A bittersweet goodbye, to the school I’ve called mine since preschool. To be completely honest it feels like school has already ended. Not having to be there is so much less time and work. I have a ton of good memories there, and a ton of bad ones. Hanging with friends was a cause of great joy in my life, however; school was a huge cause of stress and anxiety. I won’t miss having to leave class to cry in the nurses office or the wheelchair bathroom stall. And as beautiful as Westcliffe is as a place to live, I wonder what opportunities would have been available elsewhere. If I hadn’t been in such a small school my entire life would I have been in color guard? Gymnastics? Soccer? Who knows. But there’s no point hating Custer County for what it didn’t offer me, Instead; I will thank it for what it did give me. Going to school with some of the same people since elementary is a really special experience. I got to watch some of my classmates grow up and change so much just as they got to watch me. Being friends with someone like that since childhood creates so many memories and shared experiences and it’s a lot of fun to reminisce with them. I think the sense of support and community in such a small town is a really good thing. I’ll miss it at times for sure. I also think this allowed for closer student/teacher relationships which was really cool as I can’t think of another place where I would have had the same art teacher through elementary school to high school. Or end up seeing Hamilton with my English teacher. I was a tyrant through elementary school. I think it’s finally time to come clean for stealing candy out of the dish on Mrs. Henrich’s desk in third grade. I’m very sorry about that. I have very fond memories of Mrs. Parrish’s class in middle school. She made learning about science fun. High school started and ended interesting and slowly became more unbearable as it went along but regardless there were a million tiny, beautiful moments along the way from when when the choir scored well at competition my freshman year to finding a spider in Mrs. Days room. There are many things I’ll never forget. So I bid this chapter of my life farewell. Thank you Custer County Schools, for all the good and bad. The thing’s I did here will have little to no effect on my future, hopefully, but as Fall Out Boy always says, “thanks for the memories”.

Honestly I don’t have a lot of thoughts on graduation. I really haven’t taken the time to be sad about a lot of things that were cancelled because what good would it do. There’s no reason to be longing for what could have been because that’s not whats happening. The community really has come together and done a lot of things for the seniors. I appreciate the gifts and all but at the same time what good is it posting our pictures and making signs. Everyone in the world is affected by this and we are 24 18 year olds its not that tragic and it’s not worth the time and effort. I am very thankful we are still having a ceremony of sorts though. I think it will be nice to see everyone because for many that’s the last time they will see some of their peers in person. Graduation for me doesn’t really have more thoughts then, “cool I’m leaving high school.” And that’s still happening. I’m honestly glad I don’t have to do that senior picture board as I am not a huge fan of pictures and projects about myself. As for just graduating in general, I’m very excited. I’ve lived in this town long enough and am ready to go out and create new experiences and memories. I even think this summer I may have to leave town to find a job as the motel probably doesn’t need me with the virus happening. I am a lot more motivated in things I have signed up for and paid for and that’s college. I hope I find happiness wherever it takes me.

“Pencey when are the wildlife photographers visiting today? Do you have any idea at all?We need to figure this out,” Rupert said as he began to pace anxiously across the sand. “I know, I know. I’m not sure when they’ll be back. It’s not often they visit our coast in New Zealand we can’t waste this. It’s time for an extreme brainstorming session we have to have a solid plan,” Pencey replied as he waddled towards Rupert. “All of the other penguins are content with the possibility of a few seconds of screen time on the Discovery channel or to be a tiny, indistinguishable speck among the other penguins in a National Geographic picture but that isn’t enough, we are meant for more than that Rupert.” Pencey reached out a flipper to stop Rupert’s incessant pacing. Rupert smoothed down his feathers and took a few deep breaths, “Well how do we become famous? What can we possibly do that will give us more attention than that?” Pencey thought for a moment his brow furrowing in concentration. “I’ve got it!” He exclaimed. “We can get our big breakthrough in the easiest form of entertainment. It wont matter that we’re just little penguins we have more personality than most people in any of those shows anyways. We can be reality television stars.” Rupert was caught off guard by such a bold idea but before much excitement could grow his anxiety questioned Pencey once again. “As magical as that would be where would we possibly fit in on Bravo or TLC. We still don’t know what to do to get the photographers attention enough to make them consider taking us to Hollywood.” “Well,” Pencey began, a step ahead of Rupert already. “What if we danced. What are people’s first thought when they think of penguins related to television? Happy Feet. That silly cartoon could be our way in. They see dancing penguins they’ll think its the most naturally bizarre thing they’ve ever seen and they’ll want to bring us back to the US. Once our little dancing phenomenon is put on whatever talk show they see most fit, we will have had more than enough time to think of a way to get our own reality TV show.” “Pencey…” Rupert said slowly. “Yes?” he replied, eagerly awaiting his friends response. “I think perhaps you’re the smartest penguin in the world.”

Prompt and characters co-created by me and Samuel Conde

“There were two tiny penguins and they only longed for reality television stardom”

My journey into deciding what I want to do when I “grow up” is far from over. I have more of a general idea than I used to but it could still go so many directions. Sometimes people get lucky, they have good work ethic and a lot of intelligence and their interests translate into meaningful and money-making job opportunities. And sometimes you are average with no academically impressive abilities or desires. My only redeemable characteristic is some slight natural artistic ability, which isn’t enough to warrant any support in attempting to make money off of it. I could probably work really hard and pick a real career but I simply don’t feel like going into something random for money that will give me no job satisfaction. Why my unmotivated brain could’t just long to be a nurse or engineer is beyond me, but I guess it is what it is. As a child I always loved drawing and soon fell into acting in middle school. So its no surprise that would be what I want to do. No one asks to exist but everyone is expected to work hard towards success. I will accept this responsibility as I really have no other option. Unfortunately the only career path that sounds remotely interesting is the arts. Which is where I’ll hopefully end up.

I think a moment of time needs to be taken to casually bring up some concerns and conspiracies surrounding the Denver International Airport. Anyone who has been to DIA knows the vibes are off. The first abomination that can be seen is Blucifer, the accurately nicknamed giant blue mustang sculpture with glowing red eyes. Blucifer is not only inherently terrifying but also killed the artist who created it when a section of the sculpture fell on him in his studio. Another strange adornment to the airport is a stone time capsule to be opened in 2094. The time capsule bears the symbol of the Freemasons and mentions the “New World Airport Commission”, an organization that doesn’t exist and sounds coincidentally like The New World Order. But it doesn’t stop there. The runway is shaped suspiciously similar to a swastika and there are rumors of bunkers and secrets hidden in the airport’s underground tunnels. Perhaps the most noticeable thing in the airport is the creepy murals. One is titled “Children of the World Dream of Peace” but pictures a terrifying masked soldier stabbing a dove surrounded by sleeping children and women mourning over dead babies. Another similar mural is called “In Peace and Harmony with Nature” but depicts a huge tree on fire as children and women run from it, carrying endangered animals in glass cages with them as they flee. It also contains 2 corpses in caskets as well as some dead wildlife. Luckily this gruesome painting has a second scene showing all the people and animals alive, healthy, and rejoicing. But aren’t these still just unbelievably unnecessary? Individually these strange art pieces and conspiracies can easily be dismissed but the sheer number in one location is interesting to consider.

I could write about school being cancelled or my feelings about everything going on the the world, but why would I do that when I could write about the 330 lb, 7’1″ legend that is Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey. He unfortunately did not have a good relationship with his biological father who struggled with addiction. He attended Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas. O’Neal led his team to a 68–1 record and helped win the state championship during his senior year. He left college early to pursue a career in the NBA. He later finished his college education.

Shaq’s talents have been expressed in numerous fields. He has worked in many industries including television, music production, wrestling, mixed-martial arts, video games, education, and law enforcement. But most notably is his extensive basketball career. His lifetime statistics for his sports career spanning from 1992-2011 could take many many blog posts. I’m not going to list every number but I can assure you it is all extremely impressive.

I respect Shaquille O’Neal and his variety of talents and distinguished presence in sports history. I hope you learned something new today, even if it’s only that Shaq had a drop step basketball move dubbed the “Black Tornado”.

Hannah Kennedy
Mrs. Tillotson
College Lit & Composition
28th January 2020
When I was 13, going against my parents didn’t involve any acts of typical teenage rebellion. Instead of engaging in a bad attitude or risky behavior, I was secretly reading the Harry Potter series. I had been banned from reading the series due to their alleged inappropriateness, but I knew they weren’t bad, and my love of reading trumped the wishes of my parents. I would stay up every night reading as late as my eyes could stay open. I was “almost finished” with a novel when there was about 150 pages left. I cleverly took the covers off of the Eragon books and replaced the Harry Potter ones to hide from my family. My crime was never uncovered, and my hunger for a good story was quenched.
Having grown up around fellow book lovers, my appreciation of literature was no surprise. My sisters passed down Wishbone and Hank, the Cowdog books for me to have as a child. I didn’t only enjoy reading with my family but took every chance I got to continue the habit. Every summer, I participated in the local library’s reading program, and my comprehension and abilities grew. My imagination was encouraged by any teacher I had, and I flourished in reading and writing in school.
During middle school, I continued to enjoy literature immensely. I had to read every book before seeing the movie and followed certain series and authors religiously. I became a huge fan of John Green and how he captured the feeling of growing up in his novels. I adored Suzanne Collins and her riveting battle scenes in The Hunger Games. No journey was as epic to me as Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Reading became my favorite hobby and even got me in trouble for not paying attention during class. I had a circle of friends who fully embraced the “nerd” title and constantly chatted about books with me.
The busy schedule and stress of high school has slowed down my reading habits significantly, but I am constantly thankful that I was such an avid reader in my youth. Reading built my vocabulary which has been useful to me in every class I have taken as well, as in everyday life. Reading instilled in me the passion for creativity and knowledge that has been vital to my success as a student. Harry Potter, and a myriad of other fantastic stories, have taught me to follow my heart and fight for what’s right. I’m extremely grateful for the many ways literature has affected me personally and academically.

Drug Legalization (Marijuana)

Why do traditions and morals continue to be more important than our safety? An estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes yearly, and tobacco use is responsible for 480,000 deaths annually. Both of these drugs have been legal to purchase for decades. Why is the legalization of marijuana, a drug with an extremely low chance of overdose much-less death, so highly debated? These days you probably know or are close to a completely normal person who smokes weed. Substance abuse is not something to be ignored or taken lightly, but not every recreational drug user suffers from addiction. People should have the freedom to choose to partake in any legal drugs and marijuana should be legalized for a few key reasons. Many people benefit from the medicinal benefits of cannabis and legalizing the drug, even if only for medical patients, could provide people with the relief they need. Legalizing marijuana would also free up valuable law enforcement time to focus on other crimes. Being a drug that poses just as much if not less of a risk as alcohol to the public, it’s illogical that police time is wasted on trying to stop it from being sold. The regulation and sale of cannabis would both make the drug safer for the consumers and would create many jobs in the field. The tax revenue would also be beneficial for state and local governments. Enforcing the prohibition continues to cost the government money and at this point we need to consider if it is worth it.

Societies’s view on beauty is nothing shocking or new. For years the fashion, makeup, entertainment, and just about every other industry have been chocked full of the most aesthetically pleasing people imaginable. The consequences of this have become prevalent enough to push the importance of body positivity and mental health awareness into media, a subject generally respected and well received. Despite these efforts, it seems that eating disorders and depression and anxiety continue to become more and more common, especially in our youth. So what is being done wrong?

On one side we’re seeing strides in advertising and other industries. More diversity in general is being photographed, filmed, and given an important moment in the spotlight. A refreshing change from overweight or non conventionally attractive people being portrayed in ways that only amplify how unattractive they’re supposed to be . On the other hand we have ads for diet pills and supplements and magazines promising happiness from losing absurd amounts of weight very quickly. More focus needs to be put on exposing the often ignored dangers of diet culture.

Diet culture describes the most healthy and ideal body as a thin and toned one. There’s nothing wrong with following proper nutrition to achieve your fitness goals, but diet culture often leads to people using unhealthy measures. The average person is probably not affected by diet culture or what it promises, but people struggling with weight or mental illness are at risk of abusing aspects of it. It can very easily become an obsession with weight loss and not health. Extreme or unhealthy dieting can even be used as a coping mechanism. This culture pushed the notion that being thin is more important than being healthy. The concerning pills they sell wouldn’t still be on shelves if people weren’t buying them.

Perhaps the main cause of diet culture continuing to cause harm in society is lack of education. Being uneducated about the possible harm of a diet or even choosing to do it anyways shouldn’t happen in the first place. Support from friends and family is vital but not always available so the implications of improper nutritional intake and negative self image need to also to be talked about more in society and schools. Unfortunately seeing a plus size mannequin at target doesn’t fix the way way many people feel about themselves. As beauty is being redefined another industry still needs examination.