Month: December 2018

This is my final blog of 2018. In celebration, I would like to give an overview of my best works. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my list!

10. Eggo Pasta Piano

“Go outside and smell the piano

My mother would always say”

Eggo Pasta Piano spawned from an assignment where we had to make a poem using three random words. What were my words? Ego, pasta, and piano. However, being the hungry person I am, I misread ego as “eggo.”

9. Current Events- A Thank You Letter

Current Events- A Thank You Letter, was a piece inspired by a late-night show I had watched. In this, I thank everyone from KDA to Nintendo in a sarcastic tone. The humorous piece mocks the absurdity of the currently popular and talked about things. This poem was read at coffee house, and was actually my first time on program!

8. Pokemon Gone

Pokemon Gone is essentially a step-by-step guide on what not to do. The story follows the protagonist, who is obsessed with popular mobile game Pokemon Go. The character is able to get lost in the woods, eat their phone, and star a forest fire before realizing that their car was only a few yards away from where they were.

7. Discrimination ‘gainst MSA

After being inspired by the traffic in Brookhaven, I wrote Discrimination ‘gainst MSA. It speaks in a Shakespearean tone to get across the injustices of crosswalks. The piece also touches on many subjects like bullying and abuse. Continuing, the piece tells how MSA and its staff are able to relieve us of those issues we may have faced at previous schools.

6. Dear Whomever it May Concern

Dear Whomever it May Concern is written through the point of view of a woman in the American Revolution. She keeps a happy face while madness is all around her. She talks about her alcoholic tendencies, and her grief and anger over her husbands death. In the end, she must force herself to become someone she is not. It was her only way of survival in a man’s world.

5. Mermaids

Youve all heard the normal mermaid stories. This, is not normal. Mermaids is about a Siren with a bad voice, and her reverse mermaid friend. Thats about all I can say about this piece

4. Cat Cat

This piece has a rap battle in it, which was quite fun to write. One person called this their “favorite manga” despite it being a word-based book. This is very much anime-like. It is about a cat, and the owner (Who has a very unfortunate name.) The two continue to get in horrible situations, all because of the housemaid.

3.Dinosaurs Love Turtles

This one is pretty self explanatory. It is uniting people through dinosaurs and turtles.

2. The Last Wheelbarrow
The last wheelbarrow is about Kevin Lloyd, a college student who accidentally destroys the town and the ecosystem in only one week. It may be one of the most absurd things I have ever written. However, I can totally see it happening in some town, somewhere.

1. Soup Snat

Soup Snat has to be number one, just because of how many times it is still referenced. Every few days, I am reminded of this poem. There is no point or meaning to take from it. It is simply a snake cat that collects pumpkins like Santa collects cookies. True art.

The year is drawing to a close, and this will be the last blog post of the year 2018. This year has been a trip honestly. I don’t even remember January much, let alone October. But I think I’ll do a review of this year for this blog post. So we’ll see how much I remember!

Seriously, I remember nothing. Though January hosts the birthdays of my mom and my cousin, so happy birthday to them! Oh wait! I met this really cool girl, and we got super close. Her name’s Lindsey, and we met in my journalism class. It was crazy how close we got in about a month. It got to the point where some of our classmates thought we were dating, but nope. Not true.

February was a fun month. Why? Because the Winter Olympics (Feb. 8-25) went down! I tuned in especially when men’s figure skating came on. I was rooting for the Russian skaters, Mihkail Kolyada and Dmitri Aliev, and American skater, Nathan Chen. The hype for Chen was crazy – he was supposed to be the first male to land five quad jumps at the Olympics, but when he competed the first night, the pressure got to him and he didn’t land them. But that changed for his final skate. He not only landed all five of his quad jumps, he added an extra quad to redeem himself. It was awesome. There was a kid in my grade who was also into figure skating for the same reason I was (Yuri on Ice), and we’d talk to each other about the skate programs everyday in our first block. Man… That was nice.

March-April

Two more months I remember nothing about. Next!

The only thing I remember from May was New Student Day, here at MSA. It was nice meeting all the seniors and getting to see some of my peers. But that’s about it besides school ending.

June-July

Celebrated my birthday in June, spent as much time with Jennifer as I could, got to see family… Got on a boat for the first time! Yep, lived on the coast for 16 years and had never been on a boat. That’s a summary of the life I live.  Also spent the latter part of July buying stuff for my dorm.

August-September

School. That’s all I remember in this span of time. 

Ah, October, also known as Morgan’s favorite month, it just had to be featured! So what happened this month? This awesome band know as Ice Nine Kills released their album, The Silver Scream, on October 5th.  Leading up to their release, all I did was listen to them. Every. Single. Day. It was beautiful. And the album was worth the wait, in my opinion. Also, Halloween happened, but I wasn’t home for that so there aren’t any memories associated with it this time. 

November-December

Absolutely nothing. Except maybe a little bit of stress, but I’m actually managing it well! So it’s not that bad.

 

There comes a time when you just have to sit down and breathe. You have to look yourself in the mirror and accept that your life is not perfect. Sometimes you are going to feel alone, and other times you will wish you were alone. Sometimes a sad song will come on the radio and you will be forced to feel everything you have been suffocating inside. You’ll get into an argument with your boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, or your parents. You’ll want to run away. Sometimes you will have no where to go because the pain is everywhere. You will try to talk to your dead friends and imagine what they’d say, but it will never come out right. You will swear up and down that you’re losing your mind. Sit down. Breathe.

There comes a time when you have stop thinking and dance. Forget about the exams for a moment. Forget about the future. Forget about the minute before when you were screaming into the phone. Crank your playlist up and dance. Stop wondering if it’s going to work out. Stop concerning yourself with whether or not your going to make friends. Stop crying. Don’t worry about the people who laughed at you when you tripped down the stairs or over a tree root. Stop trying to be perfect because that doesn’t exist. Live in the moment. Stop thinking. Dance.

There comes a time when you have to laugh at yourself. Instead of freaking out about when you embarrassed yourself the first day of school, or when your mom spilled coffee on that really cool guy with the beanie, just laugh. Stop covering your face in shame every time you speak and don’t make any sense. You’re awkward, so what? Find the humor in who you are instead of the faults. Remember that time you cried in class over an assignment? You are so dramatic, but that’s okay. Laugh at it. Laugh at the time you sneezed on your boyfriend and the time you were obsessing over some actor that you can’t even remember the name of. Laugh about how you and your roommates argued over a light, and how you still can’t remember how to get to your own house. Replace the tears with a smile. Don’t judge yourself. Laugh at yourself.

For once in your life, find the joy around you. Look at your little cousins and feel the warmth in your belly. Walk with your best friend and talk about nothing and everything at the same time. Listen to her sing all the time, even when it gets annoying. Poke fun at your siblings; make them laugh. Gossip with your closest cousin, and tell each other secrets. Talk to your mom about all your problems, even when you’re mad at her. Lay in bed with the one you love, and don’t say anything. Hold his hand when he drives you home. Kiss him under the stars. Be happy. Stop stressing. Sit down, breathe, stop thinking, dance, laugh, be you. Find the beauty in your life an hold on to it. Most of all, never forget, you will get through it.

So, it’s finally the end of the year. Am I the only one who feels like this year was like ten years in one? It’s crazy to believe I got my MSA letter at the beginning of the year. It’s even crazier to believe this school year hasn’t been three school years because of how different everything is now compared to the beginning.

I started driving this year and I seriously feel like I have been driving since I was eleven years old. I drive everywhere there is no possible way that I haven’t even been driving for a year yet.

This year was an accumulation of crap. So many unnecessary things happened. Too many boys, too many tears, and too much wasted money. I wish I could say next year will be different, but knowing myself, it will be worse.

However, I do hope as this next year rolls around I will manage my time and emotions better so that they wont roll into each other and become a big heap of tears and useless procrastination.

Have a great 2019, everyone.

So, I have an actual problem. I cannot SPEAK! AHHH! Honestly, it just makes me sad and it goes to show how hard I start to push myself when stressing out. I tend to overwork myself a lot and it really burns me out but it’s never been as long term as it’s been now. So far, it’s been a good four days and I’ve never been sadder. I’m a very talkative person. In fact, I probably talk a little too much. It’s all I ever do. However, I love singing. It really sucks now whenever I listen to music or just when I’m to myself and I’m not able to sing to myself. And when I try? Oh buddy boy, I sound like a dying horse. The whole situation just really sucks. I want more than anything for my voice to come back so I can finally get back into my normal routines and not have to go out of my way and do extra things just so that someone can understand what I’m saying. Sometimes I even question why I go out of my way to talk and strain my vocal cords even more. Everyone yells at me for it, so why not be quiet? But, in all honesty, this has made me realize how happy I am while talking to people. Nowadays, I have so much to say that I’m ready to burst and when I try, I just get told to shut up. Which is another amazing perk of losing my voice. I did try to stop talking so that I could rest my voice and I made it through nearly the entire day but by the end, I was about ready to burst. I couldn’t take it. I wanted to have a conversation, and to talk but of course I just got shushed more. I’ve also tried drinking tea, cough drops, and all that basic stuff in order to get my voice to come back but it hasn’t worked just yet. It’s just so darn frustrating. I just want my voice back, is that too much to ask?

So. First things first, I am absolutely horrible at memorization. I’m not sure exactly why, but I know I can’t do it.

Recently, I had to memorize two lengthy poems for Poetry Out Loud, which was mandatory for my Poetry class. I kind of put it off for a while until maybe the week before Thanksgiving break. Not because I didn’t want to do it or anything, but because I really just didn’t have time. It was on the very bottom of my priority list and let me tell you, that was a long list.

When the time came where I did sit down and start reading over my poems and attempting to memorize them, I found it very hard.

Alright, look, I’ve got super bad ADD, so it’s pretty challenging for me to SIT down and READ one poem over and over again until it gets nailed in my brain. So, yes, I did slack off a bit. I didn’t spend the entirety of those three weeks memorizing the poems, but I tried. I really did.

I had my first poem mostly down at the end of the second week, but the second poem I found, was way too long for me to be able to memorize in time. So, I did what anyone in my predicament would do: I changed my second poem. I decided to choose a way shorter one because let’s face it, there was no chance of me learning any long ones.

But.

I forgot about my online class that was due in a week. Yikes.

So, I did again, what anyone would have done in my situation. I bumped Poetry Out Loud down to second on my priority list and focused in on my online class. I mean, if I didn’t finish my online class I would fail the entire class and have to retake it. Not an option AT ALL.

Yeah, I read over the second poem a bit, but not nearly as much as I needed to to be able to memorize it.

The day came where I had to get up in front of three judges and recite two poems that I only half-heartedly know. Oh, wait, just kidding. I learned suddenly that it was going to be in front of not only three judges, but a whole class, not including my class.

Great.

I decided to turn around and make my way towards the bathroom to keep myself from having a mini panic attack before I went up and recited my poems.

Well, I got up there and pretty much gave up. Yep, I looked pretty stupid compared to my other peers who did an amazing job.

I wasn’t really worried about that part. I was more worried about the fact that I made a really bad grade because of it, and if there is one thing I stress over the most, it’s my grades.

So yeah, I may or may not have had a mental breakdown after that, but I’m fine now. I don’t have that stress on my shoulders anymore, and I’m almost done with my little priority list.

Pretty much the point of this blog is to tell you that if you know you’re bad at memorization and you have to memorize something, do your research to find trick and tips to help you.

Here are a few links I found when I did my research.

https://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/majors-and-academics/articles/study-smarter/memorization-tips-and-tricks/

https://www.dal.ca/news/2013/11/20/study-tips–top-5-memorization-techniques.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/07/07/eight-simple-memorization-tricks-to-help-you-remember-anything/#124fc56b7f25

Good luck.

I may not have mentioned this in any of my blogs before, but I love the book series The Lunar Chronicles. The series was written by Marissa Meyer, and her science fiction twist on classic fairy tales is unprecedented. 

So, who is Queen Levana,  you may be asking because you read the title of this blog and are curious to know who I’m talking about. To tell you that, I will provide a visual and give you a quick summary of the stories for you. 

In the Lunar Chronicles, there is a race of people that live on the moon called Lunars. They developed special powers that made them able to make others perceive their appearance differently. Because of this, beauty was a huge part of their culture, and those who didn’t have beauty often fabricated it for themselves. 

Levana was the youngest of the two daughters of the king and queen. Her sister, Channary, was vain and shallow, and often flirted with the guards of the palace and often courted many of the men of the court. When their parents died, Channary became queen, and it was quickly shown how much she sucked at being queen. She didn’t care for politics or the economy; she just wanted to throw extravagent parties and have affairs with people. 

Levana, however, had more of an aptitude for political and economical choices. However, she was often ignored by the court. She had a deep hatred for her sister, and Channary often treated her with loathing. 

We find out that when the two were little, Channary coaxed Levana into the fireplace and burned her face severely, leaving her face permanently disfigured. She used her glamor (what they call their powers) to give herself a more beautiful appearance. Even then, she was not more beautiful than Channary. And she hated her for it. 

 Levana soon develops an infatuation for one of the guards of the palace, and tries to court him. She finds out that he has a wife, who is pregnant with their first child. However, the wife dies during childbirth, and Levana uses his grief to make him fall for her. They marry each other and Levana takes in his child, whose name is Winter. 

Channary gives birth to a child as well, who she names Selene. Levana, out of jealousy, plots to kill Channary, and uses her powers to manipulate a guard into doing it. The same night, she also uses him to manipulate her husband, so that he doesn’t come to power. Levana still cannot become queen, however: Selene is still alive. She decides to set her nursery on fire, positive that the fire kills her (it doesn’t, but that involves spoilers so I won’t get too much into it). Becuase Selene is dead, Levana becomes queen of Luna. 

Quickly, she uses her newfound place of power to begin plotting against earth. She constructs an army of supersoldiers who are half wolf and creates a bioweapon to cause sickness on Earth. Her plan is to take over the entire Earth and rule as the queen. 

Levana is a ruthless character, and we are made certain of that. She was raised in such a way that she does not know what it is like to show true kindness to anyone. She is manipulative, and clever. She has a resentment for her own sister because of the accident which caused her disfiguring. And not once are we given a chance to sympathize for her, which just makes her even better as a villain, in my mind. 

Overall, Levana is an amazing characer. 10/10 for great characterization of a villain, Mrs. Meyers. 

Last year, during oratorical season, the directors would pick four amendments. On the day of the competition, they would randomly pick one the day of the competition. Recently, I wanted to see if I still had the ability to write on one the amendments. This is what I came up with....

Article 2, Section 4

Article 2, Section 4 states, “The president, vice president, and all other civil officers shall be removed from office on impeachment for the conviction of treason, bribery, and any other high crimes or misdemeanors.”

It is amazing how we hold politicians to such high regard. And as a civil officer, elected by the people, you are either for us or against us. So, treason is the ultimate betrayal to one’s country. Treason is unacceptable. Bribery, whether giving or receiving, jeopardizes the government’s relationship with the people. Bribery is unacceptable. In the same manner, other high crimes and misdemeanors cause ethical issues.

To impeach the president, vice president, or any other civil officer, two-thirds of the House of Representatives must vote that the accused should be impeached. The first step of the process is for the person being accused to stand before the House of Representatives, where they will decide whether or not the person should be impeached. After that, the accused will stand in trial where the Chief of Justice will serve as the judge, officials of the House of Representatives will serve as prosecutors, and the Senate will serve as the jury.

Only three of our presidents have gone through the impeachment process. These three were: President Andrew Johnson, President Richard Nixon, and President Bill Clinton. The first to undergo the impeachment process was President Andrew Johnson because he was accused of violating the Act of Tenure. He escaped impeachment being one vote shy of the two-thirds needed for the conviction. The second to undergo the impeachment process was Richard Nixon because he abused his power as president. He resigned before the Senate could make their final decision. The third and final president to undergo the impeachment process was President Bill Clinton because not only was he accused of abusing his power as president, but was accused of perjury. Much like President Andrew Johnson, he was acquitted after the Senate failed to convict him.

No one, not even the president, vice president, or any other civil officer are above the law. Again, I claim Article 2, Section 4 “The president, vice president, and all civil officers shall be removed from office on impeachment for the conviction of treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

 

my grandmother

during my parents broken

 

divorce would soothe us

(every day)

broken with her

southern accent,

telling us that it’ll all

 

be okay.

 

my sister

had to stand broken up

and fight for us

broken

fight for our

broken future

 

my brother

broken

hoped that he would keep his father

packed in a house full of

broken girls

 

mom broken

dad broken

stopped fighting

too much

broken to deal with

too much to keep holding

on.

 

i was too broken young

to understand

too young

too dumb

too b

r

o

k

e

n

 

bewilderment

heavy breathing

tears on an old pillowcase

 

I cry for you again

and again

always to no avail

 

you are the sun to my flowers

the moon to my stars

the day time shine in my eyes

the midnight bloom

 

I will never be over you

not completely

 

your strong hands will always hold a little piece of me

and mine will hold a piece of yours too

we both cut each other to pieces

 

but I think it’s okay

 

it’s okay for us both

to be making these irrational mistakes

crying to one another about them

we never learn

 

all I know is

when I lie in your arms

during a time when neither of us know what we want

know what we need

 

I still love you,

though I won’t say it

I let it cling to the back of my throat

as I know it is clinging to yours

 

you think to yourself, “maybe one day.”

and I whisper it back

in a small, small voice.