The Flicker

Truth or Dare by Ema Zagajac 1st hour Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that there is something a lot more terrifying than the Kardashians when they are angry. Death. Most days, I am the only one who rides the bus. Apparently, the bus was “lame” to students at West Shore Preparatory. People seem to cluster in little cliques. I have two objectives while I am here, (1) to stay in the shadows, and (2) graduate and get the hell out of this damn high school and move on with…

"And you promise to never leave this place?" September 6, 2001. Majed's heart was racing in his chest, sweat dripping like a rainfall. He was so close, he did not want to lose it now. "Yes," he responded with enthusiasm. "Then it is settled. Your first assignment starts in 4 days.Welcome to the team." Majed could never have relived what he was experiencing at that moment. He was darting his arms in excitement, but he was quivering from head to toe in fear. Never did he have experience with…

Union’s body strained against the ties that held him to the chair, squirming like a worm on a hook under the watchful eye of his older brother. Reginald’s arms folded over one another, the white cotton gauze that wrapped up his forearm slowly becoming tainted with red from the pulsing would beneath. Union’s eyes were wide, nostrils flaring and body shaking as he watched his brother with teeth bared. He could hear the older boy’s heart pumping in his chest, pushing blood out from the gaping hole…

As the beginning of the new decade approached, a spark for change was brewing. However, unbeknownst to American society, this flicker would emerge into an immense flame that ignited passion, controversy, and most of all, change. These three words could be described as the ultimate mantra for the decade of the nineteen sixties. From nineteen sixty to the end of the decade, America witnessed tremendous economic, social, and political development. The conflicts in this turbulent stage included ones…

Every year, more than 460,000 student-athletes compete in 23 sports under the National Collegiate Athletic Association or NCAA (NCAA.org). Each and every one of these young, talented, and dedicated high school seniors are required to select an academic major that is, more often than not, not relevant or consistent with their true intentions of attending the college they choose. Improving athletic skills is why significant numbers of NCAA Division I student-athletes are at their respective…

Silent Fields We had been hiking for half a day by the time we reached the base camp to Mount Fairfield. My feet were blistered and my clothes were wet with sweat. I looked like I had gone into a sauna with my clothes on, but that didn’t stop me from winking at the crew of women mountaineers that we passed on the way to base camp two hours earlier. I lit a cigarette as I walked; I deserved it. I’m not one who smokes, but, at the time, smoking was a way to look independent, chic almost. We had…

Past the empty garden beds, the dried remains of herbs a graveyard of broken skeletons in the heat, and down, down the hill towards the forest shade where shadows pooled in refreshing clumps. She still watched for the flicker of Cinder’s tail between the tree roots, despite knowing the cat would be dozing by library fan like any reasonable being and not out in the heat of the day. A few more steps and she reached the burntwood. A fire had gone through this part of the…

Literary theory consists of various principles, beliefs and underlying ideas that are used to understand and analyze different pieces of texts in literature. An interesting way to view literary theory is by considering theories as tools. Critics take these tool and apply it to a text in an attempt to look at it from a different perspective. It grants them the ability to examine a particular aspect of a text, which they regard of significant importance. When these theories are passed onto readers…

When days switches between day and night, spirits fought for control, causing many conflicts between Team Daytime and Team Nighttime. Because of this, each day was always full of tension. These spirits often caused fires, smoke, and many non-eco friendly things to the environment. The world was in chaos. The spirits of Daytime, were Bright, Sun, Day, while the spirits of Nighttime, were Night, Dark, and Gloom. Team Nighttime ruled the first half of the day while Team Daytime ruled the second…

In Journey to the Wilderness, Frye Gaillard offers answers to the different perspectives that the Northern and Southern states of America developed from the Civil War. While the South seemed to revel in their “glorious defeat” the North remembered it as a fight for the unification of the country. As the South’s new generations grew, they were taught “stories of gallantry and courage, and admiration of the dashing generals…whose heroism was undiminished by defeat” (25, Gaillard). However, the…