Work Then Play...Why Not Both?

When I think of projects, the most potent recollection is that of my physical science project from this year.  The project was surprisingly very stereotypical of high school: Create a free-standing 3D model of an atom. I did not even believe that such projects were actually issued in high school, at least not in this day and age. I was ecstatic, in fact, to receive this project. My model was altogether rather simple. I shaped metal wire into rings, glued pieces of cereal together for the nucleus, and tied everything together on a stand made by my father. However, making a nucleus that was light enough not to pull the rings down was rather difficult. I had to remake it with as little hot glue as possible and still keep it round and together. I finally finished the new nucleus and tied it into my project with bated breath, wondering if it would pull everything apart. It did not! I was very proud of my project. It had a futuristic look to it, and it was functional! The rings actually spun around the nucleus in all directions, and it was quite fascinating to behold. All of the hard work I put into the model was most definitely worth the effort, and I was glad to share the results with my class.

Curiouser and Curiouser

There are many ways in which the unknown has been explored by marvelous souls. The seas have been sailed, the moon walked on, forests traversed, and even objects from right beneath man’s nose have been more thoroughly observed. Curiosity is what causes man to explore, for surely no other reason could be as enticing. As well, perhaps there are just some individuals who seek to aid the rest of mankind. Whatever the case may be, it may well be assumed that any being who would give up the entirety of their life to the sake of exploration and discovery must truly have a passion for whatever drives them to explore and discover.  Undoubtedly, this must be the case, else no man would give up perhaps wealth, comfort, a lighthearted step, or even the chance to live a usual life. If there were not people willing to devote themselves to that kind of life, one can only just fathom the world in which we would live today.

Despair (A Holocaust Poem)

Walls echoing with anguished cries,

the smell of death lingers in every corner.

The things seen, felt,

Weigh down the air.

Nothing compares to the evils

That occurred within a death camp.

Jewish people, stripped of more

Than worldly possessions;

Sorted ‘accordingly’, families ripped apart.

To the right, a quick end. Painless? No one knows.

To the left, torture. But still,

A chance to survive.

Again, the horrible things that occurred;

The tragedy of being a twin,

Inevitably to be chosen.

Your future to be filled with

Experimenting, tested on like a lab rat.

The screams of horror, pain.

To be here, in this place--

A nightmare.

Only, one didn’t awaken.

To feel this wrath,

Brought on without cause,

For a crime never committed.

Unjust, cruel, inconceivable;

But it happened.

Listen closely: Still their whispers are heard,

Sighs of agony reverberating through the ages.

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

One of the hardest things to do is tell the truth, especially in trying situations. I would never go around boasting the morality of truthfulness because I know there are plenty of times when I have lied to avoid punishment or unfavorable consequences. However, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, telling the truth is still the best option. Keeping a lie going is very difficult and exhausting, and the results are much worse if someone finds out than if one just tells the truth to begin with. Of course telling the truth means one is almost certainly in for some kind of discipline, and there is the chance one can get away with a lie, but the risk is great. As well, there still is the point of morality. For the most part, telling the truth is just the easier route to take. It is less work, less risk, and it is much more respectable.

High School Never Ends

                For me, high school is very different from preceding levels of education. In some ways it is easier, and in some ways harder, but altogether it is a totally new experience. It has brought on many changes in my academic life and created an array of new difficulties for me to overcome, achievements for me to bask in, and ambitions for me to pursue.

       Starting with the bad, I have encountered unusual and foreign complications. My test scores, generally above and beyond average, have become just that: mediocre. Straight A’s have fallen to B’s, and even worse, C’s! Also, though I typically finish homework and out-of-class assignments on time, procrastination has become my new worst enemy. Even so, I typically scrape good grades on last-minute dashes, though I occasionally slip up. Then there is my number one flaw: forgetfulness. If it is not ingrained in my brain, chances are I will completely forget it until it is too late, and I have a bad habit of believing I will remember it without writing it down. Quite frankly, high school has created a plethora of new disappointments for me, but I do have few redeeming successes.

        While I have discovered new failures, my attainments have stayed, for the most part, the same. Though my test grades have dropped somewhat, I do rather well with homework and classwork. I tend to forget assignments occasionally, but I can usually get them done on time. As a result of my doing well with assignments, my overall grades have stayed in an A to B range, which appears to be very good for Early College. On that note, my greatest academic success has to be actually getting into Early College High School. Everything about it—the opportunities, the environment, and life-changing events—is amazing. All of my successes leave me dreaming of even greater successes.

       Though I believe I do rather well in school, there is most definitely room for improvement. A’s and B’s are good, but my greatest goal in school is to receive straight A’s. My college career depends fully on whether or not I manage to scrounge up a full-ride scholarship. The only way I will get the grades I want is by studying and remembering my assignments, both of which I plan to improve on. Studying will be difficult since I have never had to do so before, but to remember my work all I have to do is make a habit of writing all of my assignment down. It may be tedious, but I must do whatever it takes to make my dreams to come true. I have to do it for my family, and I have to do it for myself.

       With all my new struggles, accomplishments and aspirations, high school really is an adventure. There is always something to keep me busy, whether it be overcoming an obstacle, maintaining a successful streak, or reaching for the stars. High school is frightening and exciting, and all around a huge step in my life. Here is where I make it or break it.

Take a Stand

I think people cyber bully for the same reasons they bully others in person: low self-esteem. However, it is easier to be tough online, and to spread rumors online. If a bully puts something online, more people will be able to see it, and the victim will most likely become to ashamed to do anything about it. Someone who sees it would probably be more likely to reprimand the bully online, if at all. People can hide behind a computer screen, but it is also faster than waiting until a face-to-face encounter. I was bullied when I was younger, so I know the pain and humiliation it brings. I never had an ounce of self-esteem after being put through that, and unfortunately would never have the courage to stand up for others. Now, however  I am much stronger than I used to be. I would not hesitate to put a stop to it. I do not want anyone else to be hurt and belittled like I was. Usually others are afraid to intervene because they want to "fit in," or they are scared of becoming a victim themselves. It takes courage to stand up for others, but every little action can start a chain reaction. It is worth the risk.

Pool of Tears

Each day,

new way

to break my battered heart.

"Tough as nails,"

never fails

to find a chink in my armor. 

Small stings,

little things,

piling up around me.

Across the floor,

against the door.

I fear I may be drowning.