Apthonius' Progymnasmata

George Pullman
Libanius offered this example:
FABLE 1: THE WOLVES AND THE SHEEP'
(1) The wolves were seeking peace and quiet with the sheep, and they said, "This day will be the beginning of great and wonderful things for you and for us;2 for when we have rid ourselves of war and other evils, we will be able to roam around among each other without fear. Well then, let us make a treaty. But if there is to be any security in this treaty, and if we do not intend to break it as soon as it is ratified, you must chase away those wicked, hostile dogs, since even now they are raising a commotion, and they always hold us wolves in suspicion; for oftentimes, when we are simply passing by the flocks, some of them jump out and bark at us, while others, though reluctantly, become provoked and harass us. So why do you need dogs when there is peace with us wolves?"
(2) The sheep were persuaded; for their species is very gullible. And so the dogs were sent packing, and the wolves came into power, and the sheep, now deserted, were gobbled up.''
(3) Do not rely on the words of your enemies for the protection you need.

Catthuan Nguyen

Catthuan Nguyen
An ant colony is building a nest for winter. All the worker ants are busy bustling to and fro, but one ant among them is lagging behind. He thinks to himself, all my life, I’ve toiled and sweated, and for what? A meager mealpiece and a damp place on the earth for sleep is all I ever get. Imagine what I could have built all these years for myself with my own labor and no one to share it with. When no one is looking, the ant abandons his labor and stealthily sneaks off. He finds another tree in the forest and starts building his own place in its bark. A while into his labor, the ant feels an unsettling vibration from the tree. Just as he looks up, he sees a huge sharp claw descending upon him. Thus, do not think yourself greater than those who have contributed to your well-being.

Lydia Meredith
“A Crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water, flew to it with delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach and thus saved his life. Necessity is the mother of invention.” (Aesop’s Fable of the Crow and the Pitcher, thoughtco.com 10/21/19)

Danielle Garner
A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion says, "Because if I do, I will die too." The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown, but has just enough time to gasp "Why?" Replies the scorpion: "Its my nature..." People will sometimes hurt you even if it isn't in their best interest.

Ashley Shaw
An elephant and a rhino were playing in the Sahara when the rhino got mad and stabbed the elephant with his horn. The elephant cried out in pain and picked up the rhino with his trunk, flinging him against a nearby tree. From that day on, the rhino lived in fear of elephants, knowing the power they had and that the elephant he hurt could have killed him if she had wanted to do so. Whenever anyone asked him to go play in elephant territory, he refused. One day, though, when the other rhinos were making fun of him for being scared of elephants, he had enough. He told the others he was afraid of no animal and he would prove it. With that, he went to the home of the elephant who had hurt him so long ago with the plan to stab her once more but this time run away before he could get hurt. However, before he could get near the elephant, she recognized him, and picked him up with her trunk and once more flung him as far from her as she could. Not only was the rhino hurt, but he was embarrassed in front of his friends as well. From that day on, though, he knew that giving into peer pressure was not a good idea and that you cannot fool a wise soul twice.

Lashawn Sabio
The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher by Ahn Do-hyun Salmon live a pretty basic life. Once they're born, they spend the rest of their lives swimming upstream to return to their place of birth, procreate, and die. Here, we meet a salmon with beautiful silver scales who dares to be different. In doing so, he learns about love and perhaps the most valuable lesson of all: it's okay to dream big.

Colleen Ijuin
THE DOG AND THE LOAF OF BREAD ADOG, driven desperate with hunger, stood watching at the gate of a village, when he saw a Loaf of Bread roll out of the gate and make its way towards the desert. The Dog started in pursuit of the Loaf, and as he ran he cried: "Oh, Staff of Life, Strength of the Traveller, Object of my Desire, sweet Consolation of my Soul! In what direction do you turn your steps? Where are you going?" "To the desert," replied the Loaf of Bread, "to see my friends the Wolves and Leopards, for I am returning their visit." "Your boasting speech doesn't frighten me," replied the Dog, "I would follow you down the throat of a Crocodile, or between the teeth of a Lion. If you rolled around the world I should still pursue you." Those who live by bread alone will submit, for the sake of it, to the vilest abuse, like a hungry dog.

Storm Murray
The Two Spiders: There once were two spiders who lived in the same barn. One of the spiders began working on her web immediately and chose the corner of the barn where the most insects flew. The other spider, out of laziness, waited to build his web, and so he did not have a good location. Because the first spider was prompt in her work, she caught many bugs and never suffered hunger. The other spider, though, suffered starvation for his procrastination. Thus, one should never put off doing something that must be done.

Jesia Cobb
FABLE Rational (Prefabular) – We all know that we should listen to our elders; but when did we learn this most valuable lesson? Well Maria was thirteen, as she and her best friend Lillian laughed and rushed toward the front door her Grandma called out “Maria, put on socks. It’ll be getting cold later.” This thought horrified Maria. She wanted to wear her sandals since the sun was out and it was a warm fall day. “Oh Grandma, I’ll be fine!” Maria said and dashed out the door before her Grandma could respond. This is what she remembered as she found herself running behind Lillian and trying to keep up even though she could no longer feel her feet. “Wait, I have to stop!” she called out to Lillian and began to cry. Reaching into her purse for a tissue, she pulled out a pair of thick warm socks. She then smiled knowing that even with her insolence, her Grandma had prepared for her.

Jesia Cobb
FABLE Ethical (Postfabular) – “Let’s play!” said Sky, the little hound puppy. After we build our house of stone, said Roscoe the Terrier. I’ll play with you a passing poodle named Princes said, and they ran and began jumping, and rolling down the hill. Rosco shook his head and continued gathering and arranging the stones into a very sturdy structure, just in time to escape the wind, rain and hail. As he placed a kettle on the fire, he looked out the window for his little friend Sky but could not see her through the storm. She however could see the glow and smoke from the fire and raced toward the little home. She was pounded and bruised but managed to make it and Roscoe opened the door and pulled her inside. As she shook from being out in the storm and the fear of seeing Princes the poodle blown over the cliff, she told Roscoe “From now on, I will do my work first, and play after I’ve prepared.”

Jesia Cobb
FABLE Mixed – “Do not go into the deep water.”, Mother fish told her two little fish. “I’ll be back soon.” Little Blue fish waited until she was just out of sight and then said, “come on, let’s swim to the cove!” “We can’t!”, said Little Grey fish. “We’d have to cross deep water.” “Well I’m going.”, said Little Blue and jumped over into the deep water. “No!” cried Little Grey jumping after. She did not see her brother but could feel a vibration in the water. She turned to see her brother about to eat a snack on from a hook and knew it was a trap. She pushed him away but was hooked in the side instead. As she was yanked up and out of the water, she cried to her brother “Tell mom I’m sorry!” “Noooo!” cried her brother as she was taken away. He then saw a boy leap with joy as he unhooked Little Grey and handed her to a man, he called Dad. The man swiftly threw her on a board with running water and chopped off her head as he said “I’m proud of you son! Do you see what happens when you listen to me? Now let’s cook dinner.” Sometimes when we do wrong, the one’s we love get hurt.

Dylan Maroney
One day snow began to fall, slowly at first, but soon so rapidly that every animal of the forest became frightened that their way of life would never return. As time went on, the rabbits disappeared, the rivers froze over, and the snow continued to fall. The animals set out to have a meeting over their plight. The Bear, standing several feet tall was unphased by the snow, he left the meeting as the deer began to speak. The deer, while frightened had no urgency. The critters, clinging to the bark of leafless trees urged the others to help them, none did. For months, the snow didn't stop, animal after animal disappeared, visible only by either holes in the snow where they jumped out to see the sun or the more shallow snow where they walked invisible from above. Frightened by the idea that he would never see his friends again, a crow, not the crow we know today but a beautiful bird with rainbow feathers and a far more beautiful voice, set out to find the gods and beg for a solution. After flying for days, the crow came to the gods' home and asked for something to get rid of the snow. The gods gave him a stick, bright with flame, and asked him if he was willing to do anything. The crow took the stick in his beak and flew back to save his friends. The ash from the flame stained his feathers black, the smoke filled his lungs and ruined his voice, but the heat began to restore life around him. When he returned, none of the animals recognized him, so they set him apart from everyone. Though the Crow knew he had done the right thing. Something the things we do for those we care about goes unrecognized, that doesn't change the fact that it was the right thing to do.

Meyia Johnson
An opossum was searching through a garden for food dinner when it heard a human yell and saw a light approaching in the night. As the human neared, the opossum became worried. He decided to play dead. When the human stepped in front of him, he asked “are you dead?” The opossum didn’t respond, continuing to play dead. The human made an unusual, metallic sound, and the opossum peaked one eye at him. He found a long metal tube facing him. Before he could respond or move, the human made another sound and the opossum’s world lit up before going dark. Don’t pretend to be what you are not.

Keaton Lamle
Anyone who wonders how cultures come to be what they are, or how power corrupts those who hold it should consider the conquests of Julius Caesar. Having exhausted local options for imperial expansion, Julius Caesar began to ponder the possibility of leading his armies north. The more he discussed the prospects with his advisors, the better the idea sounded: after all, his empire was increasingly expensive. His debts were mounting. His popularity was on the wane, even among his friends. With these problems in mind, Caesar began beating the drums for war, reminding his contemporaries just how brutal and ignorant the Romans would find those Celtic tribes scattered across what is now Belgium and France. He reminded his countrymen of a horrible event that had occurred within the memory of many living Romans—when “barbarians” from the north had descended upon Italy and nearly toppled the entire empire in a bloody conquest, 62 BCE. Surely, under such circumstances, a pre-emptive war was justified. So he gathered his armies and set north, but ran into a problem: the Celts were better equipped than he’d anticipated. They were tall and strong and unused to the comforts of Roman life, which left them willing to fight in ways and locations Romans couldn’t imagine. Their armies included women-- doubling the size of the force Caesar had expected to face—and these women towered over their Roman counterparts. Likewise, they had as a motivating factor the prospect of extinction of their entire way of life. The battles went on longer than they should have. The cost to Caesar’s army quickly exceeded his expectations. By the time he managed to divide and conquer the physically superior Celtic tribes, he had lost the respect of many in his army, and he would return to a Rome far more skeptical of his leadership calculations than he had left it. In just eight years, several cultures had been wiped off the face of the Earth, leaving what is now western Europe forever “Latinized.” Likewise, the stage in Rome had been set for one of history’s most famous betrayals, which would alter the course of the Roman Empire, and all subsequent world history.

Catthuan Nguyen
Whoever doubts the gods’ oracles should consider what befell Oedipus. Born of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, the infant Oedipus was immediately cast off to die when a prophecy predicted he would slay his father and breed with his mother. A shepherd in charge of the disposal took pity on the poor baby and handed him off to another shepherd. Raised as a prince of Corinth, Oedipus began doubting his true parentage after a drunkard’s outburst at a banquet. Oedipus sought an answer at the temple at Delphi; there he learned of the original oracle concerning himself. Fearful of the prophecy he left Corinth. On the road, he became embroiled in an altercation and killed a king and most of his entourage. He arrived at Thebes, solved a riddle, promulgated as the city’s savior, and given its queen for a wife. After years of prosperity, Thebes began decaying. Oedipus called for an investigation of the root of the city’s troubles revealed as a murderer living in the city. It came as a shock to many that their own King Oedipus was the murderer. In seeking to put distance between himself and divine prophecy, Oedipus inadvertently put into motion the realization of his own fate.

Catthuan Nguyen
Whoever doubts the gods’ oracles should consider what befell Oedipus. Born of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, the infant Oedipus was immediately cast off to die when a prophecy predicted he would slay his father and breed with his mother. A shepherd in charge of the disposal took pity on the poor baby and handed him off to another shepherd. Raised as a prince of Corinth, Oedipus began doubting his true parentage after a drunkard’s outburst at a banquet. Oedipus sought an answer at the temple at Delphi; there he learned of the original oracle concerning himself. Fearful of the prophecy he left Corinth. On the road, he became embroiled in an altercation and killed a king and most of his entourage. He arrived at Thebes, solved a riddle, promulgated as the city’s savior, and given its queen for a wife. After years of prosperity, Thebes began decaying. Oedipus called for an investigation of the root of the city’s troubles revealed as a murderer living in the city. It came as a shock to many that their own King Oedipus was the murderer. In seeking to put distance between himself and divine prophecy, Oedipus inadvertently put into motion the realization of his own fate.

Alex Sladky
Whoever admires the laurel tree should consider what befell the nymph Daphne. Daphne wished to never marry like the virgin goddess Diana. Apollo, arrogant after the defeat of a serpent, lost an argument with Cupid, although Apollo himself has no previous interest in love one way or the other. In revenge, Cupid struck Apollo with a sharp golden arrow, causing him to fall in love with Daphne, and struck Daphne with a blunt arrow made of lead, causing her to repel all love. So, Apollo wondered what his life would look like if Daphne were his. Apollo pursued Daphne, first slow and then faster, to a full-speed chase. Apollo tried calling after her, he tried identifying himself, for surely this kind of familiarity might make a difference, as though his status as a god might change things, he tried to reason with her - she should not run as a lamb from a lion; Apollo is no lion. When she could run no longer, Daphne prayed to her father, a river god, that he help her (despite his wish for grandchildren and for his daughter to marry). And so he did - he turned her into a tree. Apollo caught up to the tree, the fresh, new bark, marveled at the beauty of such a tree, the laurel, and declared the tree his. And the laurel tree that was first a woman came to be what we see today.

Lydia Meredith
PARKLAND – No one knows yet what demons were in the head of Nikolas Cruz when he got into a car he had arranged through Uber. It was just after 2 p.m., a warm and sunny day, the kind of February weather that draws people to Florida from all over the world. Just one hour and forty minutes later, an alert police officer would pick up Cruz as he walked down a street after killing 17 people. This is how that happened: Cruz told the Uber driver to take him to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, about 10 to 15 minutes southwest of the home where was living. The route to the high school from the home consists of two-lane roads that go past gated, residential neighborhoods, the Riverglades Elementary School on Parkside Drive and then right on what is the first of two roundabouts. If Cruz was looking out the window during the drive, he might have noticed an equestrian center and dog park to his right before coming to an intersection where Parkland City Hall is located on North University Drive. From there, the driver would have merged onto the Sawgrass Expressway heading south. Just a couple minutes later, Cruz would be able to gaze down upon Stoneman Douglas to his right. He could view the high school parking lot, tennis courts and a practice field before the Uber driver exited onto Coral Ridge Road and drove past a Walmart Super Center, which sits directly behind Stoneman Douglas. At 2:19 p.m., the gold compact car let Cruz out at the school. Since classes were set to end soon, the gates to the parking lots of the sprawling campus of more than 3,000 students were open to allow buses and cars to enter. Normally, a visitor would need to go through the school's main entrance on Coral Springs Drive. But the school also had a massive parking lot to the north side of the campus with an entrance from Holmberg Road, far from the main entrance. It is not clear exactly where Cruz got out of the car. But the short, skinny teenager emerged from the car wearing dark jeans, a burgundy Stoneman Douglas polo shirt and black hat. According to arrest records, he had a black backpack and carried a black duffel bag, the kind of gear common to students hauling around school books and athletic gear. But his duffel bag held an AR-15-style rifle, not baseball bats or soccer balls. The backpack was loaded down with a vest with additional magazines for the weapon, a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle used by the U.S. military. Faculty and staff knew Cruz' history of disciplinary problems, and they had been warned to be on the lookout for him. One staff member did see Cruz walking "purposely" toward a three-story building used mostly for freshmen classes that abutted the parking lot and radioed a co-worker to tell him what Cruz was doing. Within two minutes of Cruz emerging from the car, the shooting started. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/17/minute-minute-how-parkland-school-shooting-unfolded/345817002/

Ashley Shaw
When Hitler was rising in infamy, he did surprisingly well with the ladies. One such lady was Unity Mitford. Unity was British, but that did not stop her hero worship of the foreign leader. Unity came from a family of sisters known for their beauty. Yet, Unity was, at best, plain. Unity came from a family known for its charm and talents. Yet, Unity was, at best, boring. Some say that her desire to somehow stand out from the swarm of femme fatales is what made her move to Germany in search of a future with the fuhrer. Whatever the reason, she did move to this new land with an eye on one day becoming Mrs. Adolf. While she never realized her dream of marrying Hitler, though, she did finally meet him at a restaurant where he talked to her for a while and paid her bill. She would later say it was the best night of her life up to that date. This was just the beginning, though. Soon, she was part of the inner circle. And the only thing dampening her dream life was this pesky war; she lived in fear that her home country would soon declare against her chosen homeland. “I will shoot myself if that happens,” she was known to promise. She was not lying. On the morning that England declared war against Germany, Unity took a pistol into the garden and shot herself in the head. This story might have been lost in the archives of forgotten history if not for one interesting twist: Unity Mitford did not die. Hitler, loyal to his chosen ones, hired the best doctors to aid Unity, and they discovered that the bullet had lodged itself into her skull, where as long as it stayed right there, it would not hurt her. If it moved even slightly, though, she would be gone. So the bullet stayed but Unity did not. As soon as she was healed enough, Hitler shipped her back to London, where she lived a plain life amidst her beautiful sisters. Unity Mitford lived with a bullet in her head for eleven years until one day she contracted a brain fever. A slight swelling in her brain put enough pressure on her skull to shift the bullet rooted there. Unity Mitford shot herself in the head and died eleven years later. What I have always wondered about this story, though, is this: was Unity Mitford’s death caused by suicide or sickness?

Rachel Woods
An excerpt from my writing- Do you want to know one of my favorite things? Sleep. I love sleep. In fact, I love it so much that I take a nap every day just because I love sleep. One of the best days of the week is Saturday because I do not have to wake up until I am good and ready. This Saturday I quietly got up at 7:30 am to feed my kitty, went to the bathroom, and then I snuggled back into my, still warm, bed. This is paradise! As I fell back asleep, the sun was gently warming the room and I curled up in the arms of my favorite blanket. Suddenly I heard this jarring unrecognizable sound. I shot up and started looking around. My heart was racing to the beat of the loud base that was shaking my apartment walls. My first thought was, “HOOLIGANS!! Where are those kids playing reggae music?” and I walked over the window and pulled up the blind. I do not know why I did, but I pictured some youths with baggy pants, dreads, and a large boombox on the sidewalk behind my building; unfortunately, I could not see any source for the sound. I send a text to my little sister that was mildly threatening to whoever dared to disturb me on a Saturday morning. All the while, reggae music is still pouring into the room from every window and my living room was vibrating like a kid on a trampoline. Then it hit me: I live across the street from a park. When I first moved in, I thought it would be lovely to be so close to a park. I could go for walks, play tennis, and enjoy the many outdoor activities that charmed city-goers enjoy. I was wrong. My internet loaded and there it was. The central park was hosting the second annual reggae/dancehall/soca/calypso/Afro beats music festival. And yes, it was an all-day event.

Christopher Curran
It was a Tuesday, probably, and I was on the phone with my friend Bob. Realizing I needed to go to the store to return some pants, I said goodbye to Bob and headed to the train. Well, those damn trains just weren’t coming with any regularity, so I decided to jump down and hoof it through the tunnel. After a while—I must have lost track of time down there with the CHUDs—I couldn’t figure out where I was going, and in my sudden panic I slipped on some mud, ruining the very pants I was on the way to return.

Keaton Lamle
My grandpa always said you could tell your socioeconomic status by asking whether you shower before or after work.

Lashawn Sabio
My mom always told me that if people told me that I couldn't, can't, or wouldn't be able to do something, to always try to prove that I could

Dylan Maroney
My grandpa always use to refer to walking through new areas or on unknown forest trails as "taking a walk on the wild side," not something to be afraid of but something that would offer new, fun experiences to those that are open to them.

Brianny Paulino
My mother always told me to "be a leader, not a follower." Pretty much what every kid is told when first faced with peer pressure.

Ashley Shaw
As I have been out on the trails campaigning, I have been able to meet a lot of lovely people across this country. One such person was This is my take on every political speech ever because that is what I think of when I think of anecdotes: Betty, a nine-year-old girl with cancer. Her family has been going into debt trying to raise money for her treatment, and even with a successful Kickstarter campaign, they just do not know how they are going to survive. Looking into Betty's tear-filled eyes as she gave me a hug and said she hoped I'd win because she knew I'd do whatever it took to help save her made me realize just how important my fight for universal healthcare in this country really is.

Lydia Meredith
Martin Luther King, Jr. said “Hatred is Never the Answer” “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Jenna Harte
When my sister and I used to get into fights as kids, my mom would always say, “be ye kind, one to another, and tender hearted.” I eventually learned this was a paraphrased Bible verse, but she let us grow up believing she made it up herself.

Danielle Garner
My dad always tells me "Work hard, study hard, put your best foot forward, and trust yourself. Things will work out in the end." This is what he told me over and over when I was debating on whether or not to move to Atlanta and start the PhD program.

Rachel Woods
My mom always told me, “never say never”. This is a very common phrase, and became taboo in our house during the peak of Justin Bieber’s popularity, but it is what has kept me going when I was rejected or circumstances did not line up as I needed them to.

Christopher Curran
My grandfather once told me that I shouldn't bother wearing a watch because there were clocks everywhere. He was wrong about that, but at least I don't have a tan line.

TJ Jones
My mom was getting ready for a ob interview and ran out of the house in a pair of mismatched shoes. Luckily, she had a pair in her trunk- she always keeps a pair of black heels in her trunk. She tell me, "stay ready and you never have to GET ready"

Storm Murray
I had never been hiking before I visited Yellowstone National Park in May of 2018, but, boy, was that experience eventful! The trail we took was five miles long and began at Mammoth Hot Springs near the North entrance to the park. It took about four hours to make the loop and within that span of time I think we encountered nearly every type of weather. It started cloudy and breezy, then became sunny and hot, next the rain and sleet moved in, and by the time we finished the hike it was sunny and warm again! Needless to say, it taught me to always be prepared for anything on the trails.

Jesia Cobb
- “What you do in the dark, will come to the light.”

Jesia Cobb
- “What you do in the dark, will come to the light.”

Ashley Shaw
This is something my mom always told my sisters and me, but I'm claiming it as my own: It is not enough to not mean to. You have to mean not to.

Catthuan Nguyen
Those who don’t do find relevance in criticism. It is good to look up every now and then, but looking up too much and too high can make your head dizzy with want. Accidental occurrences do not necessarily preclude injury: just because you did not mean to hurt someone does not mean they did not get hurt.

Keaton Lamle
The speaker is responsible for what the speaker says, and also for what the hearer hears.

Lashawn Sabio
Do onto others as you would like done to you

Dylan Maroney
Loving yourself is the first step to being able to love others.

Brianny Paulino
One thing I always say is "trust your gut"

Colleen Ijuin
??????? ???? ??? ??? sh?hn?me ?xareš xoš ast “Praise a fair day at night.” Literally, “ Shahname is pleasant only at the end of it.” (The Shahname - King+name - is a very long book of poems (about the Kings of Iran up to the 7th century) by the Persian poet Ferdowsi who is credited with reviving the eloquence of the Persian language at a time the Arab Empire had overtaken the Persian Empire.) This maxim reminds me of the previous section's anecdote, "Isocrates said that the root of education is bitter; its fruit sweet."

Lydia Meredith
“You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem.”

Jenna Harte
A student told me today that she like to keep her business “private until it’s permanent.”

Danielle Garner
I think this is a maxim: "If you love something, let it go. If it was meant to be, it will come back." or maybe: "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Rachel Woods
A joke my mom always made when I was growing up: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Christopher Curran
It’s better to burn out than to fade away! At least according to Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, and the villain from the classic film Highlander.

TJ Jones
"You can make a mistake, you just cant make alot in a row" - TJ Jones

Storm Murray
My dad always told me that "A person with no expectations of others lives the happiest of lives"

Jesia Cobb
- “A hard head, makes a soft behind.”

Jesia Cobb
- “You make your bed, you have to lay in it.”

Jesia Cobb
- “You reap what you sow.”

Jesia Cobb
-- “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Keaton Lamle
Adherents of Abrahamic monotheism say that "nothing is impossible with God," and also that God is "good" and "just." But if all things are possible, does this mean that God can do something truly evil? If so, is He still good? If not, are there then some things that are impossible with God? So was that part wrong then? (While I've constructed this as a refutation, I suppose the obvious counterargument believers would make here is that my formulation conceives of "goodness" or "justness" as some separate ontological categories divorced from the person of deity. They would say this is wrong, and that our very concepts of goodness or justness are merely recognitions of the nature of a Creator, and since no being can be separate from or in opposition to its own existential nature, the question of whether a just being can also be unjust is nonsense from the beginning, made possible as a question only by the inefficiency of language, itself.)

Dylan Maroney
Evolution is a commonly respected idea within the sciences and in general life due to the seemingly abundant evidence we can observe around us. But there can be no such thing as evolution because there is a seemingly large unexplained gap between human ancestors. Until this gap is filled we can not trust in evolution as a fact.

Alex Sladky
It is pointless to contradict the stories of Livy on the founding of Rome, for they are the stories upon which that Ancient civilization was founded, but they include such stories that suggest that some women are better than they could believably be. Is it not absurd that a country should have complete respect of its men and none for its women? I am pained when women are portrayed as the weaker, when women represent the countries that men conquer. The story of Lucretia is particularly improbable because it is hardly possible for a woman to be as virtuous and honest as Lucretia is. When Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus and Sextus Tarquinius along with their friends wondered which of their wives was the most virtuous. Their virtue dependant, of course, upon how they put into practice their honest and good approach to life. The men surprised a group of their wives and found them at a banquet, rather than quietly keeping house. However, when they surprised Lucretia, the wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, at home, they found her weaving among her maids, supposedly not even enjoying wine. How could a group of women, in the absence of their husbands, only want to attend to their chores? How could women, in the absence of their husbands, want only to stay home? While all the other wives of all the other men were at a banquet, would Lucretia and her maids not attend if they had been invited? Would she not want to seek friendship with other women - the wives of her husband’s friends? It is not believable that a woman would only resort to doing what is expected of her when she is left alone. The story of Lucretia’s death - how she could not continue to live knowing that she had been a part of such an act - is not believable. For her to have such a response - her own death! - she would have to be slightly guilty - the fault must slightly be hers. We know for sure that a woman doing what she is expected to be doing is something that interests Sextus Tarquinius, for he acted upon it, supposedly against Lucretia’s wishes. A woman weaving, completing the tasks of the household, must be at fault even in the slightest, if she punishes herself to death by her own hand.

Colleen Ijuin
Aphthonius says in refuting, use: unclarity, implausibility (further impossibility), inconsistency, impropriety and inexpediency. In a 9:31 2016 interview of Rudy Guliani by Jake Tapper, Guliani uses all of these over a few topics to refute negatives of Trump. unclarity: Clinton campaign first brought up birth certificate, there's a lack of memory. implausibility: on if Trump should just apologize, "if everyone had to apologize for everything they ever did ..." inconsistency: saying whose coming across the border illegaly - we hear mexican, but then we hear bad people impropriety: in a meeting, it was agreed talking about the wall was "off the table: and they brought it up (against the rules) inexpediency: Obama’s catch and release plan of illegals takes too long to bring to trial or deport unlike Trump’s plan.

Brianny Paulino
Humans only use 10 percent of their brain. The brian is still not 100% understood, but scientist do know that it is always active and it uses 20 percent of the body's energy. It could indeed be true that we only use 10 percent of our brain, but it could also be true that we use all of our brain's capabilities and just have no way of measuring it yet.

Ashley Shaw
participants in Operation Varsity, including celebrities Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, are pleading guilty or being charged with numerous serious federal crimes of bribery, criminal conspiracy, and more. People have lost their jobs and reputations for offering or taking money to get rich kids into elite schools, angering the poorer parents of students who could not get in. Yet, we live in a free country where those who have the means should be able to use them to create paths for their children. It is no different than donating a library or other structure to make a child's application more appealing. These parents should not be punished for helping their children succeed.

Meyia Johnson

People often associate having patriotism for America means strongly supporting and being greatly devoted to the country, and if you criticize the country, you may be told that “you don’t have to live here” or that “you aren’t patriotic”. You may even be told that you are “part of the problem”, but does being critical of your nation truly mean you aren’t patriotic?

If no one was ever critical of America, America would not be that great nation they believe it to be today. If no one ever believed America could do and be better, we would have continued to increase (not decrease) that long list of inequalities and injustices that plagued people and communities decades and centuries ago. The truth is America didn’t become great with people that blindly followed; it became great with people who felt the need to question issues, challenge the systems, imagine more, and propose better. Being patriotic isn’t just following every decision and action of the country, it is being its opposition as well.

Alex Sladky
The rape of Lucretia is probable. The founding of Rome, of the entire civilization, is based upon the rape and overpowering of women. The Romans, under Aeneas, had to find a way to keep their civilization alive, to produce more war-like Roman men, and so invited many women from the neighboring Sabines to a show. The Romans snatched up and ravished the Sabine women, marrying them against their will, forcing them to set aside their allegiance to their own country and birth little Romans. Seen alongside this story, the story of Lucretia is plausible, for the story of Lucretia also tells the story of a Roman man trying to conquer a woman for the sake of power. The Romans prized virtue above all other characteristics. While men might be able to do as they please, women were expected to conform and to follow the rules and run the home. Lucretia was found weaving while the other women, the wives of Lucretia’s husband’s friends, were found at a banquet. Lucretia remained at home with her maids to sew. Who practiced more virtue in this case? Clearly, it is Lucretia, never shirking her responsibilities. Lucretia did not appear to receive any kind of invitation to the banquet where the wives of her husband’s friends went as soon as their husbands were away, so her reputation must have been known already. Lucretia must have wanted to prove her true virtue, to put into practice and to make public the truth of her actions, for what is more virtuous than staying by a claim to the death? Lucretia’s decision to punish herself with death shows that she wishes to stand by her word, wishes to prove that the act committed against her was a horrible, unwanted one. She wishes to practice her virtue. One who was guilty, one who had brought upon the act herself, would not be so willing to prove herself not-guilty.

Jenna Harte
If you have fitness goals, you are more likely to find success if you purchase a membership to a gym rather than working out alone at home. There are a few reasons this is true: first, if you are paying for a service, you are more likely to be motivated to “get your money’s worth” by attending sessions. Additionally, with the purchase of a gym membership, you gain access to group fitness instruction, which not only contributes to a sense of belonging to a community, but also helps in the case of having expert instruction for how to perform exercise routines. Finally, working out in a gym provides you with access to more equipment than you would be able to supply yourself in your home.

Ashley Shaw
The participants in Operation Varsity, including celebrities Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, are pleading guilty or being charged with numerous serious federal crimes of bribery, criminal conspiracy, and more. People have lost their jobs and reputations for offering or taking money to get rich kids into elite schools, angering the poorer parents of students who could not get in. If we want to move towards a more inclusive country, then these parents should get the harshest punishments possible. Until we have a fair and balanced entry into schools, where students are taken solely on their merits and not their family name or money, we will have a country of the haves and the have nots with little movement for the skilled and hard-workers to advance at the same rate.

Christopher Curran
The act of speeding and tailgating in your automobile encourages aggressive driving, and promotes a probable instance of accident. When you speed, you are unable to control your car with the precision available at lower speeds. This increases the odds that you will find yourself in a high-speed collision. Moreover, if you speed, you promote aggressive behaviors in other drivers, causing them to be defensive--or even offensive--in order to protect themselves from you. If you seem like the kind of driver that will cut someone off, they will be more likely to box you out, thus creating less of a gap should they have to come to an emergency stop. Speeding and tailgating are dangerous on their own, but should be discouraged as they instigate similar behavior in other drivers, creating unsafe conditions across the highway.

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Brianny Paulino
Treason: All who commit treason are sentenced to prison no matter why they commited the crime.

Brianny Paulino
Treason: All who commit treason are sentenced to prison no matter why they commited the crime.

Ashley Shaw
It is wrong to lie, but it is worse to tell the truth and hurt someone's feelings without adding any benefit to the hurt. The lie, when told to protect, at least has the value of trying to do right. The painful truth, unless the hearer can use the knowledge to make a change, ease an embarrassment, etc., serves only to hurt.

Lashawn Sabio
Though not all people are sentenced for murder, the affects of murder are still irreversible. Not only for the victim but for those closest to the victim, who have lost someone significant to them, as well as the psychological affects on the person that committed the murder

Catthuan Nguyen
Encomium: The 14th Dalai Lama Many people will lament today we live in a cynical age with self-interest our main concern. A virtuous act could easily be seen as opportunistic such that we say to ourselves there is no genuine goodness anymore. But there exists among us persons of pure soul and mind whose acts are born out of interest much greater than themselves and who strive always to think and act in peaceful terms with love and understanding for all. It is an unbelieavable ideal belonging to the same ethereal realm of Plato’s Idea and is easily met with skepticism when embodied in human form. The life of the 14th Dalai Lama is an illumination of all those things poets have alluded to since time immemorial - Truth and Beauty. The Dalai Lama’s life is inextricably tied to the (modern) history of his homeland. In a remote land of stark beauty, isolated settlements and sacred monasteries dotted a vast landscape undulated with mountain ranges that seem to have no beginning and no end. From high up, these signs of human habitation seem in perpetual danger of being swallowed up by the uncaring lands. Swooping down, we see such danger was always an illusion, for the people there were as tough outwardly as they were soft inwardly. Into such land and people and of humble parentage the Dalai Lama was born. From a very young age and in isolation, the Buddhadharma nourished his mind, elevated his soul, and purified his sight. He sees through the masks we wear, the plays we stage, and the roles cast for ourselves to our innermost essence that binds us all. That is where truth and beauty are to be found. Many have trekked close to his homeland for what they see as the ultimate test of personal endurance and survival and prevailed. There is truth and beauty in such act. But perhaps none realized the greatest summit they could ever scale resides within them, higher than any Mt. Everest could ever hope to be. The Dalai Lama has scaled many summits throughout his life. He endured injuries inflicted upon his people, their monasteries decimated, sacred texts burned to ashes, and the peaceful silence of the land supplanted by the clanging and banging of a fearsome beast, too great and too powerful to be deterred. He watched all these with only thoughts of keeping his people safe and appealing to the reason and goodness of the invading force. He sees them not as an evil force, just a select few acting in ignorance, victims of samsara, from a country where plenty of good people are to be found. To this day, as death looms over his native Tibet as he once knew it, he works tirelessly to salvage his people’s cultural identity and to spread the teachings of his people’s highest achievement as a means for helping many find their way out of ignorance. When beliefs and deeds are so perfectly married, truth and beauty woven from such simple cloths, cynicism scuttles off in shame. The Dalai Lama is an inspiration for the ages.

Alex Sladky
Fall brings apple picking and leaf-peeping, it brings sweater-weather and high leather boots, it brings reds and yellows and oranges and other warm colors across the landscape. The fall brings relief from the extreme heat of summer and comes before the chill of winter. The greatest attribute of fall is that it falls between two extremes, it is mild. Of course such activities that are practiced in fall are only good if a person should enjoy doing them, but who should not enjoy doing almost any activity in such mild temperatures? Fall brings with it the beginnings of things, such as a new school year, and all the possibilities that new beginnings hold. Those who do not work in education or are not students do not experience such a feeling towards fall. Or instead they find their pleasure in crisp mornings where they do not sweat through their suits and pumpkin flavored beer and coffee and scones. Teachers and students enjoy these things as well, of course. These are only a few out of many for why the fall is the best season.

Keaton Lamle
Encomium: Bob Dylan Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman in the American Midwest, growing up on the Minnesotan Iron Range in a town called Hibbing. His grandparents were Russian Jews who fled pogroms. His dad, Abraham Zimmerman, ran an electronic store with his brothers, Bob’s uncles. Dylan grew up absorbing the Hebrew scriptures, the blues and country that drifted up from New Orleans over AM airwaves at night, and the strange civic rituals that constituted midwestern life on the frigid plains—circuses, carnivals, parades, talent shows. By the time he was twenty-two, Dylan had surpassed many of his cultural heroes in fame and influence—translating the voice of Woody Guthrie, the social conscience of Cisco Huston, and the rambling prose of Kerouac into a brand of collegiate folk that brought him to stages as diverse as Carnegie Hall and the platform that hosted MLK Jr. at the march on Washington. He’d go on to infuse literary language and psychedelic phantasmagoria into pop music, re-contextualize the canon of American standards (in the Basement Tapes, latter career records, a variety of bootlegs), and revolutionize the genre of confessional singer-songwriter music (in Blood on the Tracks). Gospel recordings and legendary live performances would follow in the wake of Dylan’s conversion to Christianity, and he would go on to make some of the best (and most critically-lauded) albums of his career in the 90s and early 2000s. In recent years, Dylan has been the subject of multiple academy-award-winning film projects and received the Nobel prize in literature for his advances in narrative songwriting. His contributions to the popular, political, and spiritual culture of America are hard to quantify. His equal in American art or letters is difficult to find. His voice alone— with its endless permutations between grating atonal rasp, pitch-perfect country croon, and a variety of raucous stops in between—has been imitated (knowingly or not) by just about every pop, rock, folk, and country vocalist since. His political ethos has provided the template for celebrity activism ever since. Every American President since Gerald Ford has claimed to be a fan. Likewise, it’s hard to think of another artist that both Kendrick Lamar and Garth Brooks eagerly claim as a formative influence. If you had to choose one twentieth century American artist whose works are likely to maintain a level of cultural importance two hundred years down the line, you could do a lot worse than picking Dylan. He certainly seems more likely to endure than, say, Andy Warhol, Marvin Gaye, Shirley Jackson (just spit-balling here). As ridiculously overwrought as it probably sounds—given his six decades of endlessly influential recorded output and live innovation, I’d argue he probably comes closest to the title of “American Shakespeare” as anyone is likely to get. I could go on and on, but I’ll save you further exposure to the world’s most annoying spectacle: a Dylan fan trying to convince how important he is.

Lydia Meredith
Daddy My father was homeless at age 7. Since both his parents and grandparents had passed away, daddy resorted to living in vacant houses. He finally found sanctuary under the bridge where a small homeless community watched over him each day. He was later offered shelter by a young couple, until he became old enough to join the army. In the army, my father learned what would be his life-time trade -- cooking. After completing his duty in the Army, he became a short-order cook, and worked his way up to become Chef of the Lenberg’s restaurant in Macon, Georgia. My father’s gift and hard work made Lenberg’s a dining destination, renowned in the region for fine dining. Daddy met my mother at Lenberg’s, my mother was the salad girl. After they were married, my mother stopped working at the restaurant and start cleaning houses and doing laundry – domestic work, the help. Now, my father’s life journey was no “crystal stairway;” but, he was courageous, confident, resourceful, industrious, and wise. He witnessed how all 7 of his older siblings were destroyed using alcohol to relieve the pain from so many misfortunes in life. He decided he wanted something different for himself and his family. He was a proud man – we were never on welfare -- he bought our home and taught us the value of homeownership. He had no diplomas, or certificates, or degrees. Still, my daddy was a brilliant man (self –taught). “While he wasn’t formally educated, he was an avid reader and practically memorized the World Almanac.” He also read the Bible, as poetically as he sang -- his voice was so silky, smooth, and soothing –- I’d say better than the crooning of Johnny Mathis or Frank Sinatra. Daddy collected books and old furniture, and for as long as I can remember, he found someone under the bridge to bring home to feed, take care of, and steer to safety. My father’s passion was providing for seniors in our neighborhood; and homeless folk. And, he did these good deeds, with love, from his heart. I never knew my daddy to take a vacation, or travel, or socialize -- one of his favorite sayings was, “socializing will strip the rags off your back.” The only thing I knew he enjoyed was sex with my mother -- since I have 12 siblings. They were married over 6 decades. He was a loving and compassionate father and husband, and every morning I would hear him pray, “Lord, please don’t let my sins [penalty], fall on my children.” I always felt deeply how much he loved us. I guess that’s why all 13 children are accomplished and successful in life. When he died, he just went to sleep, and at his funeral, there was standing room only. It appeared that every person in Macon, Georgia knew my daddy and came to pay their respects. God answered my father’s prayers – I know that God will answer mine, too -- that my life will be as meaningful and worthwhile as the life he lived – always present to help others in distress.

Ashley Shaw
My niece, Aaliyah, is two, but she is very wise for her age. The other day, she asked me if I could put Beauty and the Beast on my computer for her, and when I said, "No. I can't," she looked at me and without stopping to think said, "Yes you can. You can do anything you want to do." So, I put on the movie because how do you argue with that? Even more recently, I caught her bossing around my four-year old foster cousin, GiGi, and I told her, "Hey, girl. Mind your own business!" She looked up at me and said, "Mind your business." And while I had to punish the disrespect, I couldn't deny the logic of her argument. On top of her great rhetorical skills and smarts (If you ask her where she gets her brains from, she will tell you "From Ash Auntie."), she is also the sweetest baby I have ever meet (I am not biased. There are a lot of babies in my family, and I love all of them but would not call all of them sweet.) My cousin was recently in a beauty pageant, and I had Aaliyah in my lap the whole time, where she cheered for Elsa, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Katie Beth. The latter of these girls she clapped for when she saw her after the pageant was over and said, "I just saw you at the place! You were being a princess!" When we watch a movie with a bad guy in it, Aaliyah will stroke my hair and tell me it will be alright and to not be scared. She also knocks on the door whenever I leave a room and calls out, "Ash Auntie, it's me. It's your Sugar Baby. Let me in!" However, she is also strong. My sister is a personal trainer, and often has Aaliyah at the gym with her, where she amazes people with her strength. There is a small rock wall in my parent's neighborhood, and when an older kid told Aaliyah she was too small to climb up it, Aaliyah proved her wrong by getting to the top faster than her critic. On top of all of this, I always say she is going to be a famous actress one day because not only does she memorize a shocking number of lines from every movie she watches, but when she says them without prompting, she throws in her own interpretations and gestures to make it more interesting. So one day everybody is going to be praising her, but until then, I'll do her a small justice here.

Christopher Curran
Another toast--different occasion: What more can possibly be said about Jack? Larry mentioned his kindness: Jack volunteers at the children’s hospital, reading books and playing games with sick kids. Sharon mentioned his intelligence: Jack earned his doctorate in record time and basically changed how we look at iambic pentameter. Isaac mentioned his generosity: Jack donates both his money and time to the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. And Leslie mentioned his humor: Jack is never one to dwell on sorrow, and always has cheery story to tell if you’re feeling down. So what is there left to say? Well, I think at least one more thing can be said: Jack is the greatest lover of all time. Inventive, secure, attentive, and most of all respectful: it’s easy to see why Tony locked him down. Congratulations, Jack and Tony—and to Tony, I say: have fun tonight!

Meyia Johnson

Encomium of Miley Cyrus
We’ve all done it before. We’ve held expectations of celebrities that we’ve been closely watching and following on the screen for months, years, or longer. We’ve expected the artist that sung beautifully about losing a father to actually have experienced that death of a father. After getting lost in an Oscar-winning performance, we may even confuse the actor with the character. While artists and actors are constantly in the spotlight, it is important to remember that they are people finding themselves just as we are.
There is a pattern among Disney stars (and perhaps child stars in general). As they near young adulthood, they want to break from their child star persona. They may even do things to break their contract or their connection with a popular corporation. To make this break, they may do something that is not acceptable as a representation of the business they represent. Miley Cyrus is viewed to be one of those child stars, and her attempt to break away from her young, innocent girl persona is justifiable.
Destiny Hope Cyrus was born on November 23rd, 1992 to Leticia Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus. She later changed her name to “Miley Ray Cyrus”, not because she disliked her birth name, but because she preferred the nickname given to her for being a child that often smiled. The name change was also to give honor to her father.
Billy Ray Cyrus, her father, is a well-known country music star and multi-platinum selling recording artist. He has done duets with daughter Miley in songs such as Butterfly Fly Away and Ready, Set, Don’t Go. He has been very supportive of his daughter and I believe that his presence with Miley in the show “Hannah Montana” and films like Hannah Montana: The Movie and Hannah Montana: The World Tour. Furthermore, he was quoted in an interview with CBS television saying: “My advice is still the same for Miley as it’s always been. Do what you do because you love it, and not because you have too. If you ain’t having fun, it ain’t working. Enjoy what you’re doing and stay positive. ” This quote is from someone very close to her—someone who sees and knows her behind closed doors—and the quote reflects his support of his daughter’s decisions.
Miley seemed to emulated what her parents did, choosing to take up guitar and singing lessons at age, and joining the realm of acting at the age of 11 in her father’s TV series , Doc (2003). Her passion for acting lead her to try out for Disney’s hit show Hannah Montana. She nailed her auditions and surpassed 1,000 other girls, becoming the Hannah Montana, a young teen juggling the life of a pop singer by night and the normal American schoolgirl by day. The Hannah Montana show was a great success and became her biggest debut. It lead to her releasing albums for her new persona and performing in concerts.
This is a young lady who has touched the hearts of millions of little girls through her award-winning albums, live concerts catered to an adolescent audience, her television show on Disney Channel, and the many tween-friendly movies she has started in. [it is no shock that she had a large, youthful following] Miley Cyrus may have a rap sheet of doing activities that are uncharacteristic of the characters she’s portrayed, but she is not the worst person in the world.
Yes, she has been a star in the eyes of many little girls and teenagers, and many parents would like for her to continue her good girl persona, but it is unrealistic. Real people are round characters. They have horrible days just as they have wonderful ones. They make horrible decisions just as they make wise ones. To expect Miley Cyrus to be the perfect role model for millions of young girls is a farfetched expectation. It is impossible for anyone to be perfect.
Also, I think that many of us forget that celebrities are people just like the rest of society. Many of them are entertainers, there to entertain not to be role models to the youth. We often put them on a pedestal. We often expect too much from them when we should not. They are not there to raise our children. Their job isn’t to enforce our family values and beliefs. And the parents that are outraged that a celebrity does not satisfy their outrageous expectations may need to do a self-evaluation and remember that they are the first teacher and role model to their children.
It is healthy for a developing youth/person to branch out from their comfort zone. It is healthy for them to want to stray from their familiar path(s) to try different things. Independence should be encouraged as it leads to the youth thinking for and supporting themselves.
And this is exactly what Miley does.

Parents should be ashamed for holding this girl in a box of perfection—to be your daughter’s only/main role model, especially when she is still young herself. She is at the stage of finding and understanding herself, so let her do so.

Brianny Paulino
Calling someone a dog or a filthy animal. Usally it means that person has done something inhumane.

Christopher Curran
My toast to a very stable genius: Imagine, if you will, a large man with sallow skin the color of autumn rot. Imagine his brain, slushie of grease, adderall, and the unlimited adoration of morons. Imagine also that this man is prone to fits of outrage both in person and online: greasy thumbs smearing the screen while the remnants of a Big Mac crumble onto a once proud desk. We have here a man (or, if you prefer, a bulbous orange trash bag of curdled milk) with no attributes worthy of praise. In some cases the slovenly man may be a kind and gentle poet, or the angry man a charitable giver on the holidays; not this man, no, this rolling tub of expired American cheese is neither a slovenly genius nor a charitable blowhard. Instead, he is collection of repugnant psychological traits, shat forth from the collective anus of the craven, racist, and ignorant electorate and foisted upon decent humans everywhere. This man is the epitome of the classic Sunday school question: could God make a piece of shit so big that even he couldn't stand the smell of it?

Colleen Ijuin
Excerpt from Nadia Murad's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: "We have to remember every day how the terrorist organization of ISIS and those who carry its ideas attacked the Yazidis with unprecedented brutality in 2014 with the aim of ending the existence of one of the original components of the Iraqi society. They committed this genocide for the sole reason that we are Yazidis who have different beliefs and customs and who are against killing each other or holding people in captivity or enslaving them." .... "Thank you very much for this honour, but the fact remains that the only prize in the world that can restore our dignity is justice and the prosecution of criminals. There is no award that can compensate for our people and our loved ones who were killed solely because they were Yazidis. The only prize that will restore a normal life between our people and our friends is justice and protection for the rest of this community.."

Ashley Shaw
Up until now, I have done original pieces for each of these. However, for this one, I am going to quote one of my favorite insults of all time, which I think meets this definition, and which is from a prince in Aladdin: "You are a worthless street rat. You were born a street rat, you'll die a street rat, and only your fleas will mourn you."

Ashley Shaw
This is a comparison I always use in my classes: Writing a paper is like giving a present. A well-wrapped gift is going to be well-received and look nice. It may be chosen first or opened with more excitement. However, at the end of the day, nobody cares how the paper was wrapped if the gift itself wasn't thoughtful and considerate. The gift itself is the most important part. In the same way, grammar and mechanics matter. They are what make your paper look nice and make people want to read it (and trust it). However, at the end of the day, if the paper doesn't have something well-thought out, meaningful, and fully researched to say, then nobody cares how well it was 'wrapped.' The content itself is the most important part.

Meyia Johnson
As she stood at the balcony above her workers, Mrs. Olivia smiled wide with those ancient, false teeth that could only crush fecal matter and posed for a picture that my brother and I were positive her soulless frame wouldn’t appear in. She would be in the paper—again. Empty, fabricated stories would surround her photograph, and an invitation for a better life would taunt desperate souls. More workers would come and fall into the inescapable trap she created as her home. They would come to learn her empty smiles and promises, and that she would suck all their dreams away until they no longer wanted to speak of the future. And when they finally dropped dead from the work and hopelessness, she would not mourn. She would rejoice in the new opening they’ve made and prepare for the next photo by putting on one of her many dead husband’s gifts.

Alex Sladky
Seeking to compare the study of English with the study of Latin, for each field has its own benefits, and comparison only strengthens the benefits of studying both subjects together. Studying Latin exposes the student to great literature, just as the study of English. Only the study of Latin focuses on the very beginnings of literature, and a study will gain an understanding of literature that has influenced, both explicitly and implicitly, many pieces of literature that are commonly taught in English class. Latin is a language that one must master before reading complicated texts. One must learn the grammar and syntax, parts of speech and verb tenses, noun endings and vocabulary. English, too, requires the study of these aspects of language. English, however, is still spoken and used globally in the present day, while Latin is learned primarily in order to read. Latin finds its way into many languages, hiding and residing in certain derivatives. Each language trains the student to look closely at words and how they are used, to question the text, to make meaning. Latin is a meeting point for many subjects and combines the study of language, syntax, rhetoric, philosophy, culture, literature, religion, and history, and in some cases math, science, and music. The study of English combines language, syntax, literature, composition, rhetoric, history, philosophy, culture, and in some cases math, science, and music. Each subject encompasses much more than the name suggests. There are many other things that could be said about the subjects of Latin and English that emphasize their connection. They study of one subject compliments the study of the other.

Jenna Harte
Thanksgiving is better than Christmas. For Thanksgiving, the only decor one is really expected to provide is a few gourds and a festive wreath. For a menu, easy casseroles are expected, and even, in some cases, preferred. Even more, no one expects you to purchase and wrap a gift for them when celebrating Thanksgiving; in contrast, for Christmas, there is the burden of holiday shopping in department stores. Usually, the decor of your home—both the interior and exterior—is much more elaborate, and takes time to set up and take down. Christmas is messier, colder, and overall a much more overwhelming holiday to attempt to enjoy.

Danielle Garner
A comparison between Tinder and Clothes shopping. Both are completely different things, but they are very similar when analyzed. On Tinder you swipe either left and right as you peruse your choices of men and/or women, and when you clothes shop, you swipe through the selection of shirts, sweaters, and jeans. Both Tinder and clothes shopping allow you to "try on" your selection. Tinder you go on dates and get to know the person and with clothes you try on different articles to see if they fit. If you don't like an article of clothing, you can put it back on the rack and try something different. With Tinder, if you find you don't like your date, you can end things (or ghost them) and try another match.

Storm Murray
The Shining by Stephen King was better than the film adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick. The book is an exploration of how man can become monster through addiction and uses symbols like the boiler overheating to parallel Jack’s increasing madness. It also intelligently depicts how emotional trauma often works in cycles by describing how Jack grew up with an alcoholic, abusive father and now is exhibiting the same traits in his own family. The film, on the other hand, does not address Jack’s father at all, and therefore, lacks one of the most important pieces of the story. Also, by changing the ending of the story, Kubrick eradicated the complexity of Jack’s struggle to maintain his sanity. Therefore, though Kubrick is a genius when it comes to directorial choices like lighting and space, his adaptation is less impressive than King’s original text.

Ashley Shaw
This is a comparison I always use in my classes: Writing a paper is like giving a present. A well-wrapped gift is going to be well-received and look nice. It may be chosen first or opened with more excitement. However, at the end of the day, nobody cares how the paper was wrapped if the gift itself wasn't thoughtful and considerate. The gift itself is the most important part. In the same way, grammar and mechanics matter. They are what make your paper look nice and make people want to read it (and trust it). However, at the end of the day, if the paper doesn't have something well-thought out, meaningful, and fully researched to say, then nobody cares how well it was 'wrapped.' The content itself is the most important part.

Dylan Maroney
Abraham Lincoln was well known for being a stoic individual who was willing to accelerate the expansion of rights for all peoples. He is similarly well known for his supposed honesty in all matters, truly someone worth looking up to (he was also quite tall).

Rachel Woods
Dracula is well known for being the original vampire and inspiration for our stereotypical image of the monster. He wore a long black cloak that he could pull in front of his body to block the burning sun, he was repelled by garlic, and was a fearsome man that hunted humans for their blood. The only known way to kill him is by plunging a wooden stake through his heart though some debate the effectiveness of holy water or full exposure to sunlight.

Ashley Shaw
Santa Claus is known for being a jolly old soul with a heart filled with love and a spirit designed to bring joy to others. Every year on Christmas, he travels the world giving free toys to all the deserving children, even though his only payment for this task is cookies and milk. While he is a little bit stalkerish in his quest to watch the children all year long and keep a list of their good and bad deeds, he only has the best intentions in mind. His physical traits can be debated, but what is consistent is his full beard and big belly. He is also very wise as would be anyone who has lived as long as him.

Keaton Lamle
The following descriptive passage concerns a couple of characters in a story I once wrote. Not even March yet, and already there are mosquitos, though the two of them don’t notice. Barbara Wooley and her husband Chet spend the increasingly long evenings in their backyard, practicing— Barb’s black hair done up in stately bouffant, looking newer than the rest of her, resplendent even after evening dance sessions. A body to match her bouffant. Pretty in the way aging Nashville singers remain pretty. Decked out in what her daughter-in-law secretly calls, “dead people make-up.” Chet wearing his uniform (too-tight Levi’s and snug cotton tee and sleeve-stowed cigarettes) as they bend and sweat and glide, practicing. Chet, one large, stiff scalene triangle as he dances. The imaginary line from the back of his belt to his belly-button almost as long as the one from his butt to the base of his neck. Thick, square face that’s severe even at rest. Red hair clumped into discrete patches, soaked in practice sweat. You really could not ask for better weather, and they’ve said so a dozen times each— to each other and the guys at the plant and the gals from church. Weather so good for February Chet wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if there were some price to pay, an equal and opposite snowstorm in July or something. Dusk that hangs on a couple minutes longer each night. Blooms poking their heads out like they’re not sure if this is a drill or what. A giddy humidity loitering in unseasonably warm air the color of a motel painting. Fifty years, now. Fifty years this year and they’re out to prove they’ve ‘still got it.’ The invitation magnet-stuck to the refrigerator, proudly displayed. Designated date circled in red ink on the Comanche County Co-Op calendar. Library videocassettes explaining footwork and choreographical strategies. Pawn shop records played on the old RCA, which is still going strong, wanting only a new cartridge to sound like the warm fuzzies. The Wooleys are gearing up to participate in Hearst High School’s Class of Sixty Four 50th Anniversary Sock Hop/Free Form Rock & Roll Dance Competition, which nearly everyone agrees could’ve been more efficiently named.

Catthuan Nguyen
A knot of tangled hair perches precariously atop her head. A slight movement of the head could send the tenuous knot bobbing back and forth or side to side. A person whose indignation may be easily roused by the sight of a child unkempt may wonder why on earth has her mother not comb it out and reknot it tighter. Said person might be offended to learn how long the little girl’s hair is or that in her three and a half years of life her hair has never known a stylist’s expert snips. Now, she thinks haircut hurts. She cries easily with deep-set dark eyes that sparkle and shine all the more exuberantly with the mistiness of tears enhanced by the innocence of childhood that knows not their transparent feigning. The cherubic quality of her face is anchored in her capacious, slightly indented cheeks that both jut out and droop, depending on the viewer’s angle. A small, delicate button nose caps off her face. Her arms are gangly yet strangely well-defined, and together they bracket a thin upper body with a stomach that protrudes according to how much she has had to drink or eat, but most of the time it’s drink. Tapering down from her upper body is a pair of legs too skinny to make any mother proud.

Lashawn Sabio
An excerpt from a story I wrote a while ago; Something nudged at my calf and when I opened my eyes to see what it was, I found my little furry friend. His orange fur tickled the exposed skin around my ankle. I pet him gently, fearing he would scratch me like he sometimes does. He was nice today, laying on his back so I could rub his stomach. My palm moved back and forth on his tummy and I could feel the vibrations as he purred. I smiled down at him, happy to have this small distraction

Dylan Maroney
If we're going to go with examples of things we've written: When you have children you always feel as if they’ll outlive you. However, when push comes the shove, sometimes this isn’t always the case. Even though she may have passed months ago her room still feels, for the most part, the same. Even if there’s now a void. Her mirror is still smudged with makeup of various colors, an abstract collage of her face; her dresser still covered with unfinished art, all smudged pencil marks and eraser shavings; her painting of a willow, now chipping off of the wall where the branches would have reached down for nourishment. The bed, as it always was, will remain unmade; her dirty clothes, now scattered across the floor in various piles will be bundled up and donated to the local shelter; and her old art supplies will continue growing moldy until we could work up the nerve to finally poisoning ourselves and throw them away.

Lydia Meredith
Raven the Transgender @ Publix Midtown Raven resembles the color-flavor of her favorite dessert, Black Cherry, Talenti Gelato, sold at Publix Midtown. Her hair-piece is black satin, and fits roughly on her head, doing its best to conceal the edges of her hair and scalp, clearly a different texture from the satin hair-piece on top. Raven is dark-skinned, shaded darker, from the chemicals her body consumes, frequently. Her skin is beaten, dry, and crepey by the elements of nature that know her intimately – the sun, the wind, the stars, and the concrete, sidewalk-bed. Her sunken cheeks are colored with red blush, her lips are a blood red color, too. Her hands are not manicured to perfection, to the contrary, the flesh of her fingertips appear swollen over each nail bed. You’d think that Raven is full-breasted, hippy, and booty-licious – the way she exposes her body – but still, she exposes, flaunting the contours of her body -- her raggedy, fitted clothes somehow adorn her -- even though she’s frail and thin, from head to toe -- a short shirt and low cut top -- show off her sole diet of sweets and drugs. “Sister Meredith,” she yells out. I respond, “Hey Raven, whatcha doing still down here, you promised me you were going to check into St. Jude’s rehab down the street.” I noticed Raven’s feet are wrinkled and scorched as if she had walked a million miles in the desert. Raven watches my eyes as I look down at her feet. She drops her head, just for a quick minute. She recovers abruptly, and changes the subject, “Can you bring me some Black Cherry ice cream from the store -- I’ll be right here waiting for you when you come out?” “Sure, but first, let’s go to Walgreens and pick you up some shoes.”

Rachel Woods
A description of my Mom's cat: If you have ever seen a bush or a tree, then you are familiar with the way each leaf sticks out in a way that simultaneously appears as a unified clump and as a disarray of uneven textures; that is what his fur looks like. Strands of long slate extend past the light silver tufts that cover his body. There is no rhyme or reason to the arrangement of hair as some sections are a soft and even patch while others resemble poorly mowed grass; the most accurate image is that of dark smoke rising off the water. All of this is contrasted by a heart shaped cherubic face the size of a ripe plum with two shiny, inquisitive, coppery eyes peering out from the smoke. Like an electrocuted cartoon scientist, the sloping edges of the face are accented by those long charcoal-like strands which are thickest around the tiny triangle ears. A slight body extends like a baby in that it is both small but plump with a feather duster sticking out from behind. When he sits, his body stands like a statue while the tail wraps around like a rich woman draped in a feather boa. At the same time the image of elegance and Franklin after catching lightening on his kite.

Colleen Ijuin
SYNOPSIS: Lt. Ralph E. Foulks, Jr. was a pilot assigned to Attack Squadron 163 onboard the aircraft carrier USS ORISKANY (CVA-34). On January 5, 1968, he launched in his A4E "Skyhawk" attack aircraft as the wingman on a two-plane night armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. Shortly after crossing the coast, the flight leader took a column of trucks under attack. Lt. Foulks acknowledged that he had the bomb impacts of his flight leader in sight. The time was 6:10 a.m. and that was the last communication received from him. At that time, Foulks was located at Phat Diem in Ninh Binh Province, North Vietnam. No crash was observed, nor were ejection or parachute seen. If Foulks radioed or transmitted emergency signals, they were not heard. All Search and Rescue efforts were unsuccessful in locating Lt. Foulks. Both Da Nang and Chu Lai airfields, the two designated emergency locations, were contacted with no results. Lt. Ralph E. Foulks, Jr. was placed in Missing in Action status.

Ashley Shaw
Since a lot of us are going with past stories we have written, here is one of mine: The shed stood deep in the woods behind the school. At one time, it was used to hold the gardener’s tools. But when the roof started to wilt and rot, the school abandoned it to the whims of the trees. In the decades that followed, ivy and roots sprang up, gripping and grasping the wooden structure while the thick mud opened its dark mouth and, like a snake biting more than it could swallow, sucked in as much as it could. Soon, only the door remained visible. Upon first sight, visitors had visions of elves and goblins, other worlds and magical realms, as if a mythical past had somehow been preserved for one immortal second in a single red door, growing from the wizened head of the forest. Sometimes, if the wind hit it just right, blowing in the scent of dirt and earth and death, the door would swing open and shut, open and shut. In those moments, as it clanged against the dark walls of the sinking shed, it welcomed anyone who cared to look to see the secrets it held.

Storm Murray
Shinto shrines in Japan are built to house kami – the nature spirits worshiped in the Shinto religion. They are built in natural areas like in forests or on mountainsides because the kami deities are inherently tied to the natural world. At the front of each shrine there is a structure which designates the entrance into these places of worship called torii gates. These structures have two columns which support a beam across the center and a longer beam at the top which hangs over the edges of the two columns. There are different types of torii gates which add different types of ornamentation to the structure such as having the beams curve upwards or having rings at the top of the pillars. Occasionally torii gates will have painted kanji – Japanese pictorial characters – painted along the columns or will have a plate attached to the two beams at the top which refer to the names of generous donors to the shrine or name the shrine itself respectively. Often the structure will be decorated by wishes written on paper and tied to ropes around the columns.

Meyia Johnson
The Girl Speaks of Women I’ve seen a woman: I’ve seen a woman with hurting eyes and the warmest smile That gave me a preview into who I wanted to be— Strong and willful in the harshest of times. I’ve seen a woman: Who always fed an army of seven hectic little ones and herself. Whose stressed face inspired a 12-year old to hustle candy at school. Who whupped disrespectful youth; Who gave the confused clarification. Who cared for strangers in cold, white, secluded rooms. Who gave the perfect pep talk in those I-can’t-go-on-situations. Who was fruitless but more of a momma than actual birthers. Who gained superman-like strength to carry the weak and powerless. Who gave the greatness she promised me; Who expected greatness from me. Who was fluent and bilingual when singing to society, And taught me how to sing loud and well And how to smile like I meant it Even when I did or did not mean it. I’ve seen all types of women: From my Great Grand to my Sister— Full-time Homemakers, Picketers and Silent Protesters, Nurses and unofficial Doctors, Afro-combing Business Owners, Penny-Pinchers, Nation-Lifters In-their-own-right kind of Queens, As-caring-as-your-momma Neighbors, and Soul food Chefs and Soulful Trainers and Truth Teachers and Passionate Preachers —The Real Women And I will be relentless, too.

Meyia Johnson
The Girl Speaks of Women(poem) Website with actual format: https://www.deviantart.com/afrochica94/art/The-Girl-Speaks-of-Women-621885193 I’ve seen a woman: I’ve seen a woman with hurting eyes and the warmest smile That gave me a preview into who I wanted to be— Strong and willful in the harshest of times. I’ve seen a woman: Who always fed an army of seven hectic little ones and herself. Whose stressed face inspired a 12-year old to hustle candy at school. Who whupped disrespectful youth; Who gave the confused clarification. Who cared for strangers in cold, white, secluded rooms. Who gave the perfect pep talk in those I-can’t-go-on-situations. Who was fruitless but more of a momma than actual birthers. Who gained superman-like strength to carry the weak and powerless. Who gave the greatness she promised me; Who expected greatness from me. Who was fluent and bilingual when singing to society, And taught me how to sing loud and well And how to smile like I meant it Even when I did or did not mean it. I’ve seen all types of women: From my Great Grand to my Sister— Full-time Homemakers, Picketers and Silent Protesters, Nurses and unofficial Doctors, Afro-combing Business Owners, Penny-Pinchers, Nation-Lifters In-their-own-right kind of Queens, As-caring-as-your-momma Neighbors, and Soul food Chefs and Soulful Trainers and Truth Teachers and Passionate Preachers —The Real Women And I will be relentless, too.

Meyia Johnson
The Girl Speaks of Women(poem) Website with actual format: https://www.deviantart.com/afrochica94/art/The-Girl-Speaks-of-Women-621885193 I’ve seen a woman: I’ve seen a woman with hurting eyes and the warmest smile That gave me a preview into who I wanted to be— Strong and willful in the harshest of times. I’ve seen a woman: Who always fed an army of seven hectic little ones and herself. Whose stressed face inspired a 12-year old to hustle candy at school. Who whupped disrespectful youth; Who gave the confused clarification. Who cared for strangers in cold, white, secluded rooms. Who gave the perfect pep talk in those I-can’t-go-on-situations. Who was fruitless but more of a momma than actual birthers. Who gained superman-like strength to carry the weak and powerless. Who gave the greatness she promised me; Who expected greatness from me. Who was fluent and bilingual when singing to society, And taught me how to sing loud and well And how to smile like I meant it Even when I did or did not mean it. I’ve seen all types of women: From my Great Grand to my Sister— Full-time Homemakers, Picketers and Silent Protesters, Nurses and unofficial Doctors, Afro-combing Business Owners, Penny-Pinchers, Nation-Lifters In-their-own-right kind of Queens, As-caring-as-your-momma Neighbors, and Soul food Chefs and Soulful Trainers and Truth Teachers and Passionate Preachers —The Real Women And I will be relentless, too.

Lydia Meredith
Thesis: Should Marijuana be legalized? I think of black and brown men (minorities) incarcerated at 3 times the rate of white men; treated differently (more harshly) in the justice system when the crime is identical; and struggle to find employment and wellbeing (unprepared by neighborhood public schools). They have no hope for tomorrow. Research shows that millions in this population are incarcerated because of minor drug-marijuana-related offenses. After serving their time, dehumanized and criminalized while serving time, these men return to society unmarketable and unable to retain a job that pays a livable wage. The cycle continues, they become a statistic of recidivism. Marijuana should be legalized because fewer minorities would be jailed; minorities already jailed for such offenses would be exonerated; minorities could become taxpayers; such action would create humane possibility for minorities, and advance a more humane society. The fact that use of marijuana is illegal is problematic given the societal backlash – such laws should be eradicated from our legal system. Decriminalizing marijuana would result in fewer arrests, especially of minority populations – clearly unjust given the disparity in treatment of non-minority offenders. It is expedient to decriminalize marijuana because the legal cost associated with arrest, trial, and incarceration for such minor offenses are exorbitant. These dollars could be used for prevention programs for youth in minority communities. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – In conclusion, it would benefit society legally, politically, socially, economically -- fewer cases and convictions leading to costly court cost and jail time; fewer minorities would enter and be damaged by the penal system – creating opportunity to become productive citizens, paying taxes, and earning a livable wage.

Jenna Harte
Students should not be able to exempt freshman composition courses through dual enrollment or AP examinations as these measures do not fully prepare students to engage in writing at the college-level or in the perspective careers. First of all, to pass an AP exam, there is a certain set of criteria for measuring student writing; in a sense, when students write to pass AP exams, they are writing for one rhetorical audience. However, if they take at least one semester of composition, they will be asked to confront a larger range of audience and text that will be more likely to prepare them to be better writers in a variety of contexts. Furthermore, the idea that there is a reward for “good writing,” and that the reward is “less writing” promotes the idea that writing is measurable, learned skill rather than an ongoing process. It is to the detriment of the student that they are not given every possible opportunity to build their writing skills.

Danielle Garner
Universities should not require SAT and ACT scores upon application and admission because standardized test scores can misrepresent a student's academic ability. Several universities have removed the SAT and ACT requirements for application and admission purposes and have had positives results in student retention and academic success. To begin, the SAT and ACT can cause students undue stress. Students know they need a particular score to get into a particular school causing them to stress due testing which can, ultimately, lead to poor performance and testing anxiety. This leads to my next point: standardized tests are only a small snapshot of a student's cumulative academic knowledge from a four hour testing period. Again, preparation for the SAT and ACT can lead to undue stress causing poor test performance which can result in a lowered overall score. Last is the financial burden these tests create. On average both the SAT and ACT cost roughly $46 without the essay and $63 with the essay. Many students don't have the finances to pay for the test once much less multiple times. Because of the SAT and ACT requirement at most colleges, these students don't have the opportunity to attend a larger college when they could have the academic ability to perform as well as or possibly even better than their peers. Rather than require standardized tests for admission purposes, schools should look at a student's official transcript to gage long term performance, recommendation letters, and personal statements.

Christopher Curran
According to an article in the Washington Post, there were nearly 1,000 fatal police shootings in 2015 (Kindy et al.). That’s an average of almost three shootings per day, and while many of them were justified, at least 90 of the shootings involved an unarmed suspect (Kindy et al.). Undoubtedly, being a police officer is a dangerous job, which I believe is why we tend to believe most shootings are justified. However, as the numbers suggest, some of the shootings are questionable. The importance of that fraction suggests we ought to equip police officers with body cameras. If police officers can provide video evidence that they acted according to the best practices of their profession, it will exonerate those officers who may be wrongly accused and restore trust in the profession.

Ashley Shaw
Non-violent/sexual offenders should not be forced to report their criminal history on job applications except where there is a reasonable expectation for the request (for example, a past of embezzlement would be important for an employer to know in an financial position.) The reasons for this are many, but they come down to two things: The first is that the individual in question has served his or her sentence by the time they exit jail, in which case they should not further be punished by losing out on job opportunities. The second is that a major part of why former convicts end up back in jail is because they are unable to find careers and other ways to succeed and pay bills because of their criminal history. Recidivism will lower by opening up opportunities for past offenders to get jobs by not allowing the question of past convictions on applications, except for in cases of necessity, violence, and sexual offenses.

Brianny Paulino
Would segregation laws and Jim Crow work here? The laws were created to continue to seperate blacks from white and maintain power structures. However, the laws were later "corrected" to allow room for equal power among blacks and whites (still pending).

Ashley Shaw
This is something my grandma always argues against (and the reason she claims she can't get a motorcycle even though she wants one, I guess, unless she moves to Florida, which she refuses to do). In other words, it does not necessarily express my opinion on the law: There should be no laws requiring the use of helmets for motorcycle riders. Laws are intended to restrict freedoms of an individual only when they also protect the freedom of another. In the case of a helmet, the only one the law is designed to protect is the individual rider, but as a rider in a free country, they should be able to chose on their own the safety measure they chose to use or refuse.