12 - Janessa H: Cool as the waves or hot as the sand

 Cool as the waves or as hot as the sand

I absolutely love the beach. I love the sand between your toes, the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore, the picnics where your sandwiches probably actually include some sand, but when it comes to me you have to see the layers beneath it all. 

You need to feel the hot sand as you  run as fast as you can to get off of it. Feel my anger, my head turning red and me pushing the ones near away as they leave me to cool off. You go back on that sand, the moons out it's cold there is now nothing used to heat the sand up it feels soothing and calming on your feet, you see me calm and relaxed, nothing there left to make me angry.

You see those crashing waves onto the shore you choose to run from or dive right into. You pick whether you can deal with me and my baggage, the trauma and pain and you choose to stay and figure me out or you choose to run away because it's all too much. 

Me and the beach have a lot in common if you look at it the right way. I love having a good time, feeling free and making memories. One of my favorite places to do that is the beach.

 I can be the cool waves or the hot sand. It's honestly up to what life decides to throw at me and how I choose to let those things affect me. 

12- Mariza Avalos: Conquering 14 Peaks

There are only 14 Mountain peaks throughout the world which stand above 8,000 meters; the tallest most famously known as Mount Everest at roughly 8,850 meters and 29,035 ft. Reinhold Messner, the mountaineer who is regarded as one of the most respectable people in the mountain world, was the first to summit all 14 peaks in 1986 setting the first record at 16 years. Followed by 38 other mountaineers who ascended the peaks throughout a lifetime, and a new record set at 7 years 10 months and 6 days, by South Korean mountaineer Kim Chang-Ho. Nirmal’s goal was to conquer the 14 peaks in just 7 months.

    From April to October 2019, a Nepalese mountaineer by the name of Nimal Purja, set himself on one of the most ambitious quests known to mankind. Nirmal, who’s also known as “Nimsdai” or “Nims” planned to set a new record of completing the 14 peaks in 7 months. When the mountaineering world shined light on Nims’ plan, many believed his journey to be a complete fantasy to mankind. The absurdity of his journey had many react in a negative way, as it was considered to be undoubtedly impossible, but this only brewed Nim's dedication and in response he dubbed his journey as “Project Possible.”

Project Possible was split into a 3 phase schedule where they sought to summit each mountain in a controlled, consecutive plan.  The first phase consisted of 6 daunting peaks located in the Himalayan mountains, close to Nims home country Nepal: Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, and Makula. The second phase was located in the Karakoram range which consisted of Nanga Parbat, G1, G2, G3, K2, and Broad Peak. The third phase held the three final mountains, Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Shishapangma also within the Himalayan mountain range. In the end Nims conquered all 14 mountains in 6 months and 6 days creating a new world record. 

What makes his adventure so much more impactful is that during his ambitious project, multiple times throughout his course he would set out on missions to rescue those who were stranded on their own journeys. 

I feel as though Nim's story is a true lesson of how our ambitions can lead us to many great places. The truth is, I’ve always measured my ambitions short. They say that only you can truly measure your strengths and your weaknesses, but if you measure them short you’ll end up regretting more. Everyone else around you can  tell you words of encouragement but it’s your own ambitions and self propositions that will take you farther. 

12 - Diego B: How Experiences Change Us

Experiences are the catalysts of development. Experiences have changed me as well as everybody else in society. Value experiences for what they are, and value them for what they give you. Without experiences, we would gain nothing from this world, and nothing to base ourselves off of. They shape our character as much as they shape our perception of the world around us. Everybody experiences different memories, whether it originates naturally or by our desires. Everybody experiences something different in their lives, and everybody experiences the world in a different way. I am confident in saying that we have great difficulty in reverting back to our past. During high school, for example, we begin to experience great difficulty in reliving the joy and optimism which we experienced when we were children. We long for these kinds of experiences because they recall a simpler period when the world was not as complicated and perilous as the world is currently. In short, we sacrifice our dreams and memories for the innocence and optimism of childhood. It is somewhat ironic, indeed, considering that many of the dreams which we conceived during childhood are the very catalysts which destroy them when we begin to grow up. This should not deter us from pursuing our careers and maturing, however. Our optimism and joy are as important as developing our talents and maturing and experiencing the surrounding world. So, my suggestion, therefore, is to attempt to balance both traits simultaneously. You do not want to be more like one than the other. Try to pursue your dreams, but value your optimism. Do not forget your dreams, but never forget where they came from.

12- Katrina Smith: The Sunscreen Controversy

2020 was definitely the year of discovering new information, and the world of skincare experienced some of this. Beauty influencers and consumers alike had fallen in love with the Purito Centella asiatica sunscreen. Finally, a non sticky, non greasy, and smooth feeling sunscreen had hit the market. It offered beneficial ingredients that helped soothe redness, and hydrate the skin. Protecting your skin from the sun had never been so easy with this $14 SPF 50 sunscreen from Purito. Not only was it helping treat the skin, but protecting from UVA and UVB rays at a high sun protection factor. Until the truth came out. 

Some independent cosmetic chemists were fascinated how an SPF was so high and yet the consistency of the product was so enjoyable. They decided to do research and experiments on the formulation of the product. Three independent chemists did tests to see the effectiveness of the sun protection ingredients and what they found was a travesty. The product that influencers from the east and the west were obsessed with was a lie. The SPF was only 19. Humans need around an SPF 30 to be effective enough to protect skin from the sun, and this product didn't even reach that. The chemists published their findings and suddenly influencers everywhere were apologizing for promoting this ineffective product. 

At the time when this all went down, I had severe acne and I was on medication for it. This medication tends to make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so sunscreen was a must for me. I was using this exact product as my main sunscreen at the time of my treatment. It felt different than any other sunscreen and I had never thought that this renowned sun lotion wasn't even the SPF that was listed on the bottle. When I found out I immediately bought a different one. I couldn't help but wonder how this could have affected others who were at risk in the sun, people prone to skin cancer, or simply sensitive to the sun. 

In the end, the Purito company did a good job at damage control and PR. They released a public statement acknowledging the situation and offered an apology, then took down the product from their site to be reformulated. However, because they are a Korean brand, legal troubles in the US were not really an issue because the FDA in the US accepts different sunscreen filters and the ones Purito used were not accepted in American brands. Soon other Korean skincare companies who offered sunscreens were also being independently tested, and some of them didn't respond as well as Purito. One brand decided to just completely deny any of the results and say that they were simply being targeted by competitors. Others said the science was false. The result of this conflict of Korean sunscreens is that avid skincare lovers tend to avoid K beauty sunscreens that don't have a lot of research behind them, and avoid sunscreen filters that are uncommon in the US.

 Sunscreen is incredibly important for the health of your skin to prevent aging and other damage, and it is especially important for people who have acne. Purito made a big mistake by listing such high claims on their bottles and ruined it for the whole Korean skincare market when it comes to sun protection. Science is not a linear process, there will always be new discoveries coming out and brands need to focus on this before listing claims.

Words: 582

12-Raymond L- Reality of trying new things

The quote “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old

dimensions” means that when you are trying something new you can’t go back to the old life of not

trying that thing. For example if you try a roller coaster that you have been pushing away from trying,

and you like it, you would want to ride that roller coaster more and more and you won’t be scared to

avoid it everytime you go back to that amusement park or place.

A mind that is stretched out to try new things every day is a mind that is able to try new things

and have the mindset that they can try almost anything. I remember when I tried a roller coaster at 6

flags for the first time, the ride was Medusa, I told my parents after the ride that I didn’t like it but the

next time we went I rode on it again because I actually liked it and couldn’t go back to avoiding it

everytime we went. Trying new things changes people. Many stars in sports such as basketball and

football never were super into the sport that they became a pro at, until they tried the sport when they

were younger and they loved it. When you try something new that you haven’t tried before it changes

how you do things from that point on. Beforehand you never did it and since you did that one day you

continue to think about it and you can’t go back to the old dimension/times of avoiding it or not doing it

everyday.

Word Count: 273

12-Khaleah A: Where is Home?.

 I mainly grew up in Alameda California. Alameda is a small island in the bay area, connected to San Francisco Bay. I moved to Alameda when I was 5 with my mom, being a military brat I would often stay with family while my mom was stationed in whichever state or country she would be in. Most of my family is in the bay area.

 It was important to my mom that I had a family around. Growing up as an only child she wanted me to know I had people who loved and would take care of me. Occasionally I would be able to tag along with her. I love traveling with my mom and I've seen a lot. My mom and I are both water signs so we both feel connected to the water. My favorite place I've been with my mom was the Bahamas. One of my favorite memories was sitting on the beach enjoying the view while drinking my Shirley temples. The beach is where I call home.

 Living in Alameda my mom and I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment right on the shoreline of the beach. I loved waking up in the morning and being able to see the beach right across the street. I have a lot of memories of friends and family birthday parties at the beach. Along with being able to celebrate New Year’s and see all the fireworks across the San Francisco bay. Wherever there's an ocean it reminds me of all the fun memories I've had. Wherever there is a beach I am home.

12-Nigel R: The Test of Time

        J Cole is one of the best rappers of current times. He has  some of the most popular songs of the decade. I believe his music will stand the test of time because of how unique his songs are and how good his songs tell stories.

J Cole’s is really good at telling stories in his songs. He’ll make songs from personal stories or stories from another perspective and they’ll be just as good. He has a great ability to make the listener feel his emotions as he’s singing.  With this story telling it makes his fans get a sense of honesty and realness from his music that is rare to get from other artists.  

Another reason his music will stand the test of time is how many people relate to his music. His music can relate to people that have had lots of success or people who have had struggles . His music really reaches to a lot of people. His music can also be positive and uplifting which motivates people to succeed or helps them out in dark times. This music will even relate to people in future times so his music will last a long time.

His music also brings people together. He speaks up about issues in communities and shows how he’s genuinely concerned about some issues in the world. This will definitely be something that future generations will come back to and still love the songs.

                            Word Count:240

12- Preston K : Best of fast foods

 Best of the fast foods

Ok fast food let's get this straight, wendys stands number one. I dont care what anyone says ther chicken sandwich is unrivled. But the main thing from wendys is the lemonade that they make is amazing, no other fast food can rival the combination of their lemonade with the chicken sandwich and fries.My evidence to prove this is how i took my friends there and made them try the lemonade and they said it was amazing

No speaking of lemonade and chicken sanwhiches i feel like kfc and chickflia stand at the same spot. Many may not agree but the KFC chicken sandwich is super underrated, It has a different taste to me that makes it more enjoyable than most other chicken sandwiches. And for chickflia i dont even need to explain why we all already know.

Sticking to the chicken vibes, i feel like Canes eventhough it may not be 100 percent fast food i believe it is and it is lowkey overrated but it dosent mean it isnt hecka good thought. The sauce at Canes I feel like needs lemon or citriuos added to it to make canes amazing, but i will have to say the bread and the chicken is so good. The chicken isnt dry, has crunch, and isnt like mushy but i will say alon it has zero seasoning. Now the bread form canes though alone deservens a 120 out of 60 hands down. If i could buy a baskit of their bread alone i think i would change the placement of canes on this list. The bread wrapped around the chicken dipped in alot of sauce really does hit you especially when you're super hungry. 

That's the list for best fast food chicken places that i feel like take the top 3 spots all day, Thats final

12- Jenna K: The Value of Family in Interstellar

Interstellar is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made, and it is my personal favorite movie of all time. It tackles the incredibly complex scientific theories of the universe while still maintaining a focus on family values, sacrifice and humanity. Interstellar follows Cooper, a man living with his two children in a post dust bowl-like time. The earth is so dry that growing crops has become impossible, and people are beginning to suffocate in their own atmosphere. The plot truly begins when Cooper is faced with a life changing decision to make; leave his kids behind to save all of humanity, or stay with them and accept the inevitable extinction of the human race. Cooper is presented with the opportunity to travel into space to find another habitable planet or galaxy to save all of mankind. Making this choice to save all of humanity comes with the risk of possibly never seeing his family again, but Cooper decides to go forward with the mission and leave his children behind for the greater good. As Cooper and his crew move deeper and deeper into other galaxies, black holes, and wormholes, they realize that time is moving much slower than it does back on Earth. Cooper must watch as his children grow older and older every time they transmit video clips to his space craft. In a heartbreaking montage, Cooper watches clips from his son as he grows up, gets married, has children, and faces the devastating obstacles of adult life. Cooper remains the same age throughout the entire movie, yet his children end up growing elderly due to the difference of time. As the audience watches Cooper mourn the loss of opportunity to raise his children into adulthood, we find ourselves realizing the true weight of his sacrifice. Cooper left his family behind, but he did it in order to seek out a better life for them and the generations of people after them. He threw his entire life as he knew it away to improve everyone else's. His character teaches us that sometimes we must make incredible sacrifices for those we love. In addition to this, the movie also preaches the value of family. Cooper makes it his mission to create a better life for his children, and in her adulthood, his daughter Murphy makes it her life goal to figure out where her father went and to finish what he started. Although this entire movie plot is incredibly far-fetched, we can still picture ourselves in the shoes of Cooper and Murph. The unconditional love for family drives us to do crazy things, and I think that is the true essence of Interstellar. Word count: 445

12-Ethan R- preform your art

 All throughout my child hood i have done plays, and musicals, and everything of the preforming art nature. Its partly the reason ive become a extroverted student leader on campus, but for years before ASB i was obsessed with theater.

I understand this prompt was meant for playing outside but it's meant to be how the writer expresses the word, and i express it through theater. I loved theater, practically lived and breathed it. I knew all the broadway musicals and it consumed me. I was in over 12 different plays and played multiple different roles over years span.

But i believe that being in some sort of theater or preforming art is fundamental to our youth because it teaches kids loads of valuable lessons. It teaches them to express themselves in unconventional ways. It improves public speaking and makes people more available to taking risks. You have to take a risk and audition for roles they want. You have to work on team building with your cast and have to embrace them for months on end to get a production to run smoothly. And when you have to preform you must learn to express yourself infront of alot of people, which helps with public speaking anxiety and just group speaking. It causes kids to understand life lessons early on and will make kids more extroverted and expressive. 

Theater will make a positive impact on many kids lives, and will make them more expressive and will cause early life lessons that will make them more productive in the future, plus its really fun!

Word  249

12- Yara A: Shingle

 Blog #12- Shingle 

When you think of the mountains, typically what comes to mind is cold. The type of cold that makes you like the summer and makes you say things like “I would do anything for it to be hot right now” or “i'll never complain about the heat ever again”. When you think of the beach you instantly think of warm summer days with beach balls flying and kids playing in the water and families sunbathing soaking in the good moments. 

I would define myself as being more like the beach. I like hot sunny days where you can wear loose clothing and flip flops with messy buns and eat ice cream until you have a stomach ache. Depending on the time you go, the beach provides exactly that. Loose clothing, flip flops with sand in them that weighs your feet down and the sun that you get scolded for not putting on any sunscreen and the stomach aches you get from eating junk food throughout the day. 

 The feeling of the sun hitting my skin while being at the beach and relaxing brings me peace. While the beaches in California tend to be cold, once you go to a beach that has warm waters like Mexico it is hard not to fall in love. In a populated beach in Mexico there will typically be food stands and small businesses all lined up alongside the beach trying to promote their business and persuade you to come buy things depending on the time of year that you go. The feeling is indescribable. The beach is free and happy and I find myself having more qualities like the beach than the mountains. 

Beaches are peaceful and beautiful. They bring tranquility.  It is where you go to have a fun time with families and friends or to simply just relax. While I don’t have anything against mountains and some people could think the complete opposite about beaches, I think beaches are simply just powerful. 

Word Count: 330 

12- Samantha A: A Sour Success Story

To stand the test of time often means to remain “popular” or relevant for a long period. In today's world of celebrities and more specifically musicians, there have already been so many that have stood the test of time and are continuing to do so. One of the more recently popular musicians that I believe will stand the test of time is no other than Olivia Rodrigo. At just 17 years old, she released her first song “Driver’s License”, and it instantly became #1 on all streaming platforms, breaking all types of records. Shortly after that she released a few more singles, and then a whole album titled “Sour.” The success of “Sour” was huge and Rodrigo has had many new experiences and accomplishments all in just one year, which can take many artists years to achieve. I think she will stand the true test of time, because if she’s already breaking these new records and making new accomplishments, then I think she’ll continue to carry on that success and popularity with her. 

She recently announced that she’s going on tour this year, which I think is incredible. Usually when artists are starting to launch their careers, they’ll find a bigger artist to open for at their shows. With Rodrigo it’s mildly different. With the fortunate series of events that unfolded in Rodrigo’s life, she is already known enough to be able to go on her first solo tour. I think if Rodrigo keeps releasing new music, she won’t have to worry so much about it not having streams or fans, because everyone will already be anticipating the release. I think 5 or 10 years from now she could be one of the biggest pop stars of our generation. Just like how we were all obsessed with Taylor Swift in 2006, we will look back on 2021, years from now and say “oh I was so obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo.” 

Word count: 322 

 

11-Raymond L- Favorite time of Year

 Christmas is that time of year where everyone decides that they all of a sudden aren’t tired

when they wake up super early in the morning. The day that everyone gives gifts or receives gifts. But

most of the time Christmas isn't about the gifts or the money, it’s about the memories that you make

with your family or friends. Something that you can remember for years and years to come. Having

these memories are a lot more important than the things you receive or give. You could make

someone’s whole year.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year because for once in my life I am not super tired in the

morning and I actually have energy. If I had the energy I have on Christmas morning everyday I most

definitely would take that. Christmas has that kind of energy that just gives you your energy in the

morning. It doesn't matter what time you wake up you will have that Christmas energy and

excitement. Also spending time with my family or friends is what makes Christmas my favorite time of

year, you get to hangout with your loved ones on a special day and make the most memories out of it.

I feel like most people have Christmas very high on their list of favorite times of years just because of

the amount of fun that it brings to the table, a close second would be your birthday because you are

celebrating another year with the people you love.

Word Count: 252

11- AshleyM: Education for all

 Malala Yousafzai born on July 12 , 1997 is a Pakistani activist who spoke out publicly about the prohibition on the education of girls that the Taliban did not want. All of which she did during her teenage years.

Born into a family who were education activist and her father who established and administered Khushal Girls High School and College in which she attended.Have always supported her and have even encouraged her to follow the footsteps of her father , but it was difficult times as the the Taliban started to impose strict Islamic Laws into place in which destroyed and shut down girls school to ban any women to take any role in society. For their  safety Yousafzai and her family left , but upon returning after sometime tensions were still in place.

 When Yousafzai was 11 years old, her father took her to a local press club. In which was her first speech given towards protesting school closings. It was the start of her letting her voice be heard with her impactful speech of  “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?”. Her speech was then publicized throughout Pakistan which made the Taliban want to shut down more schools for girls even faster , but that didn’t stop her as she continued to keep voicing out and being televised. 

She then gained global attention and when on October 9 , 2012 Yousafzai survived an assassination attempt when she was 15 years old. When she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while taking route home from school.This helped her message be spread faster with her cause now being known world wide. Helping a petition being ratified for Pakistan's first Education bill.About the same time, the Malala Fund was established to support education for all girls around the world.She continued advocating and won many awards along. Some being the Nobel Prize , United Nations Human Rights Prize , Liberty Medal and was named most influential people. Continuing to use her platform to continue her movement to teach girls that anything is possible. 

11 - Mariza A: With Freedom Comes Experiences

With the privilege of freedom comes self-learned experiences. And with self-learned experiences comes the responsibility of all the consequences that follow. Parents know this statement well, but many teens don’t realize the weight of their actions until they walk into bad situations by themselves. Everyone has different experiences growing up. That’s why I believe the talk of 'freedom' is a matter of perspective in which the parent decides based on their past experiences and the understanding of their own child. 

    I believe that most parents decide the personal freedom, or lack thereof, given to their children either based on their own past experience. From my observations, they also base their decisions of raising a child either on vicarious intentions or their learned wisdom. 

There are so many different experiences and in turn consequences that people go through when transitioning into adulthood. If you think about it, parents who were given a lot of freedom as teenagers likely dealt with many situations they regret. They would, in turn, limit the amount of freedom given to their child as an attempt to prevent them from going through the same regretful experiences. Whereas parents who didn’t have that same freedom may resent the fact that they didn’t get to experience much during their teen years. It’s pretty reasonable to assume they'd give their children more freedom as a result. 

Then there are parents who as teens rebelled against strict household rules and ones who were given the freedom but didn’t pursue it much. There are so many given situations that each brew different learned experiences. That’s what makes the concept of ‘freedom given to teens’ so diverse to everyone.  

I’ve only based my opinion on the interpretation I get from observing many of the other parent-to-teen relationships that are present in my life. I believe it ultimately comes down to giving teenagers the right amount of freedom with the right amount of discipline. 

    Many believe that giving freedom to a teen means allowing them to experience life and discover new things. But that also opens the opportunity for them to make life decisions that we’d rather them not make. Such as doing drugs, having unprotected sex, driving under the influences; things that are too grave to be considered “common mistakes” or “learned experiences” and should be prevented rather than dealt with. I think that giving supervised freedom while also creating disciplinary measures is a good way of balancing the sensitive line of freedom and recklessness.  This involves creating a comfortable environment for a teen to be honest, and a disciplined one for them to be equally respectful. 

 

    In all honesty, knowing that there are so many potential bad situations a teen could walk into, I would be very scared about giving them freedom at a young age. Though at the same time, I understand that freedom during teenage years provides the opportunity for them to develop their own memorable and hopefully safe experiences, especially before college. So I would like to think that if I raised a teenager, I could give them a reasonable amount of freedom. With the deal that they’re getting good grades, their mental health is good, and that they didn’t do anything to break my trust. Before allowing a teen to have a reasonable amount of freedom, it's crucial to have a parent-to-child understanding that communication is a must and that trust is earned.

11 - Diego B: Effects of Sticky Notes

I occasionally keep sticky notes on hold with me. I do not think much of them, as with most belongings that are in my life. The most which I ever employ of sticky notes revolves around my daily reminders to finish writing my professional college paper or watching a video regarding how to properly cite our local Solano community library. Sticky notes do not contain a voice, but they shout at you, silently, to complete your work. They do not help me too often, however, since I generally have so many assignments to keep track of to the point where the reminders of sticky notes get lost in the labyrinth of my own responsibilities. They can become a little obnoxious, in fact, whenever I have the illusion that I am satisfied with my own accomplishments. They inform me that I am not complete with my life, regardless of how I feel about it. They inform me that I should not be satisfied with my life yet, regardless of how I feel about it. Only when the sticky notes go away, then I can do whatever I want. I am unsure whether you should incorporate sticky notes into your life or not. It boils down to personal preferences. I only prefer to use sticky notes when they are absolutely necessary, such as when there is an assignment about writing flashcards that I am certain that I will forget about. A daily reminder to remember completing something is not harmful, but having them will make you feel different about the accomplishments and success in your life. (264 words)

11 - Janessa H: Anything is possible

Anything is possible

Life is full of doubts and obstacles, twists and turns not allowing anything to be certain instead we are only left with possibilities. We are left with the question maybe or I don't know most of the time, this day in age or at least this generation we are not certain about anything are go to answers are “we’ll see”, “I don't know”, and “i'll let you know” at least that's what I've picked up on, the reason I believe this happens is the fact certainty is permanent whereas possibilities run wild and cater to our imaginations. 

When we give a person a possible answer we are still free to change our minds and decide our fate but when we give that certain yes or no that is the final certain answer they are harder to gain control of and hard to take back. I rather have a little more time to think then be certain all the time because honestly i'm not certain about much, certainty scares me. I don't want to lose that sense of control or make everything permanent before I explore the endless possibilities.

I live by the quote “anything is possible if you put your mind to it” that is not meant to take literal obviously you define gravity or breathe underwater no matter how hard you try but in a more mental meaning if you want to achieve your goals you can no matter how high or large far or near, it won't be easy or fast but as long as you believe in yourself and believe you have open possibilities it will happen, the second you give into doubt is the second all that disappears and you are left with the curiosity of what if.

Don't allow certainty to box in your imagination. Believe anything is truly possible and reach for the stars because the sky’s too close, let the endless possibilities guide you to strive much higher than your previous mentality allowed, because anything is possible.

11-Nigel R: Freedom as a Teen is Earned

    Freedom for teens can be a subject that is debated by many people. Some parents allow their kids to have a lot of freedom and some parents barely give their kids any freedom. Personally, I feel like it depends on the situation.

If the kid is usually a good kid that doesn’t get in trouble and has good grades I feel like they should be allowed to do things like go out with friends and hangout. I feel that this level of freedom is like a reward for being a good kid and being responsible. If the kid is untrustworthy I feel like the parents should be strict with their kids and not let them have too much freedom. If parents allow their kids freedom while they’re irresponsible it will make them not correct their behavior and keep doing what they are doing. The parents would be doing a disservice to the kid if they let them do whatever they want whenever they want and they’re having issues with behavior.

Teens that have issues  with their behavior shouldn’t even expect the same privileges as teens that don’t. However I also believe that some teens with behavior issues should get to do some things  depending on how bad the behavior is, but not as often as responsible ones.

Word Count: 225

11- Jenna K: notes on the bathroom mirror

Sticky notes. They are simply a pad of 3x3” multicolored paper with a sticky film on the back of them, yet we manage to find so many different uses for them. I myself have used them to annotate books, write myself little reminders, leave notes in my friends’ lockers, and even cover a teacher’s classroom with them for April Fool’s Day. My favorite sticky notes, however, will always come from my mom. For as long as I can remember, my mom has woken up at the crack of dawn to get her morning walk and errands done early so that she can be home in time to spend the day with her family. Due to the fact that she is normally still gone by the time I wake up, she has always left me a little note every morning explaining to me exactly where she was, when she’ll be back, and any other useful information I need to know. She finishes off every note by telling me she loves me and leaving her signature stick figure that she draws after every birthday card, letter, or note. My mom originally left these notes on a little whiteboard I used to have, but in the past two years or so she has transitioned into using a pad of sticky notes. She always leaves these notes on my bathroom mirror so that I’m sure to see them as soon as I wake up and use the bathroom. During quarantine when I was staying up until 4am every morning, I used to wait until she fell asleep and then I would write her a message telling her good morning and to have a good day, so that when she went to leave me one, she would have a surprise waiting for her. It’s become part of my routine to wake up, go to the bathroom, and see my mom's morning note. During online school when I was feeling really down all of the time, she would get extra sneaky and leave a sticky note inside my laptop so that when I opened it up to start class, I would find an encouraging message. I don’t think my mom knows this, but I have saved every single sticky note she has left for me in the past two years. They sit in a little box on a cabinet in my bathroom, and every morning when I see that she has left me a new one, I add it to my collection. I could never imagine throwing any of them away. It’s crazy how such an insignificant object can have so much meaning to you, but it’s the thought behind it that gives it its value. Word count:450

11- Katrina Smith: How to loose your bravery

                        photo I took on the edge of a cliff at 13 yrs

As a child I was often described as brave. I believe this could've been for multiple reasons. First, I took risks, you could often find 4 foot tall me in a tree or on top of a roof. Second, fearlessness. I wasn't afraid of many things and could easily walk through a haunted house without any spooks. Lastly I was confident, I could care less about what people would think of the cat ears I wore to school everyday. 

Growing older it feels like I lost some of this bravery, and others may feel the same. It's important to note that as you grow older, your world gets bigger. What you once thought were “big kid” privileges are suddenly in the palm of your hand. It's not that you’re any less brave, it's that the obstacles we face and things that made us brave as children are upped in scale by 10 times. 

Risk taking as a kid isn't too difficult, ride a bike, send an invitation to a birthday party, eat 9 slices of pizza. Risk taking as a young adult is on a larger scale. Moving abroad, going to a restaurant alone, applying for a job, meeting new people. When you grow up you realize there's more things to be afraid of, and it's not just big spiders and sharks. You can be afraid of going into debt, losing a job, losing a loved one, failing an important exam. And lastly, your confidence can decline, it’s no longer not caring what people think of your silly laugh, but insecurities that can run deep and affect you long term. 

Growing up means the trees we climb are bigger, the haunted houses of life are longer and scarier, and the cat ears are… not sure about that one. Though the challenges we reach as young adults are bigger and more important in comparison to the ones we met as a child, we are also bigger. Not just physically, but we are mentally stronger. The things we went through as a child shaped who we become, and all of the good stuff and the bad stuff made us the way we are. You are not any less brave now that you’ve grown up, it's just that priorities are different, and it will take some getting used to. 

WORDS: 384

11- Samantha A: Autumn Leaves on my Mind

Out of the 4 seasons we have, you’d think it’d be difficult to choose a favorite. Each season comes with its own perks and pleasures, however my favorite season happens to be Fall. As a person who adores sweaters, fall time is that time I can finally start to wear my sweaters and other long sleeves. For some reason I feel more comfortable covering up and so with Fall arriving I feel like it’s a perfect time to express my fashion and wardrobe. I also love the color palette fall brings. The browns, and beige, with also the subtle hints of maroon and orange give me the pure sense of joy and bliss. I also love to look out the window and see the leaves fall up on the ground and pile up. 

Fall time is also that time when you start to transition from the end of summer heat and boredom to the beginning of the cold and excitement. I’m not the biggest fan of heat, so when it starts to get cold and foggy, I like to bundle up. 

The weather is obviously the true factor why I love the fall time, but also because two of the BEST holidays happen to revolve around it. This is Halloween and Thanksgiving of course. Halloween is so much fun obviously because you get to dress up and eat candy, and Thanksgiving is just a holiday to get together and eat. I think the fact that these two holidays are in the fall time, just makes me have an appreciation for the season even more. Whether or not Fall is your favorite time of the year, I think it deserves some recognition for its greatness.

Word count: 284 

11-Ethan R- The balance of your freedom

 Theirs a balance of responsibilities and freedoms children should be granted. The scale will tip and turn to their character and their actions. If a kids grows up disrespectful and disobedient they wont get the same privileges as a well mannered child. 

Parents have hundreds of way to raise their kids and they vary in freedoms and in privileges. But children are the whole essential variable to this equation of freedom. Lets say you have a 4.0 kid who doesnt lie often and you can depend on them to get things done in a timely manner. That child should have a much bigger array of privileges then a 2.0 student that does everything behind your back. When proven the opportunity of success they should find reward but if failed should be held closer to the home at least until they can prove themself worthy of the responsibility. A parents job should be to raise a strong working class citizen that will give back to the community but in our generation, parents have become more relaxed in their disciplinary ways that almost every young adult becomes a failure to launch. 

With success and achievements it is building their credibility for life and holding them accountable for their actions and responsibilities. This builds character traits of responsibility in young kids, which instills accountability in a childs future. So if a child is a well rounded human being they should have the privilege of more freedom then a delinquent child should have.

Word count 251

11- Preston K: love of spring

When asked to choose the favorite season of the year I would expect most to answer with summer, and that is an understandable choice. It's a time of no school, hot weather, and free time to go out and enjoy life. But if I was asked what my favorite season of the year is, I would choose spring.

Spring to me is the beginning of hot days. Unlike summer, springtime is almost like the intro to summer. Within spring you get to enjoy the upcoming final days of school. And during this time school isn't so difficult. All the tests begin to get easier and the overall mood of school changes. Everyone goes from gloomy wearing only sweatshirts and sweatpants to shorts and a t- shirt. Classes become a little more enjoyable and you can look forward to maybe even enjoying a day at school.

Along with the school environment changing spring marks the start of the track and field season. Giving the opportunity to finally go and compete and put to test all the months you have been training for it. Because spring isn't too hot like summer towards the middle of the track season you start to see the real speed. Temperatures ranging from 75-85 degrees make the runner feel warm and loose, and that always leads to an exciting race

The only downfall to springtime is the effect performance cars are affected by the weather. Towards the end of winter turbo cars will be at their peak of performance due to the denser cold air being compressed keeping the charge air temperatures low and eliminating heat soak to the cars allowing for longer and faster drives in the mountains. 

Words 284

11-Khaleah A: Princess Jasmine

 Growing up, the month of October was my favorite. First of all, it was great considering it’s my birthday month. My birthday is at the end of the month and I remember the whole month being super suspenseful and exciting. I was curious about what my mom had planned. I remember all the nights I couldn't sleep, being so excited for the 25th. After my birthday came and went the excitement still lingered because 6 days later would be Halloween. All of my friends and I would plan all the streets we would hit up and hyped over all the candy we would get.

However, my favorite memory of Halloween was my first trip to Disneyland. For as long as I could remember all the way up to age 7 my mom once a year had to deploy to another state or even country for work. Normally her travels will end up only being about 3 weeks long and I would stay with my grandparents. When I was about 5 my mom got an assignment to go to Spain for 3 months. 

This was the longest period of time I was away from my mom. Every night we would get on the phone and talk for a bit and that became the routine. I remember my mom telling me right before she left that once she comes back she’ll make it up to me. After 3 long months, my mom came back and surprised me with a trip to Disneyland for my birthday. This was the first trip I've ever taken, it was a trip with just my mom and me and it has to be my favorite memory of us together. Growing up I absolutely loved the Disney Princesses. I had a ton of collections of dolls, movies, and bedsheets. 

Princesses were my favorite thing in the world. While being at Disneyland was absolutely amazing, my mom had scheduled me an appointment at the “Bippity Boppity Boutique”

The boutique was an opportunity for little kids to live their princess fantasies and have the experience of getting dressed up as their favorite princess while receiving “princess treatment.” With a makeover and a very expensive photoshoot.

At the time Princess Jasmine was my favorite princess. She was the first princess of color and the closest one I could relate to.Overall, being able to spend time with my mom and live my princess fantasy has to be my favorite Halloween memory.