15-Jacob P.-Man's Best Friend

Man’s Best Friend Are you more like: cats or dogs? There is a reason as to why dogs are widely regarded as “man’s best friend”. These animals have been with us for thousands of years. From wolves to the domesticated dogs that we know today, these creatures have helped us perform a variety of jobs in our extensive history. For example, dogs such as the St. Bernard was bred to rescue people who are trapped in a snowy-frozen environment. Another example would be the german shepherd which was bred to protect its handlers if there was an active and present danger. Even if these different breeds of dogs are not being used for their intended purpose, they still serve as great companions. Dogs also drastically improve the quality of your life since they are essentially a close friend of yours. Nothing matches the great feeling when you arrive back at your house after a long, stressful day and you're immediately greeted by the excited panting and barking of your dog who is ecstatic that you are finally home, not even caring about the hardships you have had to endure that day. Moments, such as these, are enough for anybody to immediately forget about their worries and troubles that they may be having on that day. In my experience, I have never met any other type of creature that I always looked forward to seeing whenever I came back from school or a long trip. I also have never met any other type of creature that has left a major impact on me and my family’s lives. (256)

15 - Abhishek Sahota: Watch How You Treat Others

The way we interact with people in our everyday lives can, unbeknownst to us, have great impacts on the trajectory of their lives. How we chose to carry ourselves and whether or not we treat people with respect can determine how those we speak and work with think of themselves. 

Trying to uplift those around us creates lasting impacts that cause you to be a memorable figure in people’s lives. They will think about you and recall the nice words or considerate actions that may have seemed mundane or not of note to yourself.

Everyone who leaves this earth will leave a legacy. It is up to each person to decide what kind of impact they want to leave behind and how they want to be remembered. Standing up for what is right, spreading positivity when possible, and letting others know how much you value them are ways of leaving a meaningful legacy that does not involve accumulating vast amounts of resources or wealth. 

These can be achieved independently of wealth though admittedly someone with wealth may have a greater ability to help the world. The scale on which you help is not necessarily a big factor in determining the value of your legacy. Because to the people you create a positive impact you are an admirable, respectable figure despite how much a millionaire may have given to a specific cause.

The takeaway is that people take note of how you treat them and then remember it. The legacy you leave behind is contingent on you being an upright individual.

15 - Cecylia B: 4th of july at el rancho

When I was younger I would always go to my tio’s rancho for 4th of July. He had lots of horses and I used to ride them around the ranch all the time. There were also these two dogs that were so sweet that I would always feed scraps to them but most of the time they were herding the sheep. This specific 4th of july though we partied, ate delicious food, and just hung out till it was dark to set off the fireworks as you do. Lets just say, hypothetically we would buy these legal *wink* *wink* fireworks out of someone's trunk the day of. Me and my cousins were told we could pick one thing out but it had to be something we could set off ourselves, and looking back on it now we shouldn’t have been trusted with bottle rockets. Anyways sparklers were my favorite so naturally I always got a box of them but this 4th of july my dumb self decided to wear flip flops. So when I got the sparklers one of the sparks just happened to land right on my foot. I remember it like it was yesterday, it hurt so bad and I still have a scar to this day. Everyone felt bad for me and tried to cheer me up because I was the first born grandchild and obviously the favorite. It wasn’t all bad though because the rest of the night I was babied and given ice cream and basically whatever I wanted. It was definitely a 4th of july to remember.

15 - Em Lin - Lasting Effect

 Week #15 - Lasting effect

    I have always wondered, since I was a kid, why my family in China had shrines and many traditions that we would do every year during Chinese New Years to honor loved ones that have passed away, but I do wonder sometimes if I, myself, will be forgotten completely in a couple years after I pass away or will someone be there to preserve my memory. Leaving a big mark and impact on this world would be the only way for people to remember you once you have passed away and left behind a legacy. I don't really care if I´m forgotten, but I would like to do something one day that would be impactful enough to leave my mark on the world. Many people in history will never be forgotten such as political leaders, and some get forgotten too easily, but deserved far more to be remembered.

    I think that´s one of the reasons I want to be an FBI agent so badly. Not that I want to be remembered, but to allow a chance for other people to be remembered. It would be pretty sad, to see and realize that your entire existence was forgotten like you never existed in the first place. However, I don't really think it´s a bad thing to be forgotten, nowadays people become famous for a lot of wrong things. Whether it be for past mistakes or current mistakes more people are infamous than famous, and if that´s the case, then I would much rather just be forgotten. 

Word Count: 255

15: Kalle Pach's Life

 Every single thanksgiving, we make a signature dish that has so much meaning behind it. Nobody actually likes the dish, it's a dish common in Iran that is honestly unappealing, both flavor wise and looks wise. Yet still, we make it every single year.

            Why would we want to make a dish that barely gets touched? Spend so much time on it, just for the plate to be full still by the end of the night?

It was my aunt's favorite.

            Each year, she would make a small portion, for about 4 people, hoping that one day, someone else would want to indulge in her favorite meal with her. And no one ever did.

            Ever.

            But that didn't stop her. She spent hours the night before Thanksgiving preparing and creating this, and the morning of, more hours on the finishing touches. No one would ever eat it with her, but we all laughed at how much she loved it. 

           When she died in 2013, we were all heartbroken. Heartbroken. I didn't even want to move. But Thanksgiving was right around the corner. My grandma spent all the hours my aunt once did on 4 portions of a dish. It sat right in the middle of our table when the night finally came.

    None of us even wanted to eat without her there, radiating a smile throughout the kitchen, the reflection of her teeth beaming off of the granite kitchen countertop. But the most amazing thing happened shortly after we all began grabbing food.

    My grandma, the main cook, started the Thanksgiving line off, grabbing all of her favorites- the dirty rice, ghormeh sabzi, TahDig, “the works” she called it. But when she came to the Kalle pach (My aunt’s favorite, a sheep head and hoof soup), she didn’t pass by it for once. My aunt always mixed it with her rice, so my grandma put the smallest spoonful imaginable on her plate, and when she sat down, mixed it with a bit of her rice. 

    We all followed her. One by one, no matter how much we all hated it (and only god knows how much I absolutely despised this dish), we put a spoonful on our plate and took a bite with rice. I remember all the wincing faces and slight gags, but the huge grins taking form after.

She will never know that we did this for her, but every year after, we kept the tradition alive-

We kept my aunt’s legacy alive.

She was the brightest face in the room, every second of everyday, and we all actively try to pursue the life for us she wanted- happy. She always said there is no point of life without happiness, and I didn’t see that being true until after she died. Her words ring in my head each morning I wake up and each night I fall asleep.

Doing something so little, once a year, seems like it hasn’t or couldn’t make any sort of difference. But we all realized that it can, and it will. I look forward to each thanksgiving, where we can all pay our respects to my aunt, even if it means starting my meal off with a bite of the chunkiest, worst smelling food you could ever think about.

We do it all, to keep her memory

Alive. 

WORD COUNT: 555

15 - Mel B. - MELativity

MELativity

    I know that when leaving a legacy it's usually a lasting impact that was left on the world. I personally don't want to leave a legacy on the world but I'd much rather leave it to, or impact the people who I consider "my world" such as all the women in my family, my niece and nephew, friends, colleagues, etc. To me they make me the happiest that I've ever been and if I were to leave a mark or affect in a positive way I hope that it is to them because I want to be part of a happy memory in their lives because I feel like it's what I owe them. Well not owe them but they all deserve to have something that reminds them of me, because that's what I know I would've wanted when people walked out of my life or out of this earth. Though I do not know what that legacy is, I ultimately hope to find it throughout my time on earth.

    Creativity, it helps me express myself whether it be through designing the next design for my nails and expressing myself through my nails; people find that so hard to believe, designing and building sets, painting, drawing, etc. People associate me with creativity and use it as a word to express my work ethic and passion. I have my own techniques that I like to use, specific brushes/ tools, certain aesthetics and ideas. I hope that my family can look back on these things and collect my things and reminisce on my life so that they can always have a piece of me. even though it is not me physically but it's a part of me, a piece of something created by me no matter how big or small said object is. The size doesn't matter (do not laugh you nasty) ultimately what matters is the meaning and impact left on them by a piece created by me. 

    My goal in life is to win an Academy Award for best Production and Set Design. Growing up I was never in sports or had to learn an instrument. I have never showcased a talent and have gotten a certificate, a medal, or a trophy like the other kids around me did. I've never received one. I don't really know if I can do that now, I mean I can but every time I've joined an art competition I've always lost but it's okay because that is my humbling experience. But now I have a rational fear of losing and receiving judgment so I try to avoid those kinds of situations. Hopefully In the future I will overcome this fear and I hope it'll be gone by the time I'm nominated for an Oscar. It'll take a while to get there. Not sure for how long but I know that I want to be a part of the representation of women of color working in the film industry. I pulled a Ghandi like he said “be the change you wish to see in the world” I don't ever see anyone that looks like me on screen or a name that sounds as ethnic as mine in the credits. I was tired of it and if I can be part of that change, then I will. But having my name on the big screen, and receiving an Academy Award will just make me feel things that I have never felt before. Maybe healing my inner child. I never received an award growing up but to receive one of the biggest awards in the entertainment industry would mean so much for me and make it feel like all the struggles that I will face on the path to success will be worth it. Maybe if I was to leave a legacy on the world I hope it's to all young children of color who are striving to make it in the film industry. Maybe even inspire Latinos in film that "si se suede" 

    I feel like ultimately I won't know how I would impact or even leave a legacy on my family or this world.. Well maybe I do, since I just gave two reasons but those are two statements that I typically always use. I can't think of anything really too interesting or meaningful but these things are things that linger in a part of my head. As of now they are hopes and thoughts that I have now but, I am only 17. As of now they are just thoughts but I can't wait for the day they become a reality. Like I said I am only 17, 18 in a week but that's besides the point. I still have my whole life to live and experience new things that will change my mindset and give me new ideas. New ones or not. No one and I mean no one can deny my creativity and passion for design. Change or no change, creativity will always be front and center when it comes to the legacy I leave in this world. 

Word Count 847

15- Genecis Z: Soaked Summer Nights

     I hate Summer. I hate feeling hot. I hate sweating. Yet as a child, summer was exhilarating, it was true bliss. One of my favorite memories from my childhood summers, was running through sprinklers. 

    After an entire day of running around. The sun would glaze my skin and a constant layer of sweat would garnish my body.

    And the best feeling would be running home late in the evening, when the sun was already setting behind the horizon and the sky was painted a gorgeous shade of red and oranges. 

    The wind keeping my hair out of my face when I would pass my neighbors house and hear the light click that would indicate that the sprinklers were due to turn on any second. I’d anxiously wait to see them flicker on and start spraying the grass. 

    The second they did, my small limbs would instantly carry me through the scene of water flying high. Every drop of cold water would hit my burning skin and an instant shiver would fly down my spine. 

    After successfully drowning in the sprinklers, my clothes would be soaking and stuck to my skin, and I would continue my way home. As I ran the wind would force every droplet of water clean off my skin with a sharp cold graze. 

    As I ran past the corner stop where I knew my house would be two blocks away, my smile would drop and I’d prepare to enter. The sky now darkening over and the stars shining through. 

    I’d give a last look up to the sky where the moon would wish me good luck as my soaked figure would finally turn the door knob and my shaky legs would carry me through the door. 

Word Count: 289

15 - Zack Rabold - Quality over quantity

Quality over quantity Legacy is a heavy word. Usually when we think of a legacy we think of people with a large impact on the world as a whole. Kobe Bryant, Walt Disney, Serena Williams, Michael Jackson. All people with a massive legacy known by millions of people everywhere. Most people dream of leaving behind a legacy to compare to the legends I just mentioned, but I think a legacy should be something much more attainable. The legacy I want to leave behind isn’t one of history books. I don’t feel like in order to have a legacy I need to be widely remembered. The saying quality over quantity rings true to me in that I don’t want to be known by everyone, but I want to be remembered well. When I die I don’t care what words are written in my eulogy. “He was such a good man,” isn’t a phrase I want to be spoken but instead one that’s thought of. Anyone can write good things for people to hear. I’ve spent the last many months doing that exact thing to you. Writing all these words so that they sound pleasant. I would be lying to tell you some of them weren’t empty. However I tried my best to pick topics I had actual feelings about. When I would write I wanted my words to fill the page with meaning and thought and maybe even flicker a light of agreement in someone’s head that sticks with them past the three minutes it takes to read and scramble out a comment for a grade. I want my legacy to be one that people are thankful for. Many people are remembered for their humor, or how smart they were, or some other quality that while they’re great to have, don’t inspire anything. They are forgetful. Replicable. Everyone we meet leaves somewhat of an impression in our head. The person who held the door for me the other day, or the girl that cut me off in traffic. Each time we interact with them that impression molds and shapes into perception. How I see someone. When the same person who held the door for me the other day hands me the pencil I dropped or tells me my backpack is open my perception of them grows better and better. One day will be the last day I’ll ever interact with them and if they had the right kind of impact on me, I will remember not the shoes they wore or the car they drove but their character towards me, which will remain as their legacy in my mind. I can only hope to leave a good perception of myself for the character I had towards other people regardless of how many people that is. 461

15 - Hailey M; Sleeping Heals

 Sleeping Heals

During an experiment, healthy adults were either given a full night’s sleep, or sleep deprived. The results of the experiment showed that your sleep cycle involves the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex of your brain. It makes sense for the amygdala to be involved, since it’s the main source for your emotions. So, if you were sleep deprived, the amygdala would be extremely active, while on the other hand, the adults who received a full sleep had normal amygdala activity. The prefrontal cortex is like the control center of your brain, which includes control over the amygdala. The prefrontal cortex of the adults who didn’t receive enough sleep, had lost control over the amygdala, so it was no longer being regulated properly, which leads to the explanation of why we get emotional after not having enough sleep. 

I watched the Ted Talk to hopefully find out why I like to sleep a lot, especially after a major change happens in my life. Matt Walker, the speaker of the Ted Talk, found out from his study that when humans have bad experiences throughout their day, they are able to find peace and heal by sleeping. He also said that sleeping away those bad experiences helped us renew ourselves for the next day, and learned to help cope with our emotions. Sleeping was found to be soothing, and act as an emotional first aid to difficult experiences we’ve been through. I figured that would explain why I chose to “sleep away my problems” all the time, and it was interesting to learn about how much sleep we get has an effect on our minds and body. 

Word Count: 274

13 - Zack Rabold - "Necessary Knowledge"

High Schools are offering more and more electives as the years pass by. Automotive, American Sign Language, sculpture, etc. However, one class I don’t see much anymore is home economics. High school is supposed to be a stepping stone towards a life and career and yet there isn’t a class to teach us how to actually live those lives. Parents are left to teach their kids how to file taxes, cook, clean, take out loans, fix a sprinkler, or any other basic life skills. But let’s face it; not everyone has those parents. In fact it seems more and more common lately that parents teach their kids little to none of these skills. I think a home ec class should not only be an elective but a required course class nationwide. My idea would be that entering 9th grade each student would get a balance of say 1,000 “dollars”. As the year goes on the way to earn or lose money is based on your other grades, as if they were their own job. The class would collaborate with all the other classes to offer incentives and penalties just like jobs and such would in life. When a math class is teaching compound interest the home ec class could teach how to take out a loan. When history classes teach about the judicial system, Home Ec could give students jury duty. The class would be a full simulation to real life. Late to class, get a “ticket”. Get a 100% on a test, get a bonus. The class would be the last class of the day at every school and would be longer than the rest. Lessons would teach things like money management, family planning, retirement, how to cook, how to do laundry and more. It would teach a variance of skills from large to small that are used in everyday life. As they progress through high school each year is a new stage of life. From young adulthood in their freshman year all the way up past retirement in their senior year. Each high school would follow the exact same curriculum to ensure that if anyone transfers or moves they can keep their progress. I believe a fresh take on a home economics class would set up millions of students across the country to be successful and simply take the stairs instead of a cannonball into the real world. I’ve often felt that the American education system was so focused towards college and what they deemed “necessary knowledge” that it’s completely forgotten that everyone doesn’t have the same path. Some don’t go to college, or a trade, or sports, or anything else. But instead of having to figure out how to navigate life themselves and feeling pushed towards further education they are prepared for the common ground everyone will have to experience and decide what the right plan for them is after school. 485

15- Peyton Miller- Little Legacies

 

When leaving any destination or place of interest you leave behind more than your favorite pair of sunglasses or your phone charger. You leave behind memories, a place to reminisce on. You leave behind happiness, something to always cherish. But you also leave behind influence and even a legacy.

Your legacy doesnt have to be like superman´s heroic events or John F. Kennedy´s dictation and great presidency. Your legacy can look like making someone smile in the small and simple room you are standing in right now. You leave behind a smile and even when that simple smile seems so insignificant or so common, it can leave an imprint on someone´s heart. Especially when it is to a stranger. You never know what they are facing behind closed doors or even just in their head. You could save a life and never even know it.

Legacy does not have to look like something huge. The small things matter most. Especially to me. I have always found the small things the most significant as they leave a mark that grows into something so much more. Something so small can become something huge. For example, music. For me, music is a small part of  my life but it taught me hoe to play piano, sing, and read music so well and being able to do those things creates a hobby that I can share with others and make that impact on their life. Like singing with my choir at convalescent homes every christmas warms their hearts and we leave them refreshed and feel so loved.

What you leave behind matters. So leave behind little legacies that make huge impacts on peoples lives it matters more than you think. 

Word count: 287

15- Aaron P: That wood Ride

 It was a Saturday morning when my mom and step dad bursted into my room singing las mananitas or in other words happy birthday. I woke up confused considering that fact that it was the first time this had happend. 

After the show they gave me they hit me with the " Its six flags time". That day I was turning 6 so I was somewhat little and I did not know what six flags was exactly. To my understanding I knew there were dolphins shows due to the picture my grandma showed me with her and some dolphins, and I also knew there were spinny things which I saw each time we drove by Vallejo.

After having breakfast and being told that there were these things called roller coasters I grew scared and nervous. From what my mom had told me roller coasters was just a fast car that drove you through the air.

 When we arrived there everything was normal and I was enjoying the view at the entrance. My favorite was the zoo section of six flags, but there was a scary machine which I did not like nor enjoy.

The wood ride or also known as the joker ride was the time and place at this park that I truly hated the most and was thankfully traumatized.

As my mom and I stood in line for this ride I was happily enjoying a slurpee my mom had boughten for  me. After a long hour of waiting the moment came where I would experience my first roller coaster ride. 

Lets take a pause here to establish the fact that my mom at the time knew that this roller coaster was no easy task especially for a 6 year old, but still thought it was a good idea to take me on it.

After getting buckled and being told by the director that this roller coaster was going 100 mph+ I was tearing up not because I knew exactly how fast that was but I knew the number 100 was not a low number. On our way up looking down was probably the scariest thing I had ever experienced  and we hadn't even gone down. 

Right at the peak I started crying and put my head  on my moms lap and from going down to the end I did not start crying.

To make this short up to this day I am still frightened to get on any type of roller coster  and in all honesty I do not think I will ever get on one again

15- Destiny D: Body Image

 

Maintaining a healthy body image is a very common struggle throughout the world. Everyone wants to change something about themselves. Most people are so insecure about their appearance that they fall into dangerous disorders. 

It is very difficult to go through the day without having to deal with some kind of backlash on the way you look. The beauty standard is to be thin, this leads to the common acceptance that thin bodies are the only pretty body type. You see this ugly belief everywhere and everywhere from social media posts to who is treated the best at school.

Too many people struggle with eating disorders, and their body image. Physical education is a class that should not be forced onto students as it can be damaging. In this class they do teach you important things like how to stay healthy, but they also push this annoying beauty standard onto the students.

Pe has one very common body image in mind for those involved, and no one is an exception. This image is enforced by the exercises that the students are required to do, all while the teacher gets to sit back and tell them how their bodies could look “better.” A grade is passed based on the “effort” the students give most of the time. Teachers can't be sure how hard someone is trying and students are often punished when they don’t get to the expected outcome. 

Pe doesn’t teach students anything other than that their bodies aren’t good enough. It should not be a requirement, because of the way it is taught and what it represents. Younger audiences are delicate. They are all still trying to figure out how they feel about themselves, and they don’t need to be instructed by such a physical class. 

I agree that it is important to teach students how to be healthy, but healthy isn’t going to look the same on everybody. In order for PE to be effective it needs to become optional and less body oriented. Those who enjoy the harder aspects of PE should still be allowed to enjoy it. 

If it is going to remain enforced there should be some kind of exception for those who don’t want to participate, or can't. Teaching students about the ways that they could exercise, what foods are healthy, and the different types of healthy bodies is a lot less damaging than teaching them that their bodies aren’t good enough. 

Word Count: 405 

13 - Abhishek Sahota: Shaping Future Adults

All kids fall out of line. This goes without saying. The question is how do we adequately guide them in a way that leaves them both a better and less resentful person. 

Everyone would agree that discipline in some capacity is necessary to have children that are understanding of how to operate within society in a decent manner. An understanding and adherence to social norms and proper treatment of others is required to do essentially anything in the real world.

One of the most universal forms of discipline is usually physically hitting/slapping the kid. I would disagree with this form of discipline in most instances. There are correlations between physical violence used as discipline and behavioral and developmental issues that can arise as a result.

I would instead be a proponent of a form of discipline that takes away certain privileges. This form of discipline causes the child to think more about their actions and make deliberate decisions to act in a specific manner. Where as if they were to be hit, the visceral reaction is what is deterring them from acting in a poor manner. There is no actual thought on the part of the child as to why what they did was wrong. They just know that this behavior gets them hit so they avoid it.

Correcting bad behavior in a manner which gives the child agency over their decisions will make them a more intelligent and moral person/adult in the future. By prioritizing less violent and emotional outbursts of violence, and instead a more humane approach we can create a next generation of more well adjusted adults.

14- Zack R- Be like Dom

Family is usually described as people who share the same DNA as you or are related through marriage. But I like to think of Family as the people closest to me. The ones I can call and express my thoughts to. Not everyone has a perfect relationship with people usually deemed “family”. Just because we were born related to them doesn’t mean they have to be family. A lot of people call their closest friends their family, or a second family. But I’ve never seen the reason for separating them. As I’ve grown up my entire family has been made up of aunts and uncles and cousins not related by any sort of blood or marriage, but the friends my parents have made over the years that have stayed with them. For over 30 years they’ve had the same group of friends that I’ve never seen as anything other than my own family. Sure we might be closer to some than others, and most of the group is made up of direct relatives, but they’ve been able to mix friends and “family” together to make them one whole. I have a lot of goals for my life, cars to buy, jobs to have, places to see. But the one that I want to reach the most is keeping my friends close enough to consider them family. I want to be able to keep the same people close to me and develop those relationships to the point where I’ll know them as nothing less than family. I think the importance of close friendships is often overlooked and separated from family as short term fun versus long term relatives. But aside from the people in our own homes we often spend more time with friends than relatives, so why not consider them the same. 302

14-Aaron Palma: Our catalyst

What does it mean to be a role model? Being a Role Model isn't just a role you take when your with a group of people or with a younger sibling. It is when leading and setting the example is part of you at all times. 

My uncle has perfectly fulfilled the requirements of what it means to be a role model.

From my early days up to now he has showed me what it means to lead the team with example. Now you may ask how does he lead our team  or in other words our family.

Well he has been the catalyst that has been placed in our family. He was the first to graduate college and pursue his masters degree. As a result my mom has found inspiration in him and his mentality to grow as a and develop himself. 

Inévitably  this has been passed on to me and thanks to this  I have made wise decisions in relation to my personal life and acedemicaly as well. Thanks to my uncle I have taken bold and  wise decisions.

For example as I initiated high school I was encouraged to take french rather than the customary spanish clash. Followed by this I initiated my VECHS journey and will transferring straight into a 4 year University. I also took on the challenge of having a summer internship with the city council of vacaville and I was also just admitted to the cosmos program during the summer.

If it wasn’t for the way my uncle carried himself, spoke, dressed, and the mentality that he had I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. 

Although he has been fundamental in my life I would also like to thank my entire family for always pushing me and being there for me when I need them.

14-Jacob P.-Birthday at Dillons

Birthday at Dillons Challenge: descriptive piece about a favorite birthday memory. One of the more memorable birthdays I ever had was back in August of 2021. It was during the time in which I wasn’t able to return to school due to me contracting Covid within the first 5 days of school. So, seeing how me and my family couldn’t travel to any densely populated locations, we decided to travel to Dillons beach to celebrate my birthday. We planned on traveling to Pateluma so that we could get bbq pizza. Once we got the pizza, we stopped on the side of the road near Dillons beach so that we could eat it. However, the pizza itself did not contain any smell to us (since we had Covid) and it only tasted mildly sweet with a slight hint of bitterness from the cilantro and bell peppers. When we arrived at Dillons, the cold wind coupled with sand immediately began to nip at my face as soon as I left the car. In the distance, I heard the cries of seagulls followed by the crashing of the waves which became more prominent as we trudged up one of the many dunes at Dillons. At the top of the dune, I was able to see steep, dark cliffs flanking on both sides of the beach, marking the beginning and the end of the beach. The ocean was barely blue and was more closely related to the gray sky overhead rather than the deep blue that it usually was. Once we found a spot at the beach, me and my family chose to nap on the cool sand that resided in the shade of a nearby dune. This was essentially how I spent my birthday while I had Covid. While this was probably not the most exciting birthday I ever had, it was by far the most memorable one because it was during a moment in which I could barely taste and smell anything, offering me a whole new perspective and twist to my life. (330)

14 - Abhishek Sahota: Individual Responsibility vs Social Responsibility

 To what extent can we control what happens in our life? It is a complicated question. It seems as if there are an infinite number of things outside of our control. So many challenges that we have experienced have been brought about from things that we had no say in. I think there is a place for a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality while still acknowledging the limitations of one’s material reality.

   

    While we may not be able to control the hardships we face, we can however be deliberate in our response and reaction to such circumstances. Rather than be a victim to circumstance we must constantly strive to be the best versions of ourselves. A good attitude can be the difference between overcoming a struggle and forever being a victim to it.

I think this is great advice for those in compromised positions. It is both inspiring and helps encourage making positive changes despite the overwhelming reasons to not. 

However, I believe the issue comes when this advice is used as a replacement or stand-in for structural change that would actually serve to help people. The physical world and the limitations that come with it are hindrances to people in their progress. The lack of achievement due to circumstances of their material reality can cause them to be perceived in negative ways. Traits like laziness and lack of intelligence are attributed to people who live in poor situations as a result of this mindset that puts so much weight on individual action and attitude. 

Like many other issues, a balancing act is required. Obviously, no weight being placed on individual action and attitude is a bad thing. However, too much weight placed on it can prevent us from seeing structural failings for certain people who fall between the cracks of a broken system. 

14-Aby L.: The Beauty Of Tragedy

Loss can be simple and harmless even helpful to an extent. It can also be detrimental. The loss of a game is a simple loss, it wont heavily affect you. The loss of the life of someone immensely important can cause more pain than understandable. Throughout life you will experience many many many losses, which make life seem unbearable at times but every single person is strong enough to battle through the hardships. Pushing through situations that make you feel empty is a struggle nobody deserves to endure. Experiencing loss is the worst part of human life in my personal opinion, it seems like the world is out to get your life, like everyone and everything is against you. It is not fair, not something that is deserved. But loss is inevitable. What you do with loss, how you handle it, how you react is a true exposure of character. It shows your strength and your ability. What you're able to create of yourself out of loss is something that will surprise you. Creating something beautiful from your struggles, art in any form flourishes in loss, poetry, painting, sculpture, music it all glows when made from tragedy. Being able to use your pain in a beautiful light is the one upside to loss and tragedy. It is a way to vent your feelings on your struggles, a way to cope and get through hardship. Inevitably you will lose a lot throughout life and its utterly horrifying, but you have to have the ability to shine bright through the pain, to make something beautiful out of your pain. Loss can become a beautiful thing in the right mind. Word count: 277

14 - Em Lin - Surprise!

 

    When Covid came around, I could not visit my best friend all that often, in fact, the only time we could ever see each other was over zoom when we would watch animes together. One day, I received a message from her mother that asked me to come to her birthday party as a surprise. I was giddy all day when I agreed to go, because I was excited to surprise her, and also we haven’t seen each other in person for way, way too long. Her mother offered to take me since she knew my parents were always busy with the restaurant, and I happily took her up on it. I couldn’t hide my smile the entire way their, so I was kinda thankful for masks since it could hide my dumb smile. 

    Once we arrived, her mother said something along the lines of “I have a surprise for you!”, and in perfect timing, my best friend rounds the corner to look at her front door. Although it was around 9, we couldn’t contain ourselves to scream happily and run at each other, most likely disturbing the neighbors in the process. We hugged each other and said our greetings before we headed off to the backyard. The party had not started yet, so instead, we went to her backyard because my friend wanted to see my gifts earlier. It was a fun day filled with laughter and joy, and one that I am not inclined to forget anytime soon.

Word count: 250

14 - Cecylia B: seven slices of pizza

Birthdays are the best, you get gifts and money, eat till your heart's content, people have to be nice to you, it's just great. I hate them. I hate the spotlight. I hate attention. I hate people in my business. They always ask me “what's your grades looking like?” so they can give me the amount of money they think I deserve based on that. Most of the time people are only nice to you because it's your birthday. It’s annoying, the only plus are the gifts and food. I hate to sound like a brat but am I wrong? No. Anyways we’re getting off topic. My most memorable birthday was when I turned 9. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite but it was memorable. I was pretty quiet in elementary school, and when I say quiet, I was practically mute. I barely even talked to the teacher. So, I never really threw birthday parties because of this, I wouldn’t have that many people to invite since I only talked to one person which was my best friend at the time. My mom however, wanted me to make more friends and had the bright idea to throw a birthday party for me. She hand made these invitations for me to give out to all the girls in my class and there were about 10-11 girls in my class that I remember. My teacher told me to give them out after class got out so that's what I did. My mom ordered two large pizzas from Round Table, bought a cake, and even rented out a bounce house for me. She even took the time to hand make butterfly garland because that was the theme that I wanted, all for only five kids to show up. Two of them were my cousins and the other three were from my class. I ended up getting a bloody nose from getting kicked in the face in the bounce house and the girls from my class left early. There were still almost two whole pizzas left and the cake was left untouched. My cousins ended up leaving shortly after also. My nose finally stopped bleeding while I played on my pink DSi. Then I sat at the table wallowing in my self-pity and ate 7 slices of pizza.

14- Genecis Z: Sculpted

 

Ever since I first started to comprehend speech, my mother has burned it in me that she is far from perfect. And that has been her argument for all of my 16 years of life. Every mistake she has ever made has been swept under a rug. She isn’t perfect and therefore her mistakes are just a way of life that I have to make my peace with. 

But the minute I so as much as step over a line ( one of many lines) I have broken the balance in the household and everything just cracks. I am faulty, I am weak, I am a mess. All of the many things my mom has told me. She says she isn’t perfect but I must be as perfect as the heavens. I am to be as proper and as beautiful and as kind as one can be. 

But she reminds me every day that I am far from perfect.

She wants me to be perfect but I can’t expect perfection from her. She wants me to be what she wishes she could’ve been. I am her sculpture. 

She carves me as she sees fit, she takes pieces away and she adds more, she paints me one color and then another, she is never satisfied. 

Family isn’t chosen, I didn’t choose my mom and she didn’t choose me. I am grateful for what I have and I know it could be much worse. 

Therefore I never confront her when her words run a little too deep into my soul, or when my tears leave a stinging trail down my cheeks whenever I mess up her image of me. Because I know that at the end of the day I am lucky to have my mom.

I know I will never satisfy her expectations of me, I know I will never be the perfect daughter, or the perfect sister, or the perfect human being. I am flawed and I am weak. But if sculpting me is what makes my mother finally be able to look at me instead of shunning me away, then her sculpture I will be. 

Word Count: 355

14- Destiny D: Two Faced Word

 

Family is the biggest two faced word in the dictionary. Some people adore their families. In their minds they will always come first, nothing is more important than those who share your same blood, or even those included without it.

These types of people do everything and anything with their families. Birthday parties are always an excitement, Christmas is a top tier event, even Thanksgiving was made just for them to enjoy each other. 

Family means everything to them. When in doubt they will always run back to that protective circle of people. 

Funerals are a devastation, a lost family member means a lost piece of their hearts. The love shared between the members of this family is more important than life itself, but not everyone gets to experience this type of family. 

Some of us had to grow up with a family that lacked love. Some of us had to experience the worst within our families before we could even speak up to tell someone. Some of us had to watch our families break apart. 

Family means almost nothing to us. When there is no love there is no compassion. 

Sticking with those we call family was a routine, in spite of it all. You can never force someone out of your family. Once they’re in there will always be some connection keeping them in the loop, much to my disappointment. 

The intimate definition of family becomes strained as you get used to the ugly parts of it. Some will never get to experience a family worth loving. Those that do following a terrible experience will never be able to appreciate it the same.

People are ruthless and it is difficult to excuse those who have brought you an excessive amount of pain and discomfort, even if they are technically considered family. 

Word Count: 303

14- Peyton Miller- The winds of change

  Change. It happens all the time. As the earth rotates, things change. And I fully support that as I chose change over staying the same.

Change needs to happen for every mistake, mishap, issue etc, to be resolved. If there is no change there is no fix. When you make mistakes, you must change your mindset and realize how to not make the same mistakes again. There has to be switch in your actions, words, expressions and so much more if you want to get along with people and not make the same misunderstandings again in the long run. Especially when you grow up. You have to know and realize the things that you did wrong in your younger years to input the right way to do things instead in situations where it could cost your job, friends, etc.

When you change, its a good thing to help you push through, persevere, and move on. Being stuck in the same cycle everyday gets old. It also leaves you wanting more but if you change you can fall into the deep end and learns so  many things that you didnt know were possible. It opens up many opportunities to better yourself and to even learn more things about others.

Although, you never want to change the good things about yoursewlf like talents and who you really are. Too much change can lead to a whole other situation of identity. But change is good when there is always something to improve upon.

Word count-254

14 - Mel B. - The Creation of Mel

 I am an artist. I am inspired by the beauty of the world. I am inspired by the nature our beautiful earth has to offer, I am inspired by the stories told by my peers, and I am inspired to create by the amazing talented artists who came before me and held the brush and created stories with their hands. I am inspired by the talent they have shown in all their paintings. from Michaelangelo, Frida Khalo, Pablo Picasso, Fernando Botero and many more. But I am inspired by the beautiful painting The Creation of Adam painted by famous Italian artist Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The creation of Adam has many meanings behind it but the one that inspired me is the arm on the right is of God and the arm on the left is of Adam, the right arm stretches towards the left because it symbolizes the spark of life that God gave Adam when creating him. 

    Though I am not as religious as my parents think I should be, I think the meaning is beautiful no matter what point of view you see it from. I see this painting and interpret it in many ways but I apply this painting to my everyday life, and goals are educational/career wise. I have my own version of this but with my hands. It gives me closure and reassurance that I know life after highschool is going to fall into play. I like to think of it like this. (obviously women's hands) the right arm is me in the future holding a paintbrush showing me with my career and the arm on the left is me in high school still trying to figure out what I am going to do with my life. When the finger and paint brush touch it's me reaching towards that goal because at the end of the day the arm on the right is already the future and I already have my career. I will go through hardships in school and I will face challenges in my career but the left (me now) is aiming for that and ready to embrace those challenges. Once the finger touches the brush everything goes good. 

    When I create I feel free, I feel happy and I have so much freedom. Weather it be drawing, painting, graphic design, or building I have so much passion and love for what i'm doing because of this painting. I loved it as a kid but fell in love with it even more once I was able to understand the meaning and create my idea to have some sort of closure that I desperately needed. I am inspired by this painting but also by the many works of Michelangelo the other being The Statue of David. Michelangelo inspires me that you don't have to just stay in one area for the rest of your life. You can expand your creativity and share your ideas through various art forms. He wasn't just a painter but a sculptor, and architect. I can do so much when it comes to art and im good at it.

    There's so much stigma when it comes to being an artist or studying art because it is seen as a "hobby" it is only seen as a hobby by these who cant create. Those who live a boring life and don't express themselves. It's boring people that don't like to uplift others no matter what their interests are, etc. Yes, it can be seen as a hobby but that's depending on the person and their motivation. You can do so much with a degree in art, you just have to have the passion and your goals all set in place to achieve them and I believe that I am one of them because of this painting, because the creation of Mel is created by me. 

   WC 650