Understanding Tragedy
I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and listened to the hymns that were sung as the music resonated off the arched walls of the church sanctuary; I listened to the obituaries...
Becoming Less Stubborn
Guess how much your mother weighs. That is the kind of assignment that my kindergarten teacher thought would be cute to assign to little kids who think anyone larger...
Staying Positive
I’m simply happy. It’s a decision I made at a young age, and it has shaped the person I am today. Each morning as the sun rises, a sense of optimism rises with it. Being positive and upbeat is a choice; geniality is not a genetic quality. Every individual has the potential to be cheerful, and unfortunately, some choose to be pessimistic...
Thinking red in blue Sonoma County
What is difficult is being a conservative like I am in a heavily blue area. My age group already is one likely to be liberal. Coupled with the fact that Sonoma County is competing with San Francisco and Marin counties to be the most politically left, I do not make very many political friends as a red in a blue sea.
Competing for a future education
College bound students begin preparation for their applications as early as freshman year. Eager freshmen sign up for clubs, classes, and sports that will elevate their application and make it competitive with applicants from around the country. Without extracurricular activities, students’ applications are incomplete. In order to get into universities, students must be...
Public schools require increased taxes
Because the country is in an economic crisis, multiple programs and services funded by the government suffer from severe budget cuts. The quality of education is threatened by the evident lack of funding that continues to worsen. While increased taxes may seem unfavorable when many families struggle with financial problems, they are necessary to...
School system drains state budget
Widespread controversy has risen over how to solve California’s budget crisis. Because public education consumes a major portion of the state budget, it has received cuts in funding; a decision which at first consideration seemed negative, upon closer examination is not entirely detrimental to education as a whole, especially when considering...
Discovering Priorities
Creativity is the means by which our minds can flaunt their brilliance and abilities. I can trace my passion to create back to the third grade, when my teacher Ms. Blagdon designated a Writers’ Workshop every day for us to work on writing projects of our choice. I remember making menus, writing mystery short stories, and designing a new cover for a paperback book. Ms. Blagdon also had...
Accepting Change
It was the third time that day I had caught my younger brother waltzing around the house with his pants hanging halfway down his backside. I was fed up with continually telling him to pull them up...
Attaining Happiness
It would not be unusual to find me sobbing over the swollen piano keys, or fretting aimlessly over a missed chemistry assignment, or scribbling words into the thinning pages of my diary. It would not be unusual to find me...