"Writing in a Tutor Wonderland" by Aria M.

Sang to the tune of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

Voices ring, are you listening?

In the room, smiles are glistening

So happy to write; a beautiful sight

Writing in a tutor wonderland

Gone away, writing frustrations

Here to stay, new creations!

 I’m writing a song, right where I belong

Writing in a tutor wonderland

In the classroom we can build a story

We’ll fix all the errors we can find

 It’s like we’re in a writing laboratory

Now let’s build a writing Frankenstein!

Later on, we’ll make edits

Back in class, you’ll get credit

For learning to write, better day and night

Writing in a tutor wonderland

When you’re done, ain’t it thrilling

When your grade, is appealing

Thanks for coming to day, get candy on your way!

Writing in a tutor wonderland Writing in a tutor wonderland!

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." by Arzizzle

Jack London said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club”. I typically wait for inspiration to come to me when given a task. Inspiration usually has to be natural occurrence. But when deadlines are around the corner or I’m just feeling down, I find inspiration already in my life. We are surrounded by so much good, so much sky, but the clouds have our attention. We don't count our blessings but rather focus on negativity. Whenever I seek inspiration I try to remember all the love in my life, the things I've already faced and where I'm heading. It helps motivate me and inspires me every day.

However, inspiration is not only found in the good in our life but also through our struggles. I see our past struggles as the most inspiring thing there is. The will to fight, the will to continue in the face of disaster is beautiful. We all have our struggles or obstacle we need to overcome. Instead of allowing it to waiver over our heads, or repress memories of a hard time, why not draw strength from it? It's a great way to take negativity and turn into something amazing.

Along with difficulties we have the people in our lives that help us face problems head on .The road in not a smooth place, there are storms, horrible drivers, and casualties at every creeping corner. But our passengers, the people in our lives inspire us more than anything. They make us laugh at every tensed thought, and smile after dodging potholes, which is great because life's a bumpy road. They cheer me on, keep me company, take away my fear and inspire me to keep driving. In the hardest moments on the road, they remind you to peer into your rearview mirror and smile at all the road we’ve already overcome. Inspiration is not a hard feat to attain if you look into your past and own life. It is present in past experiences. It exists in all the people you love and admire and it exists in your future goal or “destination.”

“Holly Jolly HWC” by Iurl Bives

(Sung to the tune of “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”)

Have a holly Jolly Rancher

It's the best candy we have

But please make sure to evaluate our wonderful tutors

Have a holly jolly session,

W’e're the best tutors around!

Say hello to Mrs. Hutton and Mrs. Jewell, but don't forget about Ms. Atallah

She is just as great!

Have a Holly Jolly piece of cake

But only on haiku day

Oh no the computers are on the fritz again!

Somebody please fix them, Tutees must sign in!

Have a holly jolly tutor,

and in case you didn't know

We don't tutor on Friday but please come back Monday!

"The Outdoors" by Aria M.

I love the outdoors

But really, I hate it

It’s an everyday thing,

Not payed attention to, ignored.

“The grass is green,” we are taught in kindergarten

When our imaginations come close to exploding

And our senses tingle with joy at every new experience

And yet, the outdoors is simply something that exists

Something that is just there

Something looked over and taken for granted.

I avoid the outdoors

Because its greatness overwhelms me.

I get frustrated because no camera can fully capture,

Can fully comprehend,

The clear layers of the pink evening clouds

Or the mysterious, whimsical glow of the moon.

It is simply one of the amazing parts of the human experience

That words cannot describe.

I avoid the outdoors

Because I feel as if I will never truly be able to comprehend its beauty.

When I go outside,

I feel as if my senses have been dulled

As if I am a tiny ant, released from its anthill for the first time,

Not able to comprehend its newfound freedom.

No matter what words I use I will never be able to grasp the perfect bliss

Of the outdoors.

And I guess

That if the outdoors could be easily comprehended,

Easily described,

As it supposedly is in science class

Or in simple sentences to kindergarteners

Then it really wouldn’t be that amazing,

Would it? I guess

That it is a gift

To have something so amazing, so perfect,

That even our brilliant human senses

Cannot fully appreciate its greatness.

I guess

That the reason why the outdoors is looked over,

Taken for granted,

Even ignored,

Is not because we think that it is boring,

But that it is too overwhelming for the human mind to grasp

And that scares us.

So I guess I think I hate the outdoors

But really,

I love it

More than I can understand.

"Thanks, Grandma!" by Laok

My birthday had just passed and my grandmother had given me a raggedy book about why dating is important. Ok grandma, I get that I’m growing older but I just don’t want to emotionally invest myself into somebody. I’m selfish! Anyway, this was very typical of her. She’s always trying to get me to meet some guy, become star-crossed lovers and get married. Not going to happen, Grams. I obviously wasn’t going to read it, but I do have the decency to write a thank you card at the least. However, I needed her to stop trying to get me to meet somebody, so the only possible way for that to happen was to make a teeny tiny little fib. Here’s how my letter went:

“Dear Grandma, 

Thank you so much for the book on why dating Is important! I’ve definitely changed my perspective on men, which had actually completely changed my life. After finishing the book, I had suddenly become astonishingly inspired to find love. And surprisingly, that’s what happened! Ok, so it all began early on a Saturday morning. I was rushing to go run some errands but wanted a cup of coffee first. I made my way to a coffee shop and ordered myself a cup of bitter liquid. While I was walking out the door of the little café, somebody had bumped into me and made me spill my coffee all over myself. Sticky and angrily, I was about to rage on this person until I was suddenly stunned by his piercing blue eyes that were staring into my soul. Suddenly all of the anger that fulfilled my mind vanished as I was now star stuck by his beauty. It seems that he had also felt the connection as he was completely speechless. It was amazing! It was only then when he swept me off my feet and carried me into the moonlight sky. Yes grandma, the coffee accident was so tragic that it consumed my whole day. Really, it did. Anyway, after having a Cinderella-like moment, we fell in love and eloped. Grandma, I’ve finally found love! And it’s all thanks to you and your amazing gift. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be in the infatuating love that I’m currently in. However, my prince charming is immensely shy so you won’t be meeting him anytime soon. Maybe he’ll get over his shyness in about four years or so, but until then, we send out our blessings to you and are forever thankful for your gift of love. Thank you so much grandma!”

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. No, I did not lie to my grandmother. I simply just told a fib. I mean, I will find love one day, just not soon. But until then I think I’ve shrugged off my grandmother’s profound amusement in my love life. I don’t think she’ll be sending me anymore cheesy books about love. And no I did not read the book and no I will not ever read it. I’m actually about to go and donate it right now. But hey, thanks for the thought Grandma.

Coming Soon to HHS: The Courage Wall

A group representing our 39 HWC tutors attended the Capital Area Peer Tutoring Association’s 2015 conference at George Mason University in October, and while at that conference, our tutors attended presentations about the ways in which public writing projects can help build community in schools and create a positive school culture. Our tutors were so inspired by this idea, and after learning more about Nancy Belmont’s Courage Wall , which was installed in nearby Alexandria, Virginia, this past spring, and after watching Candy Chang’s TEDTalk, “Before I Die, I Want to…” , our tutors decided that they want to bring a Courage Wall to Herndon High School.

We have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help us raise money for this project. If you are interested in helping us make this happen, click here. No donation is too small.

The original Courage Wall in Alexandria. Image Credit

What is The Courage Wall?

The Courage Wall will be a chalkboard wall mounted outside of the HWC at the top of the stairs closest to Door 5. We are following Nancy Belmont’s model, so there will be several spaces on the board for people to anonymously complete the sentence, “I wish I had the courage to…”. The purpose of our wall is to build community in our school, to help students and staff see the hopes and dreams of the people they see every day, and to help students and staff see that they are not alone. We are planning a lesson for our Teacher Advisory period that we hope will occur the same week we debut the Courage Wall.

The money that we raise for this project will cover the following costs:
-5 4x8 Plywood Panels
-1 Gallon Kilz Primer
-2 Gallons Flat Black Chalkboard Paint
-1 package of Alphabet Stencils
-1 small custom stencil
-1 package of acrylic paints for our stencils

-Painting materials
-Mounting the wall outside of the HWC

We are hoping to raise funds by the end of December 2015 so that we can construct and debut our wall in January 2016.

Why We Need This Wall (In the Words of our Tutors)
"I think that a courage wall is needed so that students who may feel alone with their problems will see that many others are going through similar situations as well. I am excited about it because I feel that it will be beneficial by creating a sense of togetherness throughout the school."- Alyssa

"I think HHS needs a courage wall because students who are feeling alone in their problems will feel walk by the wall and relate to other students and find inspiration. I'm excited to see students write deep and dramatic things on the wall that will make me smile when I walk by." -Maddie

"HHS needs a courage wall because there are a lot of moments in high school where students let their fears take over. Having a courage wall would help people find courage to do things they normally would've never imagined. I'm excited to write to write on the courage wall and start building it for other students. Hopefully, other people will see the powerful message of a courage wall and respect it." -Niki

"A courage wall in our halls is needed to help bring students closer together. This wall would help the students at Herndon High school recognize their hopes and dreams and their capabilities for success." -Patrick

"High school can be a place full of insecurities and hard times. But, it has the ability to be a place of encouragement and growth. I fully believe that installing a Courage Wall in HHS will change the overall social feel of our school. It can be an everyday reminder of something good as students tread the halls to their next class. That small moment of walking past the Courage Wall has the ability to completely alter a students day for the better and that is a possibility our school needs." -Sarah

"I think HHS needs a courage wall because it would help people delve further into their consciousness; whether they need the courage to stand up for themselves, friends, stand up to their friends, or just to become a better version of themselves, a courage wall would help that. My hopes for the courage wall are that it will help people" -Piper

"Herndon High School needs a courage wall because a part of high school is learning who you are and what you want to do. Having courage is critical in life. I am extremely excited about this because it gives the students here the opportunity to speak their mind without judgement. " -Colleen

"Many teens can feel isolated, but also overwhelmed and alone. Alone in the sense that they are going through all the same doubts, fears, and problems all by themselves. I think it will also be an inspiring place for people to post how they feel in an anonymous and creative way. I personally know that as an introvert many times I want to state my opinion but am too timid to do so. This wall will help everyone feel like they have an equal voice on the wall no matter who they are. What excites me about the Courage Wall is that it will be a unique project for HHS to really see how students feel and care to express themselves. " -Ana

We are incredibly grateful for any contributions! Thank you for helping us to make this dream project a reality!

Sincerely,

The Herndon Writing Center

"Being Loved" by July 3rd

Love and being loved is not the same thing…

Love is stability, support, and comfort

Love is letting go of your fears

Love is being willing to risk it all

Love is unsure, a mystery that captures you

Love isn’t always what you want it to be

Love has no boundaries, makes no sense

Being loved is letting a sharp needle dangle above you, accepting all consequences

And if it drops on you, love is the only thing that can heal your pain.

Being loved is a body of water that you can’t sink in

Being loved is a tree that grows leaves in the winter

Being loved is a sun ray that pierces your skin and calms your soul

Being loved is the difference between nervous and excited

Being loved is feeling home in another country.

Being loved is a feeling you can't explain in words.

"The Last Day" by Megatron

Bang! The sound the locker makes as it's slammed shut. "Don't run!" The teachers yell. It's the start of summer and the last day of school. Friends giggle at inside jokes and teachers sigh at relief of not having to grade essays, clearly typed last minute. The loud speaker makes a shrieking noise before announcements are made. Principal Bates addresses the entire school. "Good afternoon Herndon Hornets! Let me be the first to wish you a happy summer. Please remember to be safe and most of all have fun! As a Herndon Hornet, we expect you stay on top of summer assignments. Please enjoy your summers and we look forward to seeing you next fall!" Another shrieking noise is made at the close of the speaker. 3,2,1! Ding! The bell sounds off a stampede of students into the summer. I take my time walking down the halls. Now empty, I try to remember the paint color, the floors, the smell and everything I look at. I think to myself... "This is my last time here." Sadness rushes through my heart as memories of friendships go through my mind. Times of great lessons I'll take with me. Memories of teachers who impacted me I'll cherish forever. Farewell, Herndon High School.

HWC 1st Quarter Statistics

Haiku Cake Day 2015: Teacher Haiku

On Thursday, 11/12, we hosted our second annual Haiku Cake Party! Student haiku and photos will be posted in the next week, but in the meantime, here are some haiku submitted by HHS Teachers!

They are all meekness
A teacher is a good god
Some oddity thing
-Ms. LaForest (ESOL)
Note: This haiku is a found haiku from one of Ms. LaForest's student's writings. The original is pictured below.

Drop out of grad school
Stand on roadway with the sign:
"Will Haiku for Cake"
- Mr. Keay (English)

Haiku is the best!

I can’t believe I’ll miss this.

Red days only--sigh.
-Ms. Breza (Tech Ed)

Who's the best teacher?
He's in Room Two Thirty One
His name is Carag
- Mr. Carag (ESOL)

I really like books.
They  make me very happy.
Yes, you should read, too!
-Ms. Corsino (English)

Green tea aroma
Buffering winter's hard grip
inhaling spring's promise
- Ms. Danies (ESOL)

Good god, I'm tired.
8th period was rowdy.
I need cake, please! Please!
-Mr. Hutton (ESOL)

I like to eat cake.
Cake is my favorite food.
Please give me some cake.
-Mr. Butterfield (ESOL)

The Writing Center's
Thursday haiku and cake means
Tasty poetry!
-Our lovely librarians

Some people say that
Cake is all that. But I say
There's nothing like pie.
-Ms. Jewell (English)

What's in my pocket?
Perhaps some forgotten cash?!
Nope. Just dryer lint. :\
-Ms. Atallah (English)

Iced coffee is the best
Like vacation in a cup
Eternal summer
-Ms. Hutton (English)

“The Fight of the Ink” by El Manco

‘’It’s easy to know what you want to say, but not to say it”-Mario Vargas Llosa

In the everyday life I get involved in many different situations and with completely different people that without any expectation we have to face. When that’s happening people never get to really say what they were thinking but get a big frustration instead. It literally happens after every confrontation or fight that somebody had. Once I leave the “battlefield” is when a round of thought runs through my mind about what I could really have said while confronting the other person and but at that point all left there is to keep walking away.

That is the main reason why I started writing, because I never got to say what I truly felt or what I was actually thinking in the middle of a dispute or confrontation. I write when I think something is being unfair in my life. Any frustrations and desires I have I put them down in the simplicity but comfortableness of a paper.

I would classify myself as a very shy person. It costs me a lot to talk to people sometimes and I’d rather be on the side listening to conversations instead of being part of them, and when I write it is like having a full conversation with paper. It feels safe and I pour out all I have to say to the world on my piece of paper drawn with ink.

Mainly how I start my process of writing is really strange. Usually when it’s a free writing assignment I let my emotions talk for me. I get mad really easy for no reason. I’m upset almost all the time and literally my only medicine or what calms me down is writing in a piece of paper. I let the rage take possession of my hand and start drawing my thoughts in a really disorganized way. I first have to let everything out without holding back , it’s like a waterfall , when its descending is strong , really powerful but once it touches the lagoon it gets calm and starts going with the flow. And once I finish I throw everything I have into myself to the paper I start to give it shape and sense so the audience would understand what I am writing about.

One of my biggest struggles is when the prompt or the assignment that I have to write about does not get to me, like I do not feel like writing it because I just don’t feel identified with it .When I write, I do it because I like it and because I need to feel the necessity and passion to do it. Otherwise I would write some words that don’t make any sense. In this case I would mostly try to get myself involved in a situation where I could be able to understand the prompt and when I get to do it I would write about my own experience. As an example, if the prompt is “You realize you have inadvertently become a stalker.” And I don’t really know how being a stalker feels like nor what is even a stalker, I would look the definition up and then even if its sounds creepy I would stalk somebody randomly and once I get to the point where I got the idea of what the prompt is about I start writing about it.

I have my days where my mind becomes a piece of wood, no thoughts, no feeling, no consciousness and that’s one of my weakness as a writer because when I am in those days I find it strongly hard to go back in the game. In this situation I don’t really know what to do. I kind of wait until something happens to me that can fuel my desire to write anything, a tragedy or if I see a girl that I think is really beautiful ,those thoughts can become hopefully poetry or sonnets . I used to be an old school guy that frequently would write letters of love to every girl I found attractive and if I get to the point where I had to ask the girl out or if I have to confess my “love “for her I would write a lot of poems to try to explain myself, and how much it would mean to me if they could consent me the honor of being my date. But eventually times changed and girls wouldn’t find it romantic but cowardly instead which make me feel disappointment not towards myself, but to the destruction of such a beautiful art of cortege.

In conclusion, I write because is the only way of art that I’m aware of, the need of crying out what I really have to say to the world is fed continuously when I’m writing, and like many writers say, it is really hard to start writing but once you pass the wall everything becomes much easier, I like to drown in my writing until my desire is fulfilled. Until then I would keep taking my mind and putting it to my piece of paper. I write because I am not able to win a fist fight, but I might bring down countries with a single pen, one paper and feeling locked up on the deepest part of my conscience.

"The Music of Writing" by WhyCough

 Gustave Flaubert once said, “I am irritated by my own writing. I am like a violinist whose ear is true, but whose fingers refuse to reproduce precisely the sound he hears within.” Frequently, this is how I approach my writing; I know what I feel and I can see the words painting pictures in my head, but they never seem to correctly decipher from internal thoughts to external pages. This has happened since the beginning of my relationship with writing.

In my early years, my mother was a librarian, so she spent much of her time planting me in gardens of books and watering me with words so I might grow to love ink and paper like she did. She succeeded. As a child, I was endlessly reading whenever I could find the time: during class, before sports practices, during dinner. Because of this premature passion for words, I became just that- “a violinist whose ear is true.” I was aware of all the ingredients that melded together to form a good story. To me, in writing, there was a canyon between right and wrong, light and dark, beauty and imitation, and I found it within myself to desperately try and recreate the allure I found reading my favorite texts.

As a result of this, when I started writing, I became my own biggest critic. It was a perpetual cycle: I would write a sentence, stare at it, dismiss it as trash, then delete it. The process I endured could be described flawlessly in one word: frustrating. My expectations for perfection stifled my ability to compose. The never ending battle between who I am and who I should be as a writer was suffocating. To this day, I still wrestle with these chains of excellence. As Voltaire said, “the best is the enemy of the good,” and I have learned that I need to be able to completely unleash my thoughts uncensored and unedited without worrying about their exact quality that I envisioned. Through this, I am able to actually produce work, instead of being smothered by mulling over insignificant details.

Sometimes, words lose their meaning once they begin the journey from the head to the pencil. Frequently, there is mistranslation. It worries me that, like the violinist struggling to reproduce their inner cacophony, I will be unable to fully duplicate my thoughts. In my opinion, there is always a sense of beauty that is lost when attempting to put phrases to a feeling. Writing is enchanting, but from time to time, pure wordlessness is the greatest magic of all, because it means that there is part of the human experience that can’t be computed, digitalized, or understood. Some things can’t be watered down to letters on a page.

Despite this, writers have the hardest job: trying to make the intangible something we can touch.

"The Power of Words in a Lonely Existence" by Jinxx Clark

A girl sits alone in the corner of an elementary school blacktop. Hair as dark as the night, short, and unruly. Looking down at a notebook that rested upon her criss-cross knees, hair fell into her face and casted shadows across her rounded cheeks. Even through those shadows her eyes still glowed as white-blue as the stars. Children danced around the blacktop and nearby playground, smiling, laughing, living. They danced around her, avoiding her except to stop and taunt or laugh in her face every once in awhile. She smiled at them sometimes, other times she was too far into her notebook to completely notice them. In her head, all the sounds of her surroundings were quieted, as if cotton had been stuck in her ears, and stories played out like a movie in front of her eyes. Each press of her pen to paper created a new tale, a new drawing, a new story.

Dragons, and fairies, knights, superheroes, leprechauns, and gremlins. Castles, oceans, lands, seas, mansions, and small villages. Magic, quests, missions, saving people, and battling for a new sense of freedom. All of it existed on the paper, and all of it existed in her head. It mattered not that she was sitting alone, because she wasn’t alone, not truly.

In a place where there are words, no one can be alone. In a place where you have the power to imagine, and create, and laugh in the face of danger, or smile at those that taunt you, you can never ever be alone.

A girl sits in a college lecture hall, listening with a smile as the professor reads out her newly published words. Her starry eyes gleam with joy as the people around her gasp and laugh along with the tale. Her hair falls into face as she attempt to hide her large smile and reddening cheeks. She can see it all in front of her, every single word making the tale come back to her mind as fresh as the day she first wrote it. She gets shoved back to reality as the people around her pat her on the back and the room explodes in claps. “You’re going to be the new Shakespeare or something!” someone calls out. She smiles at them.

The words had finally done their work, and it was with words that she would always feel at home. It was those words that had brought her to be somewhere where dreams could become realities.

"After the Fact" by C.T. Ruth

As I drive through the winding roads insecurities flush my face

"What if I was wrong" is a question that seems to bounce off the rocky mountains surrounding me

You said "things would be different if"

I think of exchanges we shared and the way your face scrunched up when you laughed

You remind me of the good and well and new

"But" my head yearns

I can not be yours

I can not live chasing after "if only"s

My mind drifts as the road dives deeper toward the foot of the mountains and your smile fades into thoughts of what is ahead.

The HWC at CAPTA 2015

On October 2, 2015, 19 HWC tutors, along with Directors Mrs. Jewell, Mrs. Hutton, and Ms. Atallah and HHS Administrators Mr. Bates and Mr. Barr, attended the Capital Area Peer Tutoring Association's 2015 conference, CAPTA Connects. Below is a video about the day. We had an awesome time!

"We're Not So Different After All" by The Scarlet Stitch

I am a huge fan of claiming that my sister and I are polar opposites, but I realized on homecoming how much we actually resemble each other. A month before homecoming I was excited for a cosplay meet up I wanted to attend while my sister was excited for her first homecoming. My priority was buying materials, such as fabric and yarn, for my cosplay. Her priority was buying a dress and shoes.

During this period of time both of us were planning our outfits a month in advance. Even if I was working on a costume while she looked for a dress we still shared the desire for nice outfits. A week before homecoming I was sewing and crocheting my costume while she was trying on her dress and shoes. I tried different hairstyles on my wig while she experimented with her own hair. I spoke with friends about the event location and picture sessions; she did the same with her friends. During the week we both focused on planning event details and making sure our outfits for the evening were perfect.

At last the day of homecoming arrived. I went downtown and cosplayed with my friends while she stayed at home with her friends to do their hair and makeup. My cosplay group took over an hour to take photos. Her homecoming group took a long time taking photos too. By the end of the day I finally realized that we had spent our day in similar ways. We both spent time in outfits we had planned out weeks in advance. We both spent a good part of our event taking photos. We both spent time with our friends. We may seem different and appear to have completely different interests, but in reality we share the same goals and passions in varying forms.

"Get Rich Quick!" by Drake's Ghostwriter

How to get rich quick: The first step to getting rick quick is to establish yourself as a brand. A brand should be complete with logo, business cards, and a website for your desired field. Next, make friends! But not just any friends, make friends with higher ups in your respective field! You only want friends who can help you and not ones who just want to hang out with you. Why would you waste your life with idiots that want to have fun if you could be making money instead? Who cares about actual "relationships", or as we like to call them here "relationshits", when you can make money? Lastly, use the people met in step two to be successful! Establish yourself as a powerhouse in your field! Destroy the competition, rake in the cash, buy your way into societal acceptance! However, to stay on top you'll want to portray the image of a decent human being. To do this, just use all the cash you have acquired to hire an image consultant and donate to some poor charity every once in a while. That's all from us! We guarantee you'll get rich if you follow these steps exactly! 

"How to get rich quick" is brought to you by American capitalism.

Guest Post: "Eggs" by Kid A. Hope

This post is a guest post from a current Senior whose college essay blew us away. Enjoy!

PROMPT: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

As I saw the circle of liquid gold surrounded in opalescent white flip through the air and land with a soft yet audible sizzle, I knew I had made it. I could fend for myself out there in the “real world.” I was a man.

Of course this was not a one step journey to adulthood. Many challenges and achievements paved the way for this one, such as compiling a clean cold cut sandwich or decoding the mysterious markings on the microwave. Each of these labors, with its own specific challenges, was surpassed only with the most Herculean efforts. The sandwich especially, it needs layers and layers of meticulously stacked components, the structural integrity of the sandwich depending on the precision with which the layers are pieced together. Yet, I was sure that this golden circle, sizzling and steaming in front of me, was the crowning achievement. It was the pinnacle of my childhood that would elevate me from the grasp of adolescence into adulthood. It was the egg over easy.

The egg over easy requires patience, confidence, and conviction. To make an egg over easy one must first make an egg sunny side up then flip it without crushing the fragile yolk. Fail to wait long enough for it to cook and the egg will tear. Hesitate during the flip and the egg will tear. The finesse and meticulous motion needed to make this masterpiece of pre-birth chicken is all but impossible for a child, and until today was impossible for me. “Why don’t you just make fried eggs? Or even scrambled?” my parents asked in their frustration as I went through eggs by the dozen. Alas, fried and scrambled eggs were the peasantry of the poultry-egg universe and I had my eyes set on something more ambitious. They did not realize the depth of my resolve. I could not settle for anything less than over easy. It would have been easier for me to quit, I would have saved many pennies, but it’s not like me to quit on my dreams, however lofty. I was determined to do more than the average egg preparer. I was determined to be more.

This was it. I stretched for the final egg within arm’s reach of the counter where I stood. If I failed once more I would have to venture across the kitchen and scour the farthest corners of the second shelf of my fridge for more. All my previous training from the last thirty minutes flashed through my mind as I prepared for this gargantuan challenge. As I donned my fireproof gauntlets, my apron body armor, and wielded my frying pan, I became a warrior ready for battle. The egg hit the pan with a sizzle and a pop. I watched anxiously as the egg white stuck to the pan. Thoughts raced through my head, Is it burning? Did I forget to butter the pan? Is the fire too hot?, but my worries were for nothing. Everything was running smoothly. I swirled the egg around the pan as I prepared to flip. Eyes focused. The tension in the air was tangible. An imaginary crowd gasped in anticipation.

The egg landed safely, the fragile yolk intact. After a few more minutes I slid this perfection onto a plate. I had been relentless and now I was victorious. If I was a hero, the egg was my nemesis and I had conquered it. My training, hard work, and dedication had paid off, so now I could feast. I know that, despite the momentous occasion, this was only the first step into my new adult life. There may even be future challenges that rival the difficulty of making this egg. However, I’m sure the skills of persistence and determination I gained by taking on the mighty task will prepare me for anything. Maybe even something poached or deviled.

"Fear of the Future," by Keyser Soze

We’re expected to have our future planned. On the PSAT, we’re supposed to choose a college major. We have to decide what colleges we want to apply to and what jobs we wanted to interview for. Honestly, it’s all kind of terrifying. I mean, I’m only fifteen years old, yet everyone wants me to know what I want to be- but I don’t even know who I am. I don’t want to go all “Breakfast Club” on you, but I have to ask: who do you think you are? If you can confidently answer that, you terrify me. You shouldn’t have to have your whole life together in high school. This is your last real chance to royally screw up.

So do it. If there’s a chance, take it. Be honest with people. Ask questions, even if you think they’re bad ones- teachers are serious when they say there are no bad questions. Don’t be afraid of the future because then you’ll forget to live now. Wouldn’t you hate to look back on your high school experience and regret it? And what if that becomes your whole life?

Imagine this: you’re on your deathbed. You went to college, got married, raised a family, went to work everyday, and maintained a stable routine. It’s only when you’ve reached the end of your journey that you realize that you never enjoyed the scenery. Don’t forget that the world is overflowing with possibilities; you just have to catch them before they flutter away.

I understand if you’re content to live a simple, satisfying life; the idea of a leap of faith is scary. It’s definitely easier to just take an office job from nine to five and drive kids to sports practice after school, and that’s honestly great. I hope everyone has the opportunity to have a family and feel the wondrous unity of having a group of people that will always be there for you. Just make sure you see the world or try a new hobby. You have the dust of galaxies in you, and that’s a gift that I hope you don’t take for granted. Don’t worry- everything will work out. Good luck.

"A Deadly Flaw," by Hunter Vega

One of humanity’s most delicate conventions is vanity. In fact, this is a vicious flaw present in many people. In such people, it is far too easy to destroy something that may have spent years in the making. This trait is a terrible weakness. Unfortunately, it’s all too common, especially in this day and age. In fact, the powerful weakness of vanity can be shockingly impactful today.

The current social climate is often thought of as an incubator for people’s natural self-congratulatory nature. This ties into the misconception of a common culture of vanity. There’s also an idea of social media providing every individual with a soapbox that they never had before. This may be true, but the platforms people stand on are in no way as stable as they are made out to be. The nature of these soapboxes are such that they may tumble at any jab.

This is, of course, all based on generalizations. It does not ring true for all people, nor are all people susceptible to failure based on vanity. The fact is, however, that this is a common occurrence in many, particularly young people. It is a dangerous, exploitable chink in an armor that should protect a person. Additionally, this is to say that the generation of young people entrenched in this culture is not an army of vapid, mindless morons watching ourselves through our phone cameras. Nor are we a volatile, fragile mass of unstable personalities. There is range, and there are exceptions and inclusions with people of all ages and groups.

Thinking back to the idea of social platforms, it is important to note that in some cases, they serve as extra “padding” on the armor, not the exploitation. In fact, the power of social media, selfie culture, and millennials’ fixations is in strengthening self- image. All the facets of our society commonly criticized for encouraging vanity actually encourage morale in people who may have problems in the area. An important part of building up that morale in the first place is in celebration of one’s own image.

There’s so much talk surrounding the presence of vanity in modern society. There are also many observations on the fragility of this personality trait, as the way it’s viewed is so negative. It’s even thought of as a deadly sin. In fact, vanity plays such a prolific role in many people’s lives that their sense of pride may be harmed when their vanity is attacked. It is also true that the condition of our culture plays a large part in the way we view ourselves. The digital age we live in makes it possible for us to access a wider audience, but also to process information faster. A fixation on the individual may be a product of a vain society, but a fixation with the culture in which the individual shines is a symptom of a certainly self-absorbed species.

"Ode to Bologna" by Aria M.

O Bologna, O Bologna, you divine lunch meat

No matter how hard other meats try, you just cannot be beat!

Your flavor is amazing, and it is oh so unique

You are so very splendid, I could eat you thrice a week!

So pink, smoked, red, and tender you are

In fact, when I think about it, your flavor is quite bizarre

So many nitrates and chemicals can be found

Inside your processed patties!

If I drop you on the ground,

The dog won’t even eat you!

You bring the dog much fright

With your disgusting, sticky flavor,

I’ll be throwing up all night!

O Bologna, you’re so icky, you weird and pungent freak!

You reek! Your flavor is so bleak, it makes me just yell “EEK!”

So Bologna, O Bologna, you devilish lunch meat,

No matter how hard you’ll ever try, you will always be beat!

"The Hallway" by Kelly Shepard

THE hallway. No, it’s not just like any other hallway because it’s THE hallway. Things happen in this hallway that don’t happen in any other hallway and probably shouldn’t happen at all. Doors shut on their own accord and stress is a physical being, a fog that spreads into every crevice of the corridor. The hallway has a soul of its own. Never able to be navigated because each day the doors shift, turns are added or removed. On top of that, the hallway is always either eerily quiet, or the sound of a storm and tress whipping against windows. No windows exist in this hallway though. Once inside, the feeling of being trapped fills your mind and your heart rate picks up. You feel as though your life will end here and no one will know. You wonder how many have passed away in that very spot.

You run around searching for a place to escape the creepy sounds and the nightmarish thoughts that invade your thoughts. Opening every door you see, trying to find that one room that will bring your heart rate back to normal and your thoughts back to the pleasant side. Every door you open shows a place worse than the nightmarish hallway. Within the doors are torture chambers and confines for your soul. Nothing feels right. You need to escape. You feel restricted to be the person that the hallway creates you to be. By the time you finally find a way out, you should be committed to a mental institution.

All hope is nearly lost when you open the last door in the winding maze of a hallway: The Writing Center. Within this room, it’s as if our mind is free to explore and is no longer in restraints. It’s as if a bright open field at midday has been placed within the room, creating an environment that is so peaceful and full of possibilities that you think a unicorn could appear and start frolicking with a leprechaun. No thoughts of the hallway outside could penetrate the bliss felt when you enter this room. You have escaped the horrible hallway and found peace.

Welcome to the Writing Center!!

"Your One Day Notice" by Wayne Bow

Our lives are riddled with choices. I think that people forget that one of those choices is happiness. Every day is full of opportunities to be happy and to smile, you just have to notice them. Sometimes it only takes one day to change your entire perspective on life. Throughout our daily routine in which we submit ourselves to the conveyor belt, we are so focused on the bigger events that shape our lives that we miss the most beautiful things that the world has to offer. After all, it’s the little things that make us smile.

Notice the clear blue sky that strikes brilliance into our eyes with just a few smudges of white wisdom that just make the day better. Notice how blue a friend’s eyes are and how they always seem to send tranquil chills through your bones. Take note of the small flecks of green that are scattered throughout, resembling freshly cut lawn shavings floating on the surface of a pool at noon. Notice the faithfulness of a parent, and how you can always trust them to rise up like the sun every morning and warm you up with just a smile and a hint of love.

I don’t need a magic 8-ball to predict my future and shake up my choices. I don’t need wealth to buy luxurious goods. I don’t need to rely on any source of materialistic goods that will eventually consume me with addiction. I choose to find all the finer things in life; the smaller, seemingly insignificant events within our daily routine. I choose to seize the opportunity to smile every chance I get and share happiness with all who welcome it. I think it’s high time that the world focuses on the smaller details.

Notice the pure joy that occurs when the room is filled with laughter, like a warm breeze that exclusively visits the beaches with the softest sand. Notice the different faces that cars make on the highway with their rear lights and the buttons on their dashboard, resembling a modern art painting at a gallery where only the most distinguished and notable people can attend, including you. Consider the few letters in the mail that aren’t bills, but messages from dear friends and families jumbled in an array of assorted stresses.

Life can throw all sorts of things at you that you can’t control. But we have control of our eyes and we choose what we observe and notice. I propose a “one-day notice”, where you search for anything and everything that brings a smile to your face for an entire day. Be sure to write everything down on a list. You’ll be surprised with how much you smile when you’re looking for a reason to.

"A Little Bit of Sue Perb" by Sue Perb

“Every author, in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will.” --Goethe

When I first started writing, I was taught how to be a cookie cutter. If you fill in these blanks, they told me, you will get an A. And so I did fill in the blanks. But I was bored with that. So in between doing exactly what I was told, I tried to think of a sentence-one phenomenal sentence- that incorporated me into my work. As I grew older, my writing process grew longer. I particularly focused on getting rid of words I don’t need. I’m still growing as a writer today, and I still incorporate a little bit of Sue into everything that I write. From a young age, probably 11, I was taught formatting. Put the assertion up front. Write that in blue. Put the evidence in next. Write that in red. Your details go last. Write those in yellow. I have vivid memories of fifth grade color coded essays. Each student’s essay looked identical. I truly believed that that was how it was supposed to be.

It was around that time that I stopped enjoying writing. Writing had transformed from a hobby to a chore. In each essay, however, I tried to add exciting adjectives or maybe a sentence that, although it wasn’t on topic, added a little something extra, a little something Sue, to the paper. In ninth grade English, some diversity was offered. Mrs. Jewell told us to include our own ideas into our papers, but it seemed that I had forgotten how to do that. I had turned into the little boy from A Wrinkle in Time. I was still trying to bounce my ball exactly like all the other little boys, but there was something wrong with me. I was imperfect, and everything was at stake.

In the tenth grade I began my career in the writing center. Our first assignment was exactly this one. Use a given quotation to describe your writing process. Through that assignment, I discovered my love-hate relationship with writing. I would jump for joy when a new project was announced, but I would soon be in the gutter when I realized that thinking in a new way was harder than I expected. When discussing academic writing, I simply stated “Writing is not my friend.” And my 14 page Writing in the Discipline research essay was about as far from a friend that I could get.

When discussing personal writing, however, I used positive adjectives such as “pure” and “perfect”. I felt overjoyed when I got to interview Keith Naquin, a local artist, for a profile piece. I was so excited and nervous that I was probably glowing, just so that all my energy had somewhere to go. In my writing reflection, I discovered that there were some good parts of writing and some bad parts. I also discovered that I liked writing when it was easy, but if I couldn’t relate to the topic or the topic didn’t interest me, I got discouraged easily, and became negative. Although my reflection about my writing offered fresh ideas, it was sloppy. It seemed that after madman, I touched on architect, lingered on carpenter, and skipped judge all together. Nothing about my paper seemed holistic. I had a million separate thoughts, none of which related to my topic. I was like I was a kid in a candy shop, frozen with sheer excitement at all the possibilities.

Throughout sophomore year I continued to grow as a writer, but I kept skipping over the crucial architecture step. I was so attached to what I wrote that I never wanted to leave as much as a word behind. Every word written was a major victory after an uphill battle. When junior year came around, writing took a back burner. I became detached to the idea of writing. I didn’t even attempt to better my writing process. I hardly put effort into my personal pieces. I was just so uninspired. I was too overwhelmed with the quick pace of a busy life to be inspired. I took challenging classes. I was captain of the soccer team. I was head tutor of the writing center. I got tutored twice a week. I got my first and second jobs. I took five AP Exams. I babysat about once a week. I was so busy with other things that it seemed that I lost my voice. But although I had to force myself to write each word, I included some touch of Sue in every piece.

While my enjoyment of personal writing drifted further and further away, academic writing became less of an obstacle. Most of the writing we had to do was forming opinions about social issues. Even though the social issues we had to discuss were of little to no importance, like weather or not the US should continue to make and use the penny, the essays were easier to write. Where I had struggled so hard my freshman year, I was excelling now as a junior. I did have opinions! And it was, in fact, easier for me to voice my opinions through my pencil than through my tongue.

By the end of my junior year, I was writing better at the sentence level, but as a whole, my paper still lacked flow. I still was jumpy as a writer and I had too many ideas for my own good. I realized the more I put into my essay, the more I would get out. But I also realized that the more I take out of my essay the more focused it would be. So I started cutting out words, lots of words. And my essays weren’t the only thing that got focused. I realized that I would have to care more about my writing if I wanted it to meet my own expectations. I also realized that I would need to spend a lot more time writing to get better at it. Of course the epiphany came at the end of the fourth quarter. I was also still not going through the necessary steps to turn a draft into a final product. It seemed like editing was the only way I revised my work, if I even bothered with that. I never went back and revised what I had written. I never checked for ideas that didn’t fit or ones that needed more developing. Repetitiveness and lost ideas were constant themes in my writing.

But each paper was my style, my tone, and my slightly mundane diction. I was developing my own recognizable work. This year, I hope to go through the steps of revising for each piece I write. I want to get attached to my work as a whole, but not each word or each sentence. That way, I can focus on the main idea, which will help me establish flow. Finally, I will continue to develop my own style of writing and show small pieces of who I am though everything that I write.

The HWC is counting down to CAPTA 2015!

Happy new school year, Herndon! The HWC is preparing for our grand opening on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, with lots of tutor training activities. We are also counting down the days until 19 of our nearly 40 tutors attend the Capital Area Peer Tutoring Association's 2015 Conference, CAPTA Connects, on Friday October 2.The HWC is also very excited that our school principal, Mr. Bates, has been asked to sit on a panel of high school principals and discuss how to support and sustain high school writing centers. To say this year has been off to an exciting start would be an understatement!

9 of our veteran tutors will be presenting at CAPTA. Please read their abstracts below and wish them the best of luck next Friday! More detailed information about CAPTA Connects is available on the CAPTA website.

Tutoring the Tutor: Activities to Prepare First-Year Tutors

Marcus B. (Grade 11), Niki P. (Grade 12), and Patrick V. (Grade 11)

Herndon High School, Herndon, Virginia

In our presentation, we are looking to explore different in-class activities that can prepare new tutors for the writing center. Each of us will go into detail about one exercise that we thought have impacted us to better our tutoring and ourselves    personally. As second-year tutors, we’ve found that activities that incorporate creativity, focus, and interactivity gave us deeper insight into the field of peer tutoring. By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to take home these exercises and hopefully use them in their writing center’s tutoring preparation. [60 min] 

 Plot to Page and Back Again: Connecting Tutoring and Creative Writing

Sofia C. (Grade 11)

Herndon High School, Herndon, Virginia

 The audience will examine the link between tutoring and personal work, particularly creative writing, and a discuss how to strengthen that link. This presentation covers the benefits of working on personal projects, proposes curriculum in a class    format that promotes personal work, and helps tutors apply skills from tutoring to constructive self-criticism. Focus will be given to topics like structure and planning of potential projects and assignments. Participants will receive materials including an organizer for plotting use of tutoring techniques and suggestions for curriculum. The presentation will include advice on how individuals can begin and improve their own creative projects. [25 min]

Tossing the Salad: How a Mentorship Program Can Increase Diversity in the Writing Center

Jaiden C. (Grade 12)

Herndon High School, Herndon, Virginia 

In this presentation we will introduce a mentorship program that strives to incorporate a diverse and passionate group of tutors into the Writing Center. We will cover how and why diversity is of monumental importance in any writing center and how this program will help reflect the growing range of students and ideas that seem to bloom more beautifully each year. This program will help students of all English levels become a part of the Writing Center.  [25 min]

A Breath of Fresh Air: How Writing Center Atmospheres Create a Stronger Connection between Tutors and Tutees

Emma G. (Grade 12)

Herndon High School, Herndon, Virginia

The perfect writing center atmosphere will be defined through discussions with fellow tutors. Tutors will share what adds to their writing center atmosphere, and all will determine what it takes to achieve the best atmosphere for a writing center. A third year tutor will lead a conversation about the many aspects that the writing center must pay attention to in order to secure an inviting atmosphere. The attendees will leave feeling certain of what contributes to a writing center atmosphere and what they can do for their center to achieve a friendly and approachable writing center. [25 min] 

Creative Connections: A Club to Ignite Lifelong Writing Passion

Emily G. (Grade 11) and Lindsey R. (Grade 11)

Herndon High School, Herndon, Virginia

This presentation will examine the importance in connecting tutees to sustained creative writing interest. We will provide a model for a program where “unconnected” students are invited to develop their talent with the help highly qualified tutors. This way, students who love writing for pleasure can finally enter a warm, collaborative community of like-minded peers, and focus solely on creative pieces rather than academic ones. By offering an in-depth explanation of the program and how to best implement it, along with demonstrating the creative nature of our monthly meetings with an example writing prompt, we will thoroughly describe how to establish this creative connection. [60 min] 

Stretching to the Greatest Lengths

Jessie W. (Grade 11)

Herndon High School, Herndon, Virginia

Tutors may be looking for solutions to common problems in the Writing Center, focusing on growing the number of tutees who come on their own. Tutors join the Writing Center for the love of writing and their confidence in the abilities they possess. If these tutors are left to tutor once every couple of weeks, the reasoning for joining the Writing Center is lost. Creating a Writing Center that can grow in the number tutees served while growing in tutors is the ultimate goal in any tutoring environment. Participants will receive ideas for monthly activities and ideas for how to set up tutoring in the cafeteria and the library. Participants will also have the chance to discuss the ways they have accommodated a growing population of tutors in their school. [10 min]

Good Luck to Our Seniors!!!!

Today we're showcasing our graduating Seniors, who we are going to miss so much! 

Bryce B.

Years in the HWC: 1

College: American University

Major: Strategic Communications

What will Bryce miss most about the HWC?: I’ll miss the people the most.

What will we miss about Bryce?: His awesome personality and his smokin’ hot looks….Also he’s my favorite and the nicest guy ever. <3- Jessie W.

Martha B.

 Years in the HWC: 1

College: NOVA and then William & Mary

Major: Biology and Pre-Med

What will Martha miss most about the HWC?: The spark of “Oh!” when a tutee finally gets something they didn’t before. AND Ms. Gillen/Hutton.

What will we miss about Martha? Her super amazing smile!!! J - Jaiden C.

 Sam C.

Years in the HWC: 3

College: Virginia Tech

Major: International Studies

What will Sam miss most about the HWC?: What I'm going to miss most is seeing and working with some of my best friends as tutors everyday!

What will we miss most about Sam? He knows and cares a lot about everything he does, and that spreads around to everyone else. He’s the heart, soul, backbone, and major internal organs of the HWC. – Marcus and Sofia

Patrick G.

Years in the HWC: 1

College: Christopher Newport University

Major: Computer Science or something.

What will Patrick miss most about the HWC?: Chick Fil A.

What will we miss about Patrick? His humor and his fashionista style. His music choices are on fleek. <3 –Jessie W

Matt L.

Years in the HWC: 2

College:  Virginia Tech

Major: Physics

What will Matt miss most about the HWC?: Tutoring people and pizza Fridays.

What will we miss about Matt? I’m going to miss his awesome pieces of writing and sitting next to him for the year.- Lindsey R

Lennon M.

Years in the HWC: 2

College: James Madison University

Major: Psychology

What will Lennon miss most about the HWC?: Ms. Hutton, Mrs. Jewell, and the writing center family.

What will we miss about Lennon? His sarcastic remarks, his lackadaisical attitude, and his killer playlists. - Emma

 Danny V.

Years in the HWC: 3

College: Carnegie Mellon University

Major: Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering.

What will Danny miss most about the HWC?:I am going to miss being able to walk out of the writing center each and every day feeling like I have made a significant and measurable impact to help the students at HHS. I will also miss hanging with my brother during lunches.

What will we miss about Danny? I will miss Danny’s sense of humor and the way he tied the class together with his charm and wit.- Robbie D. I will miss having a stolen lunch. –Danny’s brother Patrick V.

 Shelley Y.

Years in the HWC: 3

College: Cornell University

Major: Chemical Engineering

What will Shelley miss most about the HWC?:  The amazing friends I have made. It was wonderful to be apart of such a loving Writing Center community.

What will we miss about Shelley?: I will miss her sweet personality and amazing tutoring skills! She’s someone who makes a perfect role model for both HWC tutors and students in general. I’ll definitely miss her kind smile and presence, but I know she’s headed for greatness!- Emily G

 Olivia L.

Years in the HWC: 1

College: Virginia Tech

What will we miss about Olivia? I’ll miss how friendly she is to everyone and how easy it is to have a conversation with her. –Niki P.