"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.