Some New Writing to Love!

 Go read them!!  Then comment!



 

http://happinessworks.ca/2014/11/20/how-to-love-unconditionally/

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

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

"How to Make An Almond Cupcake with Salted Caramel Butter cream Frosting " by Erykah M

Can’t decide between sweet and salty? Here is the perfect recipe for the sweet and salty lovers! This is a delicious almond cupcake with salted caramel frosting, I usually make these cupcakes at any family get together or special occasion. This recipe is pretty easy to recreate inexpensive and of course it taste really good! 

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

·         1 (18.25 oz.) white cake mix

·         1 cup buttermilk

·         1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

·         1 tsp. almond extract

·         1 tsp. vanilla

·         4 eggs

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

·         1/4 cup sugar

·         2 Tbsp. water

·         1/4 cup heavy cream

·         1 tsp. vanilla

·         3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, softened

·         2 cups powdered sugar

 

Directions

Cupcakes

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake cups in the cupcake trays with paper liners.

Step 2: In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a mixing bowl mix together the sugar ½ cup of margarine until blended well.

Step 3: Add in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined also stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Carefully beat in the flour mixture along with the milk.

Step 4: You can use an ice cream scooper to spoon an even amount of batter in each cup or you can use any spoon of your choice. Fill each cup into the prepared cupcake cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Step 5: Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes

Frosting

Step 1: To make caramel add the brown sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, corn syrup, and vanilla into a large saucepam over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until it gets thick it should take about 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool to warm (not hot) temperature.

Step 2: Add the cream, a little bit at a time until the caramel has the consistency of honey. Mix in a pinch of salt, and allow to cool to room temperature.

 Step 3: Mix the salted butter with the sugar in a bowl  with an electric mixer (or any mixer you have) on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy; slowly add and beat in the caramel, a tablespoon at a time, beating until the frosting is smooth.

When all the steps are complete, you can decorate and add to the frosting. A suggestion you can do is to drizzle the caramel on top of the frosting and also add a pinch of sea salt on top or almonds. Enjoy! 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/218217/almond-cupcake-with-salted-caramel-buttercream-frosting/

"How to Take Someone on a Date" by Miren C

 Nowadays teenagers have a misconception on dating. No, not dating as in girlfriend or
boyfriend; simply dating as in taking a person out to get to know each other more. “Dating” can
take place with people in a relationship or before a possible relationship occurs. Some
teenagers think of dating as going to movies or texting and asking that person to be their
significant other. This “How to” talks about how to take someone on a date to get to know each
other more.

Step 1: Choosing
First, you need to figure out who you’re going to ask on a date. Is it the cute girl in your math
class? Is it the “really hot” guy that you see during passing period but never talked to? Is it the
person you ask for a piece of paper from during class?

Step 2: Make Yourself Noticed
Stand out from everybody else. You need to introduce yourself to them and get to know each
other a little bit. Figure out if this is really the person you want to take on a date.
A way for you to start a conversation is to take a picture of them and ask for their name and say
you are in Yearbook (I have done this twice and I am not in Yearbook). Another way to start a
conversation is simple, be friendly and make friends with that person.
WARNING: Do not stand out by stalking or following them!

Step 3: Ask that Person on a Date
By now, you should know who you want to take on a date. The person you want to take should
be used to you by now. Now is the time where you stand up and take the risk of asking the
person on a date. Be simple, just say the words “Do you want to go on a date with me?” This
step does not have to be anything big.
WARNING: There is a chance of the person rejecting you.

Step 4 (If that person accepts): Planning
Congratulations, the person you asked agreed to go on a date with you. Since you are the
person who asked to go on a date, most likely you’re the person who has to plan it. This step is
where the nerves kick in, the person accepted the date and now you have to make it a
memorable one. Take into consideration the other person, it may be something you like to do
but the other person might hate it.
The planning stage, this step does not have to be extravagant. A simple picnic at the park or a
nice coffee date will suffice.
TIP: Here are a few first date ideas that I have done and it ended up being memorable.
● “Coffee date”: Visit a local coffee shop or any Starbucks. Enjoy a nice drink and a nice
conversation getting to know each other a little more.

● “Study date”: If both of you have an upcoming test, meet up at the library and study
together. Help each other when needed.
● “Movie Marathon/ TV Show date”: Find a common tv show or movie that both of you
guys enjoy and binge watch that series or movie. Do not forget the snacks; such as
popcorn, candy, and some drinks.
● “Picnic date”: Go to a grocery store together and buy all kinds of food. Once this is done,
go to a local park and have a picnic.
● “Cheap date”: If you are trying to save money, a nice free date is stargazing together or
taking a walk around the city.

Step 5: Preparing Yourself for the Date
Depending on what kind of date you have you do not have to be all fancy in a suit or a nice
dress. If it is a dinner date go ahead dress nice, there is no problem with dressing up and going
on a date. However, if you are having a movie marathon date or a “stay home” kind of date I
suggest that you will try to present yourself nicely. Wear your nice pair of sweatpants not the
faded kind, wear a nice clean shirt, and do your hair. No matter what kind of date it is be
presentable. Do not under dress but do not over dress, think about the kind of date you have
planned. NEVER go on a date not groomed.

Step 6: The Actual Date
Do not be scared, the person you asked already said yes. Now is the time to go through with
your plan. Have a good time and do not let the date become boring. Do not be afraid if your date
does not go as planned. The date will run smoothly and it will go in different paths. Have fun and
keep the conversation going, make them laugh and want to go out on another date with you.

I hope you have a good time on your date and do not be scared. Take the risk because in the
future you will either regret not asking the other person on a date or you will love that you asked
them on a date. Have a good time on your date!

“The Letter Not in My Name” By Audriana Y

Checking the mail is a normal thing that we do every day and as teenagers don't think much of it considering our parents pay for almost everything. So as we sort through the bills and junk mail searching for a piece of mail that might just be for me. If there is something, it's normally just a coupon for a store or something unimportant. Today is different though as an envelope catches my eye it’s sent to my grandma and it’s from my mom. Also just an important statement at the moment my mom is in Chicago visiting my aunt who recently moved out there and I'm staying with my grandparents, but why wouldn't she just text us or call if it was this important that she sent a letter? Wanting to open it but then realize that since it's not sent to me then obviously I shouldn't open it but my curiosity takes over and I find myself opening the envelope and as I'm about to take out the letter it's snatched out of my hand. As I looked up to see who it is I see it’s my grandma. As she starts reading the letter she looks up at me and in her eyes I see sadness and a hint of confusion. She hands me the letter and as i’m reading it I can feel the tears in my eyes threatening to fall any second now, And the only thing that is running through my head is why didn't she tell me before.

" How to Get Over a TV Show That's Ending" by Evan T

     Let’s be honest, you’re probably in the middle of a show and enjoying it to the
point where you will not shut up about it to your friends. But at some point, that show is
going to meet its bitter end and you won’t know what to do when it does. Fear not, that’s
probably why you picked this entry to read.

Step 1: Acceptance
They say that the first step is the hardest. This will definitely be the hardest thing
to do when it comes to TV. Once you finish a show, you think,”Oh, there will probably be
another season. Right? Right?! RIGHT?!?!” Sorry to say but there won’t be. The only
thing you can do is slowly count the days until the end… of the show I mean. The only
thing you can do is count the days until the show meets it’s bitter end with your friends.
But then comes the next part.

Step 2: The Depression
Once you have accepted that the show you love has ended, you now enter “the
depression.” In this state it will be obvious that your spirit is broken from your great loss
of your favorite characters and such. And if your friends are oblivious to this, they’ll ask,
“Hey, why do you look so sad and depressed?,” and then you’ll break into the puppy
eyes and explain your TV loss. The best remedy for this is to hang with your friends who
are suffering the same kind of TV loss as you. Maybe get together, sit around eating
desserts, rewatch your favorite moments in the show and noticing the small details.
There’s no shame in that at all.

Step 3: Desires
This is the more interesting stage in the process. In this stage, you will start to
rewatch the show and have sudden cravings for specific things to happen. For instance,
I recently rewatched Sword Art Online and noticed a moment between two characters in
the first episode that seemed somewhat romantic. I then proceeded to “ship” them,
basically meaning that I put them in a relationship, hence the term ”ship.” Almost all the
time, you will go through this when rewatching a show: you notice the small details, you
point them out, you may even start shipping people you would’ve never “shipped,” and
then you start turning into a hot mess and start bragging that you now ship “so and so”
with “so and so.” The best cure for these desires… fanfiction. This may sound odd, but it
actually works like magic. If you have any sort of desire that you want to have happen,
the world of fanfiction will have it.

Step 4: Something New
This sounds fairly obvious to everyone. So once you’ve gone through all the
other steps, feel free to watch another show that you might like. At some point, you’ll
forget about the show and move on to the next one. But eventually, you’ll have to go
through the process again, and again, and again. So happy watching!

"How to get over not having a valentine" by Mackenzie T

     February 14, is a day that many of us dread every year but here are some
ways to avoid having a terrible day. By following these simple tips you can make
the day like any other. I am no expert on love but I do know it’s hard to see couples
all over each other.
     One thing you can do is hangout with friends and enjoy being single with
them. Plan a fun night thats allows you guys to have just as much fun as if you
were with your crush. Movies, snacks, makeovers are all fun things to do even on
normal nights so this way you can pamper yourself and have bonding time. Don’t
worry guys you can do this too, i’m not sure exactly what guys do but do what
guys do whenever they hangout.
     You can also do things by yourself if you need to. Do things that you love
and that make you happy. Watch you favorite movie and eat your favorite things,
whatever you want!
     Valentine's day shouldn’t be just for those in a relationship but it should be
based on those who love each other. Use this day to show anyone and everyone
how much you love them. Always remember that you shouldn't need anyone to
prove how worthy of love you are because you are. If you do have a valentine that
is awesome and you're one lucky person! Whatever you this day be safe and have
fun.

“The Real Titanic Story” by Marco G

     One day I was going on a trip to go to New York. I wasn’t planning on going in a
car. I was was going on this enormous boat it was very classy and a truly amazing
sight.The people there called it the Titanic. While I was on my way going up the boat an
odd man with blonde hair bumped into me yelling,”I won tickets to go to New York
City!!!”.After we sailed i saw this beautiful red headed woman, she looked very wealthy.
But one day i was walking on the poop deck minding my own business until I heard
screaming I went to go check it out and all i saw was the blonde man saving the red
headed girl.Later on the next day i was walking around looking for a bathroom because
them fish food and my stomach don’t mix well.So as i was looking for one I saw the
same blonde man who bumped into me and the same red headed lady who almost fell
overboard, spitting out the boat. It seemed like the blonde man was teaching her how to
spit a loogie.
     I was disgusted so i threw up the fish back in the ocean. Then later that night I went to
bed.and a heavy thump awoken me from my slumber ,It was like 2 in the morning still
dark. So I went to get check out what was happening. When I was on my way to talk to
the captain to know what that thump was I saw big chunks of ice on the poop deck. So
when I finally made it to the captain's headquarters. I saw the same blonde man and the
same redheaded women except this time they were holding hands. But it seemed like
those two were talking something very important with the captain. So I thought
something fishy was going on. As I was being nosey trying to know what they were
talking about the captain I overheard them say that the Titanic has hit a giant iceberg
and has made a breach in the lower belly part of the ship.
     The redheaded woman and blonde man asked “How long do we have until the entire
ship sinks?” and the captain responded saying “We have about only one hour”. The
blonde man says “Shall we tell the citizens on this boat?” and the captain says “No we
don’t want to make the people panic.” When I heard them have that “private
conversation” I knew that I had to do something. So I packed my belongings and fled. I
took an escape boat by myself,I warned the people but they did not believe me. When I
was already in a safe distance. I could still see the boat. It began to lift itself from the
water, as I saw the people fall down from it and hit the cold water,I didn’t know if I
should leave or go back and save the others.After the boat finally sank to the bottom of
the ocean. I decided to go back and save the survivors. It would take me a while to go
back,But when I finally got there mostly everyone got froze to death. So I decided to
give up and go, But as I began to paddle away I could a whistle in the distance. So I
decided to follow the whistle and I would not believe my eyes. It was the redheaded lady
with a whistle in her mouth and she was laying on a floating wooden door. I asked what
was her name, and she said...Rose.

"Passion" by Janus B

      From the moments that we spent as children playing with Fisher Price toys, to our scarring, hyper hormonal adolescent years, we have always been urged by adults to "make the most of our youth." We see the sagacious, wrinkled elderly sitting in rocking chairs with nothing to do but stare at television screens, and we are encouraged to do something with our lives before we turn into them. We are told to find a career that best suits our ambitions, and expected to decide what we picture ourselves doing for the remainder of our lifetimes before we are even considered legal adults. For as much as we know, we are pressured into investing our leisure into extracurricular activities in hopes of finding something that genuinely captivates our interests, in order to "discover ourselves." You cannot discover yourself until you spend your time doing things that expose parts of you that you have never before seen. Much like a multi-layered onion, we must peel ourselves by doing things that appeel to us until we reach our true centers.
     If you have ever stopped yourself in the midst of doing something that you do quite frequently and observed a sense of completion and certainty, then you have thus found passion. Passion is when you are doing something and you just know for sure that it is right. In that very moment that you have lost yourself in happiness and yet found yourself because it just makes you so  happy, you feel completed, as if you have just discovered parts of you that you have never seen before.
     Passion is when someone asks you a question about your obsession and you are able to perfectly describe to them all of the exhilaration that surges through your veins whenever you are lost in doing it; or, on the contrary, not being able to find the right words that depict this exhilaration no matter how many times you have tried describing it because it just means so much to you that you cannot express your feelings about it, and instead, you feel frustration.
     Passion is when you have spent hours on end on your hobby, and yet, whenever you face difficulties in doing so, you don't feel stress. No matter how much stress you actually have, it isn't stress, because at the end of the day it ultimately brings you happiness. If it makes you happy, then you will travel great measures to stress yourself out over it just to reach your happiness.
     Before you find yourself, you must find what you are passionate for. You are the best version of yourself whenever you are doing whatever makes you happy. Instead of throwing away your precious youth and doing nothing with your life, I encourage you to invest yourself into different things and to discover this type of passion. Strive for this discovery no matter how much judgment, disagreement, or pressure that you face in the questions of others. Find a career that makes you feel completion and certainty.

"Everyone Has a Story to Tell" by Paul C

     For me, it always seems to be my journey through competitive shooting. “Shooting? I'm sorry, can you repeat that?”, seems to always be the same response I get when I tell people of my sport. In short, competitive shooting is a sport separated into a multitude of categories such as skeet shooters, rifle shooters, pistol shooters, running rifle shooters... well you get the point. My journey began in the category of pistol shooting, which is also broken into multiple categories as well. It was evident from the very beginning when I started the sport, it is vaguely appreciated. I receive comments about the sport stating it as “it's just a hobby”, “shootings easy” and the most irritating comment of all “it's not even a sport”. However, I've come to realize that the community of competitive shooting was enough to convince me that I was doing a sport worth putting my time and effort into. I began competitive shooting since I was in 7th grade. My mother found a newspaper ad on the Korean Daily Newspaper about a coach in West Covina training young youths to shoot guns. Sounds like what an average mother would do for her child; train him/her to use a gun in Junior High. The Pistol division have several categories. My pistol team participated mainly on 10m Air Pistol (a competitor has 1 hour 45 minutes to record 60 shots onto their targets to gain a score out of 600), 25m Rapid Rife (a competitor shoots a series of 5 bullets on 5 separate targets in time intervals of 8 seconds, 6 seconds, and 4 seconds), 25m Sport Pistol (a competitor focuses on a single target shooting a series of 5 bullets), and 50m Free Pistol (similar to 10m Air Pistol except the gun uses live rounds and now shoots at a range of 50m). My first day in shooting began with me meeting my coach and touching a gun for the first time in my life. Little did I know that this sport will soon become my best friend and my gateway to a world of adventure that I would've never experienced as the latchkey kid I grew up to be.
      My most cherished moment was on December 15th, 2013 at Colorado Springs in the Olympic Training Center where I received my entitlement as a Junior National Team Member for the US Olympic Shooting team. It was the third day of 10m Air Pistol in the Olympic Training Center shooting range. As of the second day, I was placed 9th out of 97 competitors during that day, 6 of which were my teammates. First place was Wyatt Brown from Colorado with a total score of 1156. Second place was Alex Chichkov from Florida 1154, and Brian Kim(my teammate) from California with a score of 1132. I had a total score of 1100. At the end of the third day I was now placed 7th, now qualified to enter the finals. Finals in 10m Air Pistol result in the top 8 players starting from a score of 0, shooting a series of 10 shots to see who gets the highest score. Unlike our 60 shot rounds, Finals count in decimal points. If I shot straight into the heart of the target, I would receive a 10.9. The Finals we're interesting that year. Three competitors were younger siblings of Olympic athletes, three of us were from the same team, and the last two competitors were new faces to the game. Finals began with me panicking. This was always a problem of mine, a crowd of people behind the athletes staring at the electronic board that recorded our every shot was too much for me mentally. My first two shots were a 5, and a 7. I was already placed dead last. Will Brown, Alex Chichkov, and Justin Ahn, were all placed the top three with two 10's. Then a weird rush came over me. 10, after 10, after 10, after 10, after 10, for eight straight shots obliterated my target. I climbed out of my eighth place position and climbed to second. In any nationally ranked game, the top two competitors are chosen as the new additions to the national team. I wasn't happy over the fact that I earned the title as a National Member, but more happy over what I gained from receiving such an honor. December 15th, 2013 was more of a jumpstart to my exciting journey as a national team member. My first International competition was in Plzen, Czech Republic for the 23rd Meeting of the Shooting Hopes game. International games were evidently no joke. These competitors from other countries spent countless more hours than I have training. I would spend 60 hours a week just standing on my two feet, but I could tell these international competitors groveled and bled their way through such a buildup for their physical body and mental stability. It's become senior year and I've been inactive in the competitive scene for over a year now. I missed my invitationals to Spain, Brazil, and Germany for the past year.    
     Anyway, this my story about shooting. Shooting has shaped me to become more patient and work harder for my goals. Receiving emails and messages from teammates and my foreign friends always remind me that shooting is what has made me... well me. I despised the me who was content staying home. Shooting allowed me to expand my view upon the world, make new friends, and understand that there is more than just Fontana, or Rancho Cucamonga. Here are a few links to the shooting categories for pistol: 10m Air Pistol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgcYZJfGPPU 25m Sport Pistol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzziEY7VcWg 25m Rapid Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8QuLYXKNCg 50m Free Pistol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5kcX3OrT88

"Identity" by Brenda D

     I am an individual who has a name. A name gives each person an identification and proves their existence out of millions of people in the world. Every time I meet someone new, it begins with casual hellos and goodbyes. With the excitement of introducing myself and giving them a glimpse of my personality, I am left with “goodbye Brian’s little sister.” I know it is common for people to wonder about themselves, but I wondered “Who am I?” However, that question was answered. Instead of Brenda, I was labeled as “Brian’s little sister.” I was stripped of the thing that identified me as an individual, separate from anyone else.
      The initial growth to my brother’s popularity, was due to the fact that he served in Key Club, a community based club that focused on leadership, caring about others, character building, and inclusiveness. Key club was a unique service club on campus because it not only includes the community service aspect, the members in the club were able to shout cheers and openly exhibited their endless amounts of passion for the club. The passion of the club made persuaded for him to make a name for himself by serving as Key Club's President and Treasurer. I realized that if my brother made a name for himself through Key Club, then this was my opportunity to let people know me as Brenda Do. I decided to run for Key Club’s Secretary.
      As I went through the interview process, I had doubts about myself. I was someone who did not have qualities of being a leader. The election involved a speech, but public speaking always terrified me. However, I was willing to overcome my fear in order to have the opportunity to serve the club and to let others hear who I am. Unfortunately, during the speech, I froze and forgot everything I memorized. Instead of letting my fear consume me, I started speaking from my heart, saying that even if I had to sacrifice, I would do it for the benefit of the club. Even if those sacrifices met losing sleep and doing extra. To my surprise, after the long awaited process, it was announced that I would be the Key Club’s Secretary for 20152016 . I was in awe and disbelief that I was elected for the position, but I did not realize the amount of dedication and effort that had to be put into this position. From that experience, I realized that I had to be confident and not let my fears hinder me from reaching my goals.
      I was blinded by the greed of wanting to make myself known that I forgot the responsibilities of a secretary. At first, I felt overwhelmed with all of my new responsibilities. I had no experience as a secretary, let alone a leader. As time went by, I realized that Key Club was definitely not about the spirit and service. It was about harmonizing the four core values of Key Club into our everyday life and teaching these precious core values to people who tend to forget these things. I was reminded of these core values when I attended workshops that helped me trained to become a substantial leader. As I was trained, I learned that it was more than simply taking notes. It was the backbone of the club. In Key Club, the secretary serves as a mom; someone who guides and reaches out to the members and shows each individual that their existence is important. I made sure that I knew each and every one of their names so that nobody would feel forgotten or unknown like I had in the past.
     Through this opportunity, I am grateful for those who labeled me as “Brian’s little sister.” It prompted me to do something that would set me apart from my brother. Being in Key Club and having the once in a lifetime experience of serving others, is a moment that has changed my outlook on life. Before I was given the privilege, I was solely thinking about giving myself an identity, but I have learned much more there is to life. I am now able to care for and interact with others. I have blossomed and matured into somebody that is a good person: a leader who helps others build character by being inclusive and caring. As a result, I was given the nickname “Mama Do” by taking initiative to care for others and being there with open arms. I can now confidently change the answer to the question “Who am I?” I am someone making a difference in people's lives as Brenda Do, not as Brian's little sister.

"Hey! Look. A Distraction" by Alonso T

      I remember back at the beginning of the year when the blog entry was first assigned, I had the grand idea of write a well planned out and intricate fiction story that was going to have a lot of imagery and an amazing plot twist at the end that would make everyone cry. Fast forward to the day before the entry is due, I am now sitting here at my desk not knowing what to write about, drinking a Dr. Pepper soda and having this assignment due in a little over 8 hours. That my friends is a 5 month long stretch of procrastination.
     As a young student, I, along with many of my peers, procrastinate… A LOT. The idea itself of procrastination has no logic behind it. Never have I ever had a logical reason for putting anything off to a later time. 100% of the time when I procrastinate I just sit there and stare into space or shop for light sabers or ask why is Lily Collins so hot. The matter of fact is that there is no reason to procrastinate but people still do. We as procrastinators understand that we either do the work now and take the time to put actual thought into what we are doing, or do what I am doing right now and mash our thoughts together into something that looks like effort at last minute. More often than not, option 2 is the winner.
     As a procrastinator I’ve heard plenty of ways to get over procrastination and have even seen scientific research about how to “cure” procrastination as if it were some kind of disease. Yes maybe procrastination can be seen that way, but, being the avid procrastinator that I am, I often bookmark the article for later. I now have 12 articles of studies conducted on procrastination and I have never read any of them all the way through. However most criticism probably comes from an actual person such as a parent or maybe even a teacher. They often say thing such as, “You need to get your priorities straight.” or “Why are you so lazy?” or “Don’t you have work to be doing?” Sometimes it has nothing to do with not having priorities straight or being lazy or not knowing of work. Procrastination can result from over confidence as well as under confidence. When someone is over confident they could think they can finish 3 hours of work in 1 or that no matter what amount of pressure they are in they will produce good work. I find it that, however, most procrastination stems from the lack of confidence, and, when in this situation, one often believes that they are not capable of producing good work. The incapable feeling traps one inside their own head and can literally stop them from being able to think logically and work effectively.
     Regardless of all of what i just argued, there is no excuse for procrastinating. As difficult as it may seem, the work has to get done regardless and we just need to suck it up and do the the work. It makes no sense as to why we would torture ourselves and stay up till the middle of the night finishing homework because we wanted to watch The Walking Dead or any other television program that may be dragging people away from work. Procrastination is not a key to success. I am Alonso Torres, and I am an professional procrastinator.

"What We Are Capable Of" by Amber T

      Time and time again, I’ve heard the phrase “Do you have a ‘thing’ with that person?” continuously used by our friends and classmates a rather ambiguous, uncertain question. Yet we all understand what they’re referring to, the possibility of a relationship with that other person or rather the potential of love. That simple word, “ potential” . It’s not too difficult of a word, I mean we are all aware of its existence and usage, but why is it when we question the very uncertainty of one’s relationship that we still use the word ‘thing’? Perhaps, we are still slightly confused with the word (quite frankly, I still am) and all of it’s importance.
      Potential is defined as having the capability to develop into something bigger, possibly more successful or life changing, etc. It is a word that quantifies our possibilities. But we can’t really distinguish our own possibilities whether it’s regarding our relationship or ourselves in general. We fail to look past the present towards the future, deeming ourselves of being incapable of growth. It is rather difficult to see where and what you’ll be like ten, five, or even a year from now. Will I be a successful young nurse or will I still be sitting here, simply eating a cookie until enough time passes by that I realize there is work to be done? Maybe that’s why we use the assumed ‘thing’ in our generation, to try to make up for our confusion on just what is all of our potential and what does that mean.
     But that’s just it. We aren’t supposed to know our potential. It’s an infinite list of just what is possible of what you’re possible of. You’re meant to be confused. I know I am with the upcoming acceptances and decisions that plague me in the very near future. But this uncertainty of what may be, is simply a catalyst for how and what you should do at this present time. That you should behave and make decisions, not completely disregarding how it’ll affect your future, but for you to grow and experience life for all of its possibilities good or bad. Of course you’ll falter from time to time, but hey you’re going to try your best to become that person you want to be in the future. Your potential is what you make of it for we are all capable of something more, of something great and amazing. And that doesn’t mean you have to be a renowned musician or director, but that you can be a kind, caring, hardworking individual that tries their absolute hardest to discover just what their potential is. So go ahead and stop and help that kid who dropped all their books during passing period or defend your opinion, no matter how different it may be from others, because there you’ll realize that you are not defined by your potential, but by your experiences to try to live up to who you want to be, a potentially outstanding person.

"Transition" by Jethro P

     Think back to your first day of school. You were about five or six years old, being walked
to the classroom for the first time ever. Think back to the clothes you wore in your younger
years or the Power Ranger or Spongebob backpack that made you a popular kid at school.
     Think back to learning the letters of the alphabet and how to count. Think back to meeting your
first best friend or imaginary friend (no one’s judging), having your first sleepover and eating
junk food all night, having your first red card pulled on you and crying about it (maybe this was
just a “me” thing), and all the infinite firsts that may come to mind.
Let’s fast forward to junior high school. Most of us felt like adults already going in sixth
grade. If it was anything like Ned’s Declassified: School Survival Guide then you would have
thought middle school was insane. However, what we thought was serious wasn't really that
serious. We cared about colored skinny jeans, jerking, hitting the dougie, buying silly bands, and
the list goes on.
     Present day, here we are doing things we would actually do in the real word, or what our
elementary school selves would call “grown up stuff”. It's great that we've grown to become
adults but it's kind of depressing at the same time. We don't know when it happened or how but
it did and there's nothing we could do about it. We can't go back because time only moves
forward. In a blink of an eye, apple juice turned into alcohol, blowing bubbles suddenly became
marijuana and cigarettes, candy became drugs, sleep overs turned into parties, scooters turned
into cars, best friends became strangers, and coloring books became study guides. Suddenly,
everyone drives and we become less dependent of our parents. When did that happen? When
did we stop asking for rides and permission from our parents? Life just flashes by and we are
unaware of it. Every time we look back at where we came from, the road becomes longer and
what happened yesterday soon becomes what happened a year ago.
     There's a beauty in all this, though. Every time we reminisce about childhood memories,
we can't help but smile. That's the beauty of living our lives; everything comes to an end. That
makes every memory that much more precious. As graduation day approaches, high school has
to come to an end but we can look back and see all of the friendships we made and reminisce
about every major event that helped shape us into who we will be. It's a good thing that
everything comes to an end because it teaches us how to love harder, grow stronger and
cherish every tiny detail in our lives. Once you learn how to accept that everything comes to an
end, you can live every day happy and content. Life can go faster than you think but you can
slow it down and just appreciate everything in between.

"Now That's What I Call a Cup of Tea" by Elise B

            I have always been ambitious. Some may call me a dreamer while others may simply call me crazy. Whatever the title, I have chosen to live a life without boundaries in hopes that one day I will have a positive impact in this world. One of my many life goals is to open a nonprofit organization focused on helping women in third world countries to overcome poverty.

            Kind of crazy huh? If you are wondering why I have such a strong passion to help others that I may never meet, you would not be the first. I have gotten countless questions, sideways stares, and the infamous judgmental head-nods when I have explained my aspirations to adults and my peers.

            However, contrary to popular belief, I am inspired by my family that came before me and their stories. Growing up, I was always reminded of the many blessings and to never turn my back on my heritage. My family is from Belize (don’t feel bad if you have never heard of it). The home of my heritage is a small third world country with the population of Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga combined and can be traversed with a four hour car ride. While my humble beginnings may seem uncomfortably small, I am proud to call myself an American-Belizean. My family and their stories inspire me to work harder and dream bigger. My abuela (grandmother) for instance, has always been a great story teller and also a source of inspiration to me. We would talk for hours and simply discuss the idiosyncrasies of life, dreams, and her life.

            It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon as I sit with my abuela on the porch sipping cinnamon tea with freshly baked ‘powder buns’. My abuela, with her leathery lips and aged eyelids stares out into the pouring rain that stirs memories of days spent in the sugar cane fields of Belize. I listen intently as I know that every word is pure wisdom.

            She reminisces “The rain was pouring down in sheets and I didn’t have time to get to the hato (makeshift hut). Before I knew it I was face down in the mud again in the middle of the field and paralyzed in fear that your grandfather would see me. Two workers were sick and no replacements were available. Fire from the neighbor’s crop had spread to our field and burned our cane prematurely. If we couldn’t get this crop harvested on time, a year of hard work would be lost.

            With eight kids to feed, and six workers with families, losing our crop was not optional. To salvage our field your grandfather and I had to jump in and help. The rain prevented any work the rest of the day, it was only 2:00pm. We all piled up in the Land Rover, eight of us, wet, dirty with soot, 5 seats. The potholes from the unpaved roads made the ride home seem like an eternity.

            As we neared home we could see silhouettes of little children waiting at the window. They knew the extent of dad’s exhaustion very well and they gathered around to help him take off his rubber boots and wet socks. His contribution to this process: lying in utter defeat on a wooden chair.  

            Next was helping my eldest daughter finish the black beans, tortillas and ‘habanero machucado’ (pepper sauce) for dinner. As we worked, I thought about how a worker would tell him about how they had to retrieve me from the mud once again. The fact that a woman’s help was needed to get the job done had demolished his ego and pride. The next day I had to plea to be allowed to join them at the fields again. Begging was a small price to pay to ensure we met my oldest son’s high school tuition so that he might have a chance at an office job.

            From the kitchen, I heard grandpa get up and run to his friend’s knocking at the door. They were off again to drink the little money we had for food. I said a prayer in my head and hoped that he would remember the talk we had and come home after only one drink.”

            One thing that my grandmother and I have in common is our determination to succeed despite the doubt of others. My grandmother worked her hardest with the supplies she was given and never ceased to amaze me with her strength. At age sixty, my grandmother earned her GED. I am proud to say that this year, I will add my name to the short list of people in my family that will graduate high school and pursue a higher education.

            Hard work is engrained in my soul. Despite the doubt in people’s eyes, I am determined to succeed in helping people and making this world a better place. My life will not be defined by the boundaries set by the generations before me, but rather by my vision for a better world.