Life is short. That is the simple and unforgiving fact that cannot be avoided. It can often pass by as quickly as it comes when noses are buried in our cell phones instead of observing and appreciating the changing of seasons or the orange-purple sunset that concludes each day. That one idea— to pay attention— is what drives Alice Steinbach 's philosophy on writing along with a collection of other tactics taught to her by her ninth grade creative writing teacher Miss Dennis, which is showcased in her essay "The Miss Dennis School of Writing". Steinbach creates a well-rounded philosophy consisting of many elements throughout the essay.…
Ossineke, Alpena, Michigan. If you use your right hand palm as a map of Michigan, it’s located in the point finger. It has been 2 months away from my arrival, time flew so quickly. The first time I came here, I figured out that I have been pronouncing my city name in the wrong way. The right one is Ossineke(Os-san-nek) ,not like my awkward Indonesia pronunciation with palembangnesse accent.…
I walked through the dust and dirt to the familiar nondescript building I had come to know and love: Merek South in Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Trumpet case in hand, I pushed open the teal double doors and was met with a wall of sound. I felt the corners of my mouth rise and give birth to an excited grin as I walked past the percussion equipment and other trumpet players to the only open seat, which stood out in sharp contrast against the sea of blue polo shirts and navy blue pants--the required uniform of the camp. I had attended Blue Lake before, but now I was about to embark on their international exchange program, which would bring me to France, Germany, and Holland for five weeks during the Summer. “Are you Patrick from Maryland,” asked a girl in the middle of the section who I later learned was Julia.…
A hot summer afternoon it was. Julia, my host at Innisfree HawalBagh (Uttarakhand), showed me the walk way to Kosi river. Walking down was comfortable under the shade of deodar trees on a sunny blue sky day. As soon as I reached the river, I could not resist myself from a swim. I saw few ladies from the nearby village, filling water.…
ESA-The Sniper The sniper lay alone in the streets of Dublin eager for battle to begin that morning. It was a dark and eerie night. Not a single ray of moonlight shone to the ground. The sidewalks were uneven and blood streamed through the gutters.…
I am writing to express interest in the Assistant City Planner (Current Planning) opening with the City of Meridian as advertised in the Idaho Statesman. I am very interested in working for the City of Meridian Planning Division because the missions of the Community Development Department and Planning Division align perfectly with my values and beliefs. In addition, I am excited about assisting the general public, developers, builders, small business owners, and City staff through the planning process, review land use applications and submittals for conformity to established plans and ordinances, and provide staff support as needed and assigned. I believe the knowledge and skill set I have developed through my college coursework, at home, and professional development would be valuable to your undertakings.…
I can smell the excitement in the air. The crimson and white colors on everyone, and some people have even painted their bodies. It is football season, finally. Tuscaloosa has been referred to as “The City Of Champions” because of The University Of Alabama’s sports teams--mainly football. In Tuscaloosa, we brag about the Southeastern Conference and the number of BCS National Championship titles the university holds.…
Conquering Hell I remember everything that day. The gas, the smell of the dead bodies, and the constant rain. But the thing I remember the most was the regret and rush of my first kill. I was in the trenches that day, on the front line.…
Writing Sample In life, sometimes we are afraid to move forward for fear of failure. We hold ourselves back and instead of getting closer to our goals we stop ourselves. That can result in missing great opportunities, however, all we may need is a push to get rid of the fear so we may reach our full potential. Many children, who for the first time are learning how to ride a bike, start off with training wheels.…
Juana was walking down the warm, sandy beach of La Paz on a beautiful Saturday evening. She looked at the ocean as the sun began the set and saw a strange man on a small fishing boat. Puzzled Juana called out to the strange man, “ Sir, it is getting late! The ocean tends to be rough at night!” The strange man looked at her and said, “ I am a professional everything will be fine!”…
BRRR! “Its freezing out here,” I say to Alexa. “Yeah i’m practically ice,” she replies. We continue to chat, not paying attention to our Atwood leader. The night sky grew darker as we walked over broken branches and leaves, and we walked slower.…
As the sunlight breaks through the dense fog, I can see the long trail that will eventually lead me up the mountain. The air was crisp and cool, and the sweet song of the birds chirping danced on my eardrums. The dirt was damp, and the grass was covered in dew. As I ascended up the trail I was interrupted by a dray of chipmunks, so I stopped to observe their journey across the woodland floor. The sun has risen just a little bit higher, and the fog started breaking apart, so I decided to stray of the trail to a small boulder and sat down to bask in the beautiful atmosphere.…
During the spring break of my sophomore year of high school, I was given the opportunity to volunteer with A.E Finley YMCA. I had been going to the YMCA since I could talk and walk, and I was thrilled to be given the opportunity. However, this wasn’t normal volunteering at the YMCA 2 miles down the road, it was a volunteer mission trip in Lima, Peru. At that point in my life, I never even thought about anywhere outside of Raleigh. I had been to Pittsburgh, PA to visit family, but that was the extent to my travels.…
The church gym has never been this packed before, of that I'm sure, but this is New Year's Eve. The room is dark, lit only by the big colorful lights set up on either side of the DJ's table. The colors turn off and the strobe light turns on, turning the swarming mass of dancing teenagers into something out of an old movie. One of the ones where there's a flicker of darkness between each frame, giving things a stop motion kind of feel. Up close like this the light is painful and makes my head hurt more than the pounding bass already has.…
One of the best places to go when your Friday night plans fall through is 600 Wellwood Ave, Lindenhurst, Long Island. When my friends and I arrive I can read “Applebee’s” in big, bold, red letters from across the parking lot. It’s like a ghost town until you reach the corner of the strip of businesses. Applebee’s brings the parking lot to life after 10 o’clock when you are eligible for half off apps. From the minute I walk in I see various high school sport teams covering the walls.…