PC and it would cost half as much and may perform just as well. So, I researched what I wanted in my PC like the type of tower I wanted, the processor, the amount of ram, a motherboard, a well performing GPU, hard drive, a power supply unit that provides the components with electric power and a package of red and white LED fans to light up the inside and outside of the tower. During my winter break freshman year, I started to build my PC. I laid everything down that I ordered on my floor and had my laptop on the side of me that had a YouTube video on how to assemble a PC. I thought building a PC would take all day to build, but it took me about 4 hours to assemble everything and hook it up to my monitor. I was hesitant to press the power button because I was not sure if it would turn on. When I pressed the power button, I saw the LED fans turn on, heard the power supply and saw a loading screen on the monitor.  I was pleased that everything turned out fine and worked properly. I was now able to tryout the new games that were being released and tryout some of the games I used to play on console. Turns out I like PC’s more than consoles. Building my own PC peaked my interest to learning more about the field of computer engineering.

             

"Harsh Reality" by Jerico D

     During the second semester of freshman year, I sat next to this girl in my English class. At first glance, she didn’t particularly stand out. She always seemed like she was in her own world. One day, a project was assigned to the class and I ended up asking her for help. She kindly lent her aid and we conversed frequently ever since. As days pass by, our conversations grew longer. Slowly, her features began to stand out in my eyes. Her brown hair shimmered like stars in the night sky. Her smile gave me butterflies in my stomach. A smile which cast away the miseries that surrounded me. That radiant smile, which shone brightest whenever I had a bad day. I had never experienced these kind of feelings before. Feelings which stemmed from daily conversations as opposed to ones that stem from objectification. Afterwards, confessions occurred and our feelings were reciprocal. However, reality wasn’t so kind to these two naive teenagers. I was under the pretense that feelings were more than enough to overcome the obstacles that reality places in your way but that was nothing but naivety. I was overwhelmed by the reality regarding relationships. I could do nothing but stand in awe of our foolish fairy tale aspirations. Fairy tales provide nothing but false happiness. Sooner or later, reality itself will drag you back from your fantasies. I learned a grave lesson that will forever be etched into this naive mindset. Relationships require much more than just feelings. Factors like effort, communication, and perseverance prove vital to successful relationships. However, knowing is only half the battle. Simply knowing what needs to be done won’t suffice against this harsh reality we are presented with. Possessing the courage to apply that knowledge will definitely aid you in overcoming the obstacles ahead of you. Courage combined with knowledge grants you the ability to overcome your failures. Even to this day, I am still devoid of this courage I speak about. Sooner or later, regrets will come one after another. There will definitely be instances where we regret the choices we made but there is nothing we can do about it. Reality forces us to pick up after ourselves. All that’s left for us to do is move forward and learn from those failures. Dwelling too much in the past can prove fatal to our own conscience however, visiting the roots of our own failures isn’t such a bad experience once in a while. If we learn to conquer our mistakes, the ability to surpass this harsh reality will inevitably present itself. Nevertheless, that radiant smile still lingers deep within the farthest depths of my mind. Not a day passes by without me reminiscing about that smile which brings forth mixed feelings. Our past can be utilized as a source of either strength or sorrow however, the deciding factor will always be yourself.

"1776 New Life, New Love" by Tyler A

     It was 1776, in New York City. General Washington had won us the American
Revolution to gain our independence from Britain. He was setting up to be elected President of
the United States. All of the newly free states were celebrating as they didn’t have anymore
oppressive taxes or british officers in our faces everyday. We were entering into the time to be.
While I was planning a party with all my friends to come live it up with me.
     The Red Coats had been ruining my life ever since I was a kid, and I planned to start the
beginning of our new country right. This would be the greatest party that New York had ever
seen. On July 4th at midnight, it was to be official, we would be free. I started sending the
invites, all of my neighbors and friends, Andrew, Alexander, Marie, Julien, and even the
gorgeous Kay from down the lane. I doubted she’d even think about coming, but I sent it to her
anyway, as well as anyone else I could think to invite to my New Country Eve’s party. It was all
I had thought about for weeks, the party, the venue, the people and the food.
     A few weeks later, it was time, the night of the party was upon us! I had everything
ready, my house spic and span, food laid out, drinks set for people to pour, and places for
everyone to be comfortable. As the day began and the hours passed I only became more anxious
for the night to come and for my guests to arrive.
2:00 … no one yet
5:00 … still no one…?
7:00 … I’m beginning to give up, no one had shown up.
     Until, 7:30, she came, Kay showed up! Standing in front of me, the definition and perfect
image of beauty. I was stunned, I had expected her least of everyone but here she was. I brought
her into my house and explained my situation, but we laughed about it and began to have an
amazing time and we were able to talk seamlessly. Soon enough I hear a group of people outside,
I look out to see that it’s all of my best friend, Andrew, Alexander, Marie and Julien! It had
started to become to night that I had wanted it to be. All of my friends and Kay got along, it was
magnificent. We ate, we drank, we cheered and played games, it was like we were all children
again, ignorant and bliss.
      11:59 We all huddled together, and soon, it was time to count, 10… 9…, 3… 2… 1…
I looked at everyone, I faced Kay, and she quickly swung in and kissed me. I was stunned, then I
kissed her back. Everyone went crazy, and we celebrated. It was the beginning of a new life for
us, and a new love for me.

"The Macaroni Monster" by Dante J

     I fumbled through the door, beat by the California heat. The day had hit a whopping 110
degrees and since my parents work far, I had to walk home from school. I lay on the floor for a
minute, absorbing the cold tile on my pulsing skin, while the sweat continued to pour down my
face and soak my socks. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it all the way to my house without heat
stroke, but I managed with a few bottles of water and a stop at the local park to refill.
After cooling off , I cranked the A/C down and crawled my way to the kitchen to treat
myself with some sweet, sweet pink milk. The cool milk soothed my throat and I could feel it
trail its way all the way down to my empty stomach. Finally relieved, I decided to take a shower
to rid myself of all the sweat that managed to cake itself on my skin. I kept the water cold to
contrast the current heat wave and provide myself with some extra comfort, and slipped into
some basketball shorts and a clean t-shirt.
     Fresh, content, and cool (hallelujah), I made my way back to the kitchen to treat myself
with my all-time favorite meal, the gooey, thick, and creamy macaroni and cheese. The water
began boiling, I readied the ingredients and prepared my mind for the delicious feast that was
about to unfold. I strained the macaroni and returned it to the pot to complete the final step to my
masterpiece. I mixed the butter, milk, and cheese around and as I did, my mind trailed off. I
began thinking about the day I just had. How grateful I was to finally be in some air
conditioning, and how much homework I was procrastinating on.
     Not a minute later, something caught my eye and I saw... IT. The thing from only my
worst of nightmares. Dangling right above my beloved macaroni with it’s eight twitching legs
hung a spider the size of an orange, hairy legs and all. Fear jolted through my body and
everything seemed just out of my control. I flung the mixing spoon in the air, spilling my
macaroni all over the floor. Cowering in the corner, I screamed high enough to break glass. With
the sudden impulse to kill the beast, I searched hastily for a weapon. Before it could enjoy MY
meal, I grabbed the nearest shoe and swatted the imposter with the might of 1000 men. It flew to
the floor and scuttled behind the stove. To this day, I’ve still not run into the spider again, but the
horrific experience haunts my mind. I sure hope I taught that spider a lesson after ruining my
macaroni, although I still feel its presence plotting the next attack.

"Food Above All" by Sydney G

     When I was younger, I hated makeup. It was a waste of time. I would sit on the (closed)
toilet waiting for my mom to be ready. She took what felt like centuries getting ready; choosing
shadows and different shades of lipstick. A little while after, I noticed my sister started doing her
makeup too. She is the kind of person who says she will be ready by 7 and arrives 3 hours later. I
would watch her get ready too. It was dreadful but interesting. I would ask her what all the tubes
were. "Why was everything so similar? Concealer and foundation look exactly the same!!" She
tried explaining it to me for the 34th time.
     As I got older, I understood it more and more. I started watching tutorials on YouTube.
Sitting on my bed for hours watching vlogs or hauls became a daily routine. I critiqued my
sister's makeup saying things like, "your eyeliner is too thick" or "you have to blend this side a
bit more". I would tell my mom what shadows to use, which brand is better, if this waterproof
mascara really worked. I admired the eye shadow palettes. I would walk into Sephora "just cuz".
I fell in love with the art of it all. How much I got interested was just so confusing, it all
happened so fast.
     While I was watching YouTube and complementing people's makeup, my younger sister
started using mascara. She asked me to help her. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she
asked the one who is not as experienced. Then she elaborated on how she did not want her
eyelashes looking like spider legs. She wanted those perfect C’s.
     These years passed and I kept asking myself the same question, “When am I going to
start wearing makeup?” The sharp black eyeliner always looked fun to create. The highlight on
some people glowed like no other. Picking a new lip shade everyday, I thought, had to be
interesting. All of these pigments and formulas I am missing out on. Time came and I started
grabbing my older sister's makeup. I tried mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadows and other products.
After hours of applying and reapplying, I could not find an interest strong enough. I remember
thinking, “Some women do this everyday!” It is crazy to think I would wake up 30 minutes
earlier every morning to waste some expensive makeup that will only last some hours. The many
colors and different formulas no longer amused me.
     I am comfortable with my face without makeup for now. Eventually, I will learn how to
apply eyeliner as sharp as a knife and highlighter as bright as your future. I will learn the
difference between concealer and foundation. For now, chapstick is the only product I will be
using on my face. I will be spending my money on strawberries and ice cream because food is
what makes me happy. My biggest passion is food at the moment. Before you know it I will
become a judge in food tasting!

"Those Reminiscent Memories" by Maya A

     When you’ve known someone for so long, it’s hard to just forget them just like that; to
just stop loving the way they laugh, smile, the way they hold their head when focused or the
wrinkles they gather upon their brow when confused. I still remember that day very clearly when
she asked, “Could we talk…” I, of course, unconditionally said yes, because I was already
planning something of my very own that evening. I was on cloud nine the whole day.
We’ve been dating for three years already and I was ready to finally ask her the most life
changing question. I had the perfect restaurant, the perfect band that would play and the perfect
suit that I would wear. We had decided to drive separately to the restaurant, and I didn’t think
anything of it, but the tone of her voice sounded unusual as if she were distressed, or worried
about something. I didn't think too much about it as I hung up the call and started getting
dressed. I called the restaurant to double check the reservation, made sure I had the ring and
headed out the door. When I arrived she was already inside, and it took a lot out of me not to
skip to the table knowing that later tonight, I could finally call her my fiancé. I walked up to the
table calmly and gently kissed her cheek. I felt as though she slightly turned her head but I
figured I was my imagination. I sat across from her and she began to fidget so I started with
some small talk. She replied vaguely which I was thought was very unusual so I figured I would
cheer her up by proposing. I excused myself and asked the waiter for the band to be played in
two minutes. As I sat down in my seat, she said, “Let's talk.”
     I stared into her eyes and realized it was serious. I sat down glancing around the
restaurant for the band to show up any minute now. I grabbed the ring, and as I was bringing it
above the table cloth she said she wanted to speak first. I slightly lowered the ring to my thigh
then turned because I could hear the song I requested playing. I turned to look at her face and she
was flabbergasted, watching the band slowly travel to our table and the other customers of the
restaurant turning our way. I began to get up and she grabbed my arm as if to stop me and
jokingly shook it off and she clenched her hand together and looked down. As I got down on one
knee and opened the box she looked at the ring. I started to form the words “Will you marry
me?” and she said, “I know you wanted to be loved but, I don’t love you; all these years I just
didn’t have the heart to tell you, you weren’t the love of my life.”
     So many things went through my head in that moment. Our future was over; everything
that I worked for was gone. Just like that. I bit my lip trying to hold back the explosion of tears
waiting to happen and clenched the box with the engagement ring. As my eyes stayed fixated on
her big, blue, watery eyes, my legs began to tremble and I slowly rose from the floor, hearing her
say,
     “I’m sorry.”

“Chinese New Years” by Michelle L.

Ever since I was little, I would always look forward to this one holiday known as Chinese New Years. It is a day where children and unmarried adults receive red envelopes from their elderly, containing varying amounts of money.  So to those who have an extremely large family branch, consider yourself lucky. However, it is not a simple holiday to celebrate. Since Chinese New Year is coming up on January 28th this year, our family follows a tradition that we do every year.  Before Chinese New Years, my family cleans up the whole house. They believe that this allows our household to be cleansed of bad spirits that were lingering around throughout the year.  Then on the day of Chinese New Year, our family prepares to go to visit our grandparents and we would then go to a temple together.

            I remember when I was little my mom would always dress me up. She would brush and braid my hair and put me in a red and golden chinese dress.  I would always dread wearing that dress, but I was happy to know that if I wore that dress my mom be happy as well. As we drove towards my grandparent's house, I tried my best not to fight with my siblings but it was difficult trying to keep our hands to ourselves.

When we arrived, my siblings and I would immediately run to the door because we were eager to get our red envelopes. However, before receiving our envelopes we'd have to congratulate our relatives on their successes and give them a few wishes. So as they sat on the living room couch, my siblings and I approached the front of the living room to give them their wishes. At this moment, my hands were shaking, sweating, and my eyes were shifting left to right. I couldn't find the words to speak. My mouth opened, but no words came out, but I noticed my sibling we're nervous as well. As I took a glance my grandparents, my aunts, and my uncles were staring at us with big smiles on their faces. Not wanting to disappoint them, I took in a deep breath and bowed. Following right after, my siblings did the same. We chanted in unison,"Gung hay fat choy! " Along with many other wishes saying how we wished for them to live a strong and healthy life and for many great fortunes to come their way. As they applauded our efforts, they handed us our envelopes.  My siblings and I were extremely ecstatic to receive them. We bowed and said thank you. Running into a room, I slowly opened the envelopes, I peeked inside and noticed I had about $10 to $20 in each envelope.  Afterwards, everyone brought out delicious food that varied in steaming hot noodles and dumplings. Everyone was having a fun time, trying to see what they have been up to.  A few hours have passed and my family decided that it was time to visit the temple.

We rode in the car, driving to a Temple that was placed on a small mountain. I can't recall its name, but I remember hundreds of stairs that led to this glamorous, golden statue of the Buddha with many other gods besides it. The Buddha statues reflected in the sunset beautifully, mixing with the hues of red, orange, and yellow.  Our parents handed us a chinese incense stick, telling my siblings and I to pray for prosperity and success, happiness and health, protection and peace, and for any of our desired wishes to come true. As I did so, I also apologized for all the sins I have done.  And so, as I recall this time, I feel happy and thankful to know that I have a roof over my head and a family who loves me and expects a lot from me.