6 word memoirs

I am more than six words.
My life's complicated, but it's mine.
I live to love, always dreaming.
I live for pink and diamonds.
Prayers go up, miracles come down.
Never ever walk a step alone.
Living in sun-dresses and a smile.
Good at a lot, never great. 

Brittany Delaney

My Mark on High School

This past weekend, I went to my friend’s birthday party. It was the end of the year and I thought I deserved to have some fun; with no regrets, I went to release my mind from all this academic stress. To my surprise, the experience I got there, remarkably not from the partying, was beyond satisfactory.

Throughout the night, the people became more intoxicated and the party more enjoyable. Every now and then I would greet someone I knew and would talk to them until one of us had to leave. Most of these conversations started off with the question, “Simon? Simon’s at a party?” with an awkward yet appropriate chuckle following.

A couple of hours into the party, I bumped into a friend of mine that I had not talked to for four years, maybe with the exception of glancing and nodding at each other in the hall way. With the music booming in one ear, my friend and I began to have a conversation through the other ear; regardless of his state of mind, I listened to every word he had to say. He remembered how we played on the school basketball team in eighth grade, how that seemed so long ago, when in reality it was only four years ago and unfortunately how we have not kept in touch. But what hit me the hardest was what he said next.

Stumbling over his feet, he asked me if I had picked up my yearbook yet. Before I could reply, he brought up how I had won Most Likely to Succeed in eighth grade and how I won the same award this year as a senior. Even though he was rather inebriated, I took these next words to heart. He said that no matter what the future held in store, he knew from eighth grade that I was going to be successful. It was then that all the thoughts I had tried to forget about before the party flooded into my head. It astounded me how the impression I had formed on people so long ago was still prevalent, even for someone I never kept in touch with.

For some reason, even though my friend was just a kid, not someone of wisdom or age, his words impacted me. I do not know if it is because of graduation goggles, or because I truly felt this way, but it was at that point when I realized that all of us are going to miss high school for our own personal reasons. These reasons can range anywhere from being the center of attention at high school parties to being one of the few distinct academic “celebrities” of the senior class.

Regardless of what happened in high school, I believe we should embrace our past four years and let them guide us into what will make us happiest these next four years. Whether you are a nerd, jock, band geek, skater, or any other member of a clique, I hope you can separate the positive experiences from the negative ones in high school and incorporate what you loved in high school into your college years. After all, college is meant for students to find their passions and interests. In other words, whatever makes them happiest. You only go to college once, so make sure it’s worth it.

As for the rest of the night, it was just a memory for the history books.

~ Simon L.

The end is near

As my last year of high school will soon be over.

I don’t know what to do now that the end is so near.

I can see the days winding down and it will soon be tomorrow.

Leaving all my friends behind fills my heart with sorrow.

The things we have done and the moments we have shared.

Starting all over makes me feel so scared

I wanted my final year to be the best one ever.

To burn in the memories so they will last forever.

I love to cheer and dance and know that I will leave them behind.

As I move on to college where my future path will be defined.

The time for such activities won’t be part of the deal.

I must focus on more mature things and keep it real.

I am anxious for the future and don’t want to be afraid.

But there are so many choices that need to be made.

I am not afraid of tomorrow and my future will be bright.

But I’ll worry about it tomorrow since I am still a senior tonight.

Brittany Delaney

Procrastination

Almost everyone has procrastinated some in school and find themselves with only a few days left to finish a major assignment.  When Mrs. Elliott assigned the literary merit research project with a due date a month later, I know a lot of people, including myself, that weren't worried at all about starting it.  A lot of those same people were the ones scrambling to finish it at the last minute and when they asked for more time, Mrs. Elliott refused.  I think the reason she does this is because that is how college is like.  She wants us all to realize that in college, there are no checkpoints to ensure your keeping pace and there are no extended deadlines.  It is up to you to keep track and get whatever assignment done.  For me, that project made me aware that larger projects are even worse for procrastinating.  Small assignments, although still bad to put off, are a lot easier to do in just one night.  Many teachers divide large projects into smaller assignments with guidance along the way.  Apparently in college the professors don't do that.  Now I know that they assign something so far ahead of the due date for a reason and I will definitely use that time more wisely.

Zach Y.

Of Literary Merit

As a freshman, I wondered who picked these books we read.  As a sophomore, I was curious why we had to analyze books with such depth.  As a junior, I questioned why we had to learn about so many literary devices.  Now, as a senior, I have learned that the literary devices create depth in a book that impact the reader and add to the book's literary merit, making it a good book to study in school.  After four years in high school, I'm beginning to grasp how the analysis of a book shows what exactly the author did to create the work of literary merit and write something with more depth than a book for pure entertainment.  Also, this research project where we need to pick a novel and decide ourselves if it's of literary merit or not, will help me better understand how a novel becomes of literary merit.  It shows the process all the novels read in school had to go through to be considered good to read and taught in school.  When a work of literary merit is fully understood, it leaves a larger and longer lasting impact on the reader and gives the reader something to think about society or leaves a moral about mankind.
Zach Y.

My Spring Break in Mexico

As I stepped out of the airplane, the cool breeze of Mexico crept up and as we drove to the city, Zapotlanejo, I could already smell the cows 5 miles away. The new scent in the air did not bother me because it was a reminder that I was back to my second home. When we arrived to the welcoming city of Zapotlanejo, our first stop was not my aunts house, but instead it was straight to some enchiladas, tamales, and posole. While we finished devouring the delious food, I new that this was only the begining because there were lots of foods that I was waiting to consume.  During the week I went to a small town where everyone knows not only their neighbor but the family ten blocks away. While I was there, I visited my grandfather where I helped him milk a cow. I have to say that was a bit scary but worth all the fright. While I was there,  I could see the river that connected the industrialized city of Guadalajara to the unindustrialized village of Atengo.  I was able to experience the two different lifestyles while I was there, which made me more aware of the different lives that people live within a small radius. During the week, I had a great time with my family and as the last day in Mexico arrived, I was sad that I had to leave,  but I knew that I had enjoyed my break.

Cynthia Navarro

A Jewel to the World

As we live our daily lives we seek truth.

It is what surrounds us that we most cherish.

We unfold every pedal of a rose

Until we find the inner beauty.

This hidden gift begins to glow like a diamond jewel,

because it begins to lighten the world with color.

Ever y moment in our lives adds to the spectrum of life a different color.

Through every rise and fall we discover meaning and truth.

Every barrier we overcome makes us cherish

What we become—a blossomed rose.

It is then we discover the beauty

Of life because to the world we become a valuable jewel.

Like a rose, we flourish and add color to the world.

Like a jewel we are cherished because we bring beauty to life.

Like life itself, we bring about truth to those who seek it most.

♥  Cynthia Navarro