English 9 A

The Battlefield by Phil M.

2008-05-01T07:26:00.002-05:00

The smoke on the field
The battle is a great one
The soldiers will yield
Whenever their view is blinded by the sun

Branches in the field
Flag standing tall
The soldiers yield
When people fall

The trees stare
The guns shoot
The enemy doesn’t care
People trip over the root

The soldiers run around
Not knowing where they are bound.

My Love by Madeline D.

2008-05-01T07:26:00.001-05:00

We have been together for a while
You always have a way of making me smile
I love to hug you, I love to kiss you
Hold me in your arms and never let go
Let’s let our love for each other show
You are you
And I am me
But we go together like peanut butter and jelly

And Always Will Be… by Lida H.

2008-05-01T07:25:00.001-05:00

My personality is one of a kind
A girl like me is hard to find
I am outgoing as you can see
And always will be
I laugh a lot a like to have fun
You’ll often find me out in the sun
My love is free
And always will be
Sometimes I don’t blend
But in the end
I am me
And always will be

Haiku by Jonathan P.

2008-05-01T07:24:00.000-05:00

Clouds creep through the air
Guided gently by the wind
Masking the Sun’s rays.

Fishing Con Mi Grandpa by Connor A.

2008-05-01T07:22:00.000-05:00

Days spent fishing with you
Under a sunny, clear sky
Rocking the New Balance shoes
You were the coolest guy.

Though we caught nothing
Spending time with you was all I did need
You taught me a lot, took me under your wing
Out on the water, feeling like we’d been freed.

Sisters by Martha H.

2008-05-01T07:21:00.000-05:00

Always there, every single day
Sometimes lost but we find our way
Together, Apart, A true crew
I will always have love for you.

Problems, Problems, Problems galore
There to help open a new door
You always help when I’m blue
I will always have love for you.

Smiles, Laughs, Irreplaceable times
Mom, Dad will never know our crimes
Happy or sad we’ll make it through
I will always have love for you.

Life Is by Lindsay B.

2008-05-01T07:20:00.000-05:00

Life is a clicking clock
always running, constantly at work
tick-tock-tick-tock
time is not a berk.

Life is a new fallen snow
it’s here ‘till it melts away
although not a sole would want to go
no one can forever stay.

Life is like squeezing sand
the grains will always fall
it’s not hard to understand
there’s no way to make them stall.

Life is a candle stick
fire chomping down the wick.

Ode to Master Chief by Kyle L.

2008-05-01T07:19:00.000-05:00

To one so swift and brave,
You’ve fought ‘till you met the grave.
Everything is but a blur,
While others watch in amazement at what you can endure.

The mighty covenant falls under your grasp,
While the HAVOK is sealed with a clasp.
You can’t help but smile,
When you think to yourself, “this was so worth while!”

You are honored for the courageous things you do,
As every Marine wishes to be you.
Well, now I guess you must be partin’
Because you, are a Spartan.

Chaput by Corey C.

2008-05-01T07:18:00.000-05:00

There once was a man from South Hadley
Who debated the staff quite madly
He is an ex-marine
Who has a lovely dream
To rid the democrats of South Hadley

The Afternoon Breeze by Alex M.

2008-05-01T07:16:00.001-05:00

The old oak tree sways,
In the afternoon breeze.
And the sky is calm.

Watching the Dark Fade by Zack T.

2008-05-01T07:15:00.001-05:00

Too overwhelming to look at;
Yet too pretty to look away.
As the sun kept rising I sat,
And I would watch the clouds appear.

While the clouds would start to turn white,
And the wind would take them a stray,
Over the ocean came a light,
And I would watch the clouds appear.

The sky was a deep purple shade,
Keeping me from looking away,
I sat there watching the dark fade,
And I would watch the clouds appear.

Alone by Meghan M.

2008-05-01T07:14:00.002-05:00

Alone, watching the waves close in on me
Does anyone see me standing out here
But how could it be, but how could it be
And now the waves are quite close and I fear

Peaceful yes, but I wonder how could you
Say that you love me and then walk away
And now you see I know what I must do
You will never know what happened today

Quickly the waves pulled me away from air
My body felt lifeless and I was scared
And I thought of you but you were not there
Then I realized you had never cared

Now I am below and no light is shown
I enter the end and the start, Alone.

A Day at the Beach by Katie P.

2008-05-01T07:14:00.001-05:00

The Sun is setting and it is now summer
I have been lying on the beach all day
Leaving the water and the sun is a bummer
Lying there today all my worries gone away

Now that the sun is set the day is gone
Picking up the blanket and the umbrella too
All the memories past our day is done
I can’t wait till tomorrow going back with you

We have spent our day under the bright sun
Walking up to the pier to get some food
Maybe some chips or a hotdog and bun
After waiting all day hunger is my mood

I can’t wait till the moonsets for the night
Just so that I can see the sun shine so bright

Lacrosse by Zak G.

2008-05-01T07:13:00.001-05:00

Lacrosse is the greatest game of all
It’s fun, fast and very wearing
You can excel if you try
Knowing the rules is key
Scoring feels awesome
Assists are great
The best is
Winning
Games

Life is Unscripted by Wes C.

2008-05-01T07:12:00.002-05:00

Life is life unscripted.
It’s a wonderful thing.
It’s singing along to a song not sung.
And wearing the shiniest bling.

It’s taking a walk on the beach
With no one but the sea gulls.
Or learning how to teach
A new trick to your beagle.

It’s watching the sun forever rise
Ov’r the tops of the mountains.
And taking a bath
In New York’s finest fountains.

Life is life unscripted.
Life is life encrypted.

Sydney by Maddie M.

2008-05-01T07:12:00.001-05:00

Little girl, about six
Preparing to go down the water slide.
With every twist and turn of the slide,
She laughs until her belly aches.
Across her body is a florescent bikini
And goggles cover her beautiful hazel eyes.
She’s putting on a show for the people watching her on the deck
But she loves the attention.
All you can see on her face is a big smile.
Just before she hits the water,
She sees a camera flash,
And she sticks her tongue out.
Splash!

Silly by Joe D.

2008-05-01T07:11:00.002-05:00

There once was a boy who played baseball,
who was fond of his Barbie’s and dolls.
During practice one day,
in center field he lay,
he got knocked in the head with a ball.

Starry Night by Rachel B.

2008-05-01T07:11:00.001-05:00

When I stare at the canvas in the square of the frame
I drift away to a place in time and unwind
Such beauty and grace from a man who would maim
A unique way to see life through an insane mind

Bringing life, depth, and power
Color in your world of black and white
To see is to smell your vision of a flower
In your world of darkness to see the starry night

Expansion, feeling, wonder meant from deep inside
Struggling to breathe with every stroke
Staring, staring, drifting I tried
Visions of a man emotionally broke

The troubled mind I will never know
As I stare at the madness of a man called Van Gogh

Unruled Waters by Krista S.

2008-05-01T07:10:00.001-05:00

Lay my feet on un-solid ground
Precious water so cold I bet
My ears hear not one song
Deliverance I have yet to forget.

Sunset softly, but let it awake
Warm ever slowly my skin
God has made this masterpiece for heaven’s sake
If I lay here and take it in, I will surely win.

What ancient mysteries lye beneath your wave
Over a hundred thousand stories you have washed up upon the shore
Each a memory you will save
Underneath it all there is more.

You scream for someone to come in
To ride away on a lonely dolphin’s fin.

Summer’s Sunset by Anna R

2008-05-01T07:09:00.000-05:00

Being bored all day, it was almost night.
Go to the beach to get out of the town.
I sit and wait to watch the sun go down.
Creeping toward the sea, there’s no more daylight.

Finally disappears the moon comes out.
I just sit there and reflect on the day.
Every one of my troubles goes away.
I release my pain and all of my doubt.

I can’t move from my spot, I don’t know why.
A sudden cold breeze breaks me from my trance.
I stand up and take one final last glance.
At the beautiful night which makes me cry.

Watching the sunset I have emptied my head.
Of everything horrible that I dread.

Obstacles by Zack G.

2008-03-20T09:22:00.001-05:00

Throughout the novella, Santiago has many different obstacles that he has to overcome. His last fishing trip was one of his most challenging experiences. The obstacles that he had to overcome were the fact of being alone, the strength of the marlin, and the lack of food and water. All of these obstacles were working against him, making it very hard for him to even survive out on his trip. Santiago is 85 years old and he still is out in the sea fishing which shows you how determined he was to catch this marlin.

Santiago’s first obstacle that he had to overcome was the fact of being alone. If he had Manolin with him during his last fishing trip I think that he would have caught the marlin a lot faster and he would have been able to successfully bring the marlin onto the boat. At one point in the story Santiago says out loud to himself: “ ‘I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this’ ” (48). Since he did not have the boy with him he got very tired from the fight with the marlin. He barely got any sleep and he didn’t get much time to rest either. Since Santiago was on his own it made it much harder for him to catch the marlin.

Another obstacle that Santiago had to overcome was the lack of food and water. When Santiago was preparing for the fishing trip he never would have thought that his trip would last as long as it did. He packed some food and a good amount of water, but that proved to not be enough. When Santiago has the marling hooked it was for 3 days long. He had no food left on the third day but just a little bit of water. I know that if he had more food that he would have been in a better condition to catch the marlin and he could have got it to his boat quicker. “For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead” (87). He had been very faint and I think this could have been caused by him not having enough water and possibly being dehydrated.

The last obstacle that Santiago had to overcome was the strength of the marlin and the attacks from the vigorous sharks. This was easily the hardest obstacle that Santiago had to face. Santiago had the marlin hooked for several days and he could not reel it in. The marlin had so much power, but the old man was not giving up. Santiago was so determined to catch this marlin he would do anything for it. On about the third day of the marlin being hooked he had the marlin close to his boat and he threw his harpoon at the marlin and killed it. After about an hour a few sharks started appearing and eating the marlin. A few sharks came and Santiago killed some and injured some, but: “One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over” (118).That shark ate the last piece of the marlin and there was nothing left.

Santiago did his best to try and overcome these obstacles. I don’t think that there was any other way that Santiago could have tried to fight off the sharks.. He did the best he could, but that didn’t help him in the end. Santiago did gain something in his last trip even though he didn’t catch the marlin. He gained a lot of experience and knowledge during his final fishing trip. I think that since he was 85 and he was in very bad condition that he ended up dieing at the end of the book because of the different obstacles he had to try and overcome.

Obstacles by Zack T.

2008-03-20T09:21:00.000-05:00

Throughout the novella The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago has faced many challenges. Santiago had to overcome the obstacles of being alone, not having good technology, and being unprepared. If Santiago had not gone out alone, and Manolin had gone with him, he might have caught the fish. Even though Santiago is 85, he still chose to go out to sea alone, in a small boat without technology. This undoubtedly affected the outcome of the story.

The first challenge Santiago had was that he was alone. This affected him because it was very difficult to keep a fish on a small boat, try and get to shore, and not let the sharks get the marlin. “’I wish [Manolin] was here,’ he said aloud.” (50) The old man is trying to perform too many tasks at once, and if he was with someone else such as Manolin, maybe he could have caught the marlin. The reason he could not get the fish to shore safely is because the marlin was 18 feet long. Since Santiago is alone, he talks to himself, to the birds, and to the fish. Even though this sounds weird, I think many people would do this while out to sea alone.

A second obstacle Santiago faces is not having good technology. When most people go out to sea, they have many tools to help them fish more efficiently. In the book Santiago talks about how most fishermen now use their radios to talk to each other. However he feels he doesn’t need it which is true. Despite the fact that this technology could help him, he decides to go out without it. “’ But since I am not crazy, I do not care. And the rich have radios to talk to them in their boats and to bring them the baseball.’” (39) Even though technology would help Santiago, he does not care and wants nothing to do with it. Which I do not get because only good could come from trying it, nothing bad.

The third challenge that Santiago faces is being unprepared. This is a huge part of why he did not catch the fish. If he planned on coming across such a fish, I am sure he could have prepared better. “He felt faint again now but he held on the great fish all the strain that he could.” (91) Since he is unaware of the challenge ahead, he went out alone, did not bring food or water, and I am sure he was exhausted, he was not feeling good and started feeling faint and dizzy. All he does is fish, without breaks, and then goes straight to catching an 18 foot marlin. He is also 85 years old, which makes it a lot more difficult to catch.

As a conclusion, I can rightfully say that Santiago has many obstacles that he must overcome that other fishermen do not have. However, since he caught an 18 foot marlin, with a boat not even that size, while being alone and eighty-five are incredible circumstances. The chance of someone doing it present day is very unlikely. Not only is this hard to do, but with all the technology today, who would?

Obstacles by Wes C.

2008-03-20T09:20:00.002-05:00

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago may have had to overcome more obstacles than any one I know. His life has been a very rough time, especially while fishing. Santiago had to face many obstacles, such as his physical abilities, the aggressive nature and power of the sharks [dentusos], and the frustration that comes with being unprepared. All of these obstacles worked against Santiago and made it more difficult for him to land the fish of his lifetime.

Santiago’s first obstacle was his physical abilities, especially his left hand; “But his left hand had always been a traitor and would not do what he called on it to do and he did not trust it” (71). In the story, Santiago’s hand cramped up on him, and he couldn’t move it, even if he wanted to. This slows him down while trying to gain some line on the fish, and makes him use his brain to think of other ways that he can hold on to it. Not only is his hand bothering him, but also he is around 85 years old, and has limitations as to what he can physically do.

Another obstacle that Santiago had to overcome was the aggressive natured and extremely powerful sharks. He thought of these as very large nuisances; “But I killed the shark that hit my fish, he thought. And he was the biggest dentuso that I have ever seen. And god knows I have seen big ones” (105). The sharks were attacking and eating Santiago’s prized marlin that was attached to the side of the boat. During these attacks, he had to try to fend off “dentusos,” which was tremendously difficult. To do this, he had to use weapons. These weapons repeatedly broke, and he was strained to use parts of his skiff to make weapons. This made it more difficult for him to navigate his way back to Havana . But if he did not fend off the sharks, they would have devoured his marlin within a few hours. It was a sacrifice that was necessary to do.

A final obstacle, which Santiago must overcome, is frustration. He gets frustrated from being unprepared; “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man” (110). Santiago was not planning on being on the water for four days; he only brought about two days’ supplies. In order to survive, he needed to drink sparingly, and to eat, he had to catch other fish, which took his mind off of the marlin, and gave the marlin a chance to get away from Santiago. That’s what frustrated him. He wasn’t paying attention to the marlin so he could catch food. This was because of his “stupid” mistake in not being prepared. Being frustrated never helps when in a situation such as he was.

As you can see, Santiago had some challenging obstacles to overcome. Some of these that he was forced to face were his physical abilities, the aggressive nature and power of the sharks [dentusos], and the frustration that came with being unprepared. He overcame all of these, and caught the fish of a lifetime. One who has completed such a task as he must feel very proud of one’s self.

Obstacles by Meghan M.

2008-03-20T09:18:00.001-05:00

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway depicts the story of an aged fisherman who sets out on his most extravagant journey yet. Along the way he faces many obstacles that affect the outcome of his fishing adventure. The old man, named Santiago, encounters many struggles such as the marlin, the sea, and even himself before his fishing trip can end.

One obstacle that Santiago has to face on his voyage out to sea is the marlin. The marlin was sixteen feet in length and weighed about one thousand five hundred pounds (his skiff was only fourteen feet long). Throughout most of the novella, Santiago struggles with the marlin in order to catch it. The old man also never doubted the strength or power of the marlin. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or more calmer, or more noble thing than you, brother,” (92). In this quote the old man is saying that it would be somewhat of an honor to be killed by the fish that he greatly looked up to. That is how the marlin was an obstacle for Santiago.

Another obstacle that the old man faces is the sea. The sea that Santiago is referring to is the Gulf of Mexico. He was out in the middle of the ocean for a total of four days with the blistering heat and no food or water. Even though Santiago was lost in the middle of the ocean, he always thought of the sea as, “feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them,” (29). Santiago never spoke badly of the sea and always spoke kindly of it. Even through Santiago’s worst times he always admired the sea and treated it as a person would toward another person, or someone they loved.

The final obstacle Santiago faces is himself. Throughout the entire novella, the old man struggles against himself in order to catch the fish. He is always pushing himself to further extremes and testing his body. Santiago never doubts that he can do anything and for that reason he was able to catch and hold the marlin for as long as he did. Santiago explained that, “’A man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated,’ ” (103). This quote sums up Santiago quite well. He is saying that a man can be brought down to the lowest of lows, but he will never be beaten by someone, or a marlin.

The old man, Santiago, faced many struggles on his extravagant journey into the ocean. Although he may not have caught the fish, he persevered and never gave up on himself. He always thought he could do it even when he might not have been able to. Even though he struggled with the marlin, the sea, and himself, he managed to catch the fish. Although the fish was eaten by the sharks he was able to bring a carcass to shore to prove that he had actually caught the fish. He felt very satisfied and accomplished even though he did not necessarily have the whole fish.

A Struggle for Life by Martha H.

2008-03-20T09:17:00.001-05:00

In The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago, encounters many different obstacles that he must conquer or be faced with dire consequences. Santiago’s disputes begin when he manages to snag a marlin that is to amble and durable to reel in. Instead of giving up and letting the marlin go, Santiago stays with the massive fish and is carried further and further out to sea. With a short supply of food, loss of body movement, and the struggle with the loneliness of the sea, the walls begin to close in on Santiago. As the problems continue to pile up, Santiago’s strength begins to weaken.

A little while after the fish is caught, the first struggle inaugurates. Santiago begins to feel weaker and he gets a cramp that creeps into his hand. Santiago goes to great lengths to take care of his hands and does whatever it takes to ensure they stay healthy and strong for him. The relation between the old man and his hands is shown in the quote, "‘How do you feel hand, I’ll eat some more for you’" (58, 59) Santiago explains how he’ll eat unpleasant fish such as dolphins to gain strength in his body and hands to maintain a good hold on the marlin.

Soon after, Santiago discovers that the small amount he ate wasn’t enough to corroborate his body. With the extremely unlucky streak the old man encountered, he was unprepared for a voluminous catch such as the marlin. Without another source of food, Santiago knew he would soon die of starvation. As a result, Santiago looks to catch more diminutive fish to eat. Although his body is weakening, his mind stays sharp but he knew that wouldn’t last much longer. An example of his determination and clear headed thoughts was when Santiago looked down into the dark water at the slant of the line and thought, "Eat now and it will strengthen the hand. It is not your hand’s fault and you have been many hours with the fish. But you can stay with him forever. Eat the bonito now." (58)

With nothing but the ocean surrounding him, Santiago quickly begins to feel the emptiness of being alone. While he usually has the boy as company, Santiago deals with the struggle of surviving without him. The boy who was his son, his friend, his brother, his partner, was now an extensive distance away and had no way of helping Santiago. The hollowness and loneliness Santiago feels is suggested by his thoughts continually drifting towards him thinking, "I wish I had the boy to help me and see this." (48) This quote shows the dependency he has on the boy. Without him, he was enabled time to sleep, Santiago’s strength warred away more easily, and he had to maneuver through every obstacle by himself without any back up.

Throughout his many grapples, Santiago’s decision to stay with the abundant marlin affected him physically and mentally. Throughout each brawl, such as the short supply of food, loss of body movement, and dwelling with loneliness, Santiago had to overcome all in order to maintain survival. One simple day of fishing in the sea turned out to be an adventure that made Santiago struggle for his life.

Theme by Maddie D.

2008-03-20T09:15:00.001-05:00

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway intertwines many different themes within the story. Each having there own significance. One important theme is to never give up on something you want. I believe this theme fits in with Santiago’s character towards the marlin, in my life, and in an everyday life of human being.

After spending four hard, treacherous days of trying to reel the marlin in, he finally does, and Santiago is left with only the remains of the fish. Santiago says with disappointment, “‘they beat me. They truly beat me.’ “Then Manolin replies, “‘He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.’”(124) although Santiago believes that he has failed, Manolin disagrees with him. Even though his fish was pretty much eaten by sharks, he still proved to everyone that he wasn’t an unlucky fisherman. After 84 days of not being able to catch a fish, then on the 85^th day coming upon the most brutal marlin, Santiago didn’t come close to giving up. With his old age and not being able to eat for days, he was able to put up a great four day fight with the marlin. He had an experience that no one could ever say they had.

In my life, I have come very close to wanting to give up. Recently I had an experience that might never have happened. This year I wasn’t going to play basketball, but my family, and friend’s convinced me to play. I had the greatest time of my life. I have never worked so hard in my life. In the first playoff game we were losing and there wasn’t much time left. I’m sure everyone knew we were going to lose and wanted to give up, but no one did. We lost, but I know I wouldn’t change anything that happened over the season. I believe Santiago’s and my experience can relate. I thought a good quote that represents how Santiago never gives up was on page 93, “He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he put it against the fish’s agony and the fish came over onto his side and swam gently on the side…” This quote shows his determination and how he was willing to give all that he had left, which wasn’t much, to catch the fish.

When you want something, you should go for it. Even if it takes everything you have, you should never give up. I believe every person can relate to this theme. If you do give up I think you will be living with a few regrets in life. Santiago never gave up. The determination he shows to catching the fish is unbelievable. You can tell that his passion is fishing and he is willing to do anything to catch the marlin. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Page 103) Although Santiago was only left with pieces of the marlin, he came how with so much more. He came home with an experience of a lifetime. Santiago didn’t exactly get what he wanted, but he showed his pride for fishing and with that he proved himself to be a good fisherman.

Hemingway really shows how Santiago changes from the beginning of the book to the end. He battles the great marlin for four exhausting days. Santiago shows that when you have a passion for something, you should never give up. The theme really fits in with Santiago’s character and I’m sure me and everyone in the world can relate to it in someway.

Santiago & His Struggles by Maddie M.

2008-03-20T09:14:00.001-05:00

Ernest Hemingway has created a noble and determined character, Santiago, in the novella, The Old Man and the Sea. This determined character faced many struggles while out in the sea including catching a marlin, battling off sharks, and fighting his sanity and old age.

It had been eighty-four days since Santiago had last caught a fish. Despite that, he set sail in hopes of having a great catch. Once Santiago had been in the murky waters for some time, he got a bite and hooked a giant sixteen-foot marlin on his line. Mind you, the skiff that he was fishing in was only fourteen feet long. He thought that the battle had almost concluded, but you will soon find out how very wrong he was. “‘Fish,’ he said, ‘I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends’” (54). For four days Santiago battled with the marlin, yet he still cared for it because he knew that the marlin was a living creature.

Once Santiago finally caught the marlin, the sharks caught a drift and were at Santiago’s skiff momentarily. Even though there were many more sharks than Santiago, he kept his hopes up. “‘But man is not made for defeat,’ he said. ‘A man can be destroyed, but not defeated’” (103). Perseverance is the main point in this portion of the reading because without it, Santiago would never have been able to find the strength to fight off some of the sharks and last as long as he did.

Old age was also a key part in this novella. If Santiago had been younger, he probably wouldn’t have had as much of a struggle with the marlin and the sharks as he did. Also, if Santiago had had more food and water with him, he wouldn’t have been so fatigued at the time of the attack. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who” (92). This quote is saying that even though Santiago was in desperate need of a catch, he respected the great marlin and even referred to him as ‘brother’ throughout the novella. “‘I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work’” (95). Even Santiago knew that he was an old man, but he didn’t let that ‘minor fact’ in his eye deter him.

In conclusion, The Old Man and the Sea is a fantastic novella that teaches the reader many surface things, but also many deeper things like life lessons. I give a lot of credit to Santiago for what he did and more importantly, the way he did it. In today’s society and the way we live, I can’t name anyone that would be able to catch a marlin that was bigger than the skiff they were in. I don’t know anybody that has that kind of patience and perseverance to keep going. Nor do I know a person that could battle off sharks while fighting for their life and sanity.

Choices by Lida H.

2008-03-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

In the thrilling novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway you go on an adventure with the character Santiago . You learn the struggles he faces throughout the story and the odds of catching such a great fish. The choices that were made at the beginning affected how the rest of the story turned out. I believe that Santiago ’s decision to go fishing without Manolin affected the obstacles he was challenged with. Manolin’s choice not go with Santiago not only affected Santiago but also Manolin himself.

After hours and hours of waiting for a great catch to come across the old man already knew he made a mistake by going fishing without the boy, “If the boy were here he would wet the coils of line, he thought. Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here.” (83) It shows that not only are the boy and the old man close to one another but the boy was very helpful. Santiago is getting much too old to be fishing alone and needs some extra help to prepare everything for fishing. Santiago is no longer the best fisherman he once was. He is much weaker now and getting more fragile because of his old age.

As the adventure goes on you begin to notice that Santiago is getting lonely. Santiago has no source of entertainment, not even a newspaper to read about his favorite sport and the great Joe DiMaggio. “If the others heard me talking out loud they would think I am crazy. But since I am not crazy I do not care. And the rich have radios to talk to them in their boats and to bring them the baseball.” (39) does he have the boy to talk to, so he resorts to talking out loud to himself to try to stay awake. After being alone at sea for several days you are bound to get lonely and go a little crazy and do whatever it takes to stay awake long enough to catch the fish.

At last when the great fish was hooked on to Santiago ’s hook is when he really could have used the boy’s help. You knew that Santiago was a determined man but some things you need assistance on no matter how strong you are. “For an hour the old had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead.” (87) This shows how dead beat and dehydrated Santiago is and how much he needs to rest. If the boy were there he could take over the line while Santiago rested up and regained some strength. It is also clear that Santiago needs to get some food into his system so the boy could have tried to catch some food for the two of them while Santiago was stilling holding on to the massive marlin.

Throughout the novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway you notice that the main character goes through many challenges. The choices that were made in the beginning of the story had much affect on the rest of the story. I believe that Santiago ’s decision to go fishing without Manolin affected the obstacles he was challenged with. Had the boy gone fishing with Santiago I don’t think the book nor would the events have been the same.

Old Man and the Sea – Choices by Kyle L.

2008-03-20T09:11:00.001-05:00

In the Old Man and the Sea, Santiago makes many choices that will affect whether or not he will ever catch another fish, or the giant marlin. When Santiago is out fishing, and catches the giant marlin on his line, he decides to stay with it and not give in. Although this really tires Santiago and he is almost powerless against this massive beast-of-a-fish, he feels he must catch this fish, which is the one he has been waiting for. This greatly affects Santiago’s physical health. He becomes weaker and the weaker he gets, the farther away his dream of catching the marlin gets.

One of the first important choices Santiago makes is to keep trying to reel in the giant marlin once he hooks it. He thinks that he has a chance at landing this behemoth. “What a fish, he has it sideways in his mouth now and he is moving off with it. Then he will turn and swallow it.” (43). Santiago chooses to stay and catch this fish, even though he has exhausted his food supply. This quote shows clearly how quick the old man was to assume he had the power and ability to catch this marlin. He knew the risks at stake and despite the odds; he decided to take them and the marlin on none the less.

The worst problem that faces Santiago when he chooses to continue out to sea is evidently the pain and suffering he has with his hands. While Santiago was trying to land this giant marlin, he sliced one of his hands. His hands are also very tired from all of the tugging and pulling of the fishing rope, but Santiago trusts his hands to guide him and reward him with the bounty of the marlin. “How does it go Hand? Or is it too early to know?” (59). Here, the old man is actually talking to his hand, the one he cut open while fighting the marlin. This tells a reader how much faith and trust Santiago has in his hands to actually be talking to them to ask if they are feeling better. He thinks of his hands as equal beings, not just another feature of his body that he takes for granted. This, I believe, helps Santiago mentally to have the will to continue on.

Besides physical pain, when Santiago is out in the dead middle of the Gulf of Mexico, he is mentally weakening. He has been fighting this enormous marlin for so long and I believe that underneath, the old man is starting to feel that he might not be able to accomplish this task. “But you have not slept yet, old man.” (77). Through Santiago’s lack of sleep and food, he is not only physically becoming weaker, his brain is not functioning as well as it could be. And that could ultimately decide whether or not Santiago makes it through this adventure alive.

When Santiago made the decision to keep on with the marlin, it might not have been the right decision in the eyes of others. But to Santiago, even though (we can assume) he dies at the end of his trip, and looses the marlin to a group of sharks, he made it to shore alive. He braved the viscous sea and overpowering marlin, he accomplished something that almost nobody his age could. Santiago may not have made the sane choice, he may not have accomplished exactly what he wanted to, but he proved to the marlin that he wouldn’t give in. No matter what.

The Choices Made by Katie P.

2008-03-20T09:10:00.001-05:00

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, there are many instances where the main character, Santiago, has to make choices that will have great consequences with his struggle to catch the great marlin. Even before he set out to catch the marlin there are choices that were made that had many consequences that effected Santiago. His friend Manolin’s parents made the choice that Manolin should no longer help Santiago on his fishing trips. Santiago made the choice early on that he would go out one more time to try to catch a fish, and while he was out on the fishing trip, he made many choices that have affects on his body greatly.

Santiago and the boy had been fishing together for a long time. They were good fisherman, and they knew what they were doing, but they were unlucky. The boy’s parents thought that Manolin should be making money and not hanging around with some old man all day, not catching any fish. “‘It was papa that made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him,’ ” (10). This quote from Manolin shows that the he did not really want to leave Santiago and that if he had the choice to stay with Santiago, he would. His parents made the choice that Santiago needed to bring in money and that there was only one way that that could happen and that was if the boy was on a luckier boat.

Santiago went eighty-four days before he caught the marlin. He was not a lucky fisherman; many fishermen with luck like his would have probably given up on catching the great marlin. Also many fishermen would not be out deep sea fishing if they were eighty-five years old. “‘But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones everyday for three weeks’ [Manolin said],” (10). The quote here shows how long Santiago has gone without catching a fish, but it was not the first time that Santiago has gone over eighty days without catching a fish, he had done it before, but he continues to go after the great fish in the sea. Santiago had made the choice that he was going to go out into the ocean to try to catch a fish that he may or may not come back with.

Santiago’s body was not as fit as it used to be when he was younger. His hands cramped up a lot while he was fishing. “Be patient hand, I do this for you. [Santiago said] ” This quote proves that Santiago knew what he was doing to his body. He also knew that what he was doing, and if he did catch the marlin, he would benefit from it. With the money he would get from selling the fish, he would be able to buy more than just black beans and corn.

Santiago is a very determined character in Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea. He makes many choices that make the book the way that it is. Without the choices that Santiago made throughout the book how he was going to catch a fish or even the 16 foot marlin would affect the book greatly. Santiago has the consequences of Manolin’s parents’ choice to not allow him to fish on Santiago’s boat. Santiago has made his decision to go out on fishing, and he also made the choice to keep pushing his body beyond its limits.

Santiago’s Obstacles by Joe D.

2008-03-20T09:09:00.001-05:00

Hemingway depicts the story of an old man battling the obstacles of deep sea fishing and how to get past the rough times in an attempt to be triumphant. “The Old Man and the Sea” tells a tale of how an 84 year old fisherman, named Santiago, struggles to capture a gigantic marlin. The difficult series of events that Santiago goes through like maintaining a clear mind, slaughtering sharks, and reeling in that fish put him through an extreme test. When Santiago first gets a hold of the Marlin he has no idea that this noble marlin will take him on the ride of his life.

Santiago is severely limited because the dangerous sharks that are attacking his skiff keep him from reaching land without dieing. Santiago complains about the massive Mako shark taking a huge amount of the fish from him, “‘He took about forty pounds,’” the old man said aloud. He took my harpoon too and all the rope, he thought, and now my fish bleeds again and there will be others” (103). In this situation the old man is struggling to fight off the sharks because his goal is to reach land with the entire beast, but this might not be accomplished.

The fish that Santiago is trying to bring in is an astonishing 18 feet, so capturing this bad boy will be very difficult. Not only does the old man have to pull in the marlin, he has to suffer thoughout the entire adventure because of his hands cramping up and the scars along his back and palms are bleeding excessively. “He could not see the fish’s jumps but only heard the breaking of the ocean and the heavy splash as he fell. The speed of the line was cutting his hands badly… and he tried to keep the cutting across the calloused parts and not let the line slip into the palm nor cut the fingers” (82-83). Wrangling in this sea monster is described to be an arduous obstacle to overcome. There are multiple things occurring while he is pulling in the marlin, like nausea from the stench of the dolphin, and keeping his pain at a minimum.

Although the physical obstacles of battling the pain, fish, and sharks are very laborious, the number one thing for the old man to do is to keep his composure. A sharp mind is necessary when trying to stay alive out at sea. “Now you are getting confused in the head, he thought. You must keep your head clear…‘Clear up, head,’ he said in a voice he could hardly hear. ‘Clear up’” (92). A foggy mind will impair his choices and his reaction time will be as slow as an intoxicated person. If Santiago is to capture this humongous marlin, then he needs to be capable of conquering each and every one of his obstacles because having a strong body is pointless without a quick mind to control it.

Hemingway takes us on a thrilling adventure with the old man as he attempts to capture the magnificent marlin. The ferocious sharks attack the old man’s skiff on multiple occasions causing Santiago to fight them off with only the materials in the skiff. Throughout the quarrel between Santiago and the marlin, his hands are severely damaged, thus making the battle more intense. All of these obstacles are amplified with the effect of light-headedness and Santiago’s reactions slowing. Although Santiago’s path to success is a rocky one, filled with pain, suffering, and monsters of the deep, he is still able to overcome these feats in the end.

OMS: Choices Essay by Corey C.

2008-03-20T09:08:00.001-05:00

People make decisions every day, and Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea makes one that will later lead to his perish. Santiago is in his mid eighties, and he fishes with a teenage boy named Manolin. Manolin enjoys the time he spends with the old man. Together they are on a dry spout of fishing, and haven’t caught anything in eighty-four days. On the fortieth day, Manolin’s parents don’t let him fish with Santiago anymore. Santiago desperately needs a fish, and quickly decides that he will go out fishing by himself.

Once out at sea, Santiago hooks onto a large 18 foot marlin. He keeps the line taught, and when he can, tries to pull in the fish. Santiago cuts his hand severely; “He felt the line carefully with his right and noticed his hand was bleeding,” (55-56). If Santiago didn’t decide to go by himself, he could have the extra strength of Manolin, and this could of saved his hand. Throughout his time at sea, he complains about the pain, and he gets a little delirious. He also falls and cuts himself below the eye.

The fish is a lot stronger, and this greatly influences Santiago’s trip out at sea. The fish is constantly swimming, and Santiago is constantly pulling the line in, and Santiago’s strength is draining quickly. Santiago didn’t bring any food with him initially, and he only has a bottle of water. Luckily he catches other fish while the marlin is hooked. “’Now,” he said, when his hand dried, “I must eat the small tuna. I can reach with him with the gaff and eat him here in comfort,’” (57). Without the fish for food, I believe he would have died. Santiago is probably dehydrated too; sense he only had one bottle of water.

Santiago is getting very lonely on the skiff. Manolin did not come with him, and his wife passed away. Santiago starts talking to a bird, and from there it all goes downhill. He talks to himself, and is going crazy. He is longing for the boy to be there with him; “Then he said aloud, “I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this,’” (48). Finally Santiago is able to get the marlin up close enough to the boat to spear it. He pulls it up to the side of the boat, and ties it up. On the way back to Cuba, hoards of sharks eat the fish. This is a mind blowing defeat.

At the end of the book Santiago gets back to his hut, and it says he takes a long and deep sleep. I believe he dies. Going out to sea alone was a bad choice to make, because it resulted in his death. His hand and cheek were bleeding causing him to lose a good amount of blood and getting a little delirious. The combination of losing energy, and not eating made him more delirious. When you add in the dehydration, and the mind blowing defeat of having the fish being eaten by a hoard of sharks was just too much for Santiago to comprehend. All of that along with his old age caused him to die in his sleep.

Problemos by Connor A.

2008-03-20T09:07:00.002-05:00

In the story of The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is put up against many great challenged that seem impossible to over come at times. The old man is physically drained from being pulled by the fish for several days and not having any real food and little water. Santiago is emotionally drained because he knows that this may be his last great adventure out at sea and he may die from it. He’s also not all there mentally. He carries on conversations with himself and the marlin and in one part a small bird that lands on his fishing line. All of these take a great toll on Santiago and it is a miracle he does not die in the process of catching the great marlin.

Santiago is not prepared to be out at sea for more than a day and is mal nourished. On the first day he catches an albacore while pulling in the marlin but does not eat it until the next day. Due to his lack of eating and the over use of his hand, it begins to cramp up. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have the right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or a more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who.”(92) Santiago then decides he must eat the albacore to regain his strength. Aside from his lack of strength and little food the rope that he is holding the marlin on slips from his grip at one point and cuts his palms quite severely.

Being alone and hung and tired at sea is very emotionally draining as well. After being out at sea for a couple of days Santiago is not all right in the head. He begins talking out loud to himself and to the marlin. At one point a small bird lands on his line and Santiago says, “Take a good rest, small bird. Then go in and take your chance like any man or bird or fish.” Very often he will randomly say “I wish the boy was here.” This grueling experience is definitely taking a toll on Santiago’s physical and mental health for sure.

Lastly, the greatest obstacle for Santiago was his trip home after being dragged so far out to sea. Santiago finally catches the great marlin and is feeling happy and successful but then he realizes that he still has to get the fish to shore and there could be trouble. The wound in the marlins head is leaking blood and is like a magnet for predators in the water. “Fish that you were. I am sorry that I went too far out. I ruined us both. But we have killed many sharks, you and I, and ruined many others. How many did you ever kill, old fish? You do not have that spear on you head for nothing.”

I think Santiago could have had a better chance of catching the fish and getting it to shore if he was better prepared. If he had better food he would have been stronger and if he was able to sleep he could have been thinking clearer. Being alone did not help Santiago either. He went a little crazy out at sea and would always talk to himself of the marlin. I also feel that if Santiago wasn’t so anxious to catch a fish and stayed in closer to shore he could have caught a great fish eventually but, being as far out as he was I don’t think he stood a chance to begin with.

Old Man and The Sea essay by Alex M.

2008-03-20T09:02:00.002-05:00

In the Old Man and the Sea, Santiago chooses to go out to sea trying to catch a giant marlin. However, this directly leads to his downfall. Being out at sea while you are 84 years old can and probably will be detrimental to your health. All sorts of things started to happen to him while he was at sea. First off, he was losing his physical strength. Then, he began to lose his mental strength. Finally, he came very close to being lost at sea, or at least very far from land, which definitely would have killed him.

While at sea, Santiago was exposed to tremendous physical stresses. He had to hold on the line with the marlin for an incredibly long time, more than many of us would be able to. He had to move the rudder around to steer, which, after a while, becomes very tiring to the arms. Santiago expresses his physical pain when he says: “‘I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work.’”(95). It says in several passages that he cut open his hands, and that they had severe cramps. That would have been extremely painful, but he had to hold the line because he wanted to catch the marlin, even if he died trying.

Santiago also faced many mental and emotional pressures while at sea. He was alone and he had no one to talk to, which forced him to talk to himself. He noticed this and thought that it was odd because he had never done that before. He was at sea for such a long time that he was probably in a perpetual state of fear, never knowing whether or not he would be attacked by sharks, hit by bad weather, or capsize. The narrator says: “He did not remember when he first started to talk aloud.” (39) This constant isolation may have caused him to develop a form of mental illness.

Santiago was very far from land, and he could have gotten lost at sea. Although good at navigation, after several stressful days at sea, one could imagine that he could get confused or go the wrong way. He was pulled out several miles from Cuba, to a point where he could no longer see the lights of the port of Havana. The narrator explains how serious this situation was when he said, “… the glow of Havana was not so bright.” (47) This did not happen, but it could have. After several days of dehydration (he had very little water with him), it would have been easy for him to have gotten

As you can see, Santiago’s decision to go out to sea directly causes him to die in the end of the book. All the stresses, both physical and emotional, took a toll on Santiago, as it would on any normal person. It is my firm belief that Santiago never wakes up from the sleep that he takes at the very end of the book. It would be almost impossible for him to anything otherwise.

Overcoming the Sea by Rachael B.

2008-03-20T07:24:00.003-05:00

Everyone makes choices in life. Some of those choices can affect you in a positive way or a negative way. Santiago had to make some life threatening choices when he was at sea. He decided to fish in an armature boat, to bring aboard limited and unprofessional fishing gear, and to continue his chase for the marlin. When does he start to make these choices? Well, it all started the morning he woke up Manolin to help him prepare for the adventure of his life.

The day Santiago woke up Manolin was the day to set off to sea. “They walked down the road to the old man’s shack and all along the road, in the dark, barefoot men were moving, carrying the masts of their boats” (26). The aging fisherman only had a small skiff to sail in. He didn’t like the modern motorboats that people used to fish in. By using a skiff the marlin was able to drag Santiago into uncharted waters, where he would only be able to see a crystal clear blue horizon. If he had a motorboat, he would have had a more fair fight with the great marlin.

Some of Santiago’s supplies happened to be plain fishing line, two albacore, and a bottle of water. The fishing line had a great affect on him. His hands would be devastatingly cramped, which affected his grip of the line. “He rubbed the cramped hand against his trousers and tried to gentle the fingers” (60). When he decided to get some shut eye, the marlin started to swim incredibly quickly, and the fishing line cut his hand. Santiago tried to treat his hand, but he didn’t have the right medical necessities to do so. After this event, the old man knew that the marlin wasn’t going to let him get any rest.

When Santiago got a bite on the line, he wasn’t going to let it get away from him with eighty-four days of being unlucky. “He felt the light delicate pulling and then a harder pull when a sardine’s head must have been more difficult to break from the hook.” (42). When he realized how far away from shore he was, he had finally grasped the marlin. He tried to get back to shore as quickly as he could without the sharks catching a scent of the marlin’s blood. Unfortunately, the sharks showed up, and ate most of his award. Santiago afterwards knew that he shouldn’t have decided to go out as far as the marlin pulled him.

All of us look back and wish that we could change what we have done. Santiago felt the same way after he returned from shore reflecting his journey to Manolin. Manolin gave him some encouraging words to raise his spirit. Some times we do things at the spur of the moment, and we don’t think about why we did certain things when you can’t change what has already happened. We can’t alter the past, but we can control the future.

Setting by Phil M.

2008-03-20T07:21:00.001-05:00

In every book the setting plays an important role in the story. They are sometimes deadly and sometimes the setting might even save the characters life. In the Old Man and The Sea the setting does both. The setting, the ocean, saves the old man, Santiago, but at the same time it kills him. It saves him by feeding him, and giving him something to do, but it kills him because the sea is very dangerous and also the marlin nearly kills him.

The ocean saves Santiago’s life by letting him catch the fish and make money, also because he could eat the fish. Santiago could sell the fish for money but it could also give him money and something to eat. If he didn’t have the sea I think it is easy to say he would die. The ocean also saved him by letting him do something. I think that was the main reason for him to wake up every morning. He was an old man who couldn’t afford to retire and was forced to spend his days on the dangerous sea. He had no one to talk to: “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty- four days now without taking a fish” (1).

In the way the sea saved him it killed him. It’s very dangerous because of the sharks and the currents. You could be sent out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and you wouldn’t even know it. At one point Santiago couldn’t even see the land. He was moving closer and closer to his death. He wasn’t scared and didn’t even care at all. “The glow of Havana was not so strong, so that he knew the current must be carrying them eastward” (47). He said this with no emotion which shows that he was expecting it.

Another part of the sea that almost kills Santiago is the big fish. Being an older man he doesn’t have the kind of strength a younger man does. Also he doesn’t have good fishing gear; he is poor so he can only afford certain things. The marlin is a very big fish that was killing Santiago just as much as he was killing the marlin. “You are felling it now fish and god know that I am” (56). This shows how much he is fighting the fish and how the fish is killing him at the same time Santiago is killing the marlin. Santiago eventually kills the marlin but the sharks come from further out in the ocean and they eat the marlin. Santiago thinks he did all that work for nothing, so he thinks he was defeated.

Santiago all and all might have been defeated but that did not get him down. But it meant a lot to him because he caught the monster of a fish, and he had the bones to show for it. As they say you can win a battle but not the war. It is just the opposite for Santiago. The sea won the battle but Santiago won the war because he caught the huge fish that no one wanted him to and everyone thought he was great after that. He then went into a deep sleep and that is when the book ends.

Santiago's Obstacles by Jon P.

2008-03-20T07:19:00.002-05:00

Over the course of Hemingway’s novella The Old Man and the Sea many obstacles were created which affected Santiago in numerous and important ways. While some of these obstacles were easy to recognize (like the sharks), others, like his old age, solitude, and lack of supplies, had a more subtle effect on the story. Although Santiago fought admirably and bravely under these conditions, I believe that the Old Man’s trip would have been a complete success had he been with another person, in his youth, or had better or modern tools.

Although Santiago’s friend Manolin had often accompanied Santiago fishing in the past, the Old Man’s run of bad luck caused Manolin’s parents to put him on a luckier boat. If Manolin had been with Santiago, he would have been able to catch the fish without almost killing himself, which would have given him more energy to defeat the sharks. Even Santiago seems to know this, as evidenced in his repeated wishing for Manolin’s company. “If [Manolin] were here he would wet the coils of line, he thought.”(83). Even in the midst of his life-threatening struggle with the fish, Santiago wishes for the boy’s assistance.

Often during his fishing the Old Man would dream of his younger days, sailing around Africa and arm-wrestling people. If Santiago had been in the prime of his youth, it would have been far easier for him to defeat the giant fish. Although he was far from being in bad shape for an 80-some-year-old, Santiago would have had much more stamina if he was the Young Man, and he was still the strongest fisherman in his town. While he is fishing the Old Man gains confidence by thinking about when he “was not the Old Man… but was Santiago El Campeón” (70). This Santiago, the Champion, would have been able to bring back the fish.

Perhaps the most crucial factor in Santiago’s journey is his equipment. In the end, this may have been the cause of the Old Man’s partial failure. After his 80-day run of bad luck the Old Man was too poor to afford equipment, or even food for dinner. This proved to be a problem when he faced many sharks, as he was not well-prepared. He expressed his annoyance at this after fighting vicious Galano sharks. “You should have brought many things, [the Old Man] thought. But you did not bring them, old man.” (110). Imagine if Santiago had had a motorboat and all the equipment a modern fisherman has. Those sharks would have stood no chance.

The Old Man was in a sense more victorious in the book because he did not have these things. He faced all the obstacles thrown at him alone and without the benefit of any unnecessary tools. However, I think that the Old Man could have caught the fish and gotten money for it if he was just a little bit better prepared. A companion, some supplies, or a younger Santiago might have produced a happier ending to this story.

Who Knows a Greater Fight Than One That Has Struggled? by Krista S.

2008-03-20T07:17:00.000-05:00

Everyday, everywhere, there’s always someone who is struggling. And many writers incorporate this mass struggle into their stories because everyone goes through troubles. The writers can relate their characters to this well known struggle. So, I believe that the lesson to be learned in the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, is to push on. Don’t throw in the towel when the going gets rough or when the boat ride gets rocky. There are three ways you can apply this theme to. First, Santiago’s strength to catch the marlin. Second, my struggle in finding what I want to do in life. And third, the world’s battle in fighting against animal cruelty and abuse.

The first way that I applied the theme, don’t give up even when the boat ride gets rocky, is to the book where it comes from The Old Man and the Sea. Santiago had such a strong determination to catch the marlin, which giving up wasn’t an option. “But four hours later the fish was still swimming steadily out to sea, towing the skiff, and the old man was still braced solidly with the line across his back” (45). The old man, Santiago, was in deed an old man; he was in his eighty’s. Yet he just wouldn’t give up on reeling in the marlin. A huge fish that could kill the old man, but in even in the toughest of situations this fact in return just fueled the old man’s fight to win over the fish.

The second way that I can apply this theme of not giving up is to my own life in searching for what I want to do when I grow up. There are hundreds of possibilities, but

the decision is a challenge in itself. There are so many things to take into consideration,

like what am I good at? What will I enjoy doing? It takes a lot of effort to decide on an

occupation. An effort that many people will try but just give up, or don’t even try at all.“Now

is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there

is.(110)” I think that this quote relates to my determination to not give up on my future because,

I might not have all the resources in the world to figure out what I want to do, but I have

to think of what I have. Not of the things I can wish I did.

The third way in which I can apply the theme from The Old Man and the Sea is to

world animal activists fight against animal abuse. I guess it is ironic that I am applying

a theme from a book about an old man set to sea to kill fish, to a vast amount of people

who fight against the cruelty towards animals. But, that just goes to show that The Old Man

and the Sea’s theme of not throwing in the towel is so universal. “Luck is a thing that comes

in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what

they asked”(117). Many people fight to stop animal abuse, I included pray for luck that

companies who inhumanly kill animals will end the struggle by giving in. One example

would be the Canadian fur companies , slaughtering young baby seals. Many animal activists

know that this will be a tremendous battle, but they will not give up.

In conclusion, the theme of not giving in, not giving up is able to be applied in many

ways. The three things I applied this theme to were, Santiago’s struggle to catch the noble marlin, My struggle in finding out what I want to do in my future, and animal activists battle

in stopping animal cruelty. It is inevitable that life will always have struggles, battles, and

fights. But a true lesson is don’t give up, because the boat ride of life will sometimes get rocky.

The Result of the Old Man's Choices by Anna R.

2008-03-20T07:13:00.004-05:00

Santiago was a smart, old man who knew how to fish, but made some bad choices on his fishing trip. He first made the verdict to not bring food, and only water. His next choice was to stay with the fish. Then, in my opinion, it was pretty bad judgment not to bring the boy, or at least have the boy’s boat close by in case he caught anything. These were his decisions and there were some consequences to his actions.

In the beginning of the story Santiago prefers not to bring any food along. He brings only his water and he says he gets bored with eating, and never brings a lunch anymore. This choice to not bring any lunch weakens him. The old man needs all his strength to fight the marlin, and he has little, because he has nothing to eat. The old man shows his stupidity of not bringing anything when he says to the fish, “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man” (110). This shows that even the best can mess up, but he probably learned from his mistake for next time.

Soon after making the decision to stay with the fish, it causes Santiago to get tired and hungry. It shows when the old man is tired when he asks the fish, “ ‘Now let me get through the eating of this dolphin and get some rest and a little sleep’ ” (79). When he stayed with the fish, the marlin kept bringing him out further and further into the sea. The fish kept pulling, and pulling for three days and never gave up. The old man just asks for a little time to rest, so he can continue the fight for their lives.

The boy and the old man are best friends. I was surprised that Santiago didn’t ask the boy to come on the trip with him. He could have really used the help with the marlin, and someone to talk to. He admits he misses the boy when he says, “ ‘I wish I had the boy’ ” (45). This shows he really does miss the boy, and needs all the help he can get. If he had chosen to ask the boy to come along, he may have caught the great marlin fish.

The old man was smart, but he did make some mistakes. The result to not bring food caused him to get weak and delirious. The determination to stay with the marlin was an adventure, but with out any help he got tired and hungry, and he got nothing out of it but a good story to tell. The lack of companionship and help was the outcome of the old man’s final choice of not bringing the boy. The old man saw his wrong actions, but still won in the battle with the marlin.

Obstacles by Lindsay B.

2008-03-20T07:10:00.001-05:00

In Earnest Hemingway’s, The Old Man and the Sea, the protagonist, Santiago, is up against many challenges. Some he overcame, others he didn’t. Either way, without the obstacles in the story, it would have been much less interesting and the plot would have been very weak. Santiago faces the facts that he is very old and his body isn’t what it used to be, he is trying to catch a 1500 pound fish in the middle of the ocean, miles away from home, and lastly, Santiago is alone, without any help or anyone to let him take a break to rest.

Santiago is an eighty-five year old man trying to catch a fish after a streak of bad luck that lasted 84 days. Although Santiago is in good shape, he can’t help the fact that his hands cramp up, he hasn’t had any sleep, and has very little food and the food he does have, he has caught with his bare hands. You can’t blame the guy for being tired. “‘You’re feeling it now, fish,’ [Santiago] said. ‘And so, God knows, am I.’” (56). Santiago’s age is a huge factor that affects whether or not he successfully catches the fish.

As time is slowly passing, Santiago became more and more aware of the fact that he was trying to reel in the largest fish he had ever attempted to capture. Even though Santiago respects and feels sympathy for the mighty marlin, he is determined to kill it. “Then [Santiago] began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely.” (48). The immense size of the fish is probably the most evident blockade for Santiago. The marlin has the brains and the brawns to out smart Santiago.

As Santiago encounters more and more challenges, he also has to deal with the problem of being alone. Not only does that make it harder to actually catch the fish, but it also leads to partial insanity. Santiago would do almost anything to talk to someone. He tries to confide in a bird, “[Santiago] looked around for the bird now because he would have liked him for company. The bird was gone.” (56). He often has conversations with himself, “‘I wish the boy were here and that I had some salt,’ he said aloud.” (56). He was so desperate for a chat; he even tried to communicate with his hand. “‘How do you feel, hand?’ he asked the cramped hand that was as stiff as rigor mortis. ‘I’ll eat some more for you.’” (58-59). Santiago is on his own for four days at sea and has clearly begun to lose his mind.

After Santiago’s final venture out to sea, he is happy to be home. Even if he is empty handed, Santiago walked away from that experience with a lot more than he had expected to. Having caught the marlin was the best feat he could ask for before he lay down for his long sleep. Santiago stood by that fish until there was nothing left of it. Santiago is a true fisherman.

Ballin' with Jack by Zak G.

2008-01-31T13:52:00.000-05:00

Jack was a former high school football star. He was easily the best running back in the state of Virginia. He had a lot of speed and he was a very strong back. He ran a 4.34 in the 40 yard dash. Jack had played for the McLean Highlanders. He brought his team to 3 state championships winning all` of them except for his senior year. He unfortunately had not been able to play in that game because he had pulled his groin in the last week of the season and he was devastated. That game his team had lost in a shut out to there rival. The score was 28 to 0.

Jack knew that he was going to play division 1 college but he didn’t know where. He had been offered a free ride to Michigan State, but he was not sure that he liked that school. The main reason why was because their team hadn’t been too great the last couple of years because all of there great players had been drafted into the NFL. He had turned down this school because of that reason. Jack had also been offered a full ride to some other colleges such as Ohio State, USC, LSU, and Miami University. Jack had been faced with many big decisions in his life and what college he was going to choose was going to be a big decision for Jack. He had been leading towards LSU because they had a good football program. Jack’s parents also wanted him to attend a college where it was also mainly about academics instead of just football. Jack had three weeks left to get back to Ohio State and LSU to tell them if he was going to go there. For USC and Miami he only had two weeks because the deadline for those two colleges was February 15^th.

About a week went by Jack had declined Miami and USC. His parents had helped him so much with his decision and he was very thankful to them both. The college process had been very stressful for Jacks parents and him. Another couple of days went by and he was still trying to decide between Ohio State and LSU. Jack only had a few weeks left in high school. His parents had both agreed that they think LSU would be the better fit instead of Ohio State.

It was February 12^th and Jack had finally made a decision. He got out his cell phone and he dialed the number. The phone rang a couple of times and the head coach of LSU picked up the phone.

“Hi, this is Jack from Mclean High School. I would like to let you know that I have made my decision and I’m going to play football for your team.”

The coach from LSU was very happy. He new that his team was going to be great this year. Jack and the coach had set up a day on a weekend that Jack would fly out to LSU and look at the college.

When Jack’s parents came home that day he told them the news. They were very happy with his decision. They celebrated that day by having his whole family come over and they had a party.

Jack’s first year a LSU was not as good as he expected. He realized that there was a few other very talented running backs at LSU. He basically did not play his whole freshman year and he was so frustrated that he was about ready to transfer to a different college. He really loved football and he did not know if he was going to be able to do this another year in a row. The running back that was starting over him was a sophomore and he was only a freshman. That meant that he was not going to be able to start until his senior year. At the end of the year he had a long discussion with the head coach of LSU. Jack told him that he was considering about transferring. The coach said it wouldn’t be a good idea because Jack could still get some playing time his next two years even though there was a running back better then him. Jack didn’t listen to the advice that the coach had given him and 1 week after their conversation Jack transferred to the University of Northern Colorado. At the start of his sophomore year Jack had the starting job easily. He knew he was going to play a lot but his team overall was not so good.

During training camp Jack heard some news that he could not believe. He had never been this angry at himself. The running back that was starting over him at LSU had injured his knee and his career was over. Jack remembered his conversation with the head coach of LSU and he new he should have waited for his opportunity to start. Jack new that there was no way the he could go back to LSU to play football so he just continued his career at the University of Northern Colorado. When Jack got older he always remembered the conversation that he had with the coach of LSU.

Hitting the Slopes by Zack T

2008-01-31T13:45:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and Fred was just waking up to get ready to go snowboarding. It had snowed last night so the decided to go to a nearby mountain to go snowboarding for a few hours. Fred and his crew loved snowboarding more than anything. Just the energy of being awake at 630 A.M and being the only one on the roads, or riding down the mountain as fast as you can in a new layer of snow. When the got to the mountain at roughly 8:30 A.M, they out on their gear, bought a lift ticket, and hopped on the ski lift.

This early in the day, the lifts were quick considering that no one was here yet that was just learning to ski or snowboard. Usually around noon, a lot of people show up that haven’t gone skiing or snowboarding so the lifts stop every few minutes for the few people who fall off the lift when trying to get on. The first few runs down were great, and the snow was in pristine conditions. Fred and his friends were glad they went to the mountain today.

Soon after, they came to a trail with no sign. They looked everywhere until finally, they found it in the snow. They realized that it was a double black diamond, so they looked on the map to see where it would take them. After repeatedly looking over the map, they could not find it. Since it wasn’t on the map, and the sign was buried in snow, Fred figured that the maintenance patrol didn’t really keep up with that trail anymore, and it could be dangerous.

Fred and the gang were up for a challenge, and decided to try it out. In the beginning, it wasn’t too bad and there were a few trees. The trail was getting rapidly dense, and the branches of the trees started getting in the way of our trail. They started to slow down to avoid trees, and while doing so they saw a stream in the distance. They couldn’t go back now, it would be too long of a walk and there were a few hills they weren’t sure they could walk up. If the stream wasn’t so wide, they could have tried to jump it. They weren’t sure what to do, so they stopped for a minute.

Fred told them that they should just try hydroplaning across. They would need to have a lot of speed to do this though, which they didn’t have. The group of snowboarders finally came up with and idea, 1 person would go at a time, and the rest would give them a starting push. As long as they could hold their balance, they could make it across. Everyone had gone now, except for Fred and he had no one to push him. Fred looked around for another way over, but the only thing he found was a log over to the left. The log went right over the stream, and then, at the end of the log there would be a long drop.

“Yo Fred how you gonna get across?” Mike asked.

“Well,” Fred began, “I think I can, but I don’t have much speed.”

The crew had been filming throughout the day, and he saw this as a perfect opportunity to get some good footage. He told his buddy Mike to get out the video camera, and Fred strapped in. Mike was ready, and Fred pushed off. As he approached the log, he did a backside 180, landing on the log very smoothly. The log was icy, and he was losing balance, but he managed to stay on till the end, in which he leaned on his tail, and spun. He jumped off the log, still spinning and grabbed his board to do a Melon. He knew that it would be perfect for the video.

His friends slid over to him and congratulated him, and they slowly got out of this double black diamond trail. This was one of the best snowboarding days this season, and he was pumped. They went down to the lodge, grabbed some hot chocolate and some curly fries, and enjoyed the food. They went back for a run or two, and called it quits. It may have been cold that day, but they all new it was worth it.

Weapons of Mass Contrition by Wesley C

2008-01-31T10:27:00.000-05:00

John and Kara were newly weds, and on their flight to their honey moon in Paraguay. Kara’s mom, who John didn’t particularly like, and she didn’t care for him, booked them a hotel somewhere in Ecuador. The anticipation of finally getting there made it seem like the plane ride took two days.

Arriving at the air port was their biggest feeling of relief. They had been crammed on the plane for six hours, with several crying babies. Now, they rushed up to their shuttle that was going to take them to their hotel. The driver seemed very mean and quiet, kind of like he wanted to kill everybody, which made the ride to the hotel very uncomfortable.

Because of the uncomfortable mood, it also made the feeling of arriving to their hotel seem a lot better. It was one of the most beautiful places they’d ever seen, and were anxious to see their room and the rest of the resort.

After unpacking, they took a swim in the pool. All of the hotel workers were very happy all the time, smiling continuously. But every vacationer they talked to never smiled, once. Most of them also had injuries and were stuck in a wheelchair or on crutches. They made John and Kara think about why there were so many injured, angry people here.

Later that night, the hotel was throwing a party for their wedding. Almost every one who was vacationing there went, yet no one smiled. John and Kara weren’t going to let this ruin their fun, so they just totally let loose.

Around midnight, they were so messed up that they got lost in a patch of woods next to the hotel. They stumbled along for hours, not even sure what country they were in. Something that the bartender gave them must have made them feel like this, because there was no way any amount of alcohol could ever have done this.

Eventually, they stumbled upon a run down shed. “I think it would be best if we stayed in there tonight. It will be a little bit of protection from the animals and bugs,” John said, the feeling just barely starting to wear off. They walked in and layed down on the floor, passing out almost immediately.

John woke from the eerie scream which sounded like a human being. Screams that could turn blood cold, and only could have been made from death. He looked around and it was still dark, the sun hadn’t risen yet. Kara got up too, confused just as he was.

They noticed that on the walls were things that didn’t look very pleasing. Things like maces and chains and tools that might be used to torture someone. And, they were all covered in blood. They tried to figure it out, but were more scared than anything. They came to the conclusion that this was someone’s shed, and these were someone’s tools, and they were used for the obvious reason.

For some protection, they took the mace and sword, still covered in blood, incase they were to need them. As they stepped outside, the sun was just above the tree line. John noticed their footprints from last night, and thought that their best bet to get back to the hotel was to follow their footprints back and then contact someone from there.

After a few hundred yards, the footprints lead them to the beach, and they could no longer follow them. John and Kara now became overwhelmed with concern because they had no idea where they were and how to get to civilization, never mind the psychopathic serial killers who were probably somewhere nearby.

John noticed a river flowing into the ocean a few hundred meters down the beach. If they could follow that up, he might eventually find some town or city. Kara was a little reluctant to go because of how she knew there were fresh water crocodiles in this country.

After about 2 hours of following the river, John and Kara stumbled upon a trail that went along side the river. They thought it would be best to use it since they could travel much faster, and hopefully make it to the city before sun down.

John noticed a low humming sound and dove into the bushes with his wife, fearing for their lives. It got louder and louder until they saw it. It was an ATV, and it was towing a trailer. On this trailer were two people, and both of them were tied up, back to back, screaming for help.

John and Kara wanted to help these people so bad, but knew that they could not do anything to help without losing their lives, too. Once the ATV had passed by and was well out of sight, they continued to push on.

A few hours after noon, they came upon a clearing up ahead. In this clearing, there was a .45 Magnum, lying in a pool of blood. Both John and Kara could only imagine what had made this pool of blood. John had never felt safe with just the weapon he had, so he took the Magnum, too.

Just before sun down, John stopped, abruptly. Kara looked at him in confusion.

“What is it?” she asked.

“SHHH!” he replied. Kara thought he was going insane from dehydration or something.

A few seconds later, John started to sprint ahead. Kara followed him as fast as she could, and watched him disappear behind the bend. As she came around this bend, he realized what John was listening to. It was a road, and there were few cars driving on it.

John figured he had about an hour left of daylight, so they decided to follow the road. Luckily, they were lead into the town center, and found a police station. They rushed inside, immediately explaining what was happening. The police didn’t know any English, and saw these people practically screaming at them, holding a .45 Magnum and a lance and sword. Their reaction was to hand-cuff the two, and put them in a temporary jail cell.

John and Kara were really confused now, trying to figure out what was going on. Eventually, the police came in and moved them to a real prison. Here, someone who knew how to speak English came to them, explaining.

“John, you are here today for suspicion of murder. The weapons you were carrying had the blood of several people who were missing for 2 weeks now. And, the Magnum you had was used to kill a man whose body was found yesterday. You shall be sentenced to 45 years in prison.”

John looked at Kara then, and said, “What a great honey moon, right?”

Nothing Left to Lose by Tessa H

2008-01-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

The day my mother died was the hardest day of my life. I can still remember how hard it was for me to face the facts that I was all alone, with no money, no family, and without happiness. I fell into a bottomless depression that I didn’t want to come out of. I thought it was the only way to keep me safe, from myself and the world. I tried so hard to continue my life. I was still living at our loft in New York City, where I was born and raised. That was, until our landlord kicked me out for not paying the rent. Where would I go? I had no one, and nothing left.

I ended up staying with my friend Tansy in Manhattan. She let me live with her while I was trying to get my life back to normal. I got a job at a local diner busting tables. It was not my first choice for a job, but it would do for now. I had never had a job before so most people could probably tell it was my first time. A boy who worked at the diner, named Sheen helped me out on taking orders and bringing the customers their food for a few days while I got the hang of it. It was very hard for me to be around people. I could tell I was acting unpleasant, and I knew I had a sorrowful and gloomy look on my face. I kept thinking about my mother, and how successful she was at her work. I could hear her now…

“Tatum, pick yourself up and continue to live. 4I know life shouldn’t have turned out this way but you need to continue living. You only live once, so make the most out of it.”

Weeks went by, and I continued to work at the diner. I was only making minimum wage, and it wasn’t enough to live off of. Tansy notified me that she would be transferring to Colorado for her new job in a few months. I started to look for apartments, but I couldn’t find any that suited me and were also in my price range. Now I was really alone, with nothing else to live for.

I kept wondering why I was meant to be in this world. All I had, was a job, that barely let me get by, and myself. Actually I’m lying, I didn’t have myself either. I was lost and trapped and I felt that I couldn’t get out. I had began to get these horrific flashbacks from the day my mother was murdered.

I think it was around 6:30 when I came home from the grocery store. Mom and I were planning to have a girl’s night, since we hadn’t seen much of each other lately. She was so busy latley trying close a deal at work with one of her clients. I remember walking in through the front door, and seeing her there, covered in blood. I just froze. I thought,

“Could that really be my mom, and why am I not going to help her?”

I knew why, but I didn’t want to admit to myself she was dead. I exploded into tears, and ran to the phone to call 911. The rest of the night had become a blur to me.

The cops and investigators never found out who had murdered my mother, and he was still out there. One thing I do remember very well was my mother always telling me to do the right thing, even if I was in a slump; and I was, but I knew I had to do something about it.

A few months passed by. Tansy left last week, so I was now living at Sheens house until I found an apartment. I was feeling better, and not as freaked out as I had been lately thinking about my mother. I wanted to do something for her to let her know in someway I was looking after her. Later that week I decided to go to the town hall and talk to the mayor. I asked him if I could start a group called W.A.C.A.M. It was women against crime and murder in New York City.

In the first few weeks 7 women had signed up for my new group. I had finally developed some courage to talk to these women about the tragic thing that had happened to me. I was ready to listen to what they had to say as well. It actually felt good to get it of my chest and to talk to people what I had to go through to become the strong person I am today. Each of these women had a different story then me, but in ways they were similar. It was heartbreaking but I needed to hear, I wasn’t alone, and other people had lost a loved one as well.

It has been over two years now, since the day my mother was murdered. To this day the group and I continue to get together. We worked together to become strong people. We haven’t forgotten about out the people we lost, but celebrate their life, and think about the good they did to this world. I know I will never forget my mother, and what an amazing and wonderful person she was.

The Dark Side by Rachael B

2008-01-31T10:24:00.000-05:00

Everyone thought that I had the perfect life. My brother was an all-star shortstop for our school team, my dad loved his job, my mom stayed home to take care of us, and I was a straight A student. School was a fun for me because my classes were simple and homework was a breeze. I did have one friend named Sarah. We were best friends since second grade. She was much more outgoing and popular than me and she always tried to help me gain more confidence, but it never worked. Everything had been going smoothly for me.

The whole town had been in fright ever since there was an emergency announcement stating that someone had been murdered in the town. People were acting more paranoid than normal. They didn’t say who was killed, but when our phone rang I prayed that it wasn’t someone we knew. The word was out, my best friend Sarah was murdered. The police said that she was lying in her room with knife wounds. They said that they couldn’t find any trace of evidence on the body or in the bedroom. Everyone in school was in complete shock from the news. There was a moment of silence for her after the school announcements. On my way home I saw flowers in front of Sarah’s house for her parents out of respect.

Eli came home around five thirty from practice. He is very popular in school. As a result from that everyone calls me Eli’s sister. For dinner we had green bean casserole, which I never ate. My parents think that I love it, but I just slide the food into the flowerpot behind me. After dinner I went upstairs to lie on my bed. Something sharp had poked my leg when I sat down. I pulled out my sheets and I found a bloody knife.

My hand was trembling at the sight of it. When my mom knocked on the door, I had to act fast so I hid the knife in my drawer. All she just wanted to know was if I wanted any apple pie for desert, even though she knows that I hate apples. I said no thanks and she went back down stairs. The whole night I was contemplating on what to do with my situation. I was trying to think if someone were trying to frame me, or if they were giving me a sign that I would be the next victim.

I didn’t get any sleep that night because I was so paranoid. I thought that maybe it was all a dream and was imagining things, but when I opened my drawer I realized that it was reality. That morning when I walked down stairs something seemed wrong. I couldn’t hear my mother in the kitchen cooking breakfast, or my dad yelling at the TV about they’re being too many commercials. It was so quiet I could hear a church mouse. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw blood smeared on the wall. My legs went numb, but I had to find the courage inside of me to find out what was going on. As I walked into the kitchen I saw my mother lying on the floor dead.

My body went paralyzed. I panicked and ran back upstairs to my room. I was trying to think if someone broke into the house, but I couldn’t stop crying so I wasn’t thinking straight. I some how calmed down and began to walk to my dresser and held the knife. When I looked into my mirror I began to talk to myself. Then I saw myself moving in the mirror, but I wasn’t the one moving. “Do you really think someone broke into the house?” “What is going on?” “Like you don’t know, I’m you.” “How is that possible? I know who I am.” “Oh please, we are two different people living in one body.”

“What are you talking about?” “I mean that we share a body. See you lost control of your life, so you pretty much created me to help cope with everything.” “ I have a great life. I get straight A’s, my mom loves me unconditionally, my dad is supportive of me, and Eli is my best friend.” “Yeah right, nobody knows who you are in school, your mom doesn’t even recognize that you hate her food, your dad ignores you, and Eli is the golden child. Did I hit the nail on that one?” “Yes.” “You have always been jealous of Sarah too. She always got the attention and everyone loved her, but not you.” “That is why we killed your mother and Sarah.” I heard the front door close. It was Eli. “So you know what we have to do now to make it all right.” “Yup.”

I heard Eli scream since he saw our mother’s lifeless body. He ran upstairs to be surprised that I wasn’t there. The echo of his voice began to fill the house. “Anna? Ann? Where are you?” I stepped around the corner and starred at him with my black lifeless eyes. “I called the police and I checked the house, but nobody is here. Thank goodness you’re okay.” As he stepped toward me I pulled out the knife. “What are you doing with that?” I began to walk his way at a slow pace. “What’s wrong Anna?” “Nothing is wrong. I feel fantastic, and I’m not Anna. She’s gone. You know, she cared about you more than anyone.” His face turned white with fear. He darted for the door, but I caught up to him and hit him in the back of the head with a lamp. Eli fell unconscious, but when he woke up I was hovering over him holding the knife.

“What happened to you? What happened to my little sister?” he said in a weakening voice. “I told you that I am not Anna. My name is Natalie. She created me in her mind because of all of the crap in her life that she could barely handle. She was a ticking time bomb, but before she exploded I came along, and she had no idea. Oh and just so you know I am the one who killed your mother and Sarah. By the way say hi to them for me.”

Where am I now? I am in a mental institution where they treat me like I am in jail. Apparently one of the neighbors heard the ruckus and walked in after I killed Eli. The court decided that since I have a split personality disorder it was a difficult decision, so they decided to send me here. I lost my friends and my family. The only person that has not deserted me is Natalie.

The Rescue by Philip M

2008-01-31T10:23:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time there lived a man named Arnold. He was wealthy and very hard working. He worked as an architect. He has built and designed many houses even his. The year was 2045 and in the middle of a war. This war had more casualties than the Civil War and World War 2. Arnold had a son named Jeff. He was 16 and had his permit. He was looking to enlist. Arnold thought he was crazy but Jeff didn’t care what his father thought. The only problem was there were strict laws against anyone under 18 enlisting. Jeff thought about a fake ID but they have a machine that you have to scan and it can detect a fake ID.

Two years later he still wanted to enlist and was counting down the days until he could. Two more days he kept telling himself. By this time the war had hit 100,000 casualties. The government knew they had to do something. And a week later they were going to have a draft. When Jeff heard about this he was incredibly happy. He waited out the week and ran down to the draft. He was picked. Jeff didn’t know what he was getting himself into, the worst war in history.

Jeff was sent to training camp and it was brutal. He drove himself insane trying to do all the push up and sit ups. But after a little while they felt easier to him. He wrote to his dad everyday. He told him about how everyone was so mean and how he wants to give up, but his father’s words of encouragement kept him going. He finally got through training and was being sent to war. He wrote this to his dad. Arnold, who was diagnosed with cancer and the doctors said he didn’t have long to live. Jeff had to go for six month so he hoped his father would hold out that long.

The next week Jeff was shipped out to Japan. His task was hard and would take the whole six months. He was on a search and rescue mission. His team was supposed to find another team who went in a while ago. Jeff and his team had a dangerous mission, even though the commanders told them it wasn’t, they had to get through Japans main command post, and it was heavily guarded. His team was made up of two snipers, and machine guns. For the next two month they will be trying to find out where Japan’s post is located.

After about two months of searching they finally found it. The Japanese kept moving their post to different places so no one could find it. Jeff and his team were so happy they found it they feasted on nearly half their food. The team decided that they should send a scouting team out to see how well the place was armed. Jeff heard some gunshots and they all came back. The team had lost 1 person, their best gunman, Alfred, who got shot straight through the head. But then they mentioned a wall being unguarded. The entire team then went to the wall, got over it and jumped down inside.

Now it was time for the hardest part of the journey, they had to rescue another team who had been caught and had valuable information on them. Jeff spotted a palace in the center of the city. They managed to slip inside and caught a glimpse of the team they had to rescue. Soon as Jeff and his team found the other one, guards came walking around the corner. Guns were fired and the guards were dead. The team then took the bars off the jail cell and searched to find some guns. With all the new people they could walk right out the front door. But they didn’t so no one would know they were there. They went the same way out of the town. Once they got to the wall Japanese soldiers were standing there. Jeff, the team’s captain, decided that they should just shoot all of them. After doing that they climbed the wall with no problems. They called a helicopter to pick them up, and they all went home.

Jeff father died one day after he got home. Jeff and his team received a medal of honor. The war ended a few months after that because a US assassin killed the emperor. Years later he educated people on the war telling them about how it started and how it ended. The assassin was actually one of Jeff’s friends during their journey. Jeff is now 52 and still teaching kids about World War 3.

One More Day by Meghan M

2008-01-31T10:21:00.000-05:00

Amanda looked out of her bedroom window. It was a lucid and snowy day. The snow was collecting on top of the roads and leaving no trace of cars driving by. The grass was lightly dusted with new fallen snow and the evergreen trees could barely be seen through the ghost white powder. Amanda wished she were outside. She dreaded being in this place and just wanted to be set free.

Amanda was one of the healthiest girls around. She never got the flu or a cold and seemed almost immune to disease, until terror struck. Amanda was diagnosed with cancer. Her and her family had no idea what to do. Amanda was terrified and her family did not think they could deal with it. So in order to save the family and keep Amanda in good health, they sent her off to a hospital where she has been ever since. She hasn’t seen her family in many years and no one had come to visit her until now.

After staring out the window for quite some time, Amanda decided to go have a little breakfast. She was not really in the mood to eat, but it would get her mind off of things. After breakfast was finished she retired back to her room. Once again she began to stare out the window. All of a sudden, there was a lady walking toward the hospital. Amanda thought she looked familiar, but she could not put her finger on how she knew her. Then a few minutes there was a knock on Amanda’s door.

“Hello, Amanda, there is someone here to see you. May we come in?” asked one of the nurse’s.

Amanda was so excited she ran toward the door. Having a visitor was the only thing she had wanted. The nurse slowly opened the door and Amanda found herself looking at her long time friend Kloe. Amanda began to cry. She was so happy to see her best friend she just could not hold back her emotions.

“Well, well, well look what we have here,” said Kloe.

“Why are you in this dump?”

Amanda did not know what to say should she make up a lie and tell her that she was just here on a checkup and not here with a life threatening disease. So many things were going through her mind. Amanda decided that she had to tell her. They had been friends for so long and she could not just lie to her like that.

“Well you see Kloe, I was diagnosed with cancer and my family decided to put me here for their sake,” explained Amanda.

Once again the tears started to come. Kloe came over and gave her a big hug.

“It is ok we will get through this, but I have one question. Do you want to get out of here?”

Now you see Amanda had never really thought about this idea. She was too busy staring out her window waiting for someone to come and visit her.

“Yes, I would love to get out of this place,” Amanda said.

There was no way Amanda was going to get any better so she decided to make the most out of the little time she had left. And what better to spend that time with her best friend Kloe.

They quickly ran out of the building, but not before packing all of Amanda’s clothes. They raced to Kloe’s car almost losing their balance on the newly fallen snow. They were going to take a road trip all the way to California. Since Amanda had spent most of her life in Vermont she wanted to make this trip special and go across the country.

They loaded up on gas and headed toward the highway. The girls occasionally stopped for food or gas but then quickly went back on their way. It took them about ten days to make it to California.

Amanda was slowly getting sicker and sicker. There was one last thing she wanted to see and that was the Hollywood hills. The girls made their way up the hills and reached the summit. Amanda was thrilled. This was the most beautiful spot she had ever been to. Then she collapsed. Amanda just lay there on the ground motionless.

Kloe took her straight to the hospital but it was too late. Amanda had passed away. It was a sad time for everyone but at least she was able to go across the country and finally get out of Vermont to see the Hollywood hills.

Our Family Story by Martha H

2008-01-31T10:20:00.000-05:00

I remember it very clearly, February 2^nd. The day it was over. It was everything we worked for, everything we deserved, everything we thought about for sixty days straight. It never left our mind, not for a second. And the thought of that final victory teased and taunted us everyday. Every wall, every pushup, every lay up and sprint made our dream a small step closer to achieving. And in thirty-two minutes it ended. Thirty-two minutes of the hundreds of hours we worked. Barely a half hour time span and in a dramatic way, our lives had ended.

November 10^th, we began to experience hell. Excited and nervous, we were blindsided about what we were about to endure. Four hours seemed like a short enough time for us. Little did we know that with in those hours, we would push our bodies to a limit we didn’t know existed. The first two hours was straight conditioning, this was to be expected. I laugh now when I think of how naïve we players were. The few sprints we were expecting never occurred. And the reality of the fifty walls of consecutive sprints didn’t hit me until I was dry heaving on the side lines with every other guy in the gym.

From day one coach called us a family. And a family does everything together and finishes everything they start. Nine guys hadn’t completed the sprinting drill. So being the family that we were, we did the drill until every single person finished it. I ran over two hundred walls that day, and my assumable “excellent physical shape” didn’t give me an advantage. The last two hours were skill drills. Whether we were sprinting full court lay-ups or sprinting ball handling drills, our legs never stopped moving. After finishing up with a two mile run, day one of our five day try outs had ended.

It was hard to believe that our first day would be the easiest of the five but as we soon discovered, it seemed like a breeze compared to the others. Not only was each try out harder in skill and speed, but the more our mind told our muscles to give up, the harder it was to ignore. But soon enough our hell week was over, and practice began. Things were predicted to ease up since try outs were over but we learned very early to expect the unexpected. Practice had slowly become our daily rituals and occurred everyday until the games began.

Coach had promised that we would be ready for our first game and he hadn’t been kidding. We read, visualized, and wrote our plays down ten times a day and with the penalty of running five suicides for every mistake, no one forgot what to do after the second day of reviewing. Our first game was a rigorous game but in the end we had won.

The congratulation came short and was completely forgotten the next day at practice, but the mistakes we had made throughout the game were not. We worked and perfected and soon enough, it was time for our next game.

The games continued as the season crept on and before we knew it, playoffs began. It was unheard of that our town team wouldn’t make playoffs and with a recent state champ’s record, we had a lot to live up to. Other teams should’ve been intimidated but since we lost eight seniors last year; they expected us to be rookies. We were reminded that everyday and we fed on it to reenergize us. Playoffs had begun and we were ready. Slowly but steadily we continued to win our games. Eventually we found ourselves in the division finals.

The game was against the team we had beat in our first game. They underestimated us and losing was infuriating for them. They were hyped up and ready to play, but so were we. The game was unbelievably even, we scored and they followed in suit. But with three minutes left, the two point game we had since the start had ended and we pulled away with the win. I’ve never felt so accomplished before that moment, but we knew that it wasn’t over yet.

State Championships, here we come. The two hour drive didn’t stop the town from coming to support us. We stepped on the court and the crowd went crazy. The crowd, the feelings, the excitement began to fad once tip off began. We were caught off guard like coach had expected. The excitements of our past wins were over and the only thing that mattered now was this one game. By halftime opposing team held the lead by eighteen. Fretting the yelling and infuriation of the coach, we ran into the locker room.

But he didn’t yell or scream. He didn’t throw his clip board or get in our faces. He asked us what had happened in that first half. Where are the heart had gone, and motivation and courage and strength and why had it left? We knew we hadn’t worked this hard to come in this gym and get dominated and we were ready to change that. Second half was different, we came out strong.

The fight was difficult but with thirty seconds left, we were down by two.

Sprinting down the court to try and get one last shot, we had the confidence we could do it. We weren’t fast enough. Time ran out, we had lost. But none of that mattered. What mattered was how we got there and what it took, what mattered was how our family pulled together and didn’t give up. We lost but in our own way, we won a lot more. We would be back next year and knew exactly what we’d needed to do. February 2^nd was over, but in a way it was just the start.

There’s always a Spot for You in My Heart by Madeline D

2008-01-31T10:19:00.000-05:00

It was my 16^th birthday, May 27^th,probably one of the most important events in a teenage girl’s life, but was soon to be the worst. I was in the bathroom getting ready, when I heard my cell phone start ringing. I read the caller ID, Heather, home. I don’t remember the last time she had called me from her house phone. Ever since she got her own cell phone, she hasn’t come close to using her house phone. I already knew what she was going to say. She was going to start singing the happy birthday song. She has done it every year, since we were 5.

“Hello?” I answered trying to sound surprised.

“Kim?” A questioned voice answered back.

“Yeah.” I was confused. This isn’t Heather, what’s going on?

“Hi Hun. It’s Mrs. McMan I have to tell you something. Something happened to Heather.” She was talking in a quite voice, with a quiver.

I felt my stomach in my throat. My heart began to race faster and faster. What was going on? Where is my best friend and why she isn’t on the other line singing happy birthday to me like she always does? I then could here Mrs. McMan started to choke up and give the phone to her husband.

“Kim, are you still there?” It was now Mr. McMan on the phone.

“Mhm.” I said.

“Kim, this morning, Heather was killed. She was going on her morning run and was hit by a drunk driver. His voice soon began to fade and I could tell that he tried to hold back his tears. I’m so sorry dear; I know this must be hard, especially to find out on your birthday.” His voice was very quiet, and I could tell he was trying not to cry.

I hung up the phone, and collapsed on the floor. Everything in my mind went blank. I closed my eyes so I could see nothing. I blocked my ears with my hands so I could hear nothing, and I just laid there. I was thinking, is this real? Did my best friend just die on my birthday? How can I live another day without her? Why me, why me? I then started to hear the faded sound of our telephone ring and a few seconds later, a loud shriek from my mother. I heard her panicked foot steps running up the stairs. She came into my room and fell next to me on floor and held me in her arms.

“I’m so sorry Kim.” She said while kissing my fore head.

Days had past, and I hadn’t talked to any of my other friends. The funeral was tomorrow, and I was afraid I couldn’t handle it, but my mom had promised me that if I couldn’t take it that she would bring me home. Heather and I always said that wearing all black to a funeral was so weird. We said that if one of us died we wouldn’t wear black; we would wear bright, fun colors. Joking obviously, not one of us thought we would die before we turned 18.

I decided that I wouldn’t wear black, and wear crazy colors. I wore a hot pink short dress with black pumps, and a crazy multicolored head band. When I looked at my self in the mirror a tear streaked down my face, and then I started to giggle. Heather would have loved this. I looked ridiculous.

The funeral was at a beautiful cemetery in a small town where Heather lived before she moved. When I got there everyone was staring at me, but I didn’t care. I knew Heather would have done it for me. It was raining-classic. Heather always said that every funeral she had been to it was raining, and in a lot of the dramatic movies she’d seen.

When the priest started speaking, I tuned him out. I started thinking of a time when Heather and I went to the beach together. It was last summer. We went to the outer banks in North Carolina. We met these two really cute boys from France. They had the coolest accents. Heather was the more outgoing one. She never cared what people thought of her, or what they said behind her back. She always brought out the best in me. I felt I could only be my true self when I was around her. One hot night, Heather had convinced me to sneak out so we could meet the boys on the beach. On the way down to the beach Heather asked me if I wanted to play truth or dare.

“Right now?” I asked.

“Yes, right now. Okay, truth or dare?” She said.

“Um, truth.”

“You’re such a baby. Dare. I dare you to kiss one of the French boys tonight, but not the one with the long brown hair, he’s mine.

“No way!”

“Yes way, we are never are going to see them again and you still haven’t gotten your first kiss yet. So, you can just practice on some hottie that you’ll never speak to again.”

For some reason, she had convinced me just saying that. She usually has to go on for about 15 minutes before I give in. You can probably guess what happened. We had a great time and at the end of the night, I kissed the French boy. I’m also pretty sure that Heather had gotten to second base with the other French boy. That was one of many great memories Heather and I shared together.

“We love you and miss you so much. We’ll pray for you. Amen.” Heather’s uncle was finishing up his speech.

That was the last speech. Everyone put there flowers down, and said some last words. I waited until everyone got in there cars, so I could say something. I knelt down beside her grave, and started talking to her like she was right there in front of me and we were looking in each others eyes.

“Heather, you are what made me who I am. I was only comfortable with you, and I am going to miss you so much. I really don’t how I am going to live my life without you. No matter how far heaven might be, you’ll always be my best friend. I love you and I will never forget you. There’s always a spot for you in my heart. Goodbye for now.”

I started to cry and right then the sun came out. I knew Heather was listening and that made me feel so much better.

Look Before You Leap by Maddie M

2008-01-31T10:16:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there lived the Carmichaels. They were your typical American family, except the father, Chris, was a top lawyer in California, so he and his family got to live like royalty. His wife, Lynette, was also very successful in her job by owning her own realtor business. Together they had two daughters named Larissa and Heidi. Larissa was two years older than Heidi and they were complete opposites. However, they were each other’s best friends. One Saturday morning, the girls got up and decided to go to the mall.

“Bye girls, have fun!” said Lynette as they walked out the door. And, believe me when I say the girls listened to their mother when she told them to have fun. Spending hundreds of dollars was something that the Carmichael sisters were very good at. Six hours, $3,000, and thirty-two shopping bags later was when the girls decided to head home, which was around four o’clock.

“Almost time for the party!” exclaimed Heidi.

“Heidi, I told you, in order to have the party, first, we have to get mom and dad out of the house.”

“Sorry, I forgot about that part.”

Now it was almost six o’clock and Larissa decided that it was time to talk mom and dad into going out for the night. Dinner and a movie always seemed to do the trick. After twenty minutes of persuading, they finally agreed to leave the house. And the best part was that they forgot to tell her she couldn’t throw a party.

Just before Lynette and Chris walked out the door around seven, they told the girls ‘the safety speech.’ “Don’t open the door for anyone, keep all of the windows locked, don’t answer the phone unless you know the phone number…”

“Mom, I’m sixteen years old. Don’t you think I’m a little old for that spiel? And if you don’t get a move on, you’re going to miss the movie. And remember, make sure you call twenty minutes before you come home, and please, take your time. Stay out as late as you want to!” yelled Larissa, but her parents were already stepping into their brand new fire red Cadillac.

“Alright Heidi, now we can have the party. Grab my cell phone and call everyone that we know. Have them here for like eight, and tell them to bring a friend. Just make sure that you don’t invite Chad Alby,” said Larissa.

“Okay, I got it. No Chad!”

The first people to come were Larissa’s best friend Katherine and her boyfriend, Nick. After they showed up, the rest of the school just started pouring in. It’s a good thing that the Carmichaels house was a mansion, because anything smaller than that wouldn’t have fit the forty people that were now dancing across their living room floor.

After several hours, Heidi just so happened to glance at the clock.

“Larissa, it’s already eleven thirty! Mom and Dad should be getting home soon!”

“Heidi, they just called me. They said that they were stuck in traffic, so they won’t be home for at least another hour!”

Little did Larissa know was that the phone call from her parents came in at ten forty-five, and now it was eleven thirty. She had fifteen minutes to get forty people out of her house and clean everything up. It’s a good thing she had Heidi to help out, because it wasn’t just Larissa’s mess. Some of Heidi’s friends were there too.

As soon as Larissa realized what time it actually was, she panicked.

“Everybody out!” she screamed. “I mean it, get out now!”

Nobody cared how loud Larissa was screaming, or that she had tears streaming down her face in frustration. Nobody cared that the music was off either. The guests had made up their minds; they weren’t going anywhere. However, there was one thing Larissa hadn’t tried yet, bribery.

It was eleven forty eight when Heidi saw the Cadillac headlights pour through the living room windows. Eleven fifty was when Larissa heard the clacking of her mom’s Jimmy Choo pumps coming up the porch and onto the steps of their mansion.

“Hi mom,” said Larissa and Heidi together. “We just finished watching a movie, but now we’re going to bed. Goodnight.”

“Okay girls. Goodnight.”

“I can’t believe that we got everyone out of the house in less than fifteen minutes,” said Heidi once they were upstairs in Larissa’s room.

“It’s amazing what a fifty dollar bill can do. I’ve never seen some of those people move so fast!”

“Well, I really am tired, so goodnight!” exclaimed Heidi.

Just before Heidi opened the door to exit Larissa’s room, Lynette beat her to it. Larissa and Heidi were shocked to see an unpleasant, familiar boy standing next to their mother with a look of confusion on his face.

“Chad Alby! What are you doing here?” screamed Larissa.

“I came for the party, but apparently I was a little late.”

“Haha. That’s funny. What party are you talking about? There was no party here,” said Larissa, praying that her mother would believe her.

“Larissa, enough. Chad told me everything, and I believe him. His story sounds exactly like something the two of you would try to pull off. Now, thanks to Chad here, you are both in big trouble,” said Lynette.

That night, neither of the Carmichael girls slept much. One part of them felt guilty about going behind their parents back, and the other part of them was proud and happy because if it weren’t for Chad, they wouldn’t have been caught. Neither one of their parents had any clue what had happened that night.

The next morning, the guilt over powered the joy and the girls wished that they had never thrown the party. They also remembered that it was the same day that their credit card bills were coming in the mail, and they knew that they had gone way over their limits.

Once the girls reached the dining room table, the first thing they heard was their dad yelling at them.

“You spent six hundred dollars on a purse?” screamed Chris.

“Well, Heidi and I are going to share it, so it’s like getting two three hundred dollar bags, which is a very reasonable price.” Larissa tried to sound as convincing as possible, but even she knew that she had dug her self a hole that was much too deep for her to get out of alone.

“Listen, Mom, Dad, we are really sorry about the party. We promise that we will never throw another one without your permission. And we’ll be sure to do all of the chores this week, and anything else you want,” said Larissa, trying to sound sincere while lying through her teeth. The only thing Larissa was promising was that she would never throw a party the night before her bills were coming in.

“You bet you’ll do everything we tell you to. Both of you are grounded for the next two weeks. I want your credit cards too until further notice. And I want that bag you just bought. It will go great with my new outfit,” said Lynette with a semi-smile on her face.

Heidi thought about protesting but she decided that once they were un- grounded, she would just go back and buy the same bag again .

So, in the end the Carmichael girls ended up staying grounded for the full two weeks, but they were each sick one week, so it didn’t matter about being grounded or not. Lynette waited on them hand and foot. However, they did learn one very important lesson. Never plan a party the night before your credit card bills are coming in.

Pirate Patricio by Lindsay B

2008-01-31T10:15:00.000-05:00

As the ship rocked with the immense waves, Pirate Patricio didn’t even flinch. He was the bravest pirate in all the land and nothing frightened him. He had gone on countless journeys across the oceans, through the jungles, and over mountains far and wide. Pirate Patricio was very knowledgeable when it came to navigation but he was not a very kind man. Being a pirate and all, he took what he could get, even at the cost of others. In fact, once, he burned down a boat full of gifts to bring to a charity just so he could keep a thing or two for himself.

Pirate Patricio was setting out for his most challenging adventure yet. He planned to go to Cash Cay which was a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. No man had ever ventured all the way out to Cash Cay and made it back alive. Ancient legends say that there is a buried treasure hidden within Cash Cay’s deep bramble. Supposedly, the hidden treasure is guarded by an evil spell that won’t allow the jewels to leave the small, uncharted island. This didn’t bother Patricio one bit. In fact, he found it exciting that he would be the first one to advance all that way.

Once Patricio’s ship was packed with supplies, a makeshift crew, and Patricio’s other treasures, they were off. Patricio had nothing but confidence in himself but don’t be mistaken, he was not cocky. He was a stern leader and nobody questioned his authority. His crew was made up of the men he took mercy on when robbing their houses, boats, or anything else with value.

The journey to Cash Cay was a harsh one. They lost five out of twenty men and three more were getting sicker by the minute. But once Patricio’s ship pulled into the rocky shore, he knew it would all be worth it.

“Stay here,” he commanded, “Nobody leave the ship. If I’m not back within a week, come looking for me. If that happens, and I emphasize the ‘if’ part, be very careful. Many dangers lurk around every corner and I don’t want to lose any more men than we already have. I’m sure I’ll see you all in a few days. Good bye!” And with that, Patricio was off.

It took a good thirty minutes to get from the ship to shore because he of course had to use the row boat in the shallow waters. But once he lugged himself onto the soft, white sand, Patricio didn’t hesitate and began his search right away.

High and low he looked but could find nothing but panthers, snakes, spiders, poisonous vegetation, and salt water. Patricio didn’t even know where he was going to set camp and the sun was already beginning to cast a hazy shadow over the island’s mysteries. But Patricio could not rest until he found a place to stay the night. At that very moment, he saw a flame in the distance. Puzzled, he followed it until he reached what resembled a village. Tiny mud huts lined up along side a dirt road. Animals kept inside of pens and children running around, playing some sort of game that involved a stick and a pebble. A beautiful, young woman with long black hair and a turquoise necklace on slowly sauntered up to Patricio. Patricio had never seen such a beautiful woman. She was so real looking compared to the women back home. Her flawless complexion matched her dark chestnut eyes beneath her dark eyebrows. Patricio couldn’t help but stare.

“Can I help you?” the nameless woman asked in a soft, pure voice.

“Yes, my ship is wrecked and I have no place to stay for the night. Is there any way you can help me?” Patricio asked while lying through his teeth.

“Oh yes of course, we always have room here. I’m Natika. Welcome to my village.” She said with a smile.

“Patricio. The pleasure is all mine.” Patricio answered and stuck out his hand for a shake. Natika just stared at it, bewildered, and then turned around to walk away.

“If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know,” she called back over her shoulder.

That night, Patricio couldn’t stop thinking about Natika. She was so perfect in every way and he didn’t even know anything about her, yet.

Over the next few days, Patricio and Natika spent more and more time together. Patricio forgot about the treasure all together. All he wanted now was to spend 100% of his time with Natika because he didn’t know how long it would last.

Everything was going perfect until Patricio caught sight of the large white sail that barely stuck up above the towering trees. In a day or so, his men would come looking for him and then he might have to leave Natika. Instead of that happening, Patricio would have to come up with a plan to keep them on the ship and send them home.

In the dark of the night, Patricio crept away from Natika’s hut and wandered to the shore. Once he arrived, he took the torch he had with him and waved it furiously. After an hour of that, one of his ship mates, Marg, must have caught sight of it so he paddled the row boat to shore.

“What is it boss?” he asked; ready to fulfill any order Patricio had.

“I want you to take my ship back home. Actually, now it’s your ship. Take her home for me and take good care of her. Take all the men with you and leave me here. Don’t ask any questions.” Patricio commanded.

“Aye aye , sir. But, one last thing…did you find the treasure you were lookin’ for?” Marg asked.

“No, I’ve found one twice as great. Now go on and set sail right away. If the men ask where I’ve gone, tell them you were worried so you went looking for me and saw me in horrible conditions, dieing and I appointed you as captain right there and then. If anyone gives you trouble, then just let them know whose boss. Now, be off!” Patricio said back to Marg, ready to start his new life with Natika.

And with that, the big, white sails that hovered above the treetops were gone by morning and Natika nor her people never new anything about Patricio’s past. He lived happily with Natika from there on out.

Too Little To Late by Lida H

2008-01-31T10:13:00.000-05:00

BOOM! Was all you heard coming from Travis’s basement. It was no surprise to Lily when she reached the bottom of the stairs. Travis had always been into experiments. He never really did well in school except for science class. Travis had been trying for a while now to come up with an invention to heal cuts quickly & without pain. He had yet to do so but kept trying anyways. Lily had always been a supporter of Travis. She was in love with him since freshman year when they met at a school fundraiser. Though Travis knew that, he had no feelings for her, he thought she was too clingy and always getting into his business and asking him too many questions. It made him feel bad but the thought of her made him cringe and he wouldn’t mind if she had stopped interrupting into his life. But Lily was not the main problem right now, now he needed to focus on his experiments.

Travis had been struggling for hours and hours. Nothing seemed to work and he was getting more frustrated than ever. And just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse he looked to the side and there was Lily’s face again. This was her third time in the same hour, Travis was getting extremely annoyed. “Lily why are you here AGAIN?! THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN JUST ONE HOUR! DON’T YOU GET HOW OBNOXIOUS YOU ARE, JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Travis screamed.

Lily was shocked and startled by how Travis had just yelled at her. She searched for words but nothing came out. They both stood there and looked at each other. Lily didn’t want to believe that those words just came out of him mouth, and Travis couldn’t believe he actually told her the sad awful truth. Lily didn’t know much at the point other than she needed to leave now and wasn’t going to return back to this basement anytime soon or maybe ever again. Travis was angry and went to go chase after Lily when he knocked over some chemicals and they spilt into one another all over his arm. By the time he could get to the stairs Lily was gone, long gone.

It wasn’t until the next day when Travis woke up to put medicine on his arm where he had cut himself from a knife. It bled and bled and now he had to wait for it to heal, but last time he checked on it, it wasn’t looking any better. He really hated going to hospitals so he was going to refrain from going as long as possible. As he got out some medicine and went to go put in on he realized something….it was gone! What had happened?! The cut was deep and hadn’t been treated properly for it to heal just over night and disappear, even if he had gone to the hospital and gotten it treated no cut like it could just vanish in a 24 hour time frame. That’s when it hit him, the chemicals! That must be it! When he went to chase after Lily and all those chemicals spilt into his arm. Had he really done it?! He finally figured out a solution! He rushed into the basement to figure out what the chemicals were. Travis knew that any good scientist wouldn’t just rely on one trial. So he gathered a few of his friends who had cuts here on there on them. He tried and to his surprise it had worked, on all four people. This was amazing! Travis couldn’t wait to share with everyone the great invention! He thought he would tell Lily first, she was the only one who believed in him and was there while everyone else told him to get a real job. Then he realized that Lily wasn’t there anymore. But he snapped out of it and Lily didn’t seem to be a concern anymore, she never really had been to him. Now it was time, he had to go inform everyone of this magnificent product.

It didn’t take long for the word to get out to everyone in the town and even beyond. Everyone was talking about this new product and couldn’t wait to get their hands on it. Soon the press and everyone were at Travis’s door step waiting and wanting to catch a glimpse of it. It wasn’t until a week or so after the unforgettable day in Travis’s life that he got all the products packaged and ready to be sold. His invention sold everywhere and he made millions and billions of dollars. Travis had made more money than he knew what to do with. Right after Travis was exposed to the public about his product he was soon overwhelmed by the companies and girls that wanted to meet with him. Travis could get used to this lifestyle, he now had everything, he had money, fame, and girls that weren’t obnoxious like Lily.

Five years had passed now and Travis loved his life, he couldn’t get enough of this. Then he realized he was missing something, he couldn’t figure it out right away but he knew something just wasn’t right. Travis decided to go back to his hometown for a visit. Everything was exactly how he remembered it, small and full of life. He visited old friends and family, he had really missed them, it was good to be home. It wasn’t until around dinner time when he decided to go to his favorite restaurant for dinner. He was enjoying his meal when he looked up and this beautiful girl graced on by. He couldn’t help but look at her and stop her to ask her, her name. He approached her and got nervous, this never happened to him before he was used to girls coming up to him. “Excuse me miss, what’s your name?”

“Oh my gosh, Travis, Is that you?!”

“Lily?!”

“Yes! Travis, long time, no see, how are you doing?! And why are you here?”

“I came home for a while to visit, see how things were here and stuff”

The two talked all night and much to Travis’s surprise they got along great. He realized that this is what he’s been missing, Lily.

       Two weeks had passed and the two were inseparable, they did everything and went everywhere. Finally Travis brought it up and openly said the two should date. Lily looked at him and said she couldn’t. Travis was so confused, what? Why?! Lily finally broke down and told him. “A year and a half after you left, I went for a regular check up, and then the doctors informed me that I had cancer, there is no cure or medicines that I can go on for the kind that I have. There are not much more the doctors or I could do except live the rest of my life as a normal person.” Travis was shocked and didn’t know what to do or say next. He was so scared for her, how could she act like it was okay? All Travis knew was that he wanted to spend every day with her; he had missed out on her for too many years to go back home and just leave her.

               Travis was now standing at the funeral, listening to people giving him sympathy. He couldn’t believe she was gone less than a couple of weeks after she informed him of her illness. They money, fame, and other girls didn’t matter to him anymore; Lily had taught him one of the most important lessons he’ll learn in his life. He was sorry for being too many years too late. Travis regretted the fact he didn’t have as much time with Lily like he’d like. He was glad he decided to come back home for a bit a visit though; it’s never too late to try to make things right.

A Purpose to Fight For by Kyle L

2008-01-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

March 12, 2444

When I think back to my childhood, my brain only racks up complete and utter darkness. I have no recollection of anything before I was about six years old. It’s an odd feeling, as if every single memory before then has been completely wiped from the depths of my mind. My name is John Sierra or as I am tagged in the military, number 117. Today, all I know and live for is following the orders of my commanding officer. Every day I carry out mission after mission, without as much as a whine of disapproval. I’ve constantly wondered what my purpose in life was, if there really is anything else to life than fighting and following orders. I don’t know what it is, but I will find my true purpose.

March 22, 2444

Today I have been informed that a race other than Humanity exist. The United Nations Military Program (UNMP) has not yet learned enough about this species to even give it a name. Our best scientists and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software have been working tediously, day and night to learn all they can about his new species. So far, all they have to work with is the knowledge that this unknown species is imminently violent. At the first sight of one of our frigates, more specifically, the Enterprise, the alien species turned and attacked with what seemed more force than necessary. Two torpedoes, composed of what we now know is a high concentration of plasma, liquefied her. They also have a fragment of the alien ship’s armor that was suspected to have broken off during the firing phase pf the torpedoes. Before we are to openly approach these newcomers again, we must learn more about them and their culture.

May 17, 2444

I was recently told to gather the rest of my squad as we are to be embarking on a very important mission. Our scientists have gotten almost nowhere since my last entry, and Chief Mendallas has briefed us on our mission objectives. The alien species has sent us an encrypted message, which has been decoded and thought to say We are the Sangheili, Humanity is coming to and end. Our objectives were to scavenge what we could of the so called Sangheili technology while fending the alien race off of a human controlled planet in the neighboring solar system.

On another note, I’ve asked Chief Mendallas about where I came from, and why I was here, protecting Humanity. The only he could tell me was that I was part of the UNMP’s program in military defense because I was ‘special’, unlike other children of my time. The rest, he told me, was classified.

May 30, 2444

Our recent mission was a success, as always, it seems that we succeed at everything, which is good, right? I’ve been told many times we always win. With the new data my squad and I were able to gather, the scientists and AI’s working on learning about the Sangheili culture has made a huge leap forward. We have almost been able to fully replicate the alien’s energy shields that surround their ships using small scale shields found during our mission that they often carry. But all of these discoveries do not matter. We have not been able to apply them to any of our ships or combat armor, so it’s not of much use at the moment. At this very moment, the Sangheili are attacking. They’ve destroyed over half of the UNMP fleet we have sent out to defend while we’ve only been able to destroy a few of their ships.

August 2, 2444

The Sangheili have been relentlessly attacking for months now, depleting our defensive ships to almost nothing. We tried to fall back to a far away planet called Xanus, but it seems as if the Sangheili have planned for this. As we were departing to Xanus, they somehow placed a tracking probe onto our frigate. They located us within days and wiped out nearly three-fourths of the planets twelve million people. Things don’t seem to be going very well at all. Almost every military personnel in the UNMP are not showing the slightest bit of optimism. For now all we can do is defend and try to muster a plan to gain a victory, which should help build morale among everyone.

September 13, 2444

Planning for the next big mission had been underway for little over a month. Chief Mendallas has informed me that I will be leading this mission, but the costs could be significant. He has not yet told me what I am to do. He tells me this may just be the most deadly mission yet, but if successful, the most beneficial. I have also been told I am the man to do it.

October 1, 2444

Well, this is it; the mission planning has been completed. I have just come from the briefing room and this mission does not in any way sound easy, but hey, haven’t I always loved a challenge? My squad and I are to capture, not destroy an enemy ship in the Eridanus Solar System, where a huge battle is raging at this moment. We then have to eliminate the crew and find a way to have the ship take us back to their home planet. We are then to find their leader and bring it back alive to our scientists so they can try to negotiate some peace treaty or alliance. It seems that that is our only hope right now.

Is this what I am meant to be? A tool, a soldier? Throughout my life, I have been told countless times to follow orders, kill first and ask questions later.

I have to leave now, this is where my journal ends, I may not come back from this mission alive, but I think I finally know what my purpose in life is: I am meant to serve and protect Humanity.

A, B, C, or D by Katie P

2008-01-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

Lily Groven was seventeen, and was living just outside of New York City. Her father owned a big company, and her mother owned her own bakery. She had exceptional grades, and she was President of her senior class. She was the perfect student. No one would have ever thought that she would ever be at the risk of getting expelled.

Greg had been Lily’s best friend since his mother started working for her mother. Greg started going to Lily’s school on a scholarship sophomore year. He was always getting into fights because he was different. He didn’t grow up like the rest of these kids, his family lived a good life, they weren’t poor, but they were nothing like Lily’s family. They found that out at the end of senior year, when Greg felt like he was about to lose everything.

“Lily, honey, Callie, Dave, and Greg will be here any minute, you might want to some note paper, pens, and highlighters out of the hall closet so that you guys can study!” Lily’s mom Laura yelled from her office where she was coming up with new recipes for her bakery.

“Right mom,” Lily said with a tint of sarcasm to her voice. She knew that there was no way that they were going to get any studying done. They would be having her mother’s double chocolate cake, and talking about how much trouble they would all be in if they failed their finals.

Within a half hour all three of Lily’s friends were now in her living room with their school books not even close to being opened. Greg seemed to be acting weird all night though, but Dave and Callie were acting more suspicious than usual. Greg kept looking over to the table were they had all put down their books. Callie and Dave kept looking at Dave’s bag. Lily knew that Greg was scared about finals and the risk of failing them, but she could not figure out why Dave and Callie were acting so weird.

“Hey guys do you think that we could maybe study for a while.” Lilly asked looking over at Greg.

“I will,” Greg said. Callie and Dave looked at each other and then looked back at Greg and Lily.

“I have a better idea, and we wouldn’t even have to open a book,” Dave said with a smile, “My brother’s both took the chemistry final. Mike took it two years ago and Conner took it last year. It hasn’t changed one bit. So, I thought that if we really needed to pass these finals we could use the answers.”

“NO way,” Greg said, almost yelled, “I have everything to lose, if we even get caught or if someone gets suspicious, I could be expelled. I mean I know that I have gotten in trouble before with fighting and all, but I only got out of getting suspended because I had such good grades.”

“See we knew that you could get in trouble, well we could all get in trouble, but that is why we won’t all have the same answers. Based on how we are doing in this class that is how many we will get wrong,” Dave said pulling an envelope out of his backpack.

“I have to get close to a C, you and Lily can get almost perfect scores, and Dave can just get like a B or something,” Callie said smiling at her self.

“Well, as long as you guys are sure that we won’t get caught,” Greg said.

Lily knew that nothing good could come out of this, something bad was going to happen or someone wasn’t going to fallow the plan. She w\would have never guessed how it would turn out. She studied that test front and back about 20 times that night. She kept repeating to herself, a, b, a, c, d, and so on. She was nervous out of her mind and had no idea how she was going to get through the test.

The next morning she went to pick up Greg early. She was in her car going over the answers to the test and Greg came running down the stairs and looked like he has been up all night. They were early for school so they decided that they would drive around and go over the answers to the test.

“I think that we should be alright, as long as we don’t have the same answers to the test,” Lily said with a laugh, but they would so find out that it wasn’t funny.

They walked into the chemistry lab and within two minutes of sitting down the teacher passed out the exam. Throughout the whole test Greg and Lily kept looking over at each other as nervous as possible. Lily had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach. Greg knew that if something happened to Lily she could always get out of it, but he had been at the risk of getting expelled because of his fights, and now he felt like it could really happen.

The next day they were all seated around a table in the chemistry lab, and a beep came over the loud speaker.

“Would Lily Groven and Greg Warren please come down to the vice principle’s office,” the voice said.

The walked down and didn’t say one word to each other, of their palms were sweating and Greg knew that he was done; he was going to have to leave this school, his friends, and Lily. Something had happened and neither of them knew how. Greg could spot the image of the vice principles face from going through his head. She would be so disappointed. He hadn’t studied at all, had no idea was going to happen unless he opened the door.

They walked up to the door, and opened it, but instead of the principle being upset and having a sad look on her face, she was smiling.

“Would you two come in please I have some college’s that are interested in you both,” the vice principle said. She told how proud she was that the two of them had done so well on their finals. She showed them there tests and Lily right away spun around to look at Greg. Greg had gotten a B+ on his. She knew that Greg hadn’t looked at the answers. She was so excited and so happy. Everything had turned out ok and Lily knew that she would never take the risk of taking answers again.

Greed and Gold by Jonathan Parker

2008-01-31T10:05:00.000-05:00

Once there was a man named Andy. Andy lived in a small town in Oregon, where he owned a store. This store supplied almost all of the town’s shopping needs, since there wasn’t a Wal-Mart or Target for fifty miles. The store had everything; groceries, cleaning supplies, toys for children, DVD’s, video games, sports supplies, musical instruments, and almost anything else you can buy in a store. Everyone from the towns near Andy also shopped at the store, and almost half the town worked at the store. All this business made Andy very rich.

If there was one thing that Andy loved, it was money. This was good, because he had a lot of it. He reveled in the thought that he was the richest and most famous person in town. Whenever he was chauffeured around town in his stretch Hummer limousine, people would point and stare at him. After some good investments in the stock market Andy was so rich and famous that sometimes Bill Gates would stop by his mansion to ask for money.

One day Andy decided to commemorate how rich and famous he was. He bought all the gold in Fort Knox from the US government, and hired 5,000 people to build a giant statue of himself made of solid gold. He decided to call it the Statue of Andy, and build it right in the center of his little town at the entrance to his store.

The statue took five months to finish, but when it was done it was the most impressive man-made monument ever built, rivaling the Pyramids in grandness and majesty. The base of the statue was over 2000 feet wide, which forced Andy’s company to bulldoze the houses around the store in order to make room. The statue was over a mile high, and depicted Andy pointing at the sky in an inspirational pose. It was so enormous that it blocked out the Sun in all the cities surrounding it on certain hours of the day, acting like a gigantic sundial.

Eventually, after two months of enduring living with the Statue of Andy, the citizens of the towns around it decided it had to go down. Huge mobs of protestors appeared at the statue. Thousands of people picketed Andy’s giant store, robbing him of all his business. Since Andy still had to pay for the upkeep of the store and his workers’ wages, he lost money rapidly. Soon Andy realized that things would have to change.

When Andy woke up the next morning he walked out of the mansion that he had built inside the statue. He stood on the makeshift balcony of his giant statue’s hand, and addressed the people protesting below. “People protesting my statue!” he said, “I have decided to pacify you. Everyone who stops protesting my statue will get $200 worth of store credit, free of charge!” The people below, however, did not share his enthusiasm.

Andy was out of ideas. He had no money left, and no one ever came into his store. Walking inside his deserted store, he got an idea that would make everyone happy. He ran out to tell the people picketing, and they agreed to try it.

A week later, Andy walked to his office on the top floor of his giant store. People smiled and greeted him politely as he walked by. They were all wearing new gold jewelry and watches. When he got to the top floor of the building, several people were waiting for him. They all started talking to him at the same time. “Hello, I’m from the National Homeless People’s Fund. Thank you for giving us ten billion dollars worth of gold,” said one of them. “I am a representative of the Starving People in Africa Fund, and would like to thank you for your $10,000,000,000 donation,” said another. Andy plowed through the crowd of people and walked into his office. He sighed and looked out the window. His giant golden head, resting where the entire body had been a week before, stared back at him. Andy sighed. He wished that the entire statue was still there, but he realized that the statue did more harm than good, and everyone seemed to be happy with the new arrangement. He had a lot of work to do, so he sat down at his desk and tried to forget about it.

The Way the Water Moves by Krista S

2008-01-31T10:04:00.001-05:00

I can remember that day. Like a clean cut view into the past. It’s not like I want to remember it, but it doesn’t matter now. I can’t stop what I’m thinking and I can’t think what my mind won’t remember. The day my heart was broken and healed at the same time.

My story might remind you of how the water moves, you know that feeling. The feeling when your toes reach the crystal blue stream and you just can’t get enough. The way you float on the water and it seems as in an instant all the problems of the now, the past, and the future are drifting away on the on ocean’s breeze.

My story is kind of like this. It has the ups and the downs with the water in between. As perfect as my memory serves, it was July. July 28th to be exact. The morning sun just broke into the pink sky without any warning. I’m not used to waking up early, but some kind of movement, some sort of force, pushed me out from underneath the covers and into the world that I never called my own. My mom was making breakfast downstairs as always. The smells from the kitchen crept up the stairs to my bedroom. It smelt like she burnt the food though. It was Saturday, so just put on some comfortable clothes and went downstairs.

"Hi mom," I said in a hurried voice. I'm not much of a big talker, well, at least back then I wasn't. I didn't enjoy talking to my mom when she was in one of her "bad state of mind" moods swings. Don't get me wrong, we spent time together and I took joy in her barely-there company, but I wish she wasn't like she was. I guess in general I didn't accept her the way she was. I was selfish, maybe.

"Hello honey," said my dazed mother, "you want to go to the café for breakfest Because I just burnt what was supposed to be bacon and toast,” she said with a half smile. I gladly took her offer. It wasn't like her to take me anywhere. I usually went with my best friend Nick. So I stayed in my comfy clothes and took my mom's jacket out of the hall closet. I knew that even if it was 90 degrees out, she still needed her jacket. Some kind of protection, I guess. My mother always thought that the world was after her. Surely this aided to her severe depression and her drinking problem. Her drinking got in the way of everything, including our mother daughter friendship. But I have to say, I loved my mother. I know the words she couldn't ever really speak after my father’s death were that she really loved me too.

I opened the front door as the sun peered into our lonely home. The young kids across the way were running through a sprinkler and singing some crazy rhyme. I smiled at our next door neighbor that was getting his mail. He knew of my mother's condition because he could hear the nights when she screamed out names. Names of people I never heard of. My mom's situation was my murder. Fellow students at school laughed at me and my mom when she would come to pick me up from school. I just looked on. I couldn't change my mother, couldn't change that she was mine. But like I said, I loved her. My mom's weary hand grasped on to mine as we walked out the door. Every step she took was an achievement in itself.

We choose to go to our favorite café, The Burlington Town café, where the people there could somewhat relate to me mom. They didn’t mind her strange ways, which was unusual because most outsiders were quick to judge. “Hello Ellen,” the waitress said to my mother in such a warm and welcoming voice. “And hello to you Carrie.” She said to me. “Now what will it be for you guys?” I knew my mother would say that she would just have some coffee, black that is. Because it helped her with her hangovers. And no doubt that is what she ordered.

“Hi Liz, I would really like a hot cup of coffee, black of course.” My mom said slowly and loud, as if she thought that the waitress was deaf. Liz wrote down my mom’s order because she knew my mother would go frantic if she didn’t see her write it down. Liz, the waitress then looked at me and I said that I would like some tea and a muffin. My usual order too. By this time it was noon of July, 28th. My mom and I finished our breakfast and left the café. We were starting to walk home when all of a sudden my mom started crying. She knelt down on her knees and I then went down beside her.

“What is it mama? Are you okay?” I looked at my bawling mother and said. I wanted to cry too, because it hurt to see her in a pain that is not curable or preventable. Everybody says that my mom’s condition got worse after my dad died in a car crash. But it was all the same to me, at least at that time it was.

“I’m so, so sorry Carrie, for all that I’ve put you through. This past couple of years have been so difficult for me and I know you too. I haven’t been there, like a mother should. I…..”

“But mom, you are ill and are the one who is going through the most. I will never blame you or wish you were different.” I said this but half of it was a lie. I wish there was some magical medicine or pill to take away what she feels.

“Don’t ever think that I resent you. Mama this isn’t your fault! Stop crying Mom! Please!” I then realized about half the town was out on the streets watching my mom’s and my life unfold into pieces. I then knew our whole conversation was being put out there for all to see. What kind of freak will I be called tomorrow? I took my mother’s teary hand and helped her to her feet. I never said a word the whole walk home. Neither did my mother.

Together we walked into our house. My mom ran upstairs and I went over and laid on the couch. My thoughts were racing and I couldn’t keep straight which ones were real. I soon fell asleep with the TV still on. I didn’t really care what the night would bring and I sure wasn’t in the mood to do any work of any sort. I suddenly woke up and the moon was high I the sky. I couldn’t believe that I slept through the whole afternoon. I’m sure that Nick has at least tried to call me a few hundred times. I wanted to talk to him and tell him about my horrible day. Because I knew that he was the only one who really cared.

Distant family members were never here for my mom and me. They kept us out of the picture because we weren’t “normal”. What ever the heck normal is. I got up and went to the front door. Usually when I was asleep during the day or at school my mom would wait on the porch steps counting the minutes until I come and bring her inside. But when I looked outside, she wasn’t there. I wasn’t totally scared, but I knew that something was wrong. I walked briskly to the back of our house and still there was no trace of my mom. I heard the telephone ring and part of me thought it was Nick, and the other part was shaken in fear.

“Hello,” I said in an out of breath voice. “Hello is this Carrie. Are you Ellen’s daughter?” said the voice trying to be caring. But I wasn’t consoled. “Yes, I’m Carrie. Who is this?” I said. “I’m the Chief of the Burlington Town Police Department. And I’m sending a police car to your house. When you’re here, then we can talk. Goodbye Carrie.” The man said in a cold rattled voice. I hung up the phone and hurried to get on some new clothes. I knew my mother must have done something, but I was in fear for the worst.

The police car came in my driveway and the police man raced out to me. He said to me, “Come with me, and maybe we’ll make it in time to see her.” “I’m not a child, don’t candy coat what happened. Tell me now!” I screamed. I started crying. I didn’t want to hear the man’s reply, but knew I would have to hear it sooner or later. Cold tears ran down my reddened face and I was screaming as I it seemed my heart was bleeding. The police man lightly grasped my hands and told me my mother had jumped off a bridge on Highway 72. He said she landed in a river and was still conscience. But I saw the movement in his face as to say it was almost over for her. “Carrie, your mother is in the face of death, and her words to me when I left were to bring you to her. So, Carrie will you come with me?” the officer said. I took a hold of his warm hand and got into the police car.

The trip to the hospital was the longest ten minute ride I’ve ever had or ever will take. No words were exchanged on the way. But the silence was enough. Then, we got there. The officer and I ran into the emergency room and into the Critical Care Unit. That’s when I saw her, dead and cold. But yet a smile on my mother’s face. One that I had never seen her express to me. I went to her side and grasped her hand. I then saw that she had a note by her side that said, “I love you. And I knew the only way to make it better was give myself to the way the water moves.”

From the Streets to the Court by Joe D

2008-01-31T10:01:00.000-05:00

“Everyone quiet down, Mr. Crane is going to talk to you for a little while,” said the YMCA director to the kids from the ages of 8-12.

“Thank you Miss Swanson, I think I’ve got it from here,” said Tyler Crane. “How are all of you doing today?”

“Good,” replied the high pitched voices.

“I have a story to tell you all and I hope you are willing to listen to what I have to say because it’s very important,” said Tyler. “Let me start from when I was about 14 years old, only a little bit older then a few of you guys. I grew up in the streets of Harlem, New York, not far from here, actually just a couple of blocks. I would always come here, to this very YMCA, and play basketball. Be it by myself or with a few of my buddies. I would stay here for hours at a time every day shooting around, lifting weights, swimming, but mostly playing b-ball. And don’t you think for one minute that if I did all of this I must not have done my homework, because school was a huge priority and I would make sure I got it done before I came here. I stayed here so long because I didn’t look forward to going home. My apartment was not the nicest of places, especially the location it was in. I never knew my dad and my mom worked nights at the local laundry mat. I had an older brother but he was in and out of jail most of my life, but he didn’t have any influence on me.”

“That sounds really scary,” said a voice from below him.

“It was, but I learned to get through it and life was okay,” replied Tyler. “When I got into high school life got better. I signed up for basketball tryouts hoping to find something to do while I am out of school. Tryouts were really tough but I thought I would at least make JV. I was devastated when I got my letter stating that I was cut from all of the teams and had to play DARE instead. But that didn’t stop me one bit, that event just made me work harder toward being a great basketball player. I came back next winter and I got a starting position on the Varsity squad. It felt great to receive that letter and I didn’t let the team down. The players gave me the nickname ‘T-Crane’ because I was such a stellar player. Our record was 18-0 going into the playoffs but we lost in the 2^nd round. The same exact thing happened the next year and our coach knew that the team would crush under the pressure of a huge crowd. But we over came our fear and made it to the championship game during my senior year. I was number one in scoring, rebounding, and assists in the history of my school. I hadn’t got a championship yet, and I wasn’t about to give this game up. We crushed our opponents, never letting up on them even when we were up by 35 in the 4^th quarter. It was a great feeling to get that win but I had another thing to focus on that year, college. I sent in a few letters to different universities around New York, and it devastated me to get those letters of rejection back. But I didn’t give up hope yet, and neither should any of you, even when the going gets tough. Instead of applying to New York schools, I decided to apply to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I thought it would be a waste of money to send the application, but it wasn’t. I received a letter in the spring saying I was accepted into UNC. I was so thrilled to be accepted, and my mom almost fainted. Not only did I get accepted, I got an all expenses paid tuition to the college also.”

“Congratulations Mr. Crane, I never knew that about you,” said the YMCA lady.

“Thanks, but I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet,” replied T-Crane. “At UNC I played all four years, but the same thing happened in high school, we didn’t make it to the championship game until I was a senior. Our team cruised through the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final four like a hot knife through butter. But I am not going to lie and say that the championship was a piece of cake, because we had to take on Adam Morrison and the intimidating Gonzaga Bull Dogs. We were up by 3 at the half but trailed 77-75 with 10 seconds left in the game. I had 4 fouls and I needed to steal the ball without fouling. Adam threw an extremely long pass and I saw it about to sail over me, but I jumped with all my might and snatched the ball from the air and landed on the half court line. This was my moment to show the scouts and the NBA that I wouldn’t crush under pressure and that I was clutch. I glanced up at the clock and it said 3.2 seconds, I took one dribble, jumped off my right foot, and tossed the rock into the air. If I make it we win, if I don’t we lose. It felt like the longest time for the ball to reach the hoop. I heard the buzzer go off and the greatest sound of my life, the swish of a perfect shot, sliding through the net.”

“Great job Mr.” said the 9 year old to Tyler.

“Why thank you,” responded Mr. Crane. “I went on to be drafted by the Boston Celtics, where I play now, and look how far I’ve come. Do any of you know why I had this talk with you guys today? Yes, the gentleman in the blue shirt.”

“Maybe you want us to work hard and never give up, no matter what,” said Jake.

“Exactly!” proclaimed T-Crane. “No matter what life throws at you or whenever the going gets tough, almost too tough. You should also keep striving to reach your goals.”

Near the End of Existence by Corey C.

2008-01-31T09:56:00.000-05:00

The year was 2552. The last of the human existence has gone into hiding. The planet has been ravaged into war by the Predators, and the Galactic army. The war has plagued planets across the Galactic Republic, and entire civilizations have vanished. The Republic has been scarred badly. The president Vladimir Bhutto has been assassinated, and vice president John Huckabama Edwards McCain has been taken into captivity. Major General George Rumsfeld brought the division back to the command post. There they had taken a last stand until the back up arrived.

Chief of Staff Kade Klause was on his way with the Galactic Army. The 120,000 soldiers marched there way through the valley. They took each step with pride, because they were the last chance of hope for the human civilization. Some were equipped with plasma rifles, while others had the M-600 which was the newest version of the old M-60. The hover tanks strolled on by the soldiers, giving them a sense of protection. Just then, the soldiers walked up to a mound of freshly murdered bodies. By the look of it, the Predators must have eaten their organs, and left the rest to rot. Klause decided to bury the bodies, and he dug a grave 15 feet down, 10x10 wide. After the bodies were laid to rest, the chief of staff gave a short speech, and then they had a moment of silence.

Meanwhile Major General Rumsfeld was holding off the predators from trying to reach the city, where the humans were hiding. The predator’s landstalkers were moving in. Major General Rumsfeld took an RPG, and propelled a grenade loaded with millions of nano robots, that would quickly eat away the metal and computers of the landstalker. The behemoth came crashing to the ground, and rattled it so hard, that a giant gorge split the battle filed in half. This gave Rumsfeld an advantage, because it would slow the predators down. It was no problem for the soldiers, because there booster jet packs would get them right over the gorge. With every shot that the Predators took, the more vicious they got. They needed to be taken down in one shot. Major General Rumsfeld then called in Special Forces. Major Matthias Mattox plotted there vantage points, gave them special plasma rounds, and told them to move out.

Chief of Staff Klause was making his way to the Abandoned City as they called it, because it seemed like no one was there. He needed to make it up and over the mountain, through the Forest of Solitude, and across the river Thames. Once across they would have to hike 3 more miles until they reached the command post of Major General Rumsfeld. There he would try and crush the Predators for good, save the human race from being slaughtered. Getting up the mountain would be a treacherous feat. Once over it would be a quick hike to the river.

At the command post, Major Matthias and his other snipers took up there positions. He loaded the Plasma round into his chamber, and looked into his scoped. He aimed for the head. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet screeched as it left the barrel. The bullet was traveling at 2000 mph. The plasma heated up. It entered the head, and once inside it exploded. The limp body fell to the ground. Rumsfeld called in more Special Forces, and had them take up positions all around the battle field. All over, the heads were exploding. The predators switched out soldiers, and the Galactic Armies sniper rounds didn’t work any more. They needed Chief of Staff Klause’s plasma rifles.

Back at the mountain, they had made a trail for the tanks to travel up. They went slowly to make sure nothing went wrong. Five hours later, the last tank had made it up, and the last hundred soldiers followed. Going down the mountain would be easier, but they had to regroup at the base. There they made camp, and they would rest for a few hours. When the troops had awakened, it was sunny out. They picked up camp, and decided to get into the shade of the forest, before it got too hot. They twisted and winded around the serpent like path towards the river. Once at the river, they deployed the bridge. They all got across and headed for the command post. A couple miles later, they could hear the gun fire, and see the smoke from the flames of the destroyed land walkers. They readied there guns with the plasma rounds, and got into formation. They moved in, and started the attack. The predators were no match for the fully automatic plasma rifles. Chief of Staff Kade Klaus converged with Major General Rumsfeld. With the Plasma Rifles, and the snipers, the predators had a grim chance of winning. The leader came in, and the entire army fired upon him, like a firing squad in World War Two. The leader fell, and the Predators were crushed. Earth was saved, and the other planets were free of there rule. The galaxy had been liberated from evil.

A Walk in the Jiggy Jiggy Jungle by Connor A.

2008-01-31T09:17:00.000-05:00

Mongo was on his daily walk through the jungle. Every day he left around mid afternoon and would be gone for hours, enjoying the beautiful sounds of the rainforest and everything else it had to offer. Mongo was from a small village in the heart of the South American rainforest. His village had been there for countless centuries and their way of life seemed perfect. Nobody ever fought with one another and everything belonged to the community as a whole. If you needed something all you had to do was ask.

Mongo did not need much though. He was old now and was just enjoying what was left of life. He never had a wife or children and he would often get lonely and it was times like those when he loved being in the jungle the most. On his walks Mongo would encounter all sorts of animals and plants that would mesmerize him and keep him staring in awe. Even the dangerous animals like jaguars and such didn’t seem to mind Mongo. He had a safe, easy going personality and never meant any harm.

One day Mongo had gone very far from his village and came to a giant river called the Amazon. He had heard stories of the crazy dragon creatures that lurked in the foggy water so he kept his distance from the river bank. He continued walking along the shore when he came to a little sandy beach cut in the side of the river. There, lying in the sand was a massive crocodile, bigger than anything Mongo could have imagined. Its head alone was as long as half of Mongo’s body. Mongo stood still and watched what the croc would do next. It looked old, very old, like Mongo. And suddenly it didn’t look so scary. Mongo crept along the beach behind the croc being careful not to step on its tail. When he reached the other side of the 15 foot mammoth he saw a very deep gash on the side of the crocodile’s neck. Mongo felt very bad and pulled out his hunting knife and some string he had. He then went back into the jungle and looked for the Cahya Caia thorns to use as a needle. He rushed back to the injured croc as fast as he could and knelt down next to it. Mongo was terrified but he knew he must help the creature. He quietly whispered to it, “Don’t be afraid, I will not hurt you.”

Mongo threaded the thorn and began to stitch the wound. For some reason the crocodile did not move. Not even open and eye. It just lay there breathing heavily as Mongo worked. When Mongo was done he cut the thread and stepped back from the crocodile. He then sat there for a while observing his patient. Finally after an hour, when Mongo was about to fall asleep the crocodile lifted itself up and crawled in the black water.

Mongo thought a lot about his strange encounter the day before. He was curious to see how the injured crocodile was doing so the next day he went back to the small beach on the river. When he got there the giant croc was no where to be found. This upset Mongo very much. He stayed for an hour scanning the water, looking for any sign of the huge reptile but he saw nothing. While Mongo was walking back home through the jungle he heard a thundering bang ring out through the wilderness. He dropped to the ground in fear and quickly crawled behind a big bush. He looked around trying to find the source of the disturbance. He then heard loud shouts and men yelling off to his right. He quickly scampered from one hiding place to another getting as close as he could to the ruckus. When the commotion came into view he was heartbroken. He saw the crocodile he had saved the previous day, shot dead on the ground with the hunters around him congratulating each other. There were 3 men and Mongo could tell they were from some other strange place beside the jungle. Mongo became furious and without even thinking he ran out with his hunting knife and stabbed the man closest to him. The other men were completely shocked by what had just happened and ran to get their guns but Mongo’s knife was already flying through the air towards to second man. It hit him in the stomach sending him to the ground in pain. Just as Mongo looked at the last man he took a thundering blow to the chest as a bullet slammed into him. He collapsed down next to the dead crocodile.

Mongo lay on the mossy covering of the jungle. He thought about the long life he had lived and all the good things he had in his life. And suddenly he was not angry, or scared or sad or anything. He accepted his fate and knew that he went down fighting. He looked up into the trees, his face going blank, and said, “Thank you Jiggy Jiggy Jungle.”

The Boy’s Last Confession by Anna R.

2008-01-31T09:14:00.000-05:00

I wake up sweating underneath my bed covers. I hear the noise again that has woken me up. I swing my legs over the side of the bed, and slip into my slippers. The noise starts to get louder as I take each step towards the door. I feel I am sweating once more as I reach my hand forward towards the door. I clasp the handle and turn it. The door makes a squeaking noise as I pull it towards me. I look out onto the forest. I can see no one on this dark and foggy night. I check one more time before I come to the conclusion that I was tired and it was making me hear things. I close the door and turn around and there it is, on the table, the knife that will haunt me forever.

After a few moments of staring at it, I decide to reach out and grasp the handle. I bring it down to my side and look around the kitchen to see how it could have gotten there. I am puzzled. I thought to my self that nothing can just appear out of nowhere. Someone must have put it there, and that means someone is in the house. I started to panic. With the knife held high I start walking around the house, trying to find the culprit. It takes a total of fifteen minutes for me to search the house. I found no one.

“Hello is anybody there!” I call out to the open house. “If you don’t leave I will call the police right now!” Still I received no answer. I guess I must have left the knife there and I can’t remember it, I thought. I concluded that I was going crazy, so I threw the knife in a drawer, and walked up the towering stairs to my bedroom. I jumped right into my bed, and turned to my side to look at the green glowing digital clock on my night stand. It was 5:00am, this little night escapade cost me an hour of my sleep. Since I had to wake up in only thirty minutes I unwillingly got back out of the bed. Man, what a morning this was turning out to be.

As the hot water poured on my face, I lost the thought of the knife and was only thinking of the presentation I had to make at work. I felt refreshed after the shower, even if it was only for a second. I still had to get stuff ready for my presentation, and I couldn’t find my lucky pen. I looked everywhere for it. The last place that was left to look was drawer with the knife. I hesitated a little, but I remembered I had to find my pen. I pulled the drawer open. There was good news and bad news. I found my pen no problem. The bad news was the knife was gone. I spun around as quickly as I could. There, in the same place as it had been previously, was the knife.

I felt like I was going to be sick. This was not normal for a knife to do this. Maybe, I thought, this was the workings of a ghost. It could be true. Nobody ever proved there were no such things as ghosts. Most people just didn’t believe in them. This was my only conclusion besides a mass murderer hiding in my cupboard just trying to freak me out. Somehow, I thought it was more plausible to have a ghost then a mass murderer after me. I thought of all the ghost shows I’ve seen, and the most logical answer that kept coming into my head was to free the ghost from what ever was keeping it from the after life.

I jumped on the computer to scan for any recent deaths in the area. Nothing popped out at me that could have been the murder. I then started to look for not so recent deaths. I saw the perfect murder. The article said:

Just yesterday afternoon in a small town called Boxboro, a young male has been found dead. His name was Jim Groundswell. Police found his body lying on a table, having been stabbed multiple times. There was an investigation on this murder, and girlfriend, Jenny Hinkle, has been charged with murder and awaits the trial………

Everything started to make since. The knife, the table, it was all linked to this murder. I had to think of a plan. I had to free this ghost, or it will haunt me forever.

“Jim!” I called out into my house,”I know you are there. Why are you haunting me? Are you trying to tell me something? Please explain these things, maybe I can help you.” All of a sudden it got cold; it was as if I went right into the Artic weather. I turned around to face the table, and there sitting on it was a young man. “Jim?” I asked. The figure nodded its head up and down. “What do you want me to do? How can I help you move on?”

He started to open his mouth. I could hear a faint word coming through his mouth. “Jenny……” I then realized he was talking about his girlfriend that had killed him.

“What do you want with Jenny? Isn’t she the one that killed you?” His head started to shake from left to right. I finally understood, she didn’t kill him, but if she didn’t who did.

As if he was reading my mind he said, “I did.”

With those last words he disappeared. My guess was that all he needed to do was clear his girlfriend’s name. He wanted to die without the guilt of someone, who he loved, taking the blame for what he did. I thought it was sweet of what he did. I was now happy for him that he could move on. I only thought about it for a minute though, because I was sprinting out the door to work.

The Freedom Fighters by Alex M.

2008-01-31T09:10:00.000-05:00

The year was 2036. By this time, democracy had left the barren shores of America. A strong tyrannical government had taken root in Washington. Freedoms had been revoked. The Constitution was shredded. Liberty was suppressed. Books were burned. Newspapers were shut down. Any voice that was critical of the government was silenced.

***

But there was a rebel group named the Wolves who resisted the government oppression. They operated at night, out of sight of the government spies who were around every corner. They met secretly in the forest and planned how to fight the government. The spies and soldiers only patrolled the city, so they were safe in the forest.

Their activities were similar to other resistance groups; they put flyers in mailboxes, passed out banned literature, and occasionally clashed with government forces. They tried to stay away from the soldiers, because they were always vastly outnumbered when fighting them and as a result lost quite a lot of men when skirmishes broke out.

One warm night in August, the Wolves were shoving anti-government flyers into mailboxes, hoping to get new recruits. This technique actually worked, and that is why they had so many resistance fighters. But as they were about to leave the neighborhood, a group of soldiers patrolling the streets found them.

Gunshots rang out. The Wolves were being fired upon and didn’t have weapons to retaliate. So they hid behind houses, mailboxes, cars, and anything else that could provide shelter. People in the neighborhood, hearing the gunshots, woke up and went outside to see what was going on. There was a war going on in the street, and most of the people became frightened and hid inside.

Not all of the civilians were afraid, however. Many of them even sympathized with the Wolves. They were tired of the oppressive government taking all of their rights and were about to do something about it. The government had erased the 2^nd Amendment, and people were not allowed to have private firearms. But many ignored the law and kept them anyway. Those that had weapons used them. Now it was the soldiers that were being fired upon.

Confused and scared, the soldiers retreated further down the street. The also had called in reinforcements to crush the rebels, but it would take an hour for them to arrive.

So they immediately started building a barricade which they could fight behind. Sticks, trash, newspapers, and many other things were thrown on to the pile. They gathered what weapons they had and got ready for the battle.

Sure enough, fifty or so government troops marched down the street and towards the rebels and their barricade. The rebels were hidden, and it was dark, so the soldiers did not know where the enemy was. As the soldiers got closer, the rebels fired upon them, in perfect unison. The soldiers regrouped and fired back.

The battle lasted for about 45 minutes, and the soldiers eventually surrendered. They had suffered severe casualties while the Wolves suffered only minimal casualties. The Wolves had won the battle, but there was a long war ahead of them.

After the word of the soldier’s defeat spread across the nation, small pockets of resistance popped up nationwide. The revolution had begun. The Wolves, who had only started out with ten to fifteen members, now had thousands upon thousands of members. In a matter of months, major battles had been fought across the nation, and the government was losing a lot of ground. By now the Wolves controlled 70% of the nation.

It was a cold December morning, and snow was falling. The government and its soldiers planned to make a last stand in the nation’s capitol. The Wolves had surrounded the city. Each side was preparing for battle. The Wolves planned to enter the city in 45 minutes. All of a sudden, a man holding a piece of paper walked out of the city and towards the commanding officer of the Wolves. They were about to fire upon him, but he held his hands up in surrender. They lowered their guns and he stepped closer to them.

He was tired and dirty. His uniform was torn in many places. He was weak from starvation and dehydration. He handed the officer the dirty piece of paper. The officer read the paper, as if he were surprised. Then he read it again, and again, and several more times after that. It was a note to the Wolves written by the General of the government forces. He had surrendered and was prepared to give the city to the Wolves.

They had won. The war was over. Freedom and liberty had been restored to America. And they found the Constitution, which hadn’t been shredded after all, but was being temporarily stored in the basement of the White House. The one that had been shredded was a copy. Books were once again sold and read. Newspapers sprung up, and people read them like they did before the government banned them. But everyone remembered what had happened, and they were not going to forget it any time soon. They made sure everyone knew how evil government could be, so that a similar government would never occur again. As their leader once said, “We shall always remember, so we may always be free.”

Short story blog assignment comment criteria

2008-01-31T08:48:00.000-05:00

I would like your short story comments to answer the following five questions:

I - Describe your personal reaction to the story. How do you feel after reading it? What do you remember? What images do you see? What concepts or ideas are in your head? What did the story make you think about?

II - Does the main character change over the course of the story? If so, what is his or her great insight or epiphany? How is this change important to the story? How would the story be different if the character didn't change?

If the main character does not change, explain why it was important that he/she remain static throughout the tale. How was the story arc dependent on the main character's personality?

III. What was your favorite part of the story? Did it occur in the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, or resolution? Pick a line that you liked, copy and paste it into the comment box, put quotes around it, and explain what it was about it that stood out to you.

IV - Overall, what is this tale's best quality? It could be its characters, the conflict, the resolution, the description of the setting, the story arc, use of dialogue, etc. Use specific details and references to the story to explain why you thought this was its best strength.

V - What is one piece of advice that the author might consider for future writing assignments? This should be phrased constructively (try doing ------- next time, consider --------) or inquisitively (what do you think would happen if you -------------?)

Comments should be two to three paragraphs (8 to 12 well-written, informative sentences). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, click "nickname," then sign your comment with your first name and last initial. Comments not posted according to these instructions will be deleted.

I would like you to respond to a minimum of two essays per class (6 total). The essays will be up by the end of school on Thursday, Jan. 31st.

* Please bring a printed copy of your comments to class on Monday, Feb. 4th, as I will check them then. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Six comments = a "check"

Nine comments = a "check plus"

For general information about posting blog comments, please click here.

What I Care About Most by Rachael B.

2007-10-19T11:37:00.000-05:00

Who can say what is valuable and what

is not?  What do I think is most valuable?  I think

that anything that can’t be replaced is priceless.

You remember that special moment years from now, or

will always have that certain sentimental item.

Special moments are memories that you can’t put a

price on.  You can always buy new clothes, but an item

of clothing that someone made for you can’t be

replaced.  That someone who cares about you made that

item of clothing out of love, and you can’t put a

price on something made out of love.

                There are countless moments and items

that are priceless to me. There is one in particular,

a quilt that my grandma made for me one Christmas.

When I was four years old, my grandma stopped by my

house with a gift. I had no idea what I was about to

see. When I tore the Christmas paper I saw the most

beautiful quilt. It had green and purple butterflies

and white swirls. The background was full of different

shades of purple patches. It was so creative, that I

could tell that it took a lot of time and effort to

finish. On the inside corner of the quilt she wrote my

name, the date, and how much she loves me.  Every

night I sleep with that quilt, and I plan to keep it

forever. Maybe someday I could give it to my child,

and hope that they will love it as much as I do.

                I do value financial items too, such

as my CDs. Music is very important to me in many ways.

When I listen to music, it takes me to a different

place in my head. I use it to forget about any

problems that I’m having, and it makes me calm. I like

to listen to rock music, such as Led Zeppelin, Foo

Fighters, Nirvana, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Smashing

Pumpkins, Queen, and many more. When I listen to any

of the artists, I find that the lyrics really speak to

me. I enjoy listening to these certain bands because

the lyrics come from the heart. They are meaningful,

and I can sometimes relate to them. An example would

be Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. His music to me it is very

deep and real. He was honest, and he expressed his

true feelings through his words and music. Music is an

important part of my life.

              In a way my quilt and my CDs are

similar, and are opposite from each other at the same

time. Both of them bring me pleasure and help me to

relax. I sometimes use them at the same time. They do

have their differences though. If one of my CDs broke

I could always buy a new one and be satisfied. This

quilt was given to me when I was young, and those are

memories that I treasure. My grandma could always make

me another one, but it would not be the same. I have

had this quilt for so long that nothing can replace

it. I wouldn’t only use it as a blanket; I would wrap

myself up in it when I was upset, nervous, or scared.

When I do wrap myself in my blanket, it reminds me of

better times, and how much I’m loved. Not only does it

keep me warm physically, but also it keeps me warm

emotionally.

               Both of these items are important to

me, but which one means the most?

I would choose my quilt over my CDs. Why do you ask?

This quilt was made for me because she really cares

about me. Someone who takes the time and effort to

make me something means more to me than something

bought. It comforted me when I was small, and it still

does now. I like curling up in that quilt on rainy

days, when I’m sick, and when I start to get tired. My

CDs are important to me, but I can always buy new

ones. I can’t just replace a quilt that my grandma

made special for me. It means the world to me. I could

buy a replacement quilt, but wouldn’t be the same

because whoever made it didn’t think of me during the

process, like my grandma did. I plan to keep it

forever. Overall, financial items are nice to have,

but priceless items and moments mean even more to me.

I can live without materialistic items because they

are not meaningful in a sentimental way.

Value Essay by Martha H.

2007-10-12T14:37:00.000-05:00

Value is to have relative worth, merit, or importance. Value is monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade. Throughout our society, people value many different things. For example, a favorite movie may be valuable to you or a memorable time you watched a movie. Or maybe a person values a musical artist or a picture of a memorable experience. People have many different likes or dislikes that all differ from one other. But how does someone determine what has value? What does value really mean?

Sitting quietly, looking forward, everything else is drowned out. Thirty minutes till game time. No one seems to be talking; no one seems to be moving. Music surrounds me on every side. Twenty minutes, we’re at the field. Rhythms and beats are the only things heard. The sounds pump me up and prepare me for the game. Ten minutes, my mood is being lifted from each second that the sound is played. Never having to hear a song I don’t like. Game time and I’m ready to play.

Two hours left. The family sits in the car while nothing but trees seem to glide by for miles and miles. Chattering, soft music, and laughter fill the air. But after a while, the car begins to settle down. Whether I listen to it while reading or skimming a magazine, my music replaces the silence. The boredom of the radio is gone. The sound of my favorite music fills my ears. Listening to the radio is irritating. Half the time it plays commercials, and even when there’s a song playing there’s a good chance that you won’t like to listen to it. But why have to deal with this when you could listen to every one of your favorite songs? Why bother using the radio when mom makes you listen to a station that she likes and having to die of boredom? Listening to my Ipod changes everything, the long car ride now seems to fly by. The boring mood is quickly replaced and new vibes fill my head.

It’s been a bad day. Angry, sad, irritated, depressed, my Ipod fixes everything. Whether I had a bad game or just want to relax, I can listen to my music and get away from anything that’s happening. Instead of having just one type of music like a station on the radio, I have a variety of music. From rap to hip hop, country to rock, my Ipod has it all. After listening to my music I feel energetic and happy. My Ipod is something that’s always there for me to have. I can listen to it whenever I want, wherever I want.

Book in hand, Ipod blaring, we wait for the boat to depart. The car ride is over and we are about to depart on our way to Long Island. The big, shaking vessel was beginning to turn its engines and prepare for departure. When the fog is absent, the Long Island lighthouse is in clear view and the low strip of land, lying on top of the island is visible. While sitting on the top deck, my sisters at my side, the shaking of the boat increases. We talk about our plans for the weekend when a huge, long horn is released from the boat.

We finally depart from Connecticut. Long Island here we come. After two shorter boat rides to cut through Shelter Island, we finally reach Bridge Hampton. The old house creaks as we enter and we rediscover the familiar smell of the house. The house contains pictures and books dated back to the early 1990’s. The old antiques are funny looking when blended with the new modern day equipment. After unpacking quickly and getting into comfortable clothes, the family meets downstairs. On cold nights such as this, a large fire is stirring and the whole room is filled with its light. From Hearts to Rummy, the family eats and talks while everyone plays cards. After a few hands, Dad and Mom retreat to bed, and my sisters and I stay up. From Mean Girls to Scooby Doo, we watch our favorite movies. After a few movies, our eyes begin to droop and we retire to our rooms. While softly listening to my Ipod, I slowly drift off to sleep. The near by ocean waves crash against the solid land and acts as a lullaby, while we slip into a solid sleep. I can only imagine what exciting adventures we will experience throughout the next few days.

My trips to Long Island can be relaxing, commodious, and compelling all in one day. Without these trips, I believe a part of my childhood would be missing. My family’s best memories are while taking these short trips and I don’t think we’d be the same without them. With a salty ocean breeze and a cozy fire, I can’t think of something I would enjoy better. My Ipod provides serenity and comfort. It’s an item I value for the fun of listening to music. To have my favorite tunes with me wherever I go will always provide a positive effect on my experience. My Ipod always provides every type of music I enjoy.

My Ipod and my trips to Long Island may be two completely different things, but I value them for the same reason. My Ipod is my favorite electronic possession to use. It raises my spirits and pumps me up for a game and makes me all around happy. It makes even the most boring situations lively. On my trips to Long Island, I know I will never have a dull moment. With my family around me and being at my favorite place, puts me in a happy mood. Having both of these items makes me relax and unwind. Long Island and my Ipod make me happy and that is the most important reason on why these things are so valuable to me.

Value Essay by Madeline D.

2007-10-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

What does value mean today? Value means more than what something really is. People today don’t really care how much money they spend on things, if they want it then they will buy it at whatever price it is. I think that almost everyone is high maintenance and get what they want, when they want.

The other team has the ball just a few yards away from the goal. Number 17 has the ball I read where her pass is going. I jump with my stick in the air and intercept the pass. I’m now sprinting down the field while dodging players left and right. I pass to an open player just ahead of me to my left. Give and go. She passes back to me and I take a few steps and shoot hard to the top left corner. Goal! That is just one example how one of my lacrosse games go. My lacrosse stick is very valuable to me. Yes it did cost 120.00 dollars, but I use it almost everyday. I got it for Christmas about 2 years ago. It’s black with some white and the netting is yellow and white. It’s made by the company harrow and is a solo which means that the head and shaft are connected as one. I think that spending money on something you really love and spend a lot of time on, then it’s worth the buy.

January 10^th, it was a cold, winter day. It was snowing here and there. I get the chills and decided to make myself some hot chocolate. I opened the cabinet to get my favorite mug and the got the package of coco. I put on the sink, and let it run until the water was steaming hot. I added the water and coco into my mug, and then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, so it would stay hotter for a longer period of time. Once I heard the buzz of the microwave I grabbed the mug and added 18 mini marshmallows. Then I carefully walked into the living room trying not to spill any over the edge. I turned on the fire and sat down on the couch. I snatched a cozy blanket just beside me and rapped chilled body around it. I turned on the TV and watched my favorite movie Mean Girls. My favorite movie is Mean Girls because it’s about girls roughly my age going through their high school career. It is about three bitchy girls who are very pretty and popular. Almost every girl wants to be like them. Then, there is this new girl named Cady, who moves from Africa and has never been to a real school before. She becomes friends with this girl named Janis and this gay boy named Damien. They absolutely hate the plastics, which are what the three mean girls are called. They come up with this plan to have Cady pretend to be friends with the girls, but really spy on them. It turns out that Cady really likes them and they she becomes really mean and popular, and in the end almost everyone hates her, but Janis and Damien become friends with her again.

I really can’t compare these two things. They are completely two different things, but both represent something great. They both give me a different feeling, but it is the best feeling in the world. They adrenalin you get from playing lacrosse is like a natural high. You can’t get any better than that. When I am relaxing by a fire and drinking hot chocolate while watching my favorite movie can’t really compare to anything else. Those two things are so valuable to and I wouldn’t trade moments for the world.

So, still wondering what value means? It means what you want it to mean. Anything could be valuable to you. Maybe it is a lacrosse stick or drinking hot chocolate, maybe even just spending time with your family. Value can be worth so much more than it is, but sometimes in a very good way. Value doesn’t always mean good, but when it does it is a wonderful feeling. People take things for granted, and make value so much more than it really is.

My Values by Zack T.

2007-10-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

In our world today everyone wants the best of the best. It is hard to learn that something valuable to you is not always expensive, and sometimes the item is priceless. Yes you could buy a multi-million dollar house, or you could have something priceless, such as friends or family that are always there for you. For me, there are things that I value that are expensive, and things I value that are free. Both mean a lot to me but my friends and family I could not replace, whereas I could replace my ipod or bike.

My bike is the most valuable thing I have that costs money. I value it for a few different reasons. First of all, it gets me everywhere I need to be, without bothering someone for a ride. Also, instead of wasting gas and polluting the world, I ride my bike for free. When a car takes about 5 minutes to drive 3 miles, I can ride my bike 5 miles in 10-15 minutes. As I am doing so, I am getting lots of exercise and enjoying the day.

I love bikes. I ride my bike everyday of every week. It is very fun and I love to do it. There have been a couple of times when I have ridden my bike very far without even realizing it, and then having to turn around. The only thought on my mind was that I had to ride my bike back the distance I had already rode it. My bike is silver with some red on it and a little black, and is called an SE. My bike is a very unpopular bike because only a few of them were ever made. It costs $500.00 when it is not on sale. Thankfully I went to go buy it when it was on sale and it only cost me $350.00. My bike is great, and I love to go on long exhausting bike rides with it.

There are also things that do not cost money, but are still very valuable to me. These include my friends, family, spending time with grandparents, or anything else of that sort. Even though they are priceless, my friends are the most valuable thing I have. They are always there for me and will support me no matter what I do. I also know that I can always trust them.

Every day after school when I was younger, me and all my neighborhood friends would meet up. I had 3 friends that lived in the neighborhood, all of them were 2 years older than me, but that didn’t matter. We would get together and skateboard, or play video games, and a lot of other things. Unfortunately though, one of them moved to the other end of South Hadley, and one of them I just don’t hang out with anymore.

I also have made friends away from my neighborhood, up at the campground I go to. I go camping every weekend and hang out with friends up there in the Berkshires. They mean a lot to me and I know that I can do anything and they will support me. They own the campground, so we will do work there and keep the place clean while having a good time. Friends are great to have because anything you need help with they will know what to do. When you have a friend for a long time, you start acting similar and knowing a lot about the other person. I can trust my friends to get me my homework if I miss a day of school, or I can trust them to watch my dog when I go on vacation. Friends are great to have, and you can never have enough.

So as you can see, something that is valuable to you could cost $500.00 or it could be priceless. My bike does mean a lot to me, but I have no clue what I would do without my friends. Friends are always there for you, but whenever you ride a bike, you know it will be a great time. Value to me is enjoying something and how much something means to you, it has nothing to do with money. All in all, I value things that cost money, and things that are priceless.

My Values by Zak G.

2007-10-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

As the saying goes, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. In life, people take many things for granted. Sometimes we are blind to see what matters most to us. I have many values in my life and I appreciate them. I have had many values in my life that I really appreciate and these values can help people to live good lives.

My lacrosse stick is one of the most valuable things to me. It costs two hundred twenty five dollars. The shaft on my lacrosse stick is a silver Debeer Titanium Enhanced. My lacrosse head is called a Brine Answer and it is purple. I have had my lacrosse stick for about a year now. I got it last year at one of my Western Mass All Star lacrosse tournaments at the University of Massachusetts. My lacrosse stick has been basically everywhere that I have been since I have had it.

I take my lacrosse stick with me everywhere I go because sometimes I might be bored and I will just do tricks with it and having your lacrosse stick with you will only make you have better stick skills and be a better player. Also, whenever I am near a school or something with a solid wall I will play wall ball with my lacrosse stick. That is one of the best things that you can do to make yourself better at stick skills. My first lacrosse stick that I ever had was only about thirty dollars. I actually got it on vacation when I went to New Hampshire. It was an all blue stick. After that year I started to play lacrosse.

Sunday mornings are probably the best day of the week. I can sleep as late as I want and I know that I don’t need to rush in order to get to school on time. I usually sleep until around 11 o’clock. I roll out of my bed and by doing this I wake up my dog also because he sleeps right next to my bed. I go out to the kitchen and I can smell the pancakes and the bacon. My mom always cooks pancakes, bacon, and eggs on Sunday mornings for breakfast. My two sisters and I play sports so my family doesn’t get to eat together a lot because of sports. On Sundays we usually are all here for breakfast though. After I eat I always watch Sports Center for about an hour if I wake up early enough but if I don’t I watch the pre-game show for the NFL football games. On Sundays I always stay home until at least around 5 because I always bet on the games so I want to see the games that I bet on. My favorite team is the New York Giants so I always watch the whole game no matter what. Sunday mornings and that overall day is amazing because I usually don’t have to do anything the whole day I just lie around.

On some other Sundays my family will go out to eat. Most of the time that we go out to eat we would go to Ihop. I would always get the same thing. I would get pancakes, bacon, and eggs with chocolate milk. That’s all I have ever got from there. After that my dad would drop off my mom and my two sisters at my house and we would go somewhere to watch the football games that day. If my family went out to eat me and my dad would always go out somewhere to watch the football games, but if we stayed at home to eat my dad and I would stay home to watch them. I always like to out to eat because we usually go to my Uncles house and he has a 60 inch flat screen television.

I have many things that I value such as my lacrosse stick, but I can’t compare that to my Sunday mornings. Some things that you can put a price tag on can be very valuable to you but not as valuable as something that you can’t put a price tag on. If I could choose one of the two to always have forever I would easily pick Sunday mornings because I can replace my lacrosse stick. I don’t think I could replace the fun time that I have on Sunday mornings. You can replace the things that may be valuable but some other things you can’t.

As you can see, sometimes you can’t just buy the things that you want. You could be really rich, but at the same time you might not have a good life. You need to appreciate the things that life gives you. In my life I have many values that I can put a price tag on but at the same time I have many other “priceless” moments.

Values Essay by Wes C.

2007-10-12T13:58:00.000-05:00

The most expensive cars and the most expensive houses are all that matter to people today. It really doesn’t make any sense why people feel this way. Value does mean how much something costs, but true value is something that really matters to you. It’s something that you can’t live without, that you enjoy and respect, and is something that you would never sell and you can not put a money value on.

Something that has a high money value to me is my snowboard. It’s one of the most expensive brands, and is a good quality snowboard. It’s made by a large company called Burton. The bottom is white and says in grey lettering “BURTON”. The top of my snowboard is grey with a design in a different shade of grey. When I stand it up straight next to me, it reaches to a little bit above my chin, which is the perfect height. Connected to my snowboard are the bindings. These are made by the same brand as the board, but the ones I bought were used, yet are still in good condition. They are an army green with a shiny orange polish on them. The positions of the bindings on the snow board are different for everyone. I have mine set where my front foot is turned a little forward, and my back foot is perpendicular to the board. Some other positions could be set where both the bindings are put perpendicular to each other, or one could be pointing a little forward and the other one a little backward. There are two clips that hold your feet in. The one that is closer to my toes actually goes around my toes, so it covers the top and front of my feet. The back one goes at the lower part of my shin. My boots are also made by Burton. Burton is by far the biggest brand in snowboarding, as you can probably see by now. They are an army green with tan, and a yellow inside. They are the perfect size for my snowboard and bindings. My boots are very thick and keep my feet very warm while on top of the mountain, or on the ski lift.

One thing that I value most that cannot have a price put on it is the moment before and during jump ball, at the beginning of a basketball game. Walking on to the court, just before the game starts, give you a rush of adrenaline. Seeing all the fans cheering for your team and the other team is amazing. Getting in position, everyone is looking at the referee, waiting for him to throw the ball up. This is the moment where I check out the other players, seeing how tall, strong, and big they look. This moment is the worst because it seems like it takes 2 hours before the referee blows his whistle to start the jump ball. The anticipation of this moment is so overwhelming that I usually go to the bathroom before the game, just in case I had an accident at this moment. As soon as the referee blows his whistle, everything changes. All that rushes through your head is what to do, and not to mess up. When the referee first throws up the ball, there’s nothing you can do, unless you’re jumping. All you can do is cheer on your team mate, and wait and be ready. There are so many possibilities of what could happen and what to do when it happens, it’s mind-boggling. Depending on what position you play, you’ll either be rushing ahead for a break away, or rushing back, to stop the other team from getting a break away. The rush of when the referee finally throws up the jump ball is so exhilarating, that a million words cannot describe it. The closest thing to this moment is if you were pitching in the MLB, it was the bottom of the ninth, full count, 2 outs, and your team is up by one, in the World Series. Then, you throw all you’ve got and strike out the batter. The jump ball is my favorite part of the game because it’s the most exhilarating part, but you aren’t tired out at all so you’ve got all your energy.

My snowboard and the moment of jump ball are similar in ways, yet they are different in other ways. They are similar because both of them involve adrenaline pumping through my body. Just looking at my snowboard reminds me of being at the mountain and snowboarding. Both these things are valuable to me because they are a big part of my life. During the jump ball, I can release all my energy and anger and play hard, and with my snowboard, I can use it as an excuse to get away from everything and have fun. The main reason why these two things are different is because playing basketball is the most fun thing to me that I enjoy a lot and does not cost money, while my snowboard means a lot to me because it is so expensive. When I think about it, I wonder to myself why I value this so much. Values in your life should not depend on how much something costs, that’s pointless. Values should be more like the moments before jump ball, or waking up and looking outside, seeing a foot of snow, knowing you will have a snow day.

When I think about what really is valuable, I realize it is spending time with my friends and family and having a good time playing basketball. Valuable is not something that has a high money value. Writing this essay has changed my mind about what is valuable and what we think is valuable. I now realize that money doesn’t matter in your life, it’s how you live your life and what is important or valuable in your life.

Value Essay by Tessa H.

2007-10-12T13:55:00.000-05:00

Today some people are spending an outrageous amount of money on things that to most people would not be necessary; but how do we decide when something is necessary, or if something has value? Most people, would likely value a home or food to feed their family. Others, may value cell phones, convertibles, mansions, and expensive jewelry. There is a difference between a pricy and priceless item, but how do we determine which has more value?

***

It was the summer of 2000 when I attended a clinic at Holyoke Community College . My parents wanted me to join some type of team, but didn’t know how to get me involved. They decided to let me pick some type of sport and I chose lacrosse. I thought it was cool that my brothers played, so I thought I would give it a shot. The Christmas of 2001, I got my first lacrosse stick. It was an orange DeBeer head, with a silver shaft. Of course it was a beginner’s stick, because my parents didn’t think I would stick with the sport. It is now the fall of 2007 and I still play lacrosse. I have however upgraded my lacrosse stick since then.

Since I have began playing I have collected about five lacrosse sticks. My favorite stick is a white Impulse head with black and orange strings. This head came with a silver shaft, but I had an orange black and white Harrow shaft that my dad put on for me. I also have 4 other Impulse lacrosse heads and on each they have either a blue or red Harrow shaft. Another lacrosse stick I have in my collection is a bright pink and lime green Solo. It’s a horrible stick to play lacrosse with because you can not scoop up the ball with it, but it’s really colorful and pretty.

The cost of lacrosse sticks has gone up since my first one. Heads did cost in the price range of $40-100 and now they most likely range anywhere from $60-150. The more expensive the head is the more likely it was be a good company that makes it. You also need to pay for a new shaft when you buy a head, unless you want the metal one that comes with it. In my opinion Harrow shafts are the best to buy because they have many different kinds, for both guys and girls. However the cost of one of these shafts can get pricy as well. Most of my harrow shafts range from $100-140 but you can pay less or more, depending on what type you get.

***

“I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life.” (Pat Riley)

My family finds little time to spend with each other. My sister recently just got married and moved out, and my brothers are usually out, working or school. When we are together we make the most of it. Being with them and having my family around would have to be my favorite “priceless” value ever.

My family has some sort of a daily routine. We go of to either work or school everyday, but at the end of the day when everyone has finished work, school and sports we gather around the kitchen table for dinner. It almost had a festive feeling because there are so many people all wanting to share their day. After dinner we migrate towards the living room where our T.V. is located and either my brother or my dad will flip to channel 51 to watch the Red Sox game.

Everyone in my family is a huge Sox fan and we watch the game every night they are on. Together we cheer and sometimes we yell at the T.V. if JD Drew is up to bat. Some times on weekends my mom will invite my aunt and uncle, Joanne and Joe over with their kids Caralyn, Mara, Alex, and Dan over to watch the game with us. They are huge red sox fans as well. My mom will make a ton of snacks, and we will pig out while watching the game. It’s nice that we can all share the love of baseball and especially the Red Sox.

As you can see I value my lacrosse sticks, and being with my family to watch the Red Sox games. I value them in different and similar ways. My lacrosse sticks allow me to play the game I love. However while having my lacrosse sticks; they always break, or can get ruined. This is why I would have to say even though I value both; I do value my family more. When my lacrosse sticks break, my family doesn’t and I will always have them and they will be there more me; Even if it’s by watching the game together.

Value Essay by Phil M.

2007-10-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

Have you ever loved the sound of something and then you started getting nervous, this is what happened to me before I went knee boarding. We only go 15-20 miles an hour, but it feels much faster. This also happened to me with a computer. I love computers but sometimes they can be a pain. Other times you don’t know how you could live without one. Here are some of my memories about the lake, and why I live my computer.

One of my favorite moments in my life is when I go to my friend Ryan Loughery’s lake house. We have so much fun. Knee boarding, and tubing behind the Starcraft, that is the most powerful boat they have, and boat rides on the Whaler. The Starcraft waves are so big they send you flying up in the air. One time when I first learned to kneeboard it took me five tries to get up. It now only takes me 1. My forearms always kill after from trying to pull myself up. Tubing is so much fun, when you go over the waves the adrenaline rushes through you. It’s so much fun to be cannoned off the wave and go spinning into the water. One time when I was about to go off the wave I got to close to Ryan, I didn’t fall but if I did I would have nailed Ryan. As much as I like tubing I like knee boarding better. Falling off of a kneeboard doesn’t hurt at all but I was still a little hesitant. It did take me 5 tries but I eventually got up and went halfway around the lake. My forearms were absolutely dead by the time I got back because I didn’t lean back far enough. I’ll tell you a little story.

One afternoon after we had our annual water fight, we wanted to go out on the Starcraft and kneeboard. I had never gone knee boarding so I was a little bit nervous. We got into the cold 60-degree water. My brother and Ryan’s dad and brother took the boat out about 20 feet; Ryan and I got set to go. Ryan yelled go and we were off. The adrenaline rushed through me as I squirmed to get on the board. I got halfway and fell off. On the second, third, and fourth I fell, but then on the fifth one I got up and went about halfway around the lake. Some small waves were coming, I heard Ryan yell lean back but I didn’t get back fast enough. I went straight down into the water.

My favorite thing of financial worth is my computer. It lets me access the Internet and talk to people on AIM. My favorite website on the Internet is miniclip. Most of the games are action games. I love to play the racing games because the other cars are actually really good. In one racing game there are shortcuts so you can beat the other cars easily. AIM is good because I get to talk to people and it’s free. Texting on my phone costs money. And they might not be there. Some disadvantages to AIM are most people aren’t there.

As you can see they are both important to me. But which do I like more? I think being at the lake house is better than any computer money can buy. The lake house is fun with the tubing and the knee boarding and letting the wave go under the board, bouncing up and down, the tubing flying through the air. As you can see I really enjoy being at the lake house. My computer is still very important to me though. AIM lets me talk to my friends and the Internet lets me play games. Something I like to do in my free time. Now I can tell that moments at Ryan’s lake house are way more important to me than some stupid computer. If I ever have to choose between moments at the lake or a computer there is no comparison, I would go to the lake.

This wasn’t a very hard choice either have fun outside or be inside doing absolutely nothing. A computer is fun for a little while but I could go to the lake for a whole summer and not get bored. I would love to learn to water ski but I’m afraid my skis would move apart and make me do the splits.

What is Valuable? By Meg M.

2007-10-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

In today's society we have forgotten the value of objects. People are so obsessed with buying the most expensive handbags or importing water from different countries for excessive amounts of money. What is valuable and what is not? Do any of us really know?

It is a blistering hot summer day. The intense softball game has just begun and everyone is pumped. My position for the day is shortstop. The batter steps up consciously awaiting her pitch. She slams the bat down on the plate and prepares to hit the ball. Our pitcher quickly winds up and fires the ball toward the plate.

Pow, the ball hits the bat and the ball races toward me. My hand tightens up inside my glove and the sweat starts to collect in my palm. Within seconds I find the ball miraculously placed in the pocket of my glove. I fish the round ball out of my glove and simultaneously throw the sphere toward the girl at first base. The umpire calls, "OUT" and the inning is over.

My softball glove is the most important piece of equipment that I own. Without my glove I would not be able to play softball. The firmness of the glove provides protection against the ball, while the softness makes for good control. Even though my glove may smell horrendous, it is still a very important piece of equipment to me.

*****

It is Mother's Day weekend, also known as dance recital for me. As usual, my routine is up first and opens the entire show. The show begins in five minutes, so i wait patiently behind the curtain to go on stage. Suddenly, the opening announcements finish, and I am about to start. Butterflies swarm my stomach and my heart quickly races uncontrollably.

As I proceed onto the stage all eyes are on me. My butterflies start to subside, but my heart is still racing. Then, I face forward and I can see everyone in the audience. There are massive lights shining right onto my face, and I can feel the heat generating from them. The song keeps playing and I can feel the excitement running through my body. People in the audience are hollering and cheering people's names. The within an instant the song is over. The audience claps and screams while we take a bow.

Dancing on stage gives me the greatest feeling of accomplishment in the world. Getting up in front of people, to me, is very hard, but dancing in front of people is so much easier. It also gives me confidence to try new things. When I am on stage dancing that moment is priceless and nothing, not even my softball glove, can compare to that.

*****

I value both my softball glove and dancing on stage for different reasons. Although, some of the reasons may be somewhat the same. My softball glove provides for protection and control against an incoming ball. It also serves as a much needed piece of equipment when playing in a softball game. I do not know exactly how much my glove is worth but I would estimate at around forty dollars. It is a little torn from all of the work that is has been through but that is what gives the glove some character. I also get to let out anger by throwing the ball harder and going after it more.

Without my glove I would not be able to play softball. I would not be able to field the ball or catch it. That would not be good because it is my favorite sport and not being able to play would greatly upset me. So my glove is quite valuable in my playing the game.

Dancing on stage excites and builds confidence for me. It also relaxes me because I can let out my emotions. Also, it makes me feel as if I have accomplished something important. I would diffidently say that for me, it is priceless because you can not put a price tag on feelings that you get when you do something that you love.

My softball glove and dancing on stage allow me to let out some emotions that I can not explain. They also make me feel proud of myself and accomplished. The things that I most value are ones that I can express myself in many different ways.

Ipods and the Beach: How they are Valuable to Me By Maddie M.

2007-10-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Today in our world, living in 2007, it’s hard to tell the difference from what’s truly valuable, and what’s not. We see all of the famous people and celebrities dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on silly little things like diamond encrusted cell phones. Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Nicole Richie all pay somebody to glue diamonds onto their cell phones. I understand that diamonds are a girls’ best friend, but why somebody would do that is beyond me. They’re all going to fall off one day.

I think that sometimes people get too caught up in who has the most expensive items, and they think that it’s a competition, but it’s not. What’s valuable to me might not be valuable to others. Something like my ipod and the beach are valuable to me because they are special to me, but things like lacrosse sticks and basketballs are not because I don’t play those sports. So after you read this, I hope you will think about what’s truly valuable to you, and what’s not.

My ipod is one of the most valuable things to me. I got it for Christmas last year. It was a gift from my mom, and two little sisters. It’s a pink ipod nano that I had been asking for more than a year. I love it because it allows me to listen to whatever kind of music I like, and the best part is that there are no commercials. My ipod also helps me relax. If I’ve had a stressful day, I just take it out, plug in the headphones, and press play. Sometimes I put my ipod on its dock, and the music blares through the speakers.

Not only does my ipod relax me, but it also helps me get pumped up for a big meet. The loud music and fast energy helps me focus on what I really want to do, win. I remember one time last season, we had the biggest meet of the season, and I sat in the locker room for thirty solid minutes, just listening to music, trying to get pumped and focused at the same time. I think it worked because we ended up winning.

The beach is somewhere I go every year with my family. It’s a tradition that I look forward to all year long. The beaches there are so beautiful; it’s my favorite place in the world. The beach makes me feel so happy, and carefree. Part of the reason why I love the beach so much is because I am a swimmer. I’ve been swimming competitively for almost ten years now, so when I go to the beach, I feel like I’m at a meet getting ready to swim a race.

It’s amazing to see much people change over the course of one year. My littlest sister, Sydney is five now and I can still remember her first summer at the beach. She hated the sand so much; she wouldn’t even stick her toe in it. If the smallest grain of sand were on her, we would hear about it. She didn’t really like the water either. Now today, she swims on the swim team with me, and she loves the sand too.

My favorite moment at the beach is when I lay down in my chaise, with my feet in the sand and listen to my ipod. I get to do my two favorite things, plus I get a nice tan. Something about the sound of the waves crashing makes me feel so calm and relaxed. I also love the feeling of the sand beneath my toes and the sound of seagulls fighting over the last crumb of bread. Listening to my ipod combined with lying out on the beach is one of my favorite memories, and the best part is that I get to do it every summer of every year.

Things like my ipod are worth a lot of value to me because they are expensive, and it is also meaningful because it was a gift from my family. Things like the beach are valuable to me because the beach makes me happy, and you can’t put a price tag on happiness.

What is value? By Lindsay B.

2007-10-12T11:28:00.000-05:00

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” That is what Warren Buffet quoted and he has an excellent point. Different things have different values to different people. Some things have a great value in that they are worth a large sum of money and others can’t be found online or on the shelves of Macy’s. For me, the priceless moments that I get to experience everyday have the most value and I would take them over a pair of $1,300 shoes that I won’t wear again.

One of my most memorable times took place in July of 2006.

The sun was shining. The humidity was so unbearable; we didn’t know how much more we could take. I stepped out onto the freshly cut field to set up in the net. I tap the post with my shaft and get into my ready position. My coach is now riffling lacrosse balls at me until the referees call for the game to begin momentarily. I’m at the Ft. Devan’s lacrosse tournament with my summer lacrosse team. Any minuet now, we’ll be starting the most important 50 minutes of the day. A game that could qualify us for finals was about to take place. Long Island is our match and they aren’t going to just hand us a W for our record.

Everyone steps out onto the field after exchanging high fives and good lucks. My heart is pounding in my throat and I’m positive that my teammates are going through the same feeling. I was not about to let a whole summer spent practicing in the extreme heat let me down now.

The ball is placed between the two sticks at the midfield. Knees bent. Eyes up. Sticks ready. And then, the whistle is sounded. This is our cue to forget about everything else and focus on lacrosse for an hour.

A game of ping-pong is played with the ball going from us to them and then back again. Goals are scored by each team.

It’s a game of rapid fire for the goalies and I did my best to shut them out and for the most part, I do. Blocks are made left and right with the occasional ball slipping through to make the dreadful swoosh sound behind me. This is by far the most intense and well played game I’ve seen my team have all summer.

At the end of the first half, the Yellow Jackets are up by 4. Our coaches are encouraging and believe that we can do this. I’m very happy with my play as well as the rest of my team.

Gradually, our team came back so we were only down by 1 goal. A forward goes in to shoot and then, GOAL. Everyone is screaming and jumping for joy. It finally looks like w can pull this off. Now, the other coach is complaining to the ref saying that the goal didn’t count because we were off sides when we clearly were not. The ref listened to the other team and the goal didn’t count. Then because of the complaints from our team, Long Island got the ball at half field and they came down to score.

Unfortunately the game ended there and we did not qualify for playoffs. After the game, everyone was congratulating everyone on how well we played and I was happy to receive as many compliments as I did from my team, the other team, and spectators. Even though we lost, we played our hearts out and it was by far the best game of my life.

In addition to priceless moments, there are some objects that I own that I value. One of the best examples is my iPod.

As I trot down the sidewalk, ponytail bobbing and the constant tapping of my never stopping feet, I can hear the beat of my running playlist moving through my head. After the tedious amount of miles, I’m finally satisfied and I can now rest. I switch my playlist to “mellow” to calm me down a little bit. I use my iPod for instances such as this and so many more. When I’m in a good mood, I listen to my iPod to keep me staying up beat. When I’m in a tired mood, I listen to my iPod to relax me. When I’m angry, I listen to my iPod to distract me. I could go on with examples.

Music can impact your mood so much, it’s unbelievable and having an iPod just makes it easier to access. I love being in control of what I’m listening to and people can’t tell me to change the song or turn it down because I’m the only one who can hear it. I can take it with me anywhere because it is so small, it’s not a hassle.

My iPod happens to be lime green since that’s my favorite color. I have somewhere around 600 songs. The middle button sticks sometimes because I use it so much. I’ve gone through about three sets of headphones and I’m sure there will be more to add to the collection.

As you can see, these two things are very different but that’s part of the reason why I value them both so much. That lacrosse game gave me complete self-satisfaction while remaining un-cocky because we lost. It felt good to be noticed for my play. On the other hand, my iPod always puts me in a great mood and distracts me from boredom.

Value all depends on who you are. For me, I find the moments I spend with the people I love doing what I enjoy most are the most valuable thing in the world. I think sometimes society gets caught up in who has the latest designer hand bag instead of concentrating on the important things in life because soon they’ll be gone. I know what’s valuable to me but what do you value?