Vitro - Fertilization by Carlie Wilson

Carlie Wilson

February 28, 2017

Throughout this week in English, our class has been preparing for our scientific debates. Many social issues were debated, such as animal testing, the use of GMOs, and the practice of genetic manipulation of human embryos. My group was given the topic of genetic embryo manipulation. Being that I was a cross examiner, I was not able to share all of my ideas and opinions on the matter. After doing thorough research and reading potential consequences, I was able to quickly determine that I was against the technology that could possibly change the human race in devastating ways. In the process of vitro- fertilization the parent of the unborn child will be able to choose the embryos that are implanted into them. Although there are many positive outcomes of IVF, including the ability to treat inevitable diseases in a child, the negatives clearly outweigh the good.
If the process of IVF is abused, the human race can be facing a huge social divide. An IVF or “designer baby” procedure can cost up $100,000. According to the 2014 bureau census, the average income for an American family is about $51,939. That means that the cost of a designer baby can cost over double the amount of a family's yearly income. Households with the privilege of having a designer baby will not only be able to choose desired physical features, but they will also have access to high IQ genes and practical personality traits. Thus, making it easier for them to have more life opportunities such as jobs and college acceptances. Today, America is already divided into the lower class, middle class, and high class. With the use of IVF to choose embryos, America will be divided into two clear groups. People who can afford a pleasurable lifestyle and those who can’t.
Social hierarchy is not the only possible negative effect of IVF. In 2011, the Global Religious Landscape conducted a breakdown of the world’s religious beliefs based on 2,500 international censuses. Of the 7.12 billion living humans on this earth, 5.8 billion people affiliate themselves with a religious denomination believing in at least one god, which means that 84% of the world’s population believes that creating life is reserved for a higher power. This also means that over half of the world’s population would argue that genetic manipulation is a form of mimicking god or as the Washington Post would say “playing god”. With the option of IVF to essentially make humans, billions of people around the world will be threatened of their religions that date all the way back to 1800 B.C.E.
Another issue worth mentioning is overpopulation. Genetic modification would ensure babies a healthy life which would increase their life expectancy. For every two deaths there are four births which means that the human race is already rapidly producing more humans compared the amount of humans that die each day. By expanding a human’s  average life expectancy of 67 years, the world can expect a social crisis and a devastating economic decline. Starting with the decrease of water and food sources all the way down to the inability to control political aspects such as crime and ability to govern the people.
The points that I have brought up are the few of the many concerns that the human race should consider before legalizing vitro-fertilization for non-medical reasons. Unfortunately, not every person on this earth will be able to live a good quality life, but is it our job to change the fate of an unborn baby? Is it ethical to essentially plan out a life depending on a group of people’s opinions? I hope that the world understands the many dangers of the future IVF technology that will change human society forever.

The Importance of Debates and Public Speaking- Sarah West

Today in English, we started our dreaded and ever feared debates. Being a naturally quiet person myself, I've been stressing about this for a while. I've always avoided public speaking as much as possible throughout my school career, and have never been very good at presentations or reading out loud. My nerves always end up getting the better of me. But I have found that this skill is becoming increasingly important for school and for life. The presentations are never going to stop, class lead discussions are going to happen more often, job interviews are going to start, but the skills that these debates aim to teach us will always be there. So even though my stomach may have been churning, and I might have been sweating, and my heart may have been pounding out of my chest,  I am thankful for the chance to practice and improve this important skill now.

A Letter to Those Without a Pen Pal by Alyssa Stouch

This year we have been writing letters to our pen pals in Mrs. Caputo's fifth grade class. My wonderful partner is so fun to talk to and we make each other laugh constantly, but one thing that really stood out to me is how inspiring this young student is. He has accomplished so much and is so proud of the hard work he has done. I wish everyone could experience that feeling of gratitude. When I was in elementary school I was trying to find myself and make friends but it was always a challenge for me since I'd rather pay attention in class than talk about the latest drama. I remember the struggles I faced with bullying and so I would like to write a letter to all the younger students who have not yet found themselves.

Dear Pen Pals,

Sometimes life can be confusing and its hard to find your place.
Just know you're getting stronger after every obstacle you face
I know it's overwhelming to keep up with it all
But always remember to hold your head up high and stand tall
You may feel lost and you may struggle to fit in
But stay true to your thoughts within
For no one is you and that is your greatest weapon
So listen closely to this important lesson
There is a place for everyone here, young and old
Whether your timid, relaxed, or bold
You'll find your fate
Because it is our differences that will sort us to our place

Always stay true to yourself because you are the only person who decides how your life will be lived.

Quotes by Grace Sander

It has come to my attention I had a blog post yesterday, so my apologies everyone that this was not posted sooner!!


I'm a HUGE fan of Pinterest. I am on it so much that I have actually been told I go on it more than my friends mom, who he thought had a little bit of an unhealthy obsession to begin with. Nevertheless I will never stop using it for as long as I live.

My favorite thing about the social media site are the quotes. I could(and I do) spend hours looking at all of the philosophical sentences with unique fonts with pretty backgrounds behind it. I send them to my friends when they are having a rough day, pin them on walls in my bedroom, and post them on other social media accounts. But recently I've been thinking a lot about what the universal obsession with quotes are. I have come to a few conclusions. Quotes get passed on through social media, meaning hundreds of people look at one quote and they either like it, pin it, re-tweet it, etc. It didn't register with me until recently that it meant someone is going through the exact same thing I am. That someone has to understand me because they wrote a quote that immediately resignated with me. As humans we just want to fit in, often our insecurities and situations tend to make us feel isolated from the rest of the world. But in the time that it takes to scroll down to that quote, validation settles in and its like, "Hey what I am feeling is normal and guess what I am not the only one that is like this."  Quotes let us know that someone went through exactly what you are going through and they came out of it stronger and wise enough to give you the advice you need. Quotes are like having that motherly advice in fifty different ways and its always accessible.
Lastly, quotes are perfect for those who can't put their feelings into words. It is instant relief when you stumble upon your jumbled up thoughts into an accurate and coherent statement that you can just point to or screenshot and feel better.
I know this was all over the place but I am really enjoying writing on this blog so I want to make it as natural for me to write on as possible and for those of you who know me I'm kind've always all over the place when I'm taking. So in spirit of this post I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes, and I think I will continue to end every blog post with a picture of a quote that relates to what I'm talking about. Thank you for reading and I hope anyone reading this knows how special they are and what they feel is valid.
                                                   Cheers, Grace

College Visits by Carly Piniaha

Ever since 7th grade my father has taken me to go see universities. It became something that we always did together. The first ever school I toured was Princeton. I think the reason he showed me this school first was to let me see where I could go if I work hard. That's all parents really want for their kids, to work hard, be successful and yes of course be happy.
The weekend of our college visit came and we had decided on seeing Georgetown University because I love the area (and love pretty campuses). As soon as we got to the college I noticed a difference between it and other "elite" colleges. I saw many cheerful people that seemed so happy to be where they were. It continued as we went on the tour, our tour guide was time and time again stopped by her friends just for a quick hello. Some may have found this annoying but I found it to be one of the best college environments I've seen so far. Granted, yes I usually only see very competitive colleges. But Georgetown is just as competitive as the ivys yet they seem ten times happier than the other colleges with this title.
My visit at Georgetown taught me that pushing yourself academically doesn't mean you can't be happy. In high school I constantly see students that stretch themselves too thin, and trust me they look anything but happy. I never want to lose myself due to academic stress and Georgetown shows that this is possible. The classes offered there may be just as difficult as Harvard but there is no cut throat atmosphere or glazed over eyes with too much stress. Georgetown is a school I would not only love to go to but would be beyond proud.

The Lucky Ones by: Jillian Parks

The Lucky Ones

By: Jillian Parks

Today is a day I most hopefully won't forget. Today I have the chance to get on a plane to take a four hour ride to Panama. There, I will help rebuild a community who have close to nothing except the love and affection they share towards each other. Now, it's not like they have just witnessed a severe natural disaster, but to people up here, it might seem like it. 

This all got me thinking. Why do we take so much for granted? Why do some of us seem so unhappy when we have almost everything? Maybe life would just be easier if we didn't have all the electronics, extra money and privileges we have at the moment. Soon, I will be down there, and I will get to witness girls and boys jumping for joy over t shirts, headbands, colored pencils and even underwear that we brought them. Although we might have the ability to run in and grab any of these things in Target without even blinking, the kids in Panama wish for simple items like those on a daily basis. Never once have we (or at least me) thought "Wow, I'm so lucky to be getting new shoes today!" because for us, it's almost human nature to get new shoes for Christmas or when the new school year starts. 

So what's the point of this blog post? I guess I got a little distracted from it, but I wanted anyone reading this to think, not even everyday, but just once in a while, how lucky and privileged Sparta New Jersey is. Kids our age may be just as old as us but are living completely different lives. I am excited to have this opportunity to go to Panama not only to get a break from the cold weather (lol) but to come back and hopefully be more appreciative for the life I have now and take for granted almost every minute. 

Beauty and The Monster?

By: Sara Nigro

As I'm sure many of you know, the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast is approaching it's release date as it is about a month away. In the spirit of this upcoming movie, I decided to relate the original of this classic movie to the renown novel Frankenstein that we recently read in English class. So let the comparison begin!

A tale as old as time was written in 1818 by Mary Shelley in which she expressed to her readers how judgemental society is and how the way that we see each other makes us feel as if beauty is only skin deep. Similarly in Beauty and the Beast, the storyline sends the viewers the same message, except the main character Belle proves to the rest of her community that beauty is found within and an outward appearance doesn't change who the person truly is.

The story of Frankenstein is a gruesome one and it doesn't have a happy ending, but it does send a powerful message that is still relevant today and is still being sent through other media pieces such as the upcoming movie. Immediately after Victor Frankenstein completes his creation, he takes it in as a hideous monster and abandons it without second thought that what he has made could have a kind heart underneath his transparent skin. Leaving his monster at "birth" is the start of it changing its good intentions into violent acts of vengeance due to the fact that he believes he truly is evil since he is treated as if he is. Likewise, the beast was previously a human but was turned into a beast as a punishment and so he could learn to love and be loved not just based on his looks. Even the fact that the beasts punishment is becoming a "beast" and looking unattractive, proves how negatively people react to someone repulsive and that it will make others treat him differently. He becomes more savage as others treat him as wild and uncontrollable, even though he is more calm and loving then he appears to be.

Since Belle is the only character in the film that accepts the Beast for who he is from the beginning, the other villagers call her peculiar and find her odd for loving someone whose appearance is ugly while with her beauty, she could have the most handsome man in the village. Everyone else that knows Belle tries to convince her of the evil that the Beast holds and continuously try to attack and kill him despite her standing by his side and defending him at every turn. She sticks up for him because unlike everybody else, she sees the good in all people and finds the love and light that's within him. On the other hand, none of the characters in the novel Frankenstein make an effort to search for the true colors of the monster, so he ends up isolated and is constantly defending himself alone. The villagers in the movie and the novel act the same way and Shelley proves this to the readers when she says, "One of the best of these I entered, but I hardly placed my foot within the door before the children shrieked, and of the women fainted"(Shelley 87) and as well as in the film when the phrase "Kill the Beast!" is shouted persistently throughout the plot. These two quotes are exemplary of how others quickly resorted to violent methods for coping with an unattractive monster/beast, instead of getting in touch with their human nature to see past the darkness and hate that comes along with their primary reaction to the situation.

Although the most noticeable difference between the two media pieces is actually the character Belle due to the fact that without her, none of the other characters would have ever learned to respect the Beast for who he is and the ending of the movie would have ended up with death and loneliness similar to Frankenstein.  Even with this difference, the moral stays the same that society is in a pattern of judging a book by their cover and doesn't bother to look beyond the surface to see what beauty is underneath other peoples skin(fur?). The protagonist of the story Belle, is shown as an example to the others in the movie/story as well as readers and viewers that their are exceptions and that it is possible to change our negative mindset into percipience.

Little Girls, Big Girls...

Erin Lyden

Little girls play with innocent laughs 

Big girls gossip with evil gasps 

Little girls share their toys 

Big girls become obsessed with boys

Little girls play dress up for fun

Big girls wear fake smiles to get the job done

Little girls love their friends

Big girls love the latest trends

Little girls say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

Big girls say things that seem to rank you

Little girls live life to be happy

Big girls thrive on making others feel crappy 

The Roots of Fascism, by Owen Welsh

The Imposing Headquarters of the Fascist Party of Italy

In a nod to our current leader, I started the reading the book 1984 by George Orwell, which is about one thing. Fascism. It's a word that gets thrown around a lot by politicians so you may dismiss what it actually means, but fascism is much worse than just a buzzword to insult your opponent. At its core, Fascism is the idea of a single party controlling a country; it's a far right-wing ideal that started in the midst of World War One. It was during this time that the first notable Fascist party rose to power, lead by Mussolini in Italy. Benito Mussolini maneuvered his way to power as a legitimately elected official, then changed legislation so he would become a legal dictator and as he called it a "Duce of Fascism". The Italian people did not rebel as soon after he declared himself the permanent leader and ruler of Italy, he seized control of all media in Italy. By making all media state-controlled, there was no way for people to spread news of rebellion, especially as citizens were heavily encouraged to report "prohibited" behavior. After a dramatic loss in World War Two, the people smartened up and overthrew Mussolini and the Fascist party of Italy.

Fascism is an easier situation for a country to find itself in than you think, though it's not always as easy to spot as a party called the Fascist Party. For instance Russia, while they may operate under the guise of being a fair democracy with equal voices, look at their journalism. 26 journalists have been executed or otherwise killed since the year 2000, and most claim that all media outlets are threatened with monetary setbacks if they do not adhere to what the United Russian Party tells them to do and say. This alone does not make a country Fascist, but aggressive military movements "in the interest of the people" does, I'm sure everyone remembers the annexation of Crimea and its downright unlawful process. This occurred in the midst of Vladimir Putin's reelection to the office of President, which came under fire for massive voter fraud and unclear voting rules and restrictions. Overall, if President Putin suddenly declares martial law or something along the lines of making himself the ultimate ruler of Russia, don't say it was unexpected.

This presents us with a worrying omen, if there are truly Fascists among us, who's to stop them from taking control of the Governments of the world? We are lucky to currently not be controlled by a single person or power, as proven by the Federal Courts' decision to overrule a recent executive order. Though that doesn't mean we're safe quite yet. Both major American political parties have cried that fake news is to blame for all of their failures, but it is precisely this idea of fake news that allows state media to become normal. Imagine how easy it would be. Everyone is already in an uproar about major news outlets, so you propose a solution, a news network run by the government to keep everything truthful. Suddenly, you're able to dictate what people know, what they think of things, even how they should react to certain news being shared with them.

It is reminiscent of how in 1984 there is one party, simply known as "The Party" that rose out of the ashes of a great war, they control everything right down to how many shoelaces are produced yearly. This is an extreme case of Fascism, but not an entirely unrealistic one. Once you have control of the media, the majority in Government and the means of production, you can control everything. It first comes by banning "Unpatriotic" ideals, then comes the imprisonment of dissenters, and ends with the execution of those who still attempt to sow the seeds of doubt into the minds of the unthinking followers. Overall, instead of dismissing the concerns of the many as rampant imaginings and misplaced fear, maybe take another look at what your Government or elected officials are doing, as the only people able to prevent a tyrant from taking control are the people who voice their concerns, not the ones who sit back and do nothing.

In Honor of Valentine's Day by Madison Levinson

I feel like having a blog post due on Valentine's Day is a blessing in disguise. Yes, I am sitting in my room alone writing a blog post on one of the most adorable holidays of the year. However, I have an obvious and interesting topic to write about. I could write this blog post about the history of Valentine's day and the portrayal of Valentine's day in literature. But I am not going to do that. Instead, I will be writing something a bit more creative, a love letter. No, I will not be spilling any juicy and dark secrets, so if that's what you came for you can stop reading now.

A heart of roses because what else
screams Valentine's day more?

I know for anybody reading this that I talk to on a regular basis, I can come off as cold and heartless. I often don't think about what I have to say and I also generally value logic over emotions. So yeah, I come off as bitter and cold. But every so often, specifically on this wonderful day of love (AKA my favorite holiday of the year), I become not so cold and people realize I actually have a soul. So in this blog post I will be writing a letter from my somewhat thawed heart.

Dear the things I love,

As I just stated, I know I can be heartless and mean. But, when I'm not being sarcastic and obnoxious, I am so thankful for every single one of you. I love my parents for constantly believing in me and being proud of me, no matter how big or small the accomplishment is. I love my friends for being so brutally honest and bringing me back to reality when I need it the most. I love my teachers for giving me the education so many others could only dream of.

I don't always realize how truly lucky I am. I know I constantly complain and get nerved out about the smallest most insignificant things. I know there are people who have it worse than me and would kill if their biggest problem in life was getting a 90 on a test. I am so truly thankful for the life I have been given. I am a girl who grew up in a wealthy house who got practically everything that she has ever asked for. But besides the materialistic aspect of my life, I was given a holy grail. A wonderful education in a suburban New Jersey town that will prepare me for my life. I also have a wonderful support system of family, friends, and acquaintances willing to risk it all to be there for me.

I could continue and talk about all of the other things and people in my life that have sculpted it into the masterpiece that it is...but no matter how many words or analogies I use, there is no other way to sum up how much I love everything I have better than the words
"Thank you".

Thank you,
Madison Levinson

The First Pig-Human Hybrid and What It Means for a Future Frankenstein by Simon Levien

Pig embryo injected with human cells

Biologists have dubbed their experiments with human cells and pig embryos to have created the first "pig-human hybrid" which in the context of biology, makes perfect sense. However, if you take the term generally, I think people would assume we've managed to crossbreed with pigs. This by no means is some crazy concoction that scientists whipped up in a lab; there is no bipedal pig that can talk and act like a human (yet). Instead it's a groundbreaking—albeit controversial—step towards growing new organs, maybe even a little closer to creating Frankenstein's monster as Mary Shelley envisioned two centuries ago.

Summarizing, the process works by using injected human pluripotent stem cells into the developing fetus. These stem cells have not been designated as heart or liver cells, e.g., instead they are assigned roles at a later date. So to the host pig, these cells are just like any other that have grown along with the rest of the body. As the fetus develops, the human stem cells will propagate, grow, and eventually make up a good portion of the pig's total cell count. In the scientists' experiment as detailed in the journal Nature, the ratio of human to pig cells was 1:100,000 which is an extremely high proportion if you factor in the sheer quantity of matter that makes up even a simple organism.

But as of right now, this does nothing. The pig would develop just like any other even if it was 0.00001% human (that we know of, and that is if scientists were allowed to observe the pig through postnatal development, since the fetuses must be destroyed per ethical requirements. We don't want human pigs running around even if they are just technically pigs.) However, it does represent a huge change in regards to organ transplantation for two reasons:

Firstly, and most notably, we learned in biology that most vertebrate animals have a unique protein which attaches to the exterior to all of their cells, that uniquely identifies that person. This is involved in the immune system, where if the body recognizes that a virus or bacteria does not have the correct protein that the rest of the body has, it will attack it to prevent infection. However, in this experiment, the human cells, which would clearly have a different protein than the pig fetus, remained unrejected by the body. One would assume that this can take place because the pig fetus is so young, that its immune system has not developed in full yet. Although this is true, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies performed this experiment but with a rat-mouse hybrid and let it grow into an adult. Sure enough, the adult had no problems related to rejection (more on that later). And on the same note, if applied in humans, the head transplant we discussed earlier seems a tad more feasible (albeit not by much, at all--it's really not feasible still). As for sci-fi hopes, Shelley's dream comes into full swing. Had Frankenstein's monster been created as Shelley described, all of the individual parts of the monster would reject each other (that is, if the monster even had an immune system that worked properly and in unison) immunologically, and would likely have to rely on a steady supply of immunosuppressants which the thing never got. If Frankenstein could have been conceived with body parts that do not recognize those identifying proteins, the chances his body parts work together seems more probable, but he would still suffer from a deadly, AIDS-like vulnerability to common illnesses because of a lack of a functioning immune system.

Much more importantly, the experiments prove a theoretical way to grow new organs, although human tests are far off. Now back to that rat-mouse. The scientists at Salk Institute, using CRISPR technology, included the genes primarily of mouse vital organs in the mouse stem cells that were injected into the rat embryo. And since there really are little ethical protections for rats and mice, they could let this organism grow to adulthood (the lab rats deserve more credit for enduring what we put them through). What they found is peculiar, that some of the organs that grew were mouse-like and the rest specific to the rat species. So in essence, we grew mouse organs in a rat. Growing new organs for those in need has been a huge subject of debate, and this experiment has only fanned the flame; it creates another opportunity for sourcing organs but feeding off animals may not be the most desired approach. Regardless, it provides another chance to make Frankenstein a future reality. Instead of assembling a lifeform out of decaying matter, dead cells, and all that, how about growing all of the organs, fresh and having a healthier-looking (I guess if you want to call it "healthy") sewn-up being? Had all of the body parts been created in this fashion, perhaps Dr. Frankenstein may have taken a different approach to his creation, instead of the horrified and disgusted one that consumed him.

Anyway, this is becoming more and more of a possibility for organ transplantation, and can save countless lives once the technology advances. Researchers are exploring possible methods to turn pigs into organ donors for humans by basically "turning off" all of the pig proteins in the organism that could harm humans, again using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing practices. In any case, we can only hope the new technology is used justly. 

The Complexity of Simplicity by Ashley Lasko

In the first few years of my education we’d have composition notebooks we used as a journal. We were always told to write about our weekend, what we did, who accompanied us, and if we had fun. Every Monday morning we’d sit in our assigned, elementary chairs and describe whatever we wished. We’d hold our pencils in the most impractical manner, misspell every word over three letters, and used choppy, three word sentences. I don’t remember much from these journals, except that we were constantly told to keep writing. If we stopped before the five minutes allotted to writing were used up, we were doing something wrong. If you couldn’t think what to write about, than just write the same letter over and over again. This was obviously a method to keep a student from writing two words than quitting, but it had a different effect on me. I remember hearing this, becoming scared stiff of disobeying the teacher, and writing whatever I could think of. I started to repeat myself and add unnecessary details to write something of substance.

This placed complexity over simplicity. I began to focus on writing something on appropriate length as oppose to something of appropriate context. As I started middle school teachers began to use the phrase “quality over quantity”. Teachers were trying to steer us away from writing for length as opposed to a point, but this was a sudden and ineffective change. It was difficult to change my focus of writing so abruptly, and I continued to write much more than I needed to in a paragraph or an essay. As a high schooler, I have improved my writing. I generally know when I have written enough and avoid repeating myself. However, I still feel more confident handing paragraphs as opposed to a few sentences.

Of course, there’s something to be said about the importance of complexity. Including every fact you learned in a lecture on the unit test can ensure a good grade. Adding details to a painting or drawing can help it appear complex and realistic. Writing vivid and intricate descriptions of scenery can help a reader stay interested in your story. However, simplicity can keep answers short and to the point, speeding you through a test. Fewer details in a drawing can provide a challenge to express an idea and give the piece its own style. Withholding information in a novel can add mystery and let the reader create their own characters in the story.

Both simplicity and complexity are important and are best in balance of one another. However, much more stress is placed on how complex, intricate, and detailed something can become, rather than the potential of it when all its excess is stripped away. When comparing complexity and simplicity, I used school, painting, and writing as examples. However, it’s not often these examples (with the exception of art, as minimalism is dedicated to simplicity) are simple as they can be. Rather, I feel people tend to make things as convoluted as possible, cramming details into whatever they can.

As a society, we focus on what we can add to something, or how we can increase the complexity of it. We ask ourselves what we can add to our habits, food, and clothing. This limits us. Taking away extra details does not make something less, but simpler. We do not need to add extravagant designs to every shirt we wear, we don’t need to add every spice in the book to make appetizing foods, nor do we need every minute of our lives dedicated to something. The simplicity of a t-shirt and sweatpants, the basic flavor of buttered bread, and the potential of free time can be just as impactful and important.

Whether writing an essay, deciding what to eat, or planning what to do, recognize that the simple is answer is not a bad one, but simply an uncomplicated one.

Friendship Poem By: Caroline Kepler

One of the over arching themes in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is how loneliness and lack of having someone to support you can lead to a decline a person’s decisions and personality. So I decided to write a poem about friendships and having someone who will stand by you.

You will meet hundreds of people in your life

Yet only a few special ones will stay by your side

They will be with you through all your strife

Their presence will make your life a joyride

These people will make you laugh when you feel like crying

And are people who you can’t stay mad at

They will have fun with whatever plans you may be trying

And will deal with you sometimes being a brat

Friendships like these go both ways

You’ll be with them through all of life’s stages

When everyone else leaves, you’ll be the one who stays

Because unlike you, your friendship never ages

Cherish friendships like these all the time

And hope that they’re strong enough to last a lifetime

Alaattin Bender Painting By: Bailey Kellenberger

Painting by Alaattin Bender 

The colors seem to sweep across the canvas, whispering words of sorrow and despair. Immediately, I wanted to know her story. With her hands seeming to fiddle together and her head hung low, it only leads me to believe that this little girl, this painting, was the result of heartache. Her Columbia blue ruffled dress only reflected the way she felt on the inside; lonely. The way her straggly locks cover her solemn face depict another story, one void of a happy ending. A story of a young girl, perhaps four or five years old, broken and shattered, carrying a burden far too great for such a young soul to bear; the loss of a parent. The world reflects her grief and sorrow with its mournful hues of blue, gray, and black. The way she almost seems to fade away into the backdrop is yet another indicator that this little girl has gone unnoticed.

This is her story:

Their words of sympathy mean close to nothing. The way they rub my back and try to tell me that things will be okay were nothing but simple gestures with little meaning. They don't understand what I am going through. They couldn't understand what it's like to be left completely alone. I felt as though I was suffocating in the middle of the street, screaming, but no one could hear me. No one could help me. I had shut the world out. Little by little, my isolation grew. I just wanted them back. Dreams of a time when Mama and I roamed around the garden and looking for all the creepy-crawlers we could find, haunted me. We toppled over rocks and dug under rotten trees. Not until we had named all the bugs would we lay under the swaying willow and watch the clouds peer through the gaps between the branches. I would give anything to go back to that day. I would give all my porcelain dolls away to just see Daddy with his ash gray beard laughing and holding Mama. Things used to be so perfect. The only piece of Mama that I had left was her gold chain bracelet. It was about the only thing that hadn't burned in the fire. My Oma told me to cherish my memories and hold them close to my heart. That's just what I did. I managed to wear the ruby beaded hair pin that Daddy got me for my fifth birthday every day. When it caught the light just right it sparkled like the Northern Star on a clear autumn night. God, how I missed them. Whenever I could, I would slip into my blue dress and waltz down the halls of Oma's apartment. The dress made me feel beautiful. It was Mamas favorite. She used to spin me round and round as if I was a horse attached to a carousel. She would call to Papa and ask him just how beautiful I really looked. That's all I can remember; happiness. However, those are just memories that will one day be distant. My hair pin gems will soon fall out one by one. The gold in my mothers bracelet will wear down. My blue dress will fade to a pale gray and become too short for my sprouting legs. I must do my best to never let my memories fade or wear down because then I will be truly alone. 

What Wrestling Means to Me (by Chris Hwang)

I just want to start off this blog by saying that wrestling isn’t an easy sport, nor is it a fun sport. It is not mentally easy, nor physically easy. Now you may be asking yourself, “Well if it isn’t fun, then why wrestle?” My answer - wrestling is a sport like no other. Wrestling teaches one how to overcome challenges and push oneself to the absolute limits both mentally and physically. It teaches one how to persevere through the pain, and get through the most difficult of times. In a recent definition essay, I had the opportunity to describe the power of grit. The dictionary definition of grit is firmness of mind and spirit:  unyielding courage.  My definition of grit is a character trait that is learned from the stamina and state of mind developed from sticking with my long-term goals day in and day out in the face of hardships, setbacks, and uncertainties. Wrestling provides me with a plethora of obstacles, challenges, and uncertainties to develop that grit.

Since the sport of wrestling is often misunderstood, I’d like to take the opportunity to provide others with additional insight into this grueling sport and lifestyle. First, the sport of wrestling is not what we see during WWE events on television. Ironically, that’s the first thing that comes to mind for some when I mention that I am a wrestler. I can assure you that I look nothing like Triple H, The Undertaker, or CM Punk. Nor do I “perform” wrestling moves such as the Stone Cold Stunner, Spine Buster, or the Swanton Bomb! I practice the sport of folkstyle wrestling where the objective is to pin my opponent or score points in a legal and safe manner.

Because wrestlers know the struggles faced on and off the mat, we have an instant connection, a bond like no other. Wrestlers know what it is like to barely eat all day 24/7 throughout the duration of the wrestling season as we try to “make weight.” We are always yearning for food and our growling stomachs reverberate incessantly until we fall into a deep sleep. In fact, sleep and competition is our only solace for our hunger pangs. I once learned to lick my lasagna instead of chewing and ingesting it. And ice chips become our best friend during the long drives to our tournaments. We are a hungry and thirsty bunch.

We know what it’s like to win, and we certainly know what it feels like to lose (individually and as a team). We know what it’s like to have to wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning, just to head over to a wrestling tournament and we learn how to convert our gym bags and sweatshirts into pillows so that we can eek out 15 minutes of sleep on the bleachers in between matches. Because we learn to cope with all these struggles and sacrifices, we are inherently tough and resilient.

            

       One pet peeve of mine is the verbal abuse that wrestlers take every day, especially at school. You can imagine how offended we get when peer athletes of  different sports portray wrestling as an activity “that gives us an excuse to touch each other.” Another dig is when we hear non-wrestlers refer to our uniforms as leotards. We wear singlets, not leotards. The singlet is tight fitting so as not to get grasped accidentally by one's opponent, and allows the referee to see each wrestler's body clearly when awarding points or a pin.

             

        Now that I’m done ranting about those pet peeves, I will continue to give you more insight into the lifestyle of a wrestler. Now, the first and probably the most difficult aspect of wrestling is the weight watching. As a wrestler, you must learn to monitor your weight habitually. For example, in the morning after I wake up and take care of my business, I hop on the scale (hoping I’m underweight, but unfortunately I’m usually not). For breakfast, I’ll usually have eggs, since they are not salty, light, and are filled with tons of protein. For lunch, I usually have a salad (with minimal dressing) or a protein shake, and last but not least, for dinner, I will usually have a small piece of steak or chicken. Throughout the day, I try to drink close to two gallons of water in attempt to flush out my system, meaning the more I drink, the more I urinate, resulting in a loss of the excess sodium (which retains water weight) from my body. If for some reason I were to find myself overweight the day of a match (which I thankfully have never experienced), I would need to put on multiple layers of clothes, run like the wind, and pray really hard that I sweat the excess weight off my body.

            

       After wrestlers have weighed in at the match/tournament, the wrestling begins. As you look around, you see wrestlers intently pacing back and forth. This is how wrestlers like to “get in the zone” before their matches. They are very eager, yet very nervous. The sport of wrestling affords each wrestler to put forth their best performance. All the laborious efforts put into practices translate to success on the mat. During a match, there are no half times, no substitutions, no timeouts, no hiding behind a team of other players, and certainly no excuses. We win or we lose and there is nobody to blame but ourselves. That’s what makes the sport of wrestling so basic, pure, and gratifying.

            

       I am so grateful that I was introduced to wrestling at such a young age. Wrestling has significantly shaped me as an athlete, and even as a student. My “drive” is evident both on and off the mat. All of the skills that I have learned from the sport of wrestling have helped me to become a better individual and citizen. As I enter adulthood, I intend to give back to my community to share and instill the privilege and love of wrestling in the lives of others.

Annotation by Kamryn Foster

Alright, y'all. I did it again. I didn't keep my word. I'm so sorry that I didn't write on Friday. So here I am, trying to make it up to y'all. I suppose I didn't know what to write about, until today, when Mr. Johnson said something in class that struck me.
He said something along the lines of it being a good habit to highlight quotes in books that you like. Now, I've been doing this since summertime, but I thought of it as an interesting thought, since it came from an adult. Did he only mean to annotate books that you were studying or doing an assignment for? If not, then why would you highlight a book that you'd be reading for enjoyment? Now, I'm asking these questions from the viewpoint of people who don't really care about reading or English in general, and an example would be my family. They don't truly appreciate anything about the subject, so they think it's weird when I do this with my books; they think of it as doing more than what you have to do, kind of like doing a chore. But that's not it at all!
Sometimes you find yourself reading a book and something strikes you - whether it be a 'life-lesson' quote, a word you don't know, or perhaps just amazing description about something, and you feel the need to make that prominent. You can simply do that, and it'll be there for you when you go back to it when you either reread it, or when you go looking for that one quote that changed your perspective about something. It can be as little or as big as you want it to be. That's why I think books and just writing in general is art, since you can take it as deep as you want, and because you can get something new out of it every time you read it. I think that's absolutely fantastic.

They Say It's Red by Juleanna Green

They say anger is red. No, really. Go look it up.

And that’s a valid point.

But what about the other anger?
The blue anger?

The anger so cold you feel your insides shrivel when you have it.

The anger so cold you feel your stomach freeze when it’s directed at you.

The anger so cold that those consumed by it get frozen over.

The anger so passionate that it cuts like a shard of ice in the fresh snow.

They say love is red. But what does that mean?

Sure, that’s one kind.

But what about the other love?

The purple love?

The love so special that it blossoms throughout you, like the wildflowers in your yard.

The love so special that it is not one thing, but rather a mix of many.

The love so special that it is not so abundant in nature; it’s saved for the special circumstances.

The love so deep that only purple can satisfy.

They say passion is red. Because it shines so bright.

Which I can understand.

But what about the other passion?

The green passion?

The passion so strong that it launches itself to where it needs to be.

The passion so strong that it is hazel eyes, when filled with excitement, and desire, and emotion.

The passion so strong it grows tall and branches out, reaching for its purpose.

The passion so soft it feels like the grass between your toes on a Spring morning.

They say energy is red. Like sparks.

And that’s beautiful.

But what about the other energy?

The yellow energy?

The energy so radiant that it transfers to other people, just at the notion of it.

The energy so radiant that yellow flames licking at its prey could not do it justice.

The energy so radiant that you have the power of the sun, moon, and stars behind you.
The energy so electrifying that there is nothing else you could possibly be doing.