Halloween

Halloween

The one day of the year,
when children dress up in what they fear.
They go out at night,
and despite their fright,
collect lots of treats.

After a long, cold night,
the children go home and see what they got.
They eat and eat until they are stuffed,
and go to sleep with a huff and a puff.

Halloween is the one day of the year where children can have fun,
but also live in fear.

Final College Essay

As a child growing up and undergoing the big change of high school, I was always seen as a shy, very unspoken person. At that time, I always pictured myself as a follower, not a leader. During my freshman year, I tried out for the junior varsity and varsity field hockey teams at my high school. I performed the best to my ability and ended up only achieving junior varsity even though varsity was the team I was striving for. My high hopes were crushed, but my head stayed held up high, as I wanted the varsity coach to see my strong passion for the sport. Well, my hard work paid off and after two games, I was asked to practice and play with the varsity team. This is where my journey begins.

After successfully completing my freshman field hockey season with more playing time than ever imagined as a freshman, the next season couldn’t come fast enough. Sophomore year came, and the itch to play was overwhelming. I was hopeful to learn and develop new skills. Sophomore year was difficult for me, especially during field hockey. I was dealing with self esteem issues and the smallest of mistakes on and off the field would put me down. I pushed through sophomore year, and set myself on the back burner to observe my team and their skills. My coach was a lot of help at this time as she saw the problems I was having emotionally. She pulled me aside one game and said to me, “take this year as a learning experience Lauren, and you will develop into the strong woman I know you can be.” On that day, my coach inspired me to believe in myself and those words have stayed close to my heart ever since.

Junior year came around and my confidence was up when entering the field hockey season. Preparing well during the off season, I was ready to play a competitive game. After all of the effort put in, I became a starter and played every minute of every game. As the end of the season approached, I started thinking about my role on the team and began to realize that I had developed some leadership skills all on my own. My teammates recognized this as well and elected me the senior varsity captain of the field hockey team. To me, this accomplishment is what drove me out of childhood and into adulthood. Being the leader of a team has taught me leadership skills and that being in charge of something larger than yourself is a great experience that everyone should have the privilege to undergo. Changing from the once shy, reserved girl, to a leader instead of a follower has changed my life for the better. If this opportunity had not been presented to me, my real voice may have never been found and who knows how different my life would be.

Nursing

I have thought long and hard about what I want my future to be like. Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to go into the medical field. At first, I thought I wanted to become a veterinarian. Animals have always been a passion of mine but I have since realized that the animal medical field is not the path that I want to go down. This school year I am taking a medical assisting course through Biddeford Center of Technology. I never thought I would be good at working with people but this course has made me realize that working with people is what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to become a nurse.

Doing something meaningful with life is something everyone should strive for. Though it is a lot of work and schooling to get into the position of a nurse who cares for people, it is all worth it. The end result is changing peoples lives one life at a time. I am very excited to begin the next step in my life and to eventually be someone who changes peoples lives everyday.

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

After reading this story by Joyce Carol Oates, I am left with many questions. I don't know if I am looking too much into the meaning of this story or if the meaning is truly hidden. When first reading this story, I thought it was about the main character Connie being harassed by this boyArnold Friend. To me, the story was telling me that Arnold is trying to get Connie to come for a ride with him so he can sexually harass her or kidnap her. There are many clues to this in the story. It is said that he is an older looking man, Connie has no idea who he is and he doesn't leave when she threatens to call the police. Up until the last paragraph of the story, I thought this was the case. The ending to me leaves the reader kind of confused, it did to me anyways.

After finishing the story the first time, I read the story again for a second time because I was not satisfied with my understanding of the story. After reading it the second time, I am still left guessing the meaning of the story. I am very curious to find out the actual meaning behind the story.

"The Shawl"

In Cynthia Ozick's short story "The Shawl", she uses certain language throughout the story to give the reader hints that her story is abut The Holocaust. The story begins describing how Magda is wrapped up in the shawl and how each family member is starving; "Magda took Rosa's nipple, and Rosa never stopped walking , a walking cradle. There was not enough milk; sometimes Magda sucked air; then she screamed" (290. The language used in these first opening paragraphs hint to the reader that the family described is desperate for food and is in deep despair. As the story progresses, the reader finds out that Magda, the baby wrapped up in the shawl, is being hidden at all times. The author hints to this by constantly repeating how Magda is silent all the time and is never revealed from the shawl. The author also begins to hint of the situation this family is in by using certain words. Ozick uses the words "yellow star" and "Aryan" which lead the reader to think that the story is about a family in the holocaust with a lady baby girl that has remained hidden in the shawl while the family is in the labor camp.

The symbolism of the shawl in this story is that of protection and the nurturing of the babies mother that the mother is unable to give. Magda has to be constantly hidden within the shawl in order to stay alive, otherwise she would be killed. The mother is unable to give her child what she needs due to many factors so the shawl serves as a way for the baby to stay alive. The shawl also serves as protection for the bay because she cannot be seen.

Life

This quote was given to me by my field hockey coach before one of our games for inspiration. We receive a quote before every home game that are all very inspirational, but to me this one stood out the most. In a very short amount of lines, this quote summarizes life. This quote talks about the good and bad aspects of life. I have this quote hanging on my mirror in my room so that I see it every morning and every night and it always makes me realize that everything that happens each day in my life, happens for a reason and that it is meaningful. Though it may not seem like at the time, all of life's challenges are for a reason and each and every sacrifice you make, will benefit you in your future. 

College Essay Rough Draft

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

As a child growing up and even as I entered high school, I was always seen as a shy, very unspoken person. At that time, I always pictured myself as a follower, not a leader. As a freshman, I tried out for the junior varsity and varsity field hockey teams at my high school. I tried my best and ended up only achieving junior varsity even though I had dreamed about being selected for the varsity team. My high hopes were crushed, but I still kept my head up high, as I wanted the varsity coach to see that I had a strong passion for the sport. Well, my hard work paid off and after two games, I was asked to practice and play with the varsity team and this is where my journey begins.

I completed my freshman field hockey season with more playing time than I ever would have imagined and was excited for the next season to come. Sophomore year came, and the itch to play was overwhelming. I was hopeful to learn and develop new skills. Sophomore year was difficult for me, especially during field hockey. I was dealing with self esteem issues and would get down on myself when I made even the smallest of mistakes on the playing field. I pushed through sophomore year, and set myself on the back burner to observe my team and their skills. My coach was a lot of help at this time as she saw the problems I was having emotionally. She pulled me aside one game and said to me, “take this year as a learning experience Lauren, and you will develop into the strong woman I know you can be”. On that day, my coach inspired me to believe in myself and I have kept those words close to my heart ever since.

Junior year came around and I was confident when entering the field hockey season. I had prepared myself well and I was ready to play a competitive game. Once again, my hard work paid off and I became a starter and played every minute of every game. As my junior year season approached the end, I started thinking about my role on the team and began to realize that I had developed some leadership skills all on my own. As I approached the end of my junior year season, I was elected the senior varsity captain of my field hockey team. To me, this accomplishment is what drove me out of childhood and into adulthood. I have learned leadership skills and it has taught me that being in charge of something larger than yourself is a great experience that everyone should have to privilege to undergo. Changing from the once shy, unspoken little girl, to a leader instead of a follower has changed my life for the good. If I had never had the opportunity to find my real voice, who knows how different my life would be right now

Setting as Symbol in "Araby"

When the reader uncovers the meaning of "Araby", the reader can see that this story is actually about a boy who is torn between his religious beliefs and his feelings. The symbolic significance of the little boys quest in James Joyce's short story is to allow the boy to realize that the real world is not what he had fantasized about in his head. When he gets to the bazaar, after a very long time, it is revealed that; "Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness. I recognized a silence like that which pervades a church after a service" (111). This "darkness" is very disappointing to the boy because the whole purpose of his journey was to buy something for Mangen's sister who is perceived as the narrators crush. The bazaar can be thought to symbolize the boys epiphany when he realizes that his religion and the way he was raised is not the way he wants to live.

There are many more symbols that lead up to the narrators epiphany. "The former tenant of our house, a priest, had died in the back drawing room" (107). The priest also refers to the religious significance of the story as well as the bazaar and the dead end or "blind side" of the street; "North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers' School set the boys free. An uninhabited house of two storeys stood at the blind end, detached from its neighbors in a square ground" (107). The "uninhabited house" is a symbol of the church at the end of the street. Mangen's sister is a symbol for the narrator's feelings. Because of the way he was brought up with his religion, the boy is confused when he has all of these feelings for the girl. He doesn't know what to think due to his upbringing leading to the conflict between his religious beliefs and his feelings. All of these symbols converge so that the narrator has an epiphany by the end of the story. Each symbol signifies the narrator realizing that his religion is not how he wants his life to be therefore leading him to his change.

Nature

Nature 
By Lauren Russell

Hot air turns into a cool breeze,
Leaves turn all different colors,
And begin to fall from the trees.

No later the birds are in flight,
As the ground begins to turn white,
And the cool breeze turns into a winter chill.

Then the snow melts,
The flowers begin to bloom,
And the warm air can once again be felt.

Nature is a funny thing,
Constantly changing from hot to cold,
And cold to hot,
But nature is a beautiful system,
That never ever gets old.

The Story of an Hour Passage

"She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender, hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome" (60-61).

"The Story of an Hour" is about a woman who is confined to a marriage where she has no freedom. Once the marriage is suddenly ended by the death of the husband, the woman is suddenly free to be what she wants to be without being held back by the person she thought she loved. Back when this story was written in 1894, women were expected to marry whom ever chose them. Once they were in this marriage, either the man would need to want out or the man would have to die in order for the woman to escape. This idea of men being dominant over woman during this time is mind blowing. What made men superior over women during this time? Women should have been able to make their own life decisions, not let them be chosen by a man. Today is very different from how it was in the 1800's. Women are free to to make their own decision about entering a marriage and are free to leave whenever they feel the need.

Field Hockey Captain

Being chosen to be the leader of a team is an honor. I have come to realize this as we passed our midway point of our season this past week. Being the captain of my field hockey team brings many responsibilities and also many privileges. I have grown a strong bond with my coach, fellow captains, and most importantly my team. It has also been very strange being a captain. I remember my freshman year when I looked up to my captains as great leaders and I wanted to follow in their exact footsteps. Now that I'm in that position, it doesn't seem real. And to think that it's almost all over, is even more unbelievable. I have the opportunity to play in college, but what will I do without the team that I have grown up with? To me, the scariest part of being a senior captain is the thought of never having the team relationship again. When the season does finally end, it's going to be very sad and I will definitely be crying.

Paul's Case Reflection

While I was reading "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, I always just assumed that the plot was just about a troubled boy who couldn't find what made him happy in life. I never would have guessed that the story had to do with a young boy dealing with sexual orientation issues. I was very surprised when this topic came up in class because the thought had never crossed my mind. Now as I look back at the story, I see the hints that are given to tell the reader that the story is about Paul being homosexual. I understand why the author wrote the story this way because at the time, liking the same gender was considered a crime. This story has proven to me that when reading, I have to think outside the box and not assume the obvious.

"Everyday Use" Annotations

I chose to annotate this page specifically because it has a hidden meaning in a way. In order to understand what is going on, I had to dig deep. At this point in the story "Everyday Use", Dee has decided to change her name to Wangero in order to relate herself more to her African heritage. She also feels as though her family background isn't worthy of her. "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me". Dee thinks she understands her heritage, when actually her mother and sister know the true meaning. Also, Dee is the only family member with an education so she is basing her heritage off of what she has learned about the actual African culture and not the culture of her own family.

Never Let Me Go Wordle

In my wordle, the words that stand out the most are time, people, and brought. These three words all play a huge part in Ishiguro’s novel. The children, who are clones, but still people, are constantly thinking about the people in the outside world. The children also don’t have a lot of time to figure out what’s important to them in life and they are also brought into the world for one reason, to donate their organs. All of the other words in my wordle are the same size signifying that they are all important words, but not as commonly used as time, people, and brought. Some themes of the novel that are represented by my wordle are hope and willful ignorance. Hope is represented by the word people as the children always hope to be like a normal person. The theme willful ignorance is represented by the word time. The children are willfully ignorant to what their fates are and they don’t bother to ask questions throughout their lives and figure out what their purposes are.

The Future is Scary

I had my senior meeting this morning and it was quite overwhelming. It was like everything I had been pushing aside is now the priority. It is very scary looking ahead and realizing that in less than a year I will be starting a new chapter in my life. It is very strange because for the past twelve years of my life, I have been in the same routine surrounded by the same people. By this time next fall, I will be in a brand new school, with all new people and teachers, figuring things out for myself. It is amazing how fast my life has gone by so far, especially high school. Everyone always tells me to treasure these years, and now that they are already in the past, it makes me think about what I could have done differently. After my meeting this morning, I feel like I have finally realized that I am growing up and that I'm going to be out on my own in no time at all. The world is a scary place and to think I'm going to have to take it all on is terrifying. From now on, I am going to treasure each and every day remembering that life is only going to become more and more challenging as I grow older.