Category: Junior Literary

One of my closest friends in the entire world and my favorite lesbian is Maci Lynn Furr, and today is her 16th birthday!!!! Her party was this Saturday, and not only was it my first time meeting her mom and sister, but it was also the day I fell in the road and got beat up. So, you know, memorable. Maci always says bad things happen on her birthday, and honestly, I’m starting to believe it. She might be cursed… (just kidding I love you so so much Maci <3). Anyways, about the love of my life, Maci. There’s honestly so many amazing things to be said about her. She’s smart, kind, funny, and doesn’t let people push her around.

I actually mentioned her in my Coffee House poem. Granted, not her specifically, but I reference “my favorite people” which means her, my friend Livi (vote her for junior rep), and my amazing baby Rj who sadly couldn’t come with us to this school (he is dearly missed…). The creek referenced in the poem is actually her creek. It’s out in the woods by her house and some of my favorite memories are from the time spent swimming and laughing in that creek during this summer. Maci truly holds a special place in my heart; we became friends this time last year (give or take a few days) and she quickly became one of the people that I love the most. The most interesting part of our friendship, to me, is finding out we’re actually related in a way. Her maternal aunt is married to my cousin and we now share cousins. I found out at our little cousin’s 6th birthday party actually, which is very on topic for this blog if you ask me.

Maci truly is one of the most important people in my life. She’s one of the people I go to when I’m struggling. Whether it be problems with my family or a bad day I had, she’s always been willing to listen. I still remember the first time I opened up to her. We had only been friends for around a month and a half at that point, and I was having a horrible day. It was so bad that I couldn’t even go home, since we had another family living with us at the time, so I just sat in an old church parking lot crying. I’m not sure how our conversation started, but I started telling her every bad thing that had happened and how stressed I was by having another family in my space. She listened and refused to judge me for venting. Also, one thing about me is that my favorite word is sorry, and I will spam that word whether the situation is my fault or not. Well, I told Maci I was sorry for bothering her, and she wasn’t having any of that. I’m paraphrasing here, but she said something along the lines of “Georgia. You are not bothering me! I am your friend and I care about you.”

She told me what I needed to hear most in that moment, which is a common theme for her. She always has my back with a place to stay or a shoulder to cry on, and I couldn’t be happier that she fell into my life that fateful, August day.

My dearest Maci, I’m so happy that you’re 16, and I really hope this year treats you right.

(me and the beautiful, gorgeous, birthday girl right before the disaster)

POKEMON!!!! I LOOVE Pokémon. Its been an interest I’ve had since i was 6 or 7, I remember  when I first got this stack of the trading cards, and I fell in LOVE. This was right around 2017-2018 so the sun and moon games had recently come out along with the show for it, which coincidentally are now my favorite games and region now.

Theres definitely better games with better graphics (but I really hope there’s a sun and moon remaster at some point that wasn’t as butt as brilliant diamond and shining pearl were I would buy a switch just for that) but there’s just something SPECIAL about it to me. Probably just nostalgia. But I still stand by it being my favorite region. One of the best parts of Pokémon to me at least is the world building and I really love how they use it with the Alola region

Theres these things called regional variants, which its in the name its variants of  Pokémon based on region, and Alola specifically have SO many I love specifically. Marowack, Ninetails, and Sandslash are probably my favorite Alolan forms but they’re all amazing (ignoring meowth and pursian).

Not even just the forms my favorite Pokémon are mainly gen 7. Rockruff, Lycanrock, Oricorio, Turinator, the entire litten line, xurkitree, wishiwashi, THEY WERE COOKING HAPPINESS IN A KETTLE!!!! I cannot emphasize how much I love these. THE LEGENDARIES TOO !! AND MYTHICS!!! Solgaleo will always be my top 5 legendries and all the tapu Pokémon. This will always be my idea of peak Pokémon it does not get better than this oh my god, I cant get the idea through well enough just typing.

This is a relatively short blog this week but I just really needed to write about pokemon and if I went into the depths of it this would be longer than my last blog. NOT good. But anyways, love you guys have an amazing day blabla I might write about stomach book next week I’m starting to get super into that. Bye bye!!

For the past few days, I’ve been sitting at my computer trying to write this blog with nothing in my head. It’s not writer’s block, though. You give me a prompt, and I’ll give you 1,500 words minimum — I’ll write a poem three pages long with a beautiful rhyme scheme too. It’s not that I can’t write — it’s just that I’ve never been given so much creative freedom before. I just wish I could have more freedom in other parts of my life too.

I often find myself thinking about the dynamics of teenagers and adults when in reality, I should be doing my algebra homework. Grown folks see us teenagers as kids and treat us as such. We’re obviously annoyed and we try to defend ourselves against them, usually resulting in some sort of punishment. Phone privileges taken, grounded, or even a smack somewhere. I feel like I’m wrongfully persecuted sometimes.

It’s not that we want to be little pricks, we just want to be recognized as real people. Me and my friends see each other as individuals that can take care of ourselves while being respectful and giving a helping hand. I even see that with other teenagers I don’t know. The way they watch their surroundings, use their money, and even being resistant to changes they know is wrong.

When I say teenagers want to be recognized as real people, I’m not saying that all of us are being treated like garbage. What I mean is for us to be taken seriously. Our mental health, our grief, and our insecurities. Whenever I get upset, I don’t want to be called sensitive, emotional, or hormonal — and if I do get upset, I don’t want anyone mad at me for having emotions. That’s so belittling.

When I was 13, I had to process grief — alone. It had hit me like a freight train, no warning, no goodbyes. I had lost my dog who had grown up with me and was my best friend. I’m not sure how I did it, but I got up the very next day and went to school like nothing had happened that Sunday morning. If I cried, I’d be called weak. If I tried to isolate myself, I would be perceived as disrespectful or rude. 

This obviously affected my mental health negatively. I was lonely and social media told me everyone was doing better than me. They had more money, clearer skin, healthy/long hair, a nice body, and even the love of their life. Everything I had been wanting or wasn’t even aware that would be essential to me later in life was being presented to me and left me feeling humiliated. I grew insecure, anxious, and easily provoked overtime.

I know the people reading this can definitely relate to the feeling of being insecure or anxious. I know my audience may have been in a situation where they were spoken for or talked at instead of talked to. Which is why I thought of writing this blog.

I’m not trying to bash people with a fully developed frontal lobe but cut us some slack. We’re not asking for a million dollars, we just want full independence, freedom to express ourselves and trust that we’ll be okay on our own. If someone spoke for an adult even though they are capable to talk themselves, the adult would grow frustrated and eventually lash out — it’s no different from people in adolescence.

Before I end this blog, I just wanted to add that I feel like we live in a Peanuts parody — me and other people my age. For those of you who don’t know, I’m sure you’re all familiar with Snoopy and Charlie Brown from your childhoods —The beagle who can literally do anything and his bald-headed owner.

I say that we live in a Peanuts parody because the children are the main characters of the show, not the adults. The kids get to control the atmosphere and plot while the adults are in the background. Speaking of the adults in Peanuts, they sound like trombones or some kind of brass instrument whenever they speak and I think that really supports the point of the show, which is giving kids their own voice, space to exist and time to learn.

If you think about it hard enough, a video game is basically a playable movie. True that this depends on the, but most games have a main plot that they follow and tell a story. Sometimes this story is very straightforward and understandible, and sometimes the story is either not the most important part of the game or is very obscure. The plot of a game must make sense throughout the entire game. Much like a movie where the plot gets lost in the dialogue to the point the movie doesn’t even make sense anymore. A game that is completely random in how they tell the story is not going to be a good cohesive story. This gets lost in translation a bit when creating sequels or off shoots of the first game. Much of the time in the new game the characters might reference someone or something from the previous game. This can be a little confusing if you didn’t play the first game but that’s just a skill issue. But now that we have a base lets dive into the meat of the matter.

The problem with talking about the story of a game rather than the art is that it will be completely different. Take Hollow Knight for example. Though both games have the exact same art design, the stories could not be more different. Where one you’re a tool only used to imprison a plague, in the other you are genuinely trying to do some sort of good instead of putting the world around you right back to the way it was with a new person in the chair. It’s a little hard to explain so I recommend that you go play both of them to get a better understanding. And don’t rage quit. Even if you really want to, don’t do it. But one thing is true. All games have some sort of story. Even if that’s not the main point of the game, they all have one. A good example of this is the Battlefield series. More specifically the newest installment, Battlefield 6.

The main purpose of this game is to have massive, and I mean genuinely giant, cinematic battles with other players. However below all the smoke and fire there is a genuine story of who is fighting. A brief explanation is that the world is in World War 3. NATO has all but collapsed under the involvement of a new made up group called Pax Armata. Created by the CIA, Pax grew to the point where they couldn’t control (or what’s left of it) and WW3 broke out.

While this is the background story to the main game, games like this often have something called a campaign mode. Essentially it acts as a story mode and gives either more of a background to what’s happening or follows a completely different story line that is adjacent to the current story. In the case of battlefield you follow the members of Dagger 1 squadron as they try to cripple Pax as well as learn about the truth of who created the group

This form of story is mostly used in heavy online shooters like Battlefield or Call of Duty. However, most games follow a simple cohesive story that only involves you as the player. Now in some games your role is harder to gauge than in others. Games like hollow knight make the player be in the current event but hide the past of the world you roam in cryptic text and confusing dialogue. But we’ll get to obscure storytelling in a bit. We’ll start off with one of the most popular game franchises in the world. Assassins Creed.

Now the interesting thing about the Assassins Creed series is that most of the games are historically accurate besides the main character. The most recent AC installment was a remake of an old game, and as someone who played and finished that remake I have to say the game was really good. You play as Edward Kenway, a pirate out looking for the next big score that will make him rich. Set during the time of exploration and the American revolution, you will participate in such historical events as the blockade of charles town as well as have conversation with blackbeard. And this is just one of the games. In Assassins Creed unity follows the events of the French revolution. In the game you will meet Napoleon as well as assist the revolutionaries with overthrowing the government. The games also use a lot of physical historical evidence like what structures like the parthenon and certain basilicas looked like. In fact their designs are so detailed that in 2019 when the Notre Dame cathedral burned down, the game creators lent the assets of the cathedral to the people trying to rebuild because the model was so detailed and correct. Even the normal housing is of the style of whatever era you’re in. but that’s not the story. The main interesting part about the AC series story is that you probably know its context before you play. And it’s cool to see people take their own spin on history like that.

So i think the rest of the info is way too much for one blog so this section will be two parts. Who knows what insane ramblings will be next.

If you know me, then you know I talk about my mom 24/7—whenever I get the chance to bring her up. Not just because I love her more than anyone, but because I appreciate everything she does for me, whether I always tell her that or not. From the start, it’s really only ever been me and her. Sure, we live with my grandparents, but I’ve always gravitated towards her. Having a kid means to make harsh sacrifices and decisions that I never truly took into account until I got older. 

 

Looking back, I wish I’d been more affectionate towards my mommy when I was a kid, but now, I’m trying to make up for that lost time. Just the other day, she got confused when I referred to her as ‘mommy’ instead of ‘mom.’ She wasn’t angry, just wondering why I’d suddenly switched up. I told her it was my way of showing my love, and that she should probably become used to it for the foreseeable future. It’s time I made up for being such a stubborn child.

 

Now, I could ramble on and on for thousands of words about the woman who singehandedly raised me, but I’d rather just share the important stuff and save everything for another time. In a way, we sort of grew up with one another. That’s not to say she was super young when she had me, but perhaps not fully matured, as you’re not considered ‘mature’ until you’re twenty five. I admire the strength she had to take on the responsibility of raising a child at nineteen, especially when my father slowly started showing how unprepared he was for a baby. 

 

I may not remember my entire childhood, but looking through memories, I know I was loved. Her best friends became my god parents, my uncles and aunts, and I was the first child of her group. I was everyone’s baby. I had plenty of toys and was always in someone’s arms. I was cared for, never wanting for anything. When he moved out with my grandmother and her husband, things changed. She no longer lived so close to her friends and had the help—only the help of two people who’d finished raising their children long ago. 

 

I regret being the reason my mom didn’t finish college and pushed herself through grueling job after grueling job. I told her constantly that once I go to college, I want her to re-enroll, to build a life outside of me—the one she could have had had I not come along. I don’t think she regrets having me, no, she loves me and I know that. I only wish I had not been so hardheaded as a child, so eager to rebel, that she could have had an easy life. That’s what I plan to give her—to work hard and let her put up her feet, to let me take care of and love her the way she has always done to me. 

 

Everything I do is not only for myself, but for her. I one day want her to be able to not slave over a minimum wage job, to be able to rest her aching feet for once in her life. To not have to worry about how to get groceries for the week and still have enough money left over for bills.  Basically, the whole point of this rant is to talk to you all about the woman who’s always been there for me, my biggest supporter, and the most caring person I’ve ever met.

Hey guys! Welcome back! Today we are going to talk about the Enlightenment and what it accomplished.

 

The Enlightenment is a movement that occurred during the 17th and 18th centuries to emphasize reasoning and logic, which challenged the established traditions and authority (the church). These ideals were drafted from the Scientific Revolution. The Enlightenment had many characteristics that we are going to learn about.

 

Rationalism, reason, is the arbiter of all things.

Cosmology, a new concept of the existence of earth in the universe (earth is NOT the center of the universe).

Secularism, an application of the methods of science to religion and philosophy.

The Scientific Method, consisted of Mathematical Analysis, Experimentation, and Inductive Reasoning.

Utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Tolerance, meaning everyone can have free ideas and no opinion is worth beating your neighbor over.

Optimism and self-confidence, the belief that man is intrinsically good and the belief in social progress.

Freedom, bringing liberty to all men and making them free to express themselves.

Education of the Masses, this meant that everyone would get an education, not just the rich kids.

Legal Reforms, this means the people were treated with justice and kindness and NOT tortured.

Constitutionalism, there were written constitutions which listed citizens’ rights.

Cosmopolitanism, this means we all belong to the global community.

 

Later on, down the line an English philosopher by the name of Francis Bacon tagged along. He laid the foundation for the Enlightenment by supporting the idea of empiricism, and the idea that knowledge is power. He also supported separation between faith and reason which was a division of science from religion, enabling independent inquiry.

 

French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, René Descartes saw man’s ability to reason as the proof of their existence. He wrote “Discourse on Method” in 1637.He rejected all forms of intellectual authority (higher ups telling him what to think) which he used to prove the existence of God.

 

English philosopher and mathematician, Thomas Hobbes’ political theory portrayed politics as an exact science like geometry. He was an admirer of Galileo Galilei’s (man put on house arrest for telling the truth about the solar system) ideas concerning the nature of the physical and studies of motion. Hobbes wrote “Leviathan” in 1651.

 

A whole generation later, English philosopher and physician, John Locke developed a completely different notion of the basic nature of humankind, which was seen as innately good. When he witnessed the almost bloodless,” Glorious Revolution” in England he was convinced that people can live together peacefully.

 

This concludes today’s blog you guys’ bye!!

 

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