Enza C - #12 - Live performance > movies

     Live action performances offer more experiences and create more memories than a movie or TV show. Whether you are listening to a free community concert, enjoying a college ensemble or have paid for tickets to your favorite artist or musician, the experience of a live performance is better than any movie or prerecorded show. 

    Live actions performances just feel more, in the movement and you can feel more present while watching the show.  You can  really enjoy the show and see every little action live. Going to a live performance is an engaging process that starts with getting ready. When deciding what you wear to the event, who to invite, what to do after the show, and how will you get to the show? These questions make an increase in excitement of going to the show and make the process of getting ready so much more enjoyable. 

    Watching a live performance stimulates your senses. You can see the actors preforming live, you can hear the excited chattering audience behind you before the show starts, you can smell the delicious food being made and served at the performances and you can feel the seat from underneath you and the vibrations going through your body from when the booming orchestra plays. These feelings make you feel so connected with the show and these feelings can not be felt from home.

    Attending a live performance can also be thought provoking and can be an ingating way to lean about people’s cultural heritage. Live performances helps viewers understand and experience other cultures when you go watch a live traditional show such as Shen Yun. These showings can help with your understanding of the artists and develop and deepen a love for the arts, and these shows encourages creativity in ways that a recorded performance just cannot match.

    Word count - 303 

12 - Kayla R. - The World Through a Different Lens

 

The World Through a Different Lens

There are countless perspectives that live within our society. Not one is the same from another, and each is equally important when it comes to the way our society plays out. 

Not every person acknowledges the importance of perspective. Many times people are caught up in their own perspectives, not even worried about their surroundings or the different things happening around them. 

To have perspective is a great power that not every person can acquire. Perspective offers a view of the world in a different lens. There are so many different perspectives to so many different circumstances, and each one is as equally important as another. Through different perspectives we are able to see the struggles many different people of our world face. Each person experiences their lives in different ways, and with this comes their different opinion on how they are treated within society.

To acknowledge the numerous perspectives that many of us will never understand is equivalent to educating yourself on the many different experiences people face. Every person views the world through their own perspective, and some of those perspectives are possibly very closed off, or open to new ones. With an open mind and acknowledgement of the various different perspectives of the world, we can force ourselves to be kinder, and wiser to our peers. Not one person experiences the same things or views things within the same perspective. But these differences cause no harm, and if anything, they provide opportunities to the open minded to reflect their own perspectives in comparison to the many others around them. 

Word Count: 262

12 - Trevor O: Expanding the Mind

 

Every day, through interaction with other people and the world, we learn and experience new things. These experiences, no matter how big or small they may be, are all important because it is these experiences that shape who we are and who we will become. If there is anything I’ve learned from my psychology class this year, it is that one’s environment plays an extreme role in their development. It is through experience and interaction with our environment that we learn crucial skills that enable us to thrive and be good members of society. As such, I wholeheartedly believe that “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions”

Not only are the experiences we directly experience important, but so too are the ideas we are exposed to. As we mature and as we are exposed to more unique and different ideas, our own views begin to change. Even ideas that we don’t necessarily like or agree with can make an impact and stretch our minds in different ways, often causing us to reconsider our previous notions and beliefs. As we are exposed to more and more ideas, our mind is stretched even further and we are able to think about things in new ways we couldn’t before.

In a way, this quote relates to our argument topic from last week about the unknown. Only by venturing into the unknown and experiencing new things and being exposed to new ideas are our minds able to permanently stretch and our attitudes and beliefs change.

Word Count: 261

12- Vivi L- Car Spider

 

If you know me you know multiple things about me. I love J. Cole, I am funny, and I hate spiders. Spiders, bugs, mosquito eaters, if it flies or bites I am probably afraid of it. Naturally, I have gone my entire life having to deal with the occasional bug or spider situation. However, there was one in particular that I had never even considered a possibility. 

One Saturday morning I woke up and left for my shift at work. I drove straight from my home to work and as I backed into my parking space, I saw a strange figure in my rearview camera. While looking closer, I realized that something was clinging to my car. This figure had been holding on since I left my house meaning it was most likely already on my car when I left that morning. As I looked closer, still in reverse, I realized that the figure was… a spider. Was it a small spider? No. Was it a normal harmless spider? Definitely not. What kind of spider was it? A Tarantula (yes a real one and It was huge). So I freaked out! I sat there for a few minutes absolutely stunned and even took a video, posting it and sending it to my friends. After about ten minutes, I decided to drive around the corner, swerving in an empty parking lot to swing the spider off of my car. Yes, I know how dumb that idea was, but it was all I could think of. I did not see that spider ever again but did feel uncomfortable for the next few days when driving, worrying about whether it had laid eggs or was still there.

WORD COUNT 284 of 712

12 - Lorenzo M. Crayola Madness

 

Crayola Madness

Word Count: 328

It pays to have extras of equipment with you at all times but sometimes they could be a real lifesaver.

I was on a roadtrip to Fresno with my family and I had a bag of activities with me to occupy but my most prized possession was a box of 120 crayons given by my parents.

Earlier before my parents gifted me with such valuable crayons, my grandpa had already given me a pack of 120 crayons without my parents noticing so I kept that one hidden from them cause who am I to deny 240 crayons.

We arrive at our first stop of family members to visit but this household holds one of my cousins that would always want all the new stuff and he definitely would be eyeballing my crayons.

My plan was to keep them hidden but my mom rats me out saying I have those 120 crayons set and of course my cousin was begging to use them and I had no say at all.

Now the sharing wasn’t the problem, I didn’t trust him that he would try to sneak a few crayons or the whole box.  But, he knew he could distract me with Mario Kart so as I was playing that game helping him unlock stuff as I foolishly left him unsupervised with my crayons.

With that said, the moment we left their house, 30 minutes into the road trip I realized I left my caryons at his house and all he had to do was to blind me with Mario Kart.

But I couldn’t tell my mom because she would be mad and I knew I had a fresh pack at home so I wasn’t gonna rat him out for the sake of my benefit for my mom to not yell at me.

Sometimes you gotta forfeit to evil people but it pays to have extra supplies on what’s been stolen especially if it saves you from yelling.

12 - Taylor L - Four for Four

Word Count: 401 

The Four for Four

  Fast food, a staple in American culture and cuisine, is amongst one of the most controversial subjects. Given the variety of choices, from restaurants specializing in burgers to chicken, Americans have a lot to choose from. Mcdonald’s is famous for their beloved Happy Meals and fries. Burger King is highly associated with their Whoppers, and Chick Fil A is synonymous with their delicious chicken nuggets. The debate over the best fast food place has been a long argument, with people arguing over quality, service, and prices. 

 

  In N Out and Habit by far have the best quality burgers. The combination of freshly cut lettuce,

tomatoes, and onions with melted cheese on a juicy patty is unbeatable. Except the lines. In N Out is always a mission to go to with a guarantee of at least 20 cars ahead of you. Habit is also inaccessible as there is no Habit in Vacaville. Due to locations and lines, these two options take the fast out of fast food.

  Mcdonald’s has mediocre burgers but amazing fries. Burger King has a wide variety of options on their menu but high prices and low quality food significantly drop Burger King on my list of fast food restaurants. Taco Bell has horrible service and I find that I’m always missing a part of my order. KFC has decent combos but fails to provide single customers with an adequate meal. Chick Fil A is credited with having the best chicken nuggets in comparison, but that’s about it. Their food can be overpriced as well. 

  The best fast food restaurant is Wendy’s. While they might not have the most delicious burgers or chicken tenders, Wendy has a big menu featuring all kinds of food. Ranging from over ten different cheeseburgers to salad and chicken nuggets, Wendy’s offers something for everyone. They also have one of the best value deals called the “Four for Four” in which you can select from two different cheeseburgers, and receive chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink for four dollars. At some places, a single soda or medium fry can cost up to 4 dollars. Wendy’s also happens to have some of the best lemonade. 

  While Wendy’s isn’t the most obvious option and places like In N Out or Chick Fil A might immediately pop into someone’s head when questioned about fast food, when analyzed from multiple perspectives, Wendy’s by far becomes the best option.

12- Emily G: You Belong With Time

    From teenage heartbreak to pop era of now pop classics to unique sophistication of indie-pop, Taylor Swift has continued to dramatically sweep the music industry since the raw age of fourteen. Her delicate voice, in the insertion of her many ear-captivating songs, will simply never be forgotten for decades to come.

You can always count on the infamous Taylor Swift breakup songs to comfort your nights of memories escaping out from your eyes or feeling as if you are the best he will ever have. Back to December, Champagne Problems or Mr. Perfectly Fine, provides the deepest level of comfort on nights where you feel as if your heart has been torn out. We Are Never Getting Back Together, Picture to Burn, or Better than Revenge becomes a huge mentality on the days, after the melancholic nights, where you feel as if you are on top of the world.

An abundance of pop classics were also born from T-Swift spirals of discovering upbeatness, which make you feel as if you are 22, living life to the fullest. You Belong with Me became America’s pastime at high school dances and I quite literally grew up listening to the whole Sparks Fly album, knowing every single word and being able to recite it from core memories. Her pop era also included classic love songs, such as Our Song and Lover, which all are ultimately pleasing to the ears. 

Taylor Swift's new era of her sophisticated tune with lyrics of deep meaning made her comeback after years of no new music as one of the hugest internet breaking comebacks of all time. Her new music rocketed in the charts, with her new indie pop albums all reaching top 5 on billboards. This new era unlocked amazing songs such as All Too Well, Betty, and Cardigan.

Taylor Swift, with her beaming personality and unproblematic profession will remain a legend for years to come and I believe her legacy will continue on. She has shown to adapt to many different genres of music and has done it super successfully, with her countless Grammys and Oscars. Taylor Swift will always be remembered as not just America’s, but also as internationally most loved. 

Word Count: 366

12-Dayanara M- Doja Cat Moment

I listen to music a lot, honestly I think I do it too much. But when I say I’ll listen to anything, I really mean it. I have my favorite emo bands as well as favorite country stars. But when I think about who will stand the test of time, I think about Doja Cat. The majority of her fame comes from the internet. Her breakthrough song, “Mooo!”, gained popularity through becoming a meme. Whether her song is a part of a new trend or meme, it keeps the Doja Cat brand fresh in our minds. And despite how quick the internet moves on, Doja Cat constantly stays on charts and playing on radios. The past two years have been very successful for Doja Cat, but that is not the only reason why I think her popularity will last. She rides the internet waves, but the real quality or her music always comes through and is what keeps her relevant. Doja Cat is a true musician, she produces a lot of her own songs which are quite rare on the rap scene nowadays. Her lyrics are smart, witty, and can be comparable to another female rapper who continued to stay relevant, Nicki Minaj. Doja is #7 on Spotify, her song “Woman” is currently #12 on Billboard's Hot 100, and she has been nominated for ten Grammys. Her career has been amazing at only 26 years old. Doja showed us that she can break the mold of being a One Hit Wonder, and I have a lot of faith that she can stand the test of time as well. Word Count- 268

11- Dayanara M- At Least It's Fall Now

8:25 am, Time to go. I walk outside and I remember. I love the wind, the cold mornings, the crunchy leaves. The weather has finally changed, I am freed from the burning hot chains of the summer months. Although fall in California is not much of a fall at all, it’s the time of year that I always look forward to. On my walks to school in the morning, I’ll notice the wind, cool air, and cats. For some reason, I always see more cats around my neighborhood in fall. Sometimes they run away, sometimes they greet me with an aggressive meow. Maybe they like the weather as much as I do or maybe they are just another perk of the season. Maybe I’ll step on some dried out leaves. The crunch they make is a gentle reminder that I’m finally here. It’s like my year revolves around the fall. I wear layers even though it’s not yet cold enough for them to be necessary. The walk to school doesn’t get me sweaty, but it doesn't have me shivering. It’s a great middle ground. It’s perfect. October is the halfway point to my birthday, a midway point to each year I am alive. Sometimes I wonder when I am actually at the midway. I look around on my walks and everything seems so calm. No crazy neighbors, no actually violent cats. I catch myself saying, “I’m so bored”. I always wonder what’s next for me. What is always around the corner? Regularly, people would just respond, “Winter of course,” knowing dang well there’s no such thing as winter in Vacaville. I want a change, not just in seasons though, a real change. Maybe I want a change in my life, my actions, some change I can jump start. Or maybe I look for something more real, a change in the world, a change within humanity. Oh how many thoughts I can cram into a ten minute walk. 8:35 am, I turn the literal corner from Weatherly Way to Marshall Road, walk up the hill to school, and turn up my music. I think, “At least it’s fall now”. Word Count= 358

Joshua Cornelison - All About Pasta

 

Pasta is an amazing food that not only takes on its own shape and artform but is made to accentuate the purpose for which it is used. Pasta comes from Latin which translates literally into “paste” and is made from combining a powder and water or powder and egg. In different areas of the world, powders take different forms–some countries use rice powder, some use soy powder but in Italy they use durum wheat powder.  Pasta was created in the Renaissance time but was mass produced in the 17th century. Different types of pastas have different purposes and there is even a taxonomy of pasta. It is divided into two main types- dry pasta and fresh pasta. Dry pasta is always durum wheat and water. Fresh pasta can be either flour with water or eggs. In regard to shapes, pasta comes in hundreds of combinations. There are long, short, colorful, small, large and lots of different designs. Short pasta includes penne which is ribbed, farfalle is butterfly shaped, orecchiette is little and means “little ears” and conquilla which are shells and are great for scooping up sauce. Pasta also is made to enhance the palate and taste while eating it. Whatever experience someone is looking for, pasta can enhance it. Surprisingly, pasta cannot be dated back to a specific inventor or to one person who created it– it is designed by the people and each person has their own experience in how it is created and passed down within families. My personal favorite pasta is spaghetti pasta which is not only delicious but very fun to eat. You can slurp it and twist it and add great toppings like meatballs. Pasta is one food that really is made for all.

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Enza C - #11 - My fav Halloween costume :)

     Growing up Halloween was one of my FAVORITE holidays. I loved walking around with my mom and my siblings and collecting candy. It is such a innocent and lovely memory that I still very much cherish to this day.

  One year, when I was very little, I was "Devilina" for Halloween. I remember that year I BEGGED my mom to let me be Jennifer Tilly from the Chucky movies. However, my mom did not allow it.

   I settled for "Devilina" and I was so excited that to go out that night and get a bunch of candy. My mom took us to the Sugar Hallow park close to our house and we walked around  for a bit. We went to all the big houses and I got so much candy, I made my mom and older brother take turns holding my bag. 

    We then went to Burger King for dinner since my Godmother worked there and she would always give us meals- free of charge (which she was totally not supposed to do but she did anyways). Burger King would always hand out these yummy little taffys to all of the kids and me and my siblings would take HANDFULLS each (but we were all very little and had baby hands so a handful then would be a pinch now).

    I remember this nice old man who came into the Burger King that day. He asked me what I was supposed to be and when I told him I was a girl devil he laughed and told me I was too sweet and cute to be a evil devil. I refused to listen and was too proud of my costume that I promptly disagreed with him. 

    However, my protests sounded like little squeals to this older man. After laughing at me again he gave me a dollar on his way out of the restaurant. I remember holding that money and feeling like I could buy everything in the entire world. I believed it was my costume that brought me that luck and fortunate and thus that costume became my favorite because of that wonderful memory.

Word counter - 355

11 - Kayla R. - The Complexity of Freedom

 The Complexity of Freedom 

There are many arguments and competing opinions when it comes to the amount of freedom offered to various ages of children. Not all children take advantage of the privilege of freedom, but it is undeniable that there are a large handful of children who do. 

I feel that the freedom parents offer their children varies from their parenting beliefs, their own experiences with their childhood, and the behaviors of their children. 

All children are different, and so are all parents, which is why it is hard to generalize how much freedom each child should have. 

Personally, I grew up with very little freedom. I had strict rules, and had to ask my parents if I wanted something as small as a bag of chips. As I grew older, I gained a lot more freedom and I honestly became thankful for the boundaries I had as a child. Since I had been shown what was considered “right” and “wrong” from an early age, I never really got into trouble and had no problems when it came to asking for small amounts of freedom from my parents. 

Of course, my childhood and behavior does not represent every child in the world, though. Each parent should have obvious control of their children at a young age, and how they decide to do that should be up to them. As children grow older and more responsible, I believe they should be allowed more freedom little by little. With more structure as a child to which loosens as they grow older, I feel is the best way to gain trust with a child as well as successfully raising them to know their limits within their freedoms. 

Word Count: 281

11- Trevor O: Parenting and Freedom

 

In psychology earlier this year, we learned about different parenting styles and how parenting can affect a child’s development and the person they grow up to be. While there is no one correct way to parent, it is clear that kids respond better to certain parenting styles over others. In my opinion, parents need to be able to find a reasonable balance between absolute freedom and extremely strict rules for their children.

On the one hand, if you give your kid absolute freedom to do whatever they want, they will walk all over you and won’t be well adjusted for a world where people tell them what they can and can’t do. My aunt and uncle give my younger cousins almost complete freedom to do what they want which has led to them taking complete advantage of their parents.

Conversely, giving your kid no freedom at all can cause all sorts of problems as well. If you are an extremely authoritarian parent, your kid will likely try to rebel and go behind your back to do things you don’t allow them to do. Furthermore, your relationship will likely be strained and your kid will likely grow to resent you.

Overall, I’ve seen the effects of both giving kids too much freedom and of being too strict. I honestly think that my parents honestly were able to find the sort of balance that is necessary, and I’m grateful for it. They certainly don’t let me walk all over them and do whatever I want, but they also aren’t super restrictive and overbearing. 

Word Count: 261

Ella#11-Walking on Sunshine

 Walking on Sunshine

 Word count 255

As the temperatures begin to rise so does my mood. The sun, shining on my skin, begins to brown as the summer months come closer. I’m a summer baby, one of the reasons I feel so connected to the season. Overall the warmth of the sun is what brings me joy. 

I have always had a love for dresses and shorts, my lengthy legs now on display, and the scars left on my knees after many years of “recess accidents'' . Wearing these outfits makes me replay the nostalgic moments of elementary school, which I would claim to be the best years of my life. Before the stress of falling behind or missing assignments was pushed on to me. 

Which brings me to my next point of love for the summer, the no school aspect. Although I loved school as a child and always excelled, Once I arrived at middle school my mindset around school changed completely. The three month break is now all I think about and long for the last 4 months of school. 

Summer is quickly approaching, and now, being a junior this feels like my last “high school” summer. I have yet to live out my “high school summer” dreams that the books and movies I watched growing up put in my head. Hopefully this will finally be my year to go to a party, stay out late, and maybe start a fling.

11- Vivi L- Halloween Memories

 

Growing up, I was always back and forth between what my favorite holiday was. Halloween? Christmas? My Birthday? (Yes, my birthday is a holiday). In the end, I decided that Christmas was my favorite holiday, but Halloween definitely gave me some of the best memories. 

While the two most significant aspects of Halloween are candy and costumes, I only took one of those very seriously, Trick or Treating. My costumes were not awful, just very repetitive. I went as a crayon, a zebra, supergirl, and what I went as for around 5 years in a row, a cheerleader. Let me explain this, no, I did not just randomly dress up as a cheerleader, I was one. When Halloween rolled around every year, costumes would get more expensive, my parents would deny certain prices, and since I was doing cheerleading, it just made sense to go as a cheerleader. 

My best friend and I also did not focus on the costume aspect of Halloween, we instead improvised new plans every year regarding our candy gathering. We were “extreme trick or treaters.” We would plan out what time we would leave and come home, usually being 6 pm to 10 or even 11 pm. We would map out which end of Vacaville to start on, down to every last house we would hit. When I say we would come back with ALOT of candy, I do not mean around 100 pieces, I mean ALOT in the sense that one year we weighed our pillowcases of candy and together they weighed 150LBS. While we never finished it all, it always was the idea of getting the candy that was so fun to us. It truly did not matter what we did the other 364 days of the year, when Halloween came around, our mission was to get candy. While Halloween was never my “favorite” holiday, it gave me some of the greatest childhood memories I have ever had.

WORD COUNT 325 of 430

11 - Esmeralda B - Halloween Gone Wrong

 Halloween Gone Wrong

Halloween is a holiday when grownups go out and buy candy that will eventually wind up in the stomach of a small child or an adolescent. Although Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays, it is one that I do celebrate because I go out and trick or treat throughout the neighborhood. 8:48 p.m., October 31, 2019. When my cousin took a basket full of candy from this random house, this was the exact date and time. On Halloween night, we were trick-or-treating as any other fourteen-year-old and eleven-year-old would. We were walking around the streets and munching candies when she suddenly bolted. Of course, I pursued her. When I eventually caught up with her, she was just getting candy from the basket they had set out for trick or treaters. I didn't expect her to take the entire basket. I advised her to put it back because it was possible that they had cameras, but she ignored me. I told her again, but we were already a long way from the house (and she didn't seem to mind). It was unquestionably a night to remember. She also presented me with the basket. I'm not sure why she had stolen it in the first place if she intended to give it to me in the end. Do you want to know what I think the most amusing aspect of this story is? The basket is still in my possession. After three years it’s still exactly where I left it.

Word Count: 252

11 - Lorenzo M. - Rigged Keyboard

 

Rigged Keyboard

Word Count: 288

Teachers assigned stuff like computer numbers in effort to pinpoint a suspect if anything damage is found.  Sometimes others try to leave the evidence on you.

One day in the computer lab in Elementary school, we were introduced to how we would spend some days in the computer lab.  But a seating chart was not yet created so we got to sit wherever we pleased.

However I already noticed something off of mine, the backspace bar seemed slanted.  I tried to convince my friend to switch with me but he already knew how that conversation went so he refused.

Luckily the assignment didn’t require the use of the backspace so I had to strategically not touch it.  However I messed up my login information and the enter button wouldn’t erase my login.

So I had to press the sketchy backspace button a couple times but the 3rd time I pressed the key, the backspace flinged upward and landed in the middle of the keyboard.  I put it back very quickly and not at all dared to even look at it.

Of course my friend gave me crap for how I wanted to leave that mess for him but all I was looking forward to was the seating chart sitting me far away from that spot.

I got my wish and I was seated faraway from that spot with a bonus sitting with my friend so I wasn’t alone.  I felt bad for whoever had to sit there but I didn’t hear compliance from that section.

For my social anxiety being extremely dumbed back then it’s easier to just have said something but for the backup plan, leave it up fate to remove you far from the crime scene.

11 - Taylor L - Certain or Possible

 Certain or Possible:

Word Count: 281

 

  The words certain or possible are almost opposites. Possible is synonymous with the word maybe whereas certain is more loosely connected with something that is guaranteed. 

  To be certain is to be stagnant and fixed. There is no doubt or hesitance involved. Certainty comes with a sense of safety and stability that there is a specific guaranteed outcome. 

  To be possible is to be open to a myriad of alternatives, possibilities, or probabilities. There is space left for change and depending on different variables, there can be a mixed outcome.

  I despise uncertainty. It’s become one of my biggest pet peeves when there is a lack of reliability, causing me to prefer situations that are considered to be already decided on or fixed. There is no room or possibility for something to go wrong or awry when everything about the situation is certain. There is no chance to be disappointed if something turned out different than expected. Certainty provides comfort to me.

  However, I am anything but certain. I tend to overthink, consider all the possible opportunities and more often than not get caught up in the “what ifs” of life. I pursue many different perspectives. I am indecisive. I am almost a hundred percent of the time never fully committed or certain about something, let alone anything. There will always be fear or doubt or wonder regarding situations because very few things in life are certain and almost everything involves the possibility of change. 

  While I aim to be surrounded by certainty and promise as it ensures me with a safe, stable, and comforting environment, it is not realistic for me, causing me to be more of a possible person. 

 

11- Emily G: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust!

    I grew up in a little world of undoubtedly loving Halloween. From carving pumpkins to cake walks to repeatedly watching Halloweentown every single year, I never changed my mind about my favorite holiday. Maybe it is the cozy fall feeling or the pumpkin spice lattes, but I never really strayed from my love for it and this love was honestly built upon a foundation of halloween costumes. 

Growing up, I shared countless halloween costumes with my twin sister, which was both super stereotypical but super cute. My mom saw her having twin girls as the perfect time to dress them up in costumes that other moms would envy and dads would dread having to buy because “they looked so adorable on us”. My mom was definitely proud of her choices and remained proud when we decided our costume fate all on our own. I do not like to pick favorites since all of them were fairly good, but I do have one that tops all of the others.

My all-time favorite Halloween costume was magical for two reasons; it was the first time I got to declare separation from outdated twin activities and it was filled with faith, trust and pixie-dust. I got to insert myself into Neverland for one day and I was the happiest fairy in all the land. I specifically remember the glitter I generously sprayed in my hair because I pretended it was pixie dust and it would help me, embodied as Tinkerbell, fly to the moon. Although I didn’t end up flying to the moon, I sure jumped there from excitement. 

Me, little and easily satisfied, saw my Tinkerbell costume as the greatest thing in the whole world and I can still feel the amount of pure joy it brought. I would not stop talking about it in the months that followed and I actually still do have the exact costume to this day, buried in other childhood memories too genuine to part with. 

Word Count: 329

Joshua Cornelison - 10 - cats or dogs

 

In my life I have had all kinds of animals, including both cats and dogs and have an opinion about each of them.  Cats are fluffy, affectionate, and cuddly companions while dogs are rough, playful, and goofy. While I have had several cats when I was younger, my family had mostly dogs while I was growing up. I enjoy walking my dogs, who are a great companion to outdoor activities and a great stress relief all while playing fetch and throwing the tennis ball. Cats on the other hand are great to relax with while petting them and laying on the couch or while staying relaxed playing an entertaining game of chase with feather toys. Both have wonderful traits that make them great pets and companions, but my preference is always with dogs. Not only can you take them on walks with you, but they protect you when you are home alone, and they can easily learn tricks and entertain your friends. Dogs almost have a human like behavior about them in the way they look and interact with us humans. In addition, dogs are eager to please and look for ways to learn. My dogs for example love to earn treats and will easily learn things like stay, speak, lay down, etc. Cats don’t learn very willingly and are often very independent and stubborn. For these reasons, I will always prefer dogs over cats--although I do enjoy both and like seeing cats when I visit my grandma.

10- Dayanara M - Get Rid of Ugly Tattoo Laws

Every teen is different and some are more mature than others. In many cases, the parent or guardian of the teen is the one who can most determine the maturity of their teenager. That's why I think that parents and guardians, not the government, should be the one's who decide if a teen can get a tattoo or piercing. In California, it is completely illegal to get a tattoo if you are under 18. This is dangerous because it can lead to determined kids getting tattooed in unsafe or unsanitary conditions. It also wont stop all minors from getting a tattoo because Nevada, our neighboring state, allowed minors to get a tattoo with a parent or guardian present. It is a lot safer for our law to be changed, allowing parents or guardians to be the deciding factor. Our piercing law in California is more lenient though because it allows teens to get a piercing with parental consent. The tattoo laws in California should be similar to the piercing law. Both are permanent body alterations, and the legal guardian should be the one to decide if it is something suitable for their teen or not. The only difference I notice is the stigma towards tattoos. In that case, it should be up to the parent or guardian of the teen to choose which morals they decide to enforce on their teen. Tattoos and piercing both also have a high risk of infections if done unsafely. To look out for it's citizens, California laws should change to protect teens from dangerous tattoos and piercings. Word Count= 263

Enza C - #10 - Childhood Cartoons :D

     

    One of my absolute favortie TV shows growing up was Invader Zim. 

    Invader Zim is about an alien soldier from the planet Irk. He was banished from the Irken Empire after nearly destroying his home planet on a mission. After begging his superiors, the Almighty Tallest Red & Purple, for another chance, they decide to get rid of him once and for all. They tell Zim they are going to send him to a very special planet called "Earth" and it is Zim's job to invade and rule the planet. The Almighty Tallest gives him a derpy, silly, malfunctioning robot, named Gir, to help Zim complete the task, and they ship them both away. However the mission was not as important as the Almighty Tallest made it seem, and Zim's leaders were just trying to get rid of him and hoped that he would die and leave them alone forever. 

    A huge part of the reason I love this show is because of how interesting the characters are.

     Zim thinks he's so incredibility smart and powerful and so much better than anyone else alive. He's very loud, confident, and bossy. However, he makes no progress, his plans never work out, and nobody actually listens to him or follows his orders. 

    Gir is KRAZYYY! He's a little, cute, stubborn robot who's constantly disobeying Zim's orders and doing his own thing. He's obsessed with food, watching TV, and making friends  with everything and everyone however the relationships are always one sided. 

    I used to watch this show all the time with my siblings, for hours on end. The episodes were always so goofy and to this day my siblings and I all still share inside jokes that we've formed from watching this show. Watching this show helped me connect with my siblings and made us all grow more tightly together.  

Word Count -  308

10 Emily G: Gradution of the Fittest

  

 

The biggest transition someone would take within their lives is the move from a high school student to a college student in the matter of months. The application process and overall steps to be accepted into a college is very tedious and crucial, but it will potentially set you up for life. 

My personal perspective on high school graduation is simple, yet complex. Graduation means saying goodbye to the people who have raised you; those whom you have been going to school with almost every single day for nearly your entire life. Graduation means saying hello to new people and new places that are meant to be unfamiliar, but also unforgettable. It is the fine line between unfamiliarity and familiarity. 

Freedom, also, plays a rather large role in graduating from high school. To be free means to be at the liberty of primarily yourself, as there will no longer be someone holding your hand throughout life’s greatest moments. For instance, teachers in high school are constantly reminding students of due dates and schedules. However, in college, students are dependent and responsible for their own weight and will soon discover it is all on them to be the best they can be. Freedom can also be applied to homelife, as everyone, especially teenagers, eventually desires to be out in the world on their own in full control of their actions without a hovering mother or strict father. 

In my opinion, the steps towards high school graduation is one of the hardest challenges in anyone's career path and will not only transform where you are but who you will become. Students thrive toward graduation and some are barely hanging on; it is the progression of who is fit enough to graduate and who is not. High school is such a small portion of your life but it entirely means the most based on education being the key to success and those who prosper in the sense of change and freedom will be able to discover what life has to offer. High school graduates are the survivors of the fittest. 

Word Count: 347

10- Trevor O: After Graduation

 

Since I began high school, graduation has been something I’ve been eagerly anticipating. At times, I’ve even considered graduating early. High school graduation is no doubt a momentous event in our lives, and an event I generally see as exciting, but one I’m very anxious about as well.

The graduation itself and receiving your diploma are both very important because it is recognition of your ability to have been successful throughout your high school years and seen it through to the end. But in my mind, it is what comes after graduation that is truly impactful and important. For me and millions of others, high school graduation is seen as the end of your adolescence and your introduction to “real world”, the world of being an adult. Because of this, I look towards my upcoming graduation with a slight sense of worry. Around the time of graduation, we need to seriously think and consider what we want to do with our lives afterwards. I know many of my peers already have an idea of what they want to do after high school and what they want to do for work later in life, but I still remain unsure.

As I get closer and closer to my graduation next year, I remain both slightly optimistic and worried about what will come afterwards. I’m excited to enter a new chapter of my life and be a legal adult, but at the same time I feel a lot of pressure to decide what I want to do with my life when I’m still unsure.

Word Count: 261

9- Trevor O: Different Perspectives

 

One of the hardest things to do in life is to open your mind and learn to see things from other peoples’ perspectives. I know I often am so convinced that I am right about a given argument of discussion that I am wholly unable to put myself in the other person’s shoes and see from their perspective. Recently, I’ve been trying to improve my ability to give merit to the perspectives that others have and attempt to understand their unique perspective.

In the English class at Solano Community College that I am currently taking, we have been discussing online echo chambers and how people get stuck in a pattern of only listening to and believing those who they agree with. They surround themselves with countless other people who all have the exact same perspective on major issues as them. This leads to a plethora of problems as people are unable to critically think and challenge the things they see online. Being able to understand and interact with many people who each have their own individual perspectives that differs from yours is crucial. It allows us to think about issues and topics in ways we wouldn’t have necessarily thought of before.  But all too often, we are so confident that our perspective is the correct one that we are unable to understand others’ perspectives.

We are only able to grow and learn and prosper if we interact positively with one another, and we simply cannot do that if we are unable to understand each other’s unique perspectives on many issues and life in general.

Word Count: 264