“Patience my child is a virt--“ -“STOP” by Mathew T

According to the old saying "patience is a virtue", patience is something that people should strive for. But why would anyone say that? I just don’t understand. Apparently we should wait, sit tight and allow things to come to us instead of going out of our way to go get what we want. That's what I would do; I’d be out there trying to do something. I'm not impatient, I just don't see the point in waiting for something to come to me when I have the opportunity to go and get it done myself in an efficient and convenient manner.

One of the worst feelings in the world, is waiting for news, any kind of update be it good or bad. Waiting stresses me out. It makes me cringe. I become anxious and irritable. I don’t think that I’m incredibly impatient, or at least I hope. It’s just that the waiting game prolongs whatever is coming, and that’s never a good thing. I want things done promptly.  I’d rather hear back immediately, deal with the decision, and move on to the next step. I’m not so much in a hurry, but I’d like things to flow smoothly. Being held up by a simple decision impedes this and just causes problems for me

Currently, I am waiting to hear back from UCI; University of California Irvine. I applied in November to the nursing program and I haven’t heard one thing back from the school. I’ve sent in all of my papers, the various files and scores as requested, but I have yet to get the one thing I truly desire: A decision on my admission, a response, a simple response. According to some of my friends, the super smart geniuses that have so graciously graced me with their input, and according to my Mom, Dad, Tías, Tíos (Aunts and Uncles) and grandparents, I have a pretty good chance. My scores were in the median and my GPA matched up with the median for the school. I’m right in the middle. So in theory and just in theory since nothing has happened yet, I should get in. However knowing my luck, and knowing my ever burning hate for anticipating news, I’m telling myself I won’t get in. Shutting myself down like that could probably be classified as a coping mechanism for stress. I mean if I prepare for the worse that can happen, the overwhelming feeling of shame that comes with a college rejection letter, the laughs, the harsh disappointed glances, and the knowledge that I just wasn’t good enough or that I should have prepared more, how much can it bother me? Either way I’m preparing for a rejection letter because I’d rather have a backup plan. Doing something feels way better than waiting around for nothing to happen.

Waiting for news like I've said before just isn't worth it to me; my time could be better spent doing something else. It causes anxiety for me, if UCI would just hurry up and email me an admission's response I would know or have a better idea of where I am going to college. And that knowledge would set any high-schoolers mind to ease. But I suppose, there is a tiny up side to having to wait so long, and to continue to have to wait so long for a simple reply. All of this waiting has allowed me to make a more informed decision on what school I decide to attend. All of this extra time has allowed me to double check the nursing programs at the Cal states I applied to and it has also allowed me to check out the housing situations and the different minors and clubs they have on each campus. 

However there is a downside to this upside, after all what goes up , must come down. Because of all this extra time spent looking at the fine details of each school, I've come to the conclusion that UCI has everything that I want in a school; it has my major (which I probably won’t be admitted to) it has the minor I want, it has the clubs that I’m interested in joining like a TENNIS CLUB, A TENNIS CLUB THAT IS ACTIVE, which if you couldn't tell by the caps lock makes me very happy. There are just so many benefits for me. Basically the admission decision, when I get it, will kill me either in a good way or in the complete opposite.

Despite my utter loathing for waiting for anything that should be expedited A.S.A.P. (my admission decision), I think I finally understand why people say patience is a virtue. It's because you have to wait either way you look at it. It is completely unavoidable and there is no use getting all worked up over something you have no control over. If only this epiphany had come four months ago.

 I only have to continue waiting until the 31^st of this month, since that's their deadline. They'd better abide by it or they'll be bombarded by complaints and phone calls and the occasional death threat (not that ALL three will be coming from me, I might just skip the phone calls and the complaints). Despite the epiphany that so conveniently came near the end of this personal reflection, until the 31st I will continue to furiously refresh my email until I get a notification from UCI.

            P.S. on 3/14 @5:00pm Mathew Ryan Trevino received admission to UCI’s Nursing Major, No death threats were sent and he only refreshed his email once. Maybe Patience is a virtue!

**death threats were used for comedic effect.

March Writers Are Here! It's Your Lucky Day!

Go check them out!  Comment!  Three Times!  Enjoy!

"How To Make Red Hot Chicken Curry" by Arvind G

Curry is one of the main dishes that most Indians eat and there are also many types of curry that someone can get. So many people have told me that they want some curry, either chicken curry or some other type of curry. They have told me to make curry for them. Well instead of me having to make it, you guys should try it out for yourselves. It might be hard for some to make because it takes patience and everything has to be done perfectly or else your curry will turn out to something that you do not want to eat(personal experience). So I will tell you guys how to make Red Hot Chicken Curry which has a satisfyingly think sauce, and for color and flavor red and green peppers are used. There are many ways that you can make this a unique dish by adding something special to it that you would like but as long as you follow the basic instructions things will be fine.   

Things you will need:

A bowl(pyrex is the best, glass is good too)

Heavy Stirfry pan(not too big about medium size)

Ingredients:

2 medium onions                                ½ tsp grated root ginger

½ red bell pepper                                1 tsp ground coriander

½ green bell pepper                          1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp oil                                                   1 tsp salt

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds                     14 oz can tomatoes(fresh tomatoes are better)

¼ tsp onion seeds                               2 tbsp chopped cilantro

½ tsp crussed garlic                           3 fresh green chilies, chopped fresh coriander to garnish

2 tbsp lemon juice                             12 oz chicken, skinned and cubed

Directions:

    1.     Start with the onions first, dice them up using a sharp knife.

Take the seeds out from the peppers and cut them into chunks,

 not too big or too small because this is the size you will cut the chicken into.

    2.     In the heavy stirfry pan, turn the stove to medium heat and heat the oil and fry the fenugreek and onion seeds until they turn a shade darker. Add the chopped onions, crushed garlic and fresh ginger. Fry this for about 5 minutes until the onions are a golden brown shade. When you see the onions change color them reduce the heat to low. 

    3.     In a separate bowl mix the ground coriander, chili powder, salt, canned(or fresh) tomatoes, and lemon juice. Stir very well for about 2 minutes to get mixed together well and to get the perfect taste. You can also add the chicken into this to get it to have the mixture on it too.

    4.      Now you pour the mixture into the pan and increase the heat to about medium. And stir-fry this for about 3 minutes(if you added the chicken in step 3 you have to stir-fry for about 8-10 minutes).

   5.     If you did not add the chicken in step 3 you can add it now. After adding the chicken you will stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes).

   6.     Add the chopped fresh coriander and green chilies and the red and green bell pepper chunks you had cut.

7.     Lower the heat, cover the pan and allow for this to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chicken cubes are fully cooked. If it takes too long the chicken might get all dried up and if you turn the heat off too early then the chicken will be left undone.

8.     Serve the curry hot, garnished with the fresh coriander for added flavor.

As you see here that I added peas to my curry, this did not really affect it too much it just increases the flavor of it and makes it taste better. HAPPY COOKING J

"The Perks of Traffic" by Jonathan D

Anyone who has ever ridden in a car has experienced traffic. Wether it is rush hour or an
accident creating delays; whatever the case may be, traffic is inevitable. As a young child, I
recall how much the adults driving me around would complain about the gridlock. Who could
blame them? Being alert for several hours, while moving at a snail’s pace, is not an ideal
situation for most people. However, since I have become a licensed driver I welcome traffic;
without it, I would probably have a mental breakdown!
Traffic slows my life down, just as it does speedy cars. Driving bumper to bumper is
really the only time that I feel truly alone. While driving, my cell phone is kept in my pocket at
all times, freeing me from the hold that instagram, twitter, and text messages have on the
majority of teenagers. With my phone out of the picture, I engage in musical therapy by blasting
the songs of my favorite artist. The blaring radio allows me to get in touch with my sensitive side
by singing along to a Beyonce hit, or embrace my inner thug by rapping the lyrics to a Tupac
jam. Traffic allows me to release built up aggression and anger through the infamous road rage,
which seems to plague just about everyone. The close proximity of the moving vehicles gives
dumb drivers, who in my opinion should not be licensed, the opportunity to cut me off or almost
cause a fatal accident. Only Devine intervention has allowed me to escape any danger; once the
danger has been avoided, I proceed to shout out any obscenity that comes to mind. On the other
hand, the most enjoyable aspect of my personal experiences of traffic is the possible silence that
it can bring.
Although my car does not provide complete silence due to the muffled sounds that
permeate through its frame, it is quiet enough. Quiet enough that I can reflect upon my past
actions, or my interactions with my peers within the latest school day. Over the course of my
weekly driving, I eventually ponder my upcoming events and the direction of my life. So
whenever I inch down the fifteen freeway on my way home from school, I am grateful for that
one hour of traffic that makes my car an idyllic place (in my mind) for me to be alone; keeping
my sanity intact.

"How to Ask Someone to Prom" by Tia B

As we all know Prom is somewhere around the corner! Prom is a very special day for a girl. It’s
supposed to be the best day of her life. Not so much for the guy. Guys are pressured into making sure
that their girl’s night is the best. If it isn’t, he won’t ever hear the end of it. Anyways, Prom won’t be
great if you have no one to go with! By the time my blog is posted there will probably be only ten days
till Prom! Better read this quick and follow every step!
Step one: Know who you are asking. First of all, you have to know who you are asking. Is it the really
hot guy, you’ve had your eye on since grade school? Is it the really popular girl that has no idea you
exist? Is it just a random stranger that let you borrow his/her pencil one day in class?
Step two: Follow them around. Once you got your eye on someone special, you must follow him or
her around school. I mean STALK them. You must find out what classes they have and where they
hang out during lunch and in the morning and after school. WARNING!! You have to be real slick
about this. You don’t want to get expelled or anything. Here’s a helpful hint: Bring a camera with you at
all times and take a picture of him or her as they wander around campus. They won’t be scared or
freaked out by you at all. You’ll have the perfect excuse! Just say that you are in Yearbook. (I do this
all the time.) *BE SURE TO KEEP THE PHOTOS
Step three: Stand out in the crowd. This is a very important step. Now that you know where he or she
hangs out, you must make yourself different. You must catch his or her attention. Here’s a suggestion: In
the morning, go to the band room and steal a guitar or any beautiful instrument that you see. I suggest
stealing the grand piano. *If you do steal the piano, make sure you have a friend that is willing to push
you around the school while you play it. *
It doesn’t matter that you are musically untalented. No talent is needed for this step. Now that you have
an instrument, walk this special person to each class playing it and singing to it obnoxiously. This will
totally get you his/her attention!
Step four: Ease the tension. If you have followed the first three steps correctly, this person will
probably be avoiding you! DON’T WORRY! It is a good sign! It only means that he/she is too nervous
and shy to talk to you. If this is the case, go develop the pictures that you took of him/her from step
two. On each photo, write something you like about them. For example, “I like the size of your nose
holes,” or “I like your ear lobes.” Once you finish, go to each of his/her classes early and give it to their
teacher to put on his/her desk. When they read it, they will fall in love with your wonderful comments
and might even want to ask you to Prom!
Step five: Ask. Now that he/she has some type of attraction towards you, it is time for you to ask.
There are several ways you can do it. You could go ahead and buy him/her a slice of cheese or even a
Poptart. Just hand it to them and say, “Take my food and be my Prom date.” If you demand it, there is
no reason for him/her to say no. Another way to ask is you could write a special Prom song for them.
Once you have it written down, sneak into the Activities Office and get on the intercom. Once you have
a hold of the intercom just casually say his/her name and dedicate the song to them. Sing it with
confidence and they will totally say yes!
If you followed all 5 steps CONGRATS you have a Prom date!
In all seriousness, if you know who you want to ask to Prom just ask them! It’s better to risk
rejection than risk having regrets. You don’t want to regret letting one of the greatest nights
of your life slip by.

"How to Tie a Turban" by Harjot G

 Tying a turban isn’t easy especially when comes to having it on for 7+ hours but don’t get me wrong, it is pretty cool tying one especially if you want attention. So there are basic steps you need to follow but first of all you need the following materials.

1.     A comb

2.     Some long hair (If not, a potato will work but not recommended at all)

3.     6 meter long cloth (Fabric) 

4.     Under piece cloth

5.     A spoon (If you have long hair)

6.     Water

So once you have those “materials” in your possession you will need to start the tying process. (Warning: If you tie it too tight there is not going back because that is what I go through ever morning) This process takes around 15 and also depends how big your head is and how big of a cloth you are tying. So lets begin the process.

1.     First of all comb you hair downwards if you have long hair. Then tie it up on the top of your head very loose and flat. If you are using a potatoes then you have to use the under piece cloth to hold it still. Make sure the potato is small. If you don’t want to use a potato you don’t have to.

2.     Next you want to tie the small under piece cloth just to make a top layer on the top. If you don’t have long hair just continue on.

3.     If you want good results you can wet the cloth to make it firm and graspable.

4.     Then get your 6m cloth from one side and slide it from the top of your head to the back of your left ear and then into your mouth to hold it.

5.     Then the longer side of the cloth you start making a banana shape from the sides. Take the cloth and take it over your left eye along your head over your left ear.

6.     Then take it from the back to the right ear and over that.

7.     Then take it along the back of your head horizontally to the front of your head and going straight across your forehead.

8.     Then just keep wrapping it pretty much however you want to. The design is up to you.

9.     As you come to your last end of your cloth it should end up in the back where you can tuck it in. It shouldn’t be in the front for no reason at all. It will look ugly in the front.

10. Then tuck the last piece in.

11.  Now with the spoon make your adjustments of the curves and lines in the turban however you want. If you have long hair then use the end of the spoon to tuck it in.

12. After all the designs are fixed and you are satisfied then give a pat on your back and feel bad for me because I do this everyday.

I’m not saying I hate tying a turban but it’s just a lot of work and uncomforting at times. So there’s nothing wrong with it but its time consuming but worth it. But here are some recommended things that would make you look better in a turban

1.     Beard and mustache (Recommended for men only)

So if you enjoyed this “How to”, please leave a nice comment below and thanking me for all this work I have down to make you look more attractive. If you have any questions please ask me in class.

"One Molip Too Many" by Heidy G

                  The vast darkness echoed calmness as we sailed through the galaxy. It seemed to reflect the inside of the ship. All was quiet. Not a single Molip made a sound, usual for them. Their long, telescopic eyes, attached to their slimy green bodies, concentrated on the information before them. Our destination was Earth. We were set to arrive there soon, scheduled to conduct further experiments on the creatures inhabiting the planet.

                  I’d visited Earth a few times before. The humans there were so rude, always asking about my day. Pesky humans. The Molips would leave me on Earth alone for some time. I was forced to interact with the earthlings. Meanwhile, they flew around in their spaceship, conducting tests.

                  I hoped that the new device under construction back in Bemana would work and allow me to be one of them, a Molip. I had nothing against my human form, even with all of its strange protruding angles and shapes. But I longed to be just like them. I was raised by them, after being abandoned as a child. What other humans considered as frightening and ugly, I considered as beauty. I admired them. They had such great minds and moral standards, no human could ever compare.

                  The Molips were back sooner than I had expected. Their experiments were successful, like always. It was time to go back home to Bemana now.

                  The leader of the expedition suddenly approached me. I was taken aback with surprise, as usually molips did not interact with one another.

                  “H1, I’ve been informed to direct you to base TAL103,” he said.

                  “May I ask why, M522?”

                  “It seems that the HM Converter has been finalized. The committee would like to try it out now.”

                  This was what I had been waiting for all these years. Finally, the chance to be one of them had come. Pure joy coursed through me.  However, I knew that any strong demonstration of emotion went against the codes of the Molip Committee.

                  “Alright M522.”

                  The ship was started again. The journey to Bemana had never been as long as it was today. We soon arrived at the base, an imposing building a few hundred miles away from the nearest community.

                  “M38 will meet you inside,” M522 informed me. I nodded and exited the ship.

                  I walked quickly towards the building, cutting through the dense atmosphere. While on Bemana, I had to wear multiple devices in order to survive its harsh conditions. I entered the base and was met with Molips, all waiting for me.

                  “It’s ready,” they said. “But are you?”

                  “Yes,” I replied with no hesitation.

                  “Enter the chamber.”

                  The complex machine seemed daunting, but this was what I wanted. I stepped inside of it and waited. Suddenly the doors closed and a gas emanated from all around. I felt different, tingly. And then, it all stopped. The doors opened.

                  As I stepped out of the chamber, I heard them exclaim, “What is that?!”

                  “A monster!”

"On the Hunt" by Ryan H

     “He’s nothing,” I muttered to myself. “He’s my prey. He. Is. Nothing.” Finally, the match in front of us ended, and we both walk on to the mat, ready to battle. His cold, intense gaze told me this was not going to be easy, that it was going to be more than a battle, a full-blown war. The ref assigned me as red, and my opponent Green. The referee made us shake hands, blew his whistle, and we began.

All my focus was on my opponent, analyzing his style, looking for an opening to make my attack. Suddenly, he grabbed for my head. I reflexively ducked, and circled to the side, waiting for the shot on my legs. It never came, and instead he backed off, waiting to make his own attack. We continued to circle, grabbing, feinting, waiting for the other to make a mistake to capitalize on. Suddenly, my coach’s voice rang out, “THIRTY SECONDS! DO SOMETHING!” he bellowed. I smacked the opponent in the head to make him flinch, and shot straight in, grabbing both legs. However, nothing came from it, he was good. More than good, phenomenal. I drove and drove, trying to take him down, but to no avail. Then, in the final ten seconds of the first round, he snapped me face first into the mat and got behind, getting two points and the lead to head into the second round.

To start the second period, the ref flipped a coin, one side red, the other green, for decision of position in the second round. Green won, and differed his choice, giving it to me. I chose to go bottom, knowing his best moves from that position and how to avoid them. The ref blew his whistle once more, and we began anew. I instantly stood up, but he saw that coming, and slammed me straight back to the floor. Building my way back up, I sat out to the side, but he followed me around, giving no ground. I tried to stand up once more, and then I realized my mistake. I left my head too close to my knee, and he realized it too. Instantly, he snatched it up, cross-faced me extremely hard, and put me into a cradle, straight on my back. I kicked and kicked, peeling his hand apart, but there was no breaking that hold, the hold that sealed my fate. The whistle blew once more, and I knew it was over. I had been pinned.

I shook his hand once more, and then his coach’s. I walked off the mat furious at myself, and went outside to cry, broken over the defeat. That’s when I decided this loss doesn’t matter, and pulled myself together. I would face him again somewhere soon, undoubtedly, and get my revenge.  “What is one loss? This kid better be scared, because next time, I will be on the hunt. And I will not rest until I see my spoils won.”

"The Happiest Place On Earth" by Jacell P

The happiest place on earth is a quote known by many. This is the place is a place where one is to be happy with every visit. The place where there is much to see and do and to never get bored. This place as everyone knows is Disneyland. But is this place really the happiest place on Earth? As I see the happiness in everyone around me, every now and then I see people that are not having a good time. Isn’t this a place where everyone is supposed to be happy as this place is to be called “the happiest place on Earth” as I asked myself? Where people should be enjoying their time and enjoying what is going on around them. The things that happen around Disneyland should bring happiness in you too right? Well that isn’t just the place for happiness for everyone. Seeing kids and also adults with sad expressions on their face when they are there. Where kids cry or are sad that they don’t get what they want. You see that a lot of sad kids as you walk around Disneyland. But you may ask why do adults also have a sad expression when they are here. That is also a question that I asked myself also. You don’t see a lot of these people around in Disneyland but every now and then I find them. While everyone is having a good time I seem to spot the ones that look sad. This brings a moment in my life where I once asked a girl why she was sad. As me and my friends were enjoying a day at the happiest place on earth and our day was coming close to an end I spot a girl that looked like she wasn’t having the best time of her life there. I asked myself whether or not to talk to her because by first impression she didn’t seem like someone who should be sad. I asked my friends if I should do it or not and they told me to so and their answer was that I should do it. I then asked her what was wrong then she had told me something that I won’t ever forget and it also made a big impact on me. She had told me that she had gone alone to Disneyland to get away from all of the bad things that impacted her in her life. So many things happen to her all at in a week that by the end of that week she had enough so she thought that coming to the happiest place on earth would make her feel better, but it in fact made it worse. She came here to get her mind off of things and to also to see the happiness in other people that she didn’t have. This had impacted me the most when she had told me that. This then reminded me that she was like me and that I had did the same also. I then asked her if she would hang out with me and my friends so she then could get her mind off of things. The day sadly did come to an end, and as the day ended I can see that she wasn’t the same as to when she had come to Disneyland in the first place. She had told me thank you and that I made her day much better. As the day ended we said our goodbyes to that day. After that day we contact each as much as possible and hang out at what is to be said “The happiest place on earth.” To this day I think to myself “are there people also there like us who come to Disneyland who are not happy?” Are there people that don’t enjoy coming to the Disneyland? This question always comes up to me and a random girl that I met at Disneyland named Kaitlynn who to this day enjoy our time at the “happiest place on earth.”

"The Accountant" by Oscar S

Sal sat alone on the bus, staring out the window. A man comes in at the next stop and sits next to him.
“You look upset. Bad day?”
“Just like any other day.”
“What do you do?”
“Insurance broker. And you?”
“I am a type of accountant.” He looks into Sal’s eyes.
“Don’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” The bus stops. Sal walks out. The whole time he felt the stranger’s eyes on him.
Sal stood in his room crying for hours from atop a chair, holding a rope firmly in his hands.

The next day Sal sat at a diner.
“Well Sal.. Since you’re here it’s obvious you listened to me.”
He looks up to see the accountant.
“I couldn’t do it…”
“That’s good! You changed your mind.”
“No.. I mean I actually couldn’t. The rope broke.”
The accountant begins to laugh.
Sal gives him a stare.
“What?”
“My pain is funny to you?”
“Well no. I’m just thinking about something. Were you really thinking of setting your house on fire with you in it last week? Some people might accuse you of insurance fraud you know? Could get arrested for that!” He laughs even more.
Sal begins to get annoyed.
“Who are you?! How do you know so much?”
“It doesn’t matter. The boss sends me, and I account.”
The accountant looks out the window looking for someone.
“Seeing that you’ve reached a point in your life that you are ready to take your own life, I’m going to assume you’re not happy with your life.”
“I wanted to be a doctor. But I didn’t have the smarts”
“That’s crap! You gave up. What else did you want to do?”
“Ummm.. fireman… I have lung problems”
“Fireman huh? So you wanted to save people?”
The accountant takes Sal’s coffee and has a few sips.
“In a little bit, a man will walk in here trying to rob this diner. I don’t know why of all places this guy chooses to rob a diner, but he is. One thing is going to lead to another and some of these people are going to get hurt. Now I can’t get involved in these affairs, but you can.”
The accountant looks. “Here he comes.”
Sal looks out the window and begins to sweat.
“Oh come on! You seek Death, yet when it stares you right in the face you tremble.”
The man gets closer to the diner.
“You want to save people Sal? Now is your chance. Stop him before he can hurt anyone. Get everything you want right now and then we can leave.”
Sal’s eyes begin to tear up. He looks up as if looking for an answer.
 
Fifteen minutes later Sal is in an ambulance being rushed to the hospital. The accountant suddenly appears in the ambulance. He smiles at Sal and extends his hand out for him. “You saved them. You did good Sal. It’s time to leave.”

"Mί Vida, Mί Futuro" by Hennessy V

The smell of salted cucumbers and homestyle gorditas surrounded me. While my mother was working at Western Jeans and my father working in construction, my two abuelas took the biggest task by raising me while my parents worked full-time to supply me with the future they never had. I would wake up to them in the kitchen preparing arroz con leche, huevos rancheros, gorditas, and bacon. All prepared for what seemed to be a party of 20 when in reality is was usually just my brother and I. I cannot stress enough on my abuelitas achieving a huge task by raising me considering I was more than a handful witnessing a man getting stabbed with an ice pick, my mom was determined to get me out of Los Angeles and fulfill her wish of providing me with a blessed education. As a result to my parents’ disagreements and differences upon where my brother and I should be raised, my mother, brother, and I moved to my other grandma’s backhouse until we had raised enough to buy our own house. Around the same time my mom was working overtime, she met my soon-to-become father, Cesar. He was everything we needed; love, care, laughter, and support. All which was found in our family however, knowing I would have a man to love me wholeheartedly as if I was his own. He supported me at my ballet recitals, changing my sheets when I would have an “accident,” or comforting me when I got bullied at school. Don’t get me wrong, my father loved my brother and I unconditionally; however, he had faced some setbacks that restricted him from us being in his lives as much as we were.

Two baby sisters and a wedding later, we moved to our very first home in Pomona. The transition from constant police sirens down the streets and tragedy to a welcoming neighborhood that became a second family to me has to be one of the most appreciative experiences in my lifetime. As things appeared as perfect as could be, my family and I received tragic news of my father, Ismael Verduzco Jr. He died on a tragic night of April 12, 2005. Unaware of what was going on or what actually occurred to result to such a tragedy changed my perspective of my own life and lead me to feel regretful. Running into that hospital as my mother clenched my hand and with tears in her eyes, she told me, “Be strong for daddy.” To this day, I do not know which father she was referring to. However, I lived with this burden that I lost the opportunity to welcome my biological father into my life. I lived with the idea that I needed to make everyone around me happy; my mother, Cesar, my brother and sisters, and my teachers. Nevertheless, I grew to understand that my happiness is what is most evident. Understanding the hard effort my parents overcame to provide my brother, sisters, and I with a great education and childhood have grown within me and contributed to my passion for assisting others and experiencing many cultures that make our world. I pray to God that my father has forgiven me and is proud of my accomplishments. In addition, my mother’s wish became a reality and has impacted my aspirations in returning the favor to my parents by taking advantage of the academic opportunities I am given to pursue my dream by assisting those in poverty and experiencing new cultures, ideas, and perspectives in literature.

"The Chocolate Cake" by Jill D

Tired of your everyday, boring chocolate cake? I have a recipe for the most scrumptious, mouthwatering chocolate cake around.

To start, it is best to get all ingredients and utensils out on the counter.

Ingredients:

1 Box of Devil's food cake mix

1 (4 ounce) package of instant chocolate pudding mix

5 eggs

16 ounces of sour cream

2 sticks of butter

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Powder sugar (optional)

Utensils:

Kitchen-Aid mixer (for mixing your ingredients together)

Rubber spatula (to scrape every last delicious morsel of batter out, because you don’t want to waste a bit)

12 cup Bundt Pan (to cook the cake in)

No stick cooking spray (so the cake pops right out)

Measuring cups (to measure ingredients)

Measuring spoons (to measure ingredients)

Small Bowl (to crack your eggs in)

Small microwave-safe bowl (to melt your butter in)

At this point turn your oven on to 350◦ to preheat, and grease your Bundt pan with the no stick cooking spray, so that they are ready when you are done mixing the ingredients together.

**Note: don’t mix your ingredients until the very end**

Next, open your box of devil's food cake (yes you need to let that devil out, because this is one devil of a cake) and pour it into your Kitchen-Aid bowl.

Then open your instant chocolate pudding (because what doesn’t taste awesome with pudding in it?) and add that to the bowl.

Crack your eggs in a separate bowl, one at a time, being extra careful not to get any eggshells into the cake, because the cake does not need anything crunch detraction from the cake delectable taste.

Pour the eggs on top of the mix so far.

Now at this point, get your measuring cup and measure 16 oz (or 2 cups) of sour cream and add it to your bowl. (The sour cream combined with the pudding cause the cake to be extremely moist.)

Pull out your microwavable bowl and unwrap your butter, placing the butter into the bowl and putting it into the microwave to melt. When it is mostly melted, pull the bowl out, being careful not to burn yourself, and pour the butter over the other ingredients already in the bowl, making sure to scrape out every last ounce of tasty butter, because like Paula Dean says, "there is never too much butter in any recipe."

This next ingredient is the one the pulls the whole cake together, 1 tsp of almond extract. Measure out the extract and pour it into the bowl. (I personally a dash more because my family loves it.)

And last, but not least, measure out and add 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. (I personally prefer Nestle, but you can use any.)

Finally you may begin mixing your ingredients together for 2-3 minutes to make sure it blends well together. Use the spatula if needed to get ingredients stuck to the edge of the bowl so everything mixes together. Turn your Kitchen-Aid one more time to make sure everything is all mixed together.

When mixed completely, it should have a thick mousse-like texture. Yes, self restraint will be much need at this point because you are going to want to dig in.

Use your spatula to scrape your batter into your Bundt pan, spreading evenly or even cooking. Place in the oven cooking 50-55 minutes.

When timer goes off, test to make sure the cake in done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. The toothpick should come out mostly clean. When it does, pull out of the oven, letting set for 5-10 minutes to cook slightly. Place a plate on top of Bundt pan and flip it over quickly so that the cake will release from the pan.

(Optional: dust with powder sugar)

Now your heavenly cake is ready to be eaten.

"The Door" by Sarah C

The summer before fifth grade started out as the most unexciting vacation ever. For the first week, my friends and I wandered around the big field out back and played catch, but you can only toss a ball around so many times before you’re sick of it.

Then, one day, we went out to the field as usual, but after walking for 10 minutes we saw something strange on the ground about 30 feet away. After walking over there, we could see that somehow a wooden door had been placed in the middle of the field. It was still attached to a frame, which was odd, but it was tipped over.

“Why would someone just put a door in the middle of the field?” Anthony asked.

“Where do you think it came from?” Charlie added.

“It’s still on the frame. I wonder how someone took the door and frame off together.” Pete stated as he bent down to examine it.

“I bet it’s from outer space!” cried Charlie excitedly.

“That’s stupid, Charlie!”

“It is not! Where else could it be from?”

“Maybe,” I began, “it’s a portal to another dimension and the last guy who used it left it here when it broke.”

We all knew that was impossible, but it was the adventure we’d been looking for.

“I’ll bet if we fixed the portal, we could use it.” Pete piped up.

Everyone agreed. So, we started repairing the door. Pete snuck into his dad’s toolshed and grabbed tools and lumber. He and Anthony designed the portal while Charlie and I followed their building instructions. Three days later the door was standing upright.

“Who gets to open it first?”

“I should get to,” Anthony declared, “I designed it!”

“I did more!” Pete countered.

“I should… because…um…” Charlie stammered.

“We should go in alphabetical order.” I interjected. “Anthony gets to go first.” Anthony stuck his tongue out at Pete, then pulled open the door.

And so it went for the rest of the summer. Each day, one boy would open the portal and we would all step into whatever world he took us to. In September, we had to say goodbye to our portal and go back to school and the next year, our parents sent us to camp and we forgot all about that door until graduation, when we went back to the field and found it still standing.

 “Hey, guys, remember this door?” Charlie asked.

“Oh, yeah” Anthony snorted, “we thought we could go to the moon in this thing.”

“It was so long ago.” Pete said.

“Hey...let’s open it.”

“Seriously?”

I nodded as I reached over and grabbed the doorknob. I turned it forcefully and… it broke off. The others burst out laughing as I stood with a shocked look on my face. But the door still opened, and for a second, we were kids again. We each hopped through the doorway one last time, not to some strange world this time, but to a whole new adventure.