Alicia-11

My cousin recently got married, and she has been trying for a little while to convince her husband to get a dog. This weekend, they introduced us to Turbo. He a black pit-bull mix who's still just a puppy. Her husband had said that he didn't want a large dog, so my cousin was like, "this one's only 30 pounds". That might be true, but he's going to be massive when he's full grown. Of course, Will, is already attached to him. How could he not be? It's just like that with pets and children, even if you didn't think you wanted them, they still steal your hearts. I just thought this whole situation was really cute and funny (especially that part about her telling him the dog is only 30 pounds). Great material!

Alicia-10

Did you know that Matt Damon went to Harvard? I didn't before today. It really changes the way I view him, though of course I don't really know anything about him as a person, so I can't make any valid judgements about his character anyway. He grew up in Cambridge and, from what I read online, attended a fairly competitive school and was born into an academic family. I wonder if his major had anything to do with the theatre arts (he was interested in them from a young age) and whether his parents supported him leaving school to accept a big acting role. I'm just very curious about how he was raised. In my next work, I want to play with the idea of how family impacts what you choose to do later in life.

Alicia-9

My sister and I have very different sentiments when it comes to spirit days, costumes parties, and things of that nature. It doesn't bother me to be dressed up when not everyone else is, but my sister would be very uncomfortable doing that. I think a great way to contrast two characters' personalities is to emphasize how differently they approaching costumes (one going all out and the other one wearing something that could essentially pass as normal attire).

Alicia-8

People have two different tendencies when it comes to blame: to put it all on themselves or all on others. When a whole class does poorly on a test or doesn't understand something, teacher will sometimes chastise the students, saying that they didn't work hard enough when in reality the teacher might just not have explained it in a clear way or thoroughly covered a confusing concept. Another example would be when someone has a bad race and blames it on something they ate, the weather, or the shoes to avoid putting any of the blame on themselves. I definitely lean more towards blaming myself, which is not to say that I'm better because I don't blame other things but that I feel a lot of personal responsibility when something I am involved with doesn't go well, even if dozens of other are also involved or I really couldn't have changed the outcome. This would be a good way to characterize people, and I plan on using in the next long piece of writing I do.

Jaramie - Week 11

My best friends and I see each other basically everyday and not just in school. So this weekend my friend got really sick and so I haven’t seen her since Saturday and today is Tuesday and yet I miss her so much. I can’t even believe next year we’re going to go months without seeing one another.

Jaramie - Week 10

Have you ever binge watched a TV show not as much for you but for a person who you want to talk about the show with? Whether it be friends or family it’s a weird way to watch TV but I feel like everyone does that sometimes, doesn’t turn it on for the immediate entertainment but for later conversation.

Jaramie - Week 9

Sometimes it hits me that all the stories my grandparents tell me actually happened. they were teenagers once just like I am one now. It's so weird to think that this movie seqeunce I have in my head of their childhood was once so real and is the reason I can exist now.

Jaramie - Week 8

Here’s the thing I like dogs, not all dogs but I do enjoy their company. But I do not feel the need to ooh and ahh over them when I see one in a car or walking on the street. Other people seem to care a lot but I just don’t care that much. 

Julia-Week 10

I leave for Pennsylvania tomorrow night to visit my family and I’m really excited! The drive is eight hours away though so hopefully I can keep myself busy during the car ride. I don’t think it will be that bad though!

Teagan-10

My family’s all from the south.  Living in rural Kentucky, a town with a single schoolhouse and miles upon miles of pastures.  A rowdy bunch clad in plaid and boot leg jeans. Deeply tan with rounded beards and bright blue eyes.  Who grew up on farms of green fields, rolling hills dotted with cattle and open skies that stretch as far as the horizon.  People who eat nothing but cajun fried catfish, buttery iron mill grits, and charred collard greens. Who tip their hats to old women and who say things like, “yes ma'am” or “yessup”.  Now consider how I grew up: in the frigid streets of Philadelphia. Where people wore darkly colored hoodies, ripped leggings, and large headphones. Who were pale from hours spend avoiding the unfathomable winter chill that never seemed to leave.  Where skyscrapers seemed to block the sky and trash littered the streets. No one said “yes ma’m” and you were lucky if you got so much as a nod. And yet, I wouldn’t have grown up anywhere else. I may love cajun catfish and rolling pastures as much as my family but the graffiti covered city has a soft spot in my heart, and will forever be my home.

Jennifer - Week 10

I get songs stuck in my head a lot. Even if I haven't heard that song recently, it's still likely to randomly pop up and start playing on repeat in my mind. It seems like there is almost always a song or part of a song stuck in my head. When a good song gets stuck in my head it makes me want to actually hear the song, but I usually don't remember the names of songs, so I just start googling the lyrics I remember until it comes up.

Grace - 10

I was thinking about how I can't wait to not have due dates once I graduate high school, totally overlooking the fact that the rest of my life will be full of due dates.

week 10- skye

I was walking my dog the other day and I noticed how all the dogs that came up to him were so friendly and always wanted to play. i  w a n t  t o  b e  a  d o g.

Grace - 9

I wonder where I’ll be a year from now.

Elaina - 10

Today I was grocery shopping with my mom and there were so many apples. many different colors. and that was the most exciting part of my day.

week 9- skye

I am sooooooo cold. I want it to be SUMMER again.  and i want it be be warm and sunny and happy. AND I WANT TO GO TO THE BEACH AND GO SWIMMING. wow. i love swimming. its so fun.

Claire Shea – Week 10

I struggle to decide what should be included and what should be left to the imagination. A teacher once told me that "tears are hard to earn" in writing, and I think that's true. Maybe it's best to leave in just the specifics and let the reader fill in the blanks. It seems like the best emotional reactions are the unexpected ones, anyway.

Claire Shea – Week 9

I've always known that I'm not a historian, but now it's become more of a liability. It's hard for me to include certain events or symbols, because their history comes with them. I can't write government workers without knowing how government works, either. I guess the solution is to get through a pile of research.

Nolan 10

I would like to write a story about a guy who walks across America like Forrest Gump. He sees all kinds of people.

Annika- Week 10

Can people please stop playing Christmas music? It’s November. Let’s give turkey season the respect it deserves.

Update: I wrote this on the weekend before Veteran's Day so I'm getting more okay with Christmas music right now.

Julia Week 9

I really don’t like the cold weather. It’s too early for it to be 16 degrees in the morning. I’m not the biggest fan of winter either but the fact that it’s this cold so early isn’t fun.

Bella Week 10

There was an orange moon last night, even when I woke up today, it was still present in the sky as if it was sticking it to the man- just how schoolhouse rock would like it. I don’t know why but when I was a child, or technically a smaller / younger child- I mean if we’re being honest- I would think that maybe it meant something magical. I don’t know, maybe it’s the unnatural color, but it sure is intriguing to say the least.

Maggie 9

Last night I went out to dinner on Veterans Day and there was a veteran sitting at the table next to us and the waiter payed for their meal and I thought that was pretty cool

Teagan-9

I have nothing to say today.  My mind is completely blank. I’m staring at this screen, knowing that I need to write about something, wanting it to be powerful and insightful, but nothing comes to mind.  That’s not something that happens to me much: having absolutely nothing on my mind. I’m usually worrying about my next test, stressing if I’ll have enough time at home to do my homework, but tonight, nothing.  Weird. I don’t know if I’m relaxed, or just so stressed out I can’t even recognize my stress anymore. Whatever is happening right now, my mind is a vast, blank board. Capable of holding so much, yet, not. It’s blank.

Elaina - 9

Sometimes I look around at the people in public places. In my mind, I'm thinking about how I'm looking at them and wondering what they are thinking. The fact that everyone has their own lives, their own struggles and happiness is amazing. And the fact that all we see is them on the outside and no emotional struggles on the inside is crazy.

Claire Shea – Week 8

Dedication can be one of the best and worst things in the world. When I write a story and pour all of my experiences into it, I know I'm taking risks and hoping it pays off. Sometimes I'll hate the end product, which is a shame that I wasted so much time doing it. Other times, I'll love it to the point where I don't think I'll ever reach that peak again.

Jennifer - Week 9

This blog entry was supposed to be about Halloween week at dance, but when I got part way through, I realized most of what I had written would only make sense to me. I mean, who would fully know what I meant when I said "we even used the blacklights", or "my Oklahoma tutu"? It's like having an inside joke, but no one around you knows what it means.

Annika- Week 9

Beauty is looking out of your algebra class at 7:30 in the morning and seeing the glowing red and yellow of the trees, as the sun begins to rise.

Nolan 8

I would like to write a story about the Westford Knight. I want to talk about how he got here and what happened when he was here.

Nolan 9

I thought a good poem would be about an old farmhouse. There would be farm animals and workmen outside. 

Julia-Week 8

So many people don’t like Thanksgiving and I don’t understand why. I always look forward to Thanksgiving and spending it with family while also eating really good food. It’s an underrated holiday and I wish people appreciated it more.

Bella Week 9

Enjoy the journey, adventure awaits, life is good, take the T out of can’t. These types of motivational slogans are everywhere- and I mean everywhere. Like holiday songs appearing on the radio, you know, the ones that you can’t seem to escape because they’re on every single station despite it being a single day after thanksgiving. Okay- I’m not hating on the festivities of the holidays or anything but what I’m trying to say is that I feel the same about motivational slogans. Most of the time I just ignore them but occasionally, and I mean it when I say occasionally, one will strike me, dare I say actually evoke an emotion other than annoyance, and for that reason, and that reason alone, I kinda like them, as oversaturated as they may be.

Grace - 8

How are we already ⅓ of the way done with senior year? What else could I do in this short time left? Everything, and nothing.

Teagan-8

Sometimes in life we fall.  Other times we conquer. It doesn’t matter if we fail or succeed, but rather, if we try.  For, if we do not even try, success is meaningless. The failure is ten times as disappointing.  We don’t have to win every time, we simply have to try.

Jennifer - Week 8

It's interesting to think about all the connections you have to people. There are some people I hardly ever talk to at school, but we are actually friends outside of school. People probably would think we don't even know each other, when we have actually been friends since freshman year. You wouldn't  know the relationships people have with each other if you just pass them in the hallway. People who don't talk much might have grown up together, or people who are in different friend groups might share an after school activity. It's just cool to think about how two people who don't seem to really know each other, could be connected in an unexpected way.

Audrey - Week 8

People are damn strong, and weak, and strong when they shouldn’t be and weak when they should be.

Week 8 Maggie Mullen

It’s weird how you can walk past someone that might have been a stranger at the time but now they’re one of your best friends

Bella Week 8

All the leaves were swept up today. Yesterday there had been piles upon piles, and yet today? It was as though they never existed. Gone, just like that. The funny part is that I barely even noticed. It’s kinda sad. What else goes completely unnoticed. What else do we lose every day without even noticing? Does it matter then? Does it matter if we never miss it? I don’t know, I don’t have all the answers. That is sad though, I can say that for sure.

Grace - 7

Some days I have a little motivation, other days, like today, I have none.

Grace - 6

Time flies by too fast and I’m not sure if there is anything you can do about it.

Elaina - 7

Today I applied o college!!! I cried a little

Elaina - 4

Mondays are such hard days to get through. School, work, home, homework. The same thing every single week. Its weird how that works

Elaina - 5

The other day I broke my friends windshield. It was honestly really funny, but not at first. We've gone through everything together. This was definitely a first though.

Elaina - 3

No one goes to the farmers market anymore. Tents stacked all around the center of town with nothing but half of a foot of grass in-between each tent; at least thats how it used to be. Why does no one go anymore?

Week 7 Shawn

A few days ago I heard that tumors could grow vital organs and hair. They can also grow teeth and a mouth. This is both really cool and really gross. What if it was like some parasite where it comes off and infects people.

Bri Gurney Week 7

Today I turned on the lights in the classroom and wondered why there were five of them. I turned on each one and realized that what they turned on and off was in a weird order and it confused me as to why when making the light fixture, someone chose to make them this way. What is the reason behind one light switch only turning two light panels off?

Reddington week-7

How is it possible that it’s been 5 years since my family went on our big family trip to cedar point that shocks me to my core time flies and I feel old as heck now.

Paige Week 7

I feel like everything Kanye says sounds like he's trying to speak in slam poetry .

Paige Week 6

Her heels clicked on the cobblestone steps. Pushing through the door,  a little bell rang as she sheltered herself from the storm.

Week 7- Skye

time. my greatest fear. the idea that every moment we experience will be over in a second. There is no way to fully soak up and live in the moment, because once you start to, its over. There will never be enough.

Week 7 - Jaramie

I love when there are people in your life that may not necessarily be related to you but they feel like family. Sometimes they're even better than family because they're not.... if that makes sense