Senior Literary – Page 5 – Literary Arts Blogspace

The evolution of whales

So, I’m sure everyone knows about evolution. The idea and theory that animals evolve overtime to fit their environment. Evolution is a debatable topic. Many people believe that relying on science is the best way to go about discovering once living creatures. Other people believe that evolution shouldn’t be a topic of conversation because it goes against religion. Whatever point of view you have about evolution is okay. There’s no rule or law that says you must believe that everything originated from one animal. I’m just saying that the idea of evolution is cool, and it’s backed up by some solid evidence. So, we’re going to talk about the evolution of whales. There are more than eight animals that scientists identify to be ancestors of whales, but today we’ll only be talking about the median three.

Pakitcetus:

Pakicetus is an extinct animal from South Asia that lived during the early Eocene period, about fifty million years ago. It is classified as a cetacean, an aquatic mammal, because it lived around oceans, and had a specialized inner ear that most cetaceans developed. It lived both in and around water, walked on land, and was carnivorous, meaning that it ate fish and other animals to survive. Pakicetus looked more like a wolf than a whale. Scientists who studied the extinct fossil say that it had a snout, tail, and large molars that gave it the ability to break down tough material. The most shocking difference between Pakicetus and other modern-day cetaceans is that it walked on four legs and was covered in fur. Pakicteus is what scientists regard as a transitional ancestor, meaning that it serves as the groundwork for current cetacean creatures and it signifies cetacean’s transition from land to water. There is no specific cause for Pakicetus’s extinction. The animal likely went extinct due to environmental pressures that interfered with how well it could survive.

Kutchicetus:

Kutchicetus existed during the Early to middle Eocene Era, and like the Pakitcetus, it lived in Pakistan. Many of the animals were also found in India. Kutchicetus is the smallest cetacean, and fossil evidence shows that it also had a snout, like the Pakitcetus. It had a tail, and four limbs that helped it to swim and walk on land. I think this animal was one of the last ancestors of whales to swim and walk. After the Eocene period, there is an event (not sure which) that likely changed all organism’s ability to adapt, so the Kutchicetus won’t have use for four legs, other than for swimming properly. It has a thick tail, hip bones, and elongated vertebrae/spine. The Kutchicetus has body proportions that are unlike other cetaceans, but similar to other land-living creatures, like otters.

Dorudon:

Dorudon lived during the later Eocene period. It was one of the first creatures that evolved to look like the modern whales we know today, except it was a lot smaller. It measured about five meters long. Dorudon didn’t have any legs or body hair, and it lived in warm seas. Many fossils of this creature have been found in Egypt, New Zealand, and West Sahara. I also think this is the first whale to be so widely populated and so well adapted to its environment. Because of Durodon, whales have taken on traits that make them more adapted to swimming, which is what they do best.

If you’re interested in all the different species of early whales, I recommend that you watch a more detailed version of this on YouTube. There is so much information out there that breaks down the habits and biological traits of extinct whale ancestors and other animals. I truly love learning about this, and hopefully in the future, I’ll write more about the other species as well.

To Pimp A Butterfly Pt.2

Kendrick Lamar Album Cover, Kendrick Lamar Lyrics, Chicanas Tattoo ...

9. Momma = 4:43

“Until I realized I didn’t know sh*t”

The song begins with Kendrick talking about his success. He knows all the things he accomplished, and he even says, “This feelin’ is brought to you by adrenaline and good rap.” Everything he has done brought him success but it also back home and he is glad about that. He says, “I would say it got me get a plaque, but what’s better than that? The fact it brought me back home.” Kendrick then goes on to talk about everything he knows, which is everything. He knows himself and mortality; he knows the streets, religion, and politics. It goes on for a very long time, and as we know Kendrick is very educated so it may be true that he knows all these things to some extent, but he ends his knowledge with saying he realized he knew nothing when he returned home which means he is acknowledging that if he knows everything it means nothing without his home. In verse 3 Kendrick begins talking about a little boy he met in South African that resembled him when he was younger. This relates him to him returning home to Compton, showing how he was still connected to the people around him despite being away for a while. The boy says, “Kendrick you do know my language/You just forgot because of what public schools had painted.”

10. Hood Politics = 4:52

“They give us guns and drugs, call us thugs”

This song begins with Dr. Dre portraying one of Kendrick’s old friends who have been left on voicemail. The voice is laughing at him over becoming a rapper telling him, “Don’t tell me they got you on some weirdo rap sh*t. No socks and skinny jeans.” A lot of Kendrick’s friends growing up weren’t used to his new lifestyle since he couldn’t talk with them daily and most of them took offense to this behavior. Kendrick starts the chorus by calling everything boo-boo (the funniest thing ever to me). He’s been A1 since day 1 and everyone else and boo-boo! He goes on for bit naming things, but the main focus of this song are “politics” of the hood/rap, with Kendrick saying he doesn’t care about these politics despite being a very political person. He speaks on gangs/cliques who fight with others about different neighborhoods. He even talked about the LAPD saying, “The LAPD gamblin’, scramblin’, football numbers sladerin’.” Which is rereferring to certain scandals they have been in and tried to cover up. “Football numbers” refers to a term being served in prison. Kendrick also says, “From Compton to Congress/Demo-Crips and Re-Blood-icans”, Which talks about how some officials talk down on these communities despite being a big part in communities being separated and being against one another. He also references the book “DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government” that was written by Jesse Ventura, who was a former Minnesota governor about how certain places are marked certain colors (red and blue mainly), which seems like it’s separated as a gang territory. Kendrick uses this allusion to point out hypocrisy in some government officials. The poem continues in this song, “But that didn’t stop survivors’ guilt/Going back and forth/Trying to convince myself the stripes I earned/Or maybe how A-1 my foundation was/But while my loved ones was fighting a continuous war/Back in the city/I was entering a new one.”

11. How Much a Dollar Cost = 4:21

“My selfishness is what got me here”

Kendrick starts this song by saying, “How much a dollar really cost? /The question is detrimental, paralyzin’ my thoughts.” Kendrick is pondering the actual worth of a dollar, but this entire song is Kendrick questioning his moral because he introduces us to a homeless man asking him for a dollar. Kendrick refuses to give it to him, assuming that he’ll be using it for drugs despite the homeless man begging for the money to have food. The man also starts to convince Kendrick he doesn’t want the money for drugs saying, “My son, temptation is one thing I’ve defeated. Listen to me, I want a single bill from you. Nothin’ less, nothin’ more.” Kendrick even goes on to tell the man he doesn’t have it despite just buying gas. We’re at a gas station! The chorus is sung by James Fauntleroy in the perspective of God, saying, “It’s more to feed your mind/Water, sun and love, the one you love/All you need, the air you breathe” This voice is telling us that life itself is worth more than a singular dollar, and these things are really all you should need in your life. The homeless man is in disbelief over Kendrick not giving him the singular dollar he had asked for, and Kendrick begins angry as he wonders why this man is so upset with him. He even says, “Until I could see/ A reason why he was mad, a stranger like I was supposed to save him/Like I’m the reason he’s homeless and askin’ me for a favor.” Kendrick is infuriated with this man, even saying that he was being guilt tripped by him. He begins telling the man he needs it all and that he has nothing to give out to him, even calling him a bum. SO, the big reveal comes as the man says, “Known the truth, it’ll set you free. You’re looking at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the Higher Power/And I’ll tell you just how much a dollar cost/The price of having a spot in Heaven, embrace your loss, I am God.” This tears Kendrick apart the next line being, “I wash my hands, I said my grace, what more do you want from me?” His selfishness caused him his spot in Heaven.

12. Complexion (A Zulu Love) = 4:23

“I made a flower for you outta cotton”

This song starts off by saying, “Complexion don’t mean a thing (It’s a Zulu love).” In this song it talks about the color of your skin and how that shouldn’t dictate the type of person you are. Zulu love is relating to the Zulu philosophy which translates to “human kindness” or “humanness”. In verse 1 Kendrick starts off saying, “Dark as the midnight hour or bright as the mornin’ sun.” Then he goes on to say that he doesn’t care about anyone’s complexion, and it also refers to how many different colors African Americans can be despite all being Black people. In the next line Kendrick talks about being snuck into a window by a White girl who he gave a flower made of cotton to, and he tells her he’s “ten toes down/even if master listenin’, cover your ears, he ’bout to mention complexion.” Kendrick is infatuated with this girl and doesn’t want “master” to stick the idea of racism into her head. Later in the song Kendrick introduces Rapsody who wrote her own verse for this song. She talks about complexion and how darker Black Americans usually feel inferior to those around them, she even says, “Light don’t mean you smart, bein’ dark don’t mean you stupid.” She ends her verse saying, “Black as brown, hazelnut, cinnamon, black tea/And it’s all beautiful to me/Call your brothers magnificent, call all the sisters queens/We all on the same team, blues and pirus, know colors ain’t a thing.” The song ends on a sad note with Kendrick saying, “Barefoot babies with no care/Teenage gun toters that don’t play fair, should I get out the car? /I don’t see Compton, I see something much worse/The land of the landminds, the hell that’s on earth.” This elaborates on the communities that have been formed with people holding hate against one another and oneself, and people being fearful in their own neighborhoods, usually young teenagers.

13. The Blacker the Berry = 5:28

“All them say we doomed from the start cah we Black.”

Kendrick starts this song off with a monologue about everything being black., but the background vocals say, “They want us to bow/Down on our knees/And pray to the God/We don’t believe.” It’s speaking of how a lot of people want African Americans to submit in this modern society despite suffering for so long. Kendrick goes on to say, “I own black, I own everything black.” which is him saying that African Americans deserve more than what has been giving to them. In the first verse Kendrick calls himself, “the biggest hypocrite of 2015” and says, “Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean.” SO, we will come back to that line at the end. Kendrick says that he’s been feeling this way since he was sixteen, that America never liked Black Americans despite the actions made to give us more freedom. He says, “You never liked us anyway, f*ck your friendship, I meant it.” Kendrick even lists characteristic stereotypes of Black Americans saying that his hair is nappy and his nose is round and wide. He turns to the audience speaking to us saying, “You hate me, don’t you? /You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture.” Kendrick even calls himself a “proud monkey,” which is him taking a word used against Black Americans to reclaim as his own. He even talks about how he was born during the Reagan era, addressing this by saying, “You sabotage my community, makin’ a killin’/You made me a killer.” And this addresses how drugs were put into impoverished areas and led to many killings, that Kendrick had witnessed himself. The line, “The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice” alludes to The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life written by Wallace Thurman during the Harlem Renaissance. It’s simply a positive affirmation to darker African Americans, but Kendrick ends this pre-chorus saying, “The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot.” which alludes to a darker skinned person being more likely to get hurt due to their skin color. In the Chorus, Kendrick gets Assassin to sing where he talks about being treated as lower due to being Black. He says, “How you no see the whip, left scars ‘pon me back/But now we have a big whip parked ‘pon the block.” Which talks about luxury, but this American dream of materialism is another form of oppression. At the end Kendrick talks about Zulu and Xhosa, two of the biggest tribes in South America, who might go to war which reminds him of gangs in Compton. He accepts that it doesn’t matter if he likes to preach with the Panthers, referring the Black Panther party. Or say that Marcus Garvey has all the answers, the man who supported the “Back to Africa” movement saying that all Black Americans should get on a boat and sail back home. He says he tries to celebrate February like it’s his birthday, and eat watermelon, chicken, and drink Kool-Aid on the weekdays, or jump as high as Michael Jorden. He just goes on about stereotypical things that he wants to enjoy, but he ends the song saying. “So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street /When gang-banging make me kill a n- blacker than me? / Hypocrite.”

This is getting kinda long, and I actually want people to read this, so I will save the other songs for another blog. Oopsie!!

“All Down Darkness Wide” Review

Content/Trigger Warning (for both the book and this blog): Mental health struggles, mentions of AIDS, suicidal ideation, relationship struggles, partner death, parental death, brief mentions of possible addiction

All Down Darkness Wide is a memoir encapsulating the young adult life of the author, Seán Hewitt. In this memoir, Hewitt explains the convoluted relationship he has with death and his own sexuality. He sees his blood as a historical artifact; a reminder of all the queer men and women before him who were killed by AIDS. While this story focuses on Hewitt’s time as a young, post-college life, the first few chapters elaborate on Hewitt’s time in high school and college. He discusses past relationships that ended in turmoil and the emotional baggage that has left him with. After this, we see Hewitt, despite his financial troubles at the time, save up enough to visit Columbia. This trip introduces the second most important person in this story, a man named Elias. From this point on, the story centers around Elias and Hewitt’s relationship.

This isn’t a love story, though- at least, not entirely. Elias and Seán do love each other very much, but it becomes evident from the very beginning that Elias is not in a good enough mental space to be in any sort of relationship. His insecurities, anxieties, and depression begin to weigh on Hewitt, who believes it’s his duty to take care of Elias. They’re together for a few years, both spiraling deeper into the droves of mental illness, before the two break up. Hewitt reflects on his relationship with Elias, as well as the other men he dated in college and in high school. While not all of his relationship ended poorly, it seems that quite a few have really weighed on his psyche. After their separation, Hewitt continues spiraling. He is forced into a journey of self discovery, all on his own.

This book tackles some serious themes of depression, suicidal ideation, addiction, and death; all in a manner that feels both respectful and genuine. Nothing is softened to the point it loses its effect or meaning but, at the same time, there aren’t unnecessarily gory details that feel disrespectful or out of place. Hewitt is a poet, and you can pick that up from his prose. He describes places, people, and objects with such vivid detail that it feels like you’re there in the moment with him. My personal favorite aspect of this book is the perspective you get of the partner feeling the need to be the sole provider and caretaker for their mentally ill significant other. I feel that it’s a common trope in media to see this story from the other perspective; someone struggling with mental health issues finds themself relying on a friend or lover to help them through their struggles. A lot of the time, this is painted in a positive or romanticized light. The fact of the matter is that, oftentimes, this is a burden upon unwilling partners who frankly aren’t responsible for being their significant other’s full time therapist. This book gives a new perspective, while staying sympathetic and understanding to everyone mentioned. You find yourself understanding why Hewitt stayed for so long and simultaneously feeling for Elias who is clearly struggling on his own and was just grateful that someone was there to help take the weight off his shoulders.

I easily give this book a 10/10. The writing is beautiful, the characters are multifaceted, the plot is diverse and nonlinear in a digestible and understandable fashion. Even if the plot isn’t your cup of tea, the writing will inspire you on your writing journey. I first read this book back in 2022 and I finished it in about a week. I read it while I was away at a writing camp and it helped me through the writer’s block that I often feel when I’m in a creative writing class or course. I’ve found, since reading this book, that reading is the best way to cure my writer’s block. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is curious. Whether you enjoy poetry, memoirs, or are simply intrigued by this blog. I bought my copy from the Leumeria library in Jackson, but you can find this book wherever books are sold. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of All Down Darkness Wide.

Welcome Back to the show

Hello again literary, blog readers, aliens or whatever you are I’m Quentin or Que you may remember me from a variety of blogs where I either review shows/ anime or give book reviews or my favorite thing which is telling all you lovely people my favorite characters and why i like them so much and I thought for my first senior blog I would reintroduce show reviews and the crowd goes wild! HAAAA.

Yes, you’re very excited and ready to start but first I just want to thank everyone that comments under my blog post and if you all have any suggestions, please feel free to recommend them below. For the first blog i will Be doing it on “This Is Us”

Now I know most of you have probably seen this or seen clips of it from Tik Tok, but I wouldn’t be a good umm what am I actually i guess I’m a blogger… any who this story is about 3 siblings “Kate”, “Randell”, and “Kevin” and their messed up adulthood and childhood and how their childhood influenced their adulthood. Each episode is dedicated to a member of the family and their family/relationships and a memory from their childhood that explains why their like that. Now I decided to make this a little bit different from how I things before did first of for this blog i will be explain the premise of the first episodes then I will be explaining each character and how I feel about them Blah Blah Blah.

1×1 “Pilot”

So, we start the showoff at a very wild point I can’t really say more about it all I can say is that

it was his birthday “the father” and she was dancing for him “mother” until suddenly her water breaks during the dancing and of course they are rushed to the hospital but the doctor that they were werking with during the pregnacy appendix burst so they switched doctors to this guy.

i forgot his name so we will just call him dr that seems appropriate but anyway they send her to surgery and extracted the babies there are 3 but one of them got subtracted if u catch my drift. Now the couple were planning for 3 babies not two but 3 and the father said he was going to get that third baby and he decided to go baby shopping at the Nicu and low and behold there it was a baby that was left at a fire station.

i will give you 50$ if you can guess who’s adopted but no cheating.

if u guessed the middle, you are so very wrong of course it’s the black baby

but this is how we are introduced to the Big three

Randall the black one Kate the girl Kevin the words I’m not allowed to say

I’m not goanna explain everything because I don’t wanna but I will explain everyone’s conflict but before that on the first episode it is everyone birthday since their twins plus Randall.

Kate

So, when we first see Kate when can see Shes insecure about her weight which is obvious for the sticky notes around the house that tells her not to eat her birthday cake or something else that i can quite make out but it’s there. We then see her go to a weight loss meeting where she basically disregards everyone else’s problems which you will be seeing a lot of like a lot but at least we get to meet Toby

who is the most obvious person ever and he is head over heels over that she devils. The start talking and get into the talking stage of any romance they even go on a date, but Kate is pulled away from the date and starts to berate toby with her problems in which he offers a solution, but she doesn’t take it instead her brother makes the decision for her and fires her. and that’s really it for her.

Kevin

the most spoiled person ever Kevin. We start off the story to him sleeping with two women at the same time which follows him going through a Mid-life Crisis in which he goes to the tv show set he is in and have a breakdown curing the director and the audience in the break down. oh, I forgot to mention he is an actor on the show Mananny. Obviously, he gets fired and when he realized that he got fired he goes to Kate, they talk it out blah blah he decides to go to the company that hired him so he can get out of his contract but that’s next episode. the episode ends in him firing Kate so she can finally live her life and not be so dependent on him. I hate this guy

Randall

We start off with him selling weather which is confusing but go off. While he is working, he tracks down his birthfather and contemplates confronting him, so he tells his wife at their daughter’s soccer game

she says he should do it, and he goes and does it but I will say that Randall doesn’t contact his siblings at all this episode. i love this family and their dynamics especially Beth the wife and i would like Randall to but the actor is homophobic… so yeah.

Ok that’s the first episode in a nutshell i will catch you all on the next one peace.

New Deltarune Chapters Sent Me 10 Years Back

It’s only like me to start my senior year off with a Deltarune/Undertale blog. I have those two games to thank for my personality, passion for art, and my love for storytelling – and on a deeper note: for keeping me here and encouraging me to push through the toughest times in my life.

Deltarune chapters three and four were released on June 5th. I wasn’t able to play them for about two weeks since I had a writer’s workshop, vacation, and my first Comic-Con all in a row. But when I did finally play them, I went through something really strange.

As I was fully submerged in a self-established “Deltarune summer”, I felt something very familiar in my soul. I remember: I was listening to the new music, looking at and making fan art, reading people’s theories, and talking about it to friends. Suddenly, I felt like I was seven years old again in my Undertale phase. It was so strange. I had to check the date, look in the mirror, anything to make sure I hadn’t somehow slipped into 2015. Then I was so overwhelmed I threw up.

Yeah, not my best moment at all. But this feeling hit me like nothing else had in ten years. I’m not seven years old anymore watching Undertale animations, reading fan comics, or listening to the music preparing to enter middle school. I’m seventeen, graduating high school soon. Except I’m still doing everything I did with Undertale, just with Deltarune.

Everything is so different but at the same time, it’s not at all.

I’m aware most of my peers aren’t familiar with Deltarune or Undertale, I can only advise whoever hasn’t played either to play them. It’s just like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. And I’m no outlier, there’s an entire fanbase of at least one-hundred-thousand people that would say the same thing.

So why does Deltarune mean so much to me? Well the same reasons that Undertale does – but that’ll be covered in September’s blog since Undertale’s ten-year anniversary will be September 15th. Deltarune has incredible characters, one-of-a-kind music, and- …I’m realizing I’ve already written about this. It’s so interesting re-reading that blog – chapters three and four didn’t even have a release date and I had no idea what was coming.

I like Deltarune for all the reasons everyone else does, and October 2024 Stephanie did. But now, I’ve attached my entire being to that game. This is a pretty common thing I do when I really like something. Not only does it help me express myself, since all the media I love is a reflection of myself, but it also helps me feel like I’m appreciating the media for all of its worth. I’m actually really possessive in this way: my favorite color is pink, my favorite bug is a ladybug, my favorite show (that I even refer to as “my show”) is Common Side Effects, and my favorite game is Deltarune. I’m known for all of these things because I tie them so closely to my being. I may be possessive over Deltarune but I’m certainly not selfish over it. I’m constantly trying to get my friends to play it so I’m probably really annoying.

I’ve also been on a mission to heal my inner child before I graduate high school. So, like an extremely normal and mentally well seventeen-year-old does, I’ve been watching My Little Pony. And, in a really funny way, Deltarune shares a lot of similarities to My Little Pony. It’s kind of like my own teenage version of My Little Pony. Deltarune has huge themes of friendship, redemption, and conflict resolution through communication. Things also happen really quickly in the same way they do in the episodic form of My Little Pony. Kris and Susie, the two main characters, went from being enemies (?) to best friends in, at most, two days. Over the span of chapter one, Susie became open to talking problems out rather than immediately resorting to violence. And Ralsei, another one of the main characters, went from wanting to resolve everything through kindness to understanding when fighting is necessary over the span of four chapters, which was three in-game days. These are some extreme character developments over really short periods of time, kind of like how My Little Pony characters change so drastically in one episode while learning a sweet little message. And finally, the biggest reason I love Deltarune so much: Deltarune just has a lot of elements that I genuinely really enjoy.

Kris, the character we play as and/or (depending on who you ask) the protagonist, fits the description of my favorite kind of protagonists perfectly. Back in 2015, Frisk from Undertale was my favorite protagonist and they use they/them pronouns. Later in 2016, Sal Fisher from Sally Face was my favorite protagonist, mostly known for his bright blue hair. Kris fits both of these descriptions as they canonically use they/them pronouns and in the dark worlds, they have blue hair.

Deltarune also has huge themes of escapism, darkness (yes, the state of lighting), and alternate/parallel universes. As someone who used to chronically daydream, was deathly afraid of the dark, and is extremely interested in the idea of other universes, all of these are right up my alley.

And, finally, Deltarune uses the plot device of prophecies. This is my favorite thing ever, I’m so surprised I haven’t used prophecies in every single piece of my writing. For one, a prophecy can be used in so many different ways. It can be a simple statement that starts the story or even a title (for example, the book They Both Die at the End). It can be an actual fantastical prophecy (such as in the book The Song of Achilles). It can even be told in the way of generational trauma. It is so much fun to know how something will happen or end. The optimistic, hopeful side of you tries to believe it won’t happen, if it’s something terrible, or it will happen in a different way and then the truly human side of you just wants to see how it will happen.

(This paragraph will contain spoilers for Deltarune’s fourth chapter.) The way Deltarune uses prophecies as a plot device is, by far, my favorite. In chapter one, Ralsei, a fantastical mage-like character that only resides in the magical dark worlds, establishes a prophecy that him, Kris, and Susie will save the world from “The Roaring” – a catastrophe similar to the Rapture in the Bible. Specifically, he states the prophecy needs a human (Kris), a monster (Susie), and a prince from the dark (Ralsei). But in chapter four, released six real-life years later (!!!), the true prophecy is revealed straight from the source, which is the church since the prophecy is part of the religion of the town Deltarune takes place in. The prophecy needs a “cage with human soul and parts”, a “girl with hope crossed on her heart”, a “prince alone in deepest dark”, and a girl that “love finds its way to”. This version is, very clearly, a lot broader than the original we were introduced to in chapter one and it adds a completely new character (in my opinion)! And the final part of the prophecy that’s been tearing me apart since chapter four came out in June: the mysterious “final tragedy” that the main characters know about but us as players do not. This is such a unique way to use prophecies as a plot device and it inspires me so much in my own work.

There’s plenty of other smaller reasons I love Deltarune (like Noelle, who is a Christmas themed reindeer – I love Christmas themed anything) but those are the biggest ones and what truly keeps Deltarune so close to my heart. I really enjoyed writing this blog and dissecting my favorite parts of my favorite game. It helped me realize a lot of new things about myself and it helped me understand the writing of Deltarune on a higher level.

Thanks so much for reading if you did. Last year, my blogs were really fun and spilling with my own personality. I want to take a different approach now – you know, since I’m old and that means I’m a pretentious art student now and I have to be dramatic about all of my pieces. I’m kidding. Kind of.

Don’t read the old Deltarune blog too closely, there’s at least one typo that I somehow missed that’s eating me alive. Also paragraph three of this blog is a little dramatized, I knew I didn’t slip into 2015 but it absolutely felt that way. And I did unfortunately vomit… And when I briefly explained what “The Roaring” is (“a catastrophe similar to the Rapture in the Bible”), it reminded me of that one part from Snapcube’s Shadow the Hedgehog fandub with “the Devil from the Bible” and it made me giggle. Does my nicheness (that’s not even that niche) make you want to read more of my blogs? I hope so. Also do you like all of my links? I spent a lot of time on them.

Anyway, this blog was actually really emotional for me. I love Deltarune and I think I made that pretty clear. Remember to play or replay Undertale for its ten-year anniversary next month.

Why you should re-read the House on Mango Street

Let’s cut to the chase. Everyone knows about this book, and if don’t know about this book then that’s proof enough to tell me that you weren’t paying attention in middle school English class. It’s okay. I wasn’t either. But that’s just to say that The House on Mango Street is more than just a part of your draining middle school English course. And if you spare me a few minutes of reading I’m sure you’ll understand why this book is so good.

Firstly, I want to admit that I didn’t like this book when I read it in my English class. My old English teacher gave us a quiz for every chapter, and that alone was enough to take me out of the novel. Even the amazing writing flew over my head because I was so focused on memorizing names and places for our next quiz. Then I got to writing school, started writing poems and novels of my own and realized that I didn’t give that book a proper chance. So, a year ago, I dedicated myself to re-reading it. And I liked it so much that I re-read it again. And again. Now, I recognize it as my favorite book. This isn’t a blog to persuade you to love it, but just to persuade you to read it again, because I promise you, it deserves a second chance.

And if you haven’t heard of this book until now, hopefully this blog can convince you to check it out. Now let’s get into what I absolutely love about this book.

1.Every character is so unique. How am I so sure? I’ve read a lot of books, and no character has left such an impression on me the way Esperanza, Nenny, Rachel, Lucy, Cathy, Meme, Louis and more have. These characters bring so much life to the story that the reader is in for an instant refresher. We have Esperanza who wishes her family was not poor, yet she becomes friends with Lucy and Rachel who are slightly less stable than she is. And despite her distaste for living on Mango Street she longs for friendship and community. And then we have Cathy who loves cats and claims that she will eventually go to France to claim her royal bloodline, but truthfully, she is just teenage girl who wishes she were anywhere else but Mango Street. There are so many tactics that Cisneros use to make her characters human. Their hair type, their speech, their insecurities, their lies, their movements, their environment and more. Every person in this book is tailored in ways that leave you speechless. It’s amazing.

2. The writing style is God sent. For those of you who were taught this book in English class, did you ever notice how the writing was unique in comparison to other children’s fiction novels? I’m not sure how to word it but this book is narratively poetic. There are so many moments in this novel that sound like poetry to me, and I feel like that’s what attracts a lot of readers. There’s a lot of repetition and simplicity in this book. Plus, the chapters are short and juicy and could very well be some type of longer poetry. What really stands out to me about this book is the writing style. It has a journal entry style, where the protagonist speaks with their own dialect, rather than the added literary elements. By the writing style alone, we can see where Esperanza comes from, that she is only twelve years old, and that she doesn’t have much experience. But she is very in tune with the world around her. This book is so interesting because the journal-entry style makes the story feel personal and real. It’s also a good reference to study if you want to learn about writing from the perspective of children.

3. It will open your eyes. I feel like the main thing that I should’ve mentioned earlier about this book is its roots in the Latino community. The writer is Latino, and this story is some testament to her experience growing up in a low-income and Latino neighborhood. There are mentions of the protagonist’s heritage and where her family came from, the type of food they make, and how they celebrate certain holidays. Honestly, I’ve learned so much more about Latino culture from reading this book. I think that’s one of the most important take-aways from this novel. So, if you’re looking for a good book to sink your claws into that is as interesting as it is informative, The House on Mango Street is a novel that you need to add to your reading list. And if you aren’t too fond of it at first, try reading one chapter every so often. It doesn’t have to be in order. What’s important is that you’re witnessing this amazing story unfold, happy reading!

New Beginnings

So, we all have been here for 3 weeks. That is crazy to me because it already has felt like 3 months. I want to start this off with, I am so happy to be back here. MSA is one of the only places where I truly feel accepted. Summer especially made me excited to come back, but we’re not going to talk about that. What we are going to talk about is how these three weeks have been.

When I first got back here, I was ready to see my roommates as one of them was the one I had last year and who I consider a brother, and the other was friend that I began getting close with near the middle of the second semester and who is working his way to the brother title. Moving in was a struggle as always and after a rainy shopping trip with my mom, I was finally on my own again. Though I was excited, I was also scared. Not of being on my own, but of what was to come. I have heard horror stories from my seniors about how senior year will be. I was terrified of the commitment and terrified of the tasks at hand. I was also afraid of the social aspect. Most of my friends my junior year were seniors. This meant going into my senior year, I wouldn’t have many friends. There were friend groups that I floated around and visited and interacted with but nothing that I was a part of other than my seniors. But I had to swallow those fears and just see it for myself before I freaked out.

The first few days were surprisingly really fun for me other than orientation. My fear of the social aspect was quickly thrown out the window. Almost instantly, I was accepted by a group of people I was very fond with and interacted with a lot last year. Some I was already close to and others I have been able to get closer with. Having a group of friends that I relate to and can be myself around has definitely made this year a whole lot better. Not only this year but life in general. Another thing that helped get rid of the fear is the amount of people I have met this year. There are so many people that have come up to ME. I ALWAYS HAVE TO GO UP TO OTHER PEOPLE. Though sometimes it gets a little overwhelming, I have felt a lot better knowing that this many people want to be my friend. I will say though, I am a person with his own problems. Please, if you are a junior trying to be my friend, treat me that way and don’t put me on a pedestal. Now that I said that, I’ll move on from the friend yap. Not only have I been able to show off my new style, but I dyed my hair the second day of school and it is a choice I’m very happy I made. Just wanted to put that down.

Anyways, I have had a lot a fun this year. Sadly, the stories the seniors have told me were very true, but only on the responsibility and academics aspect. this is the most stressed I have ever been in my entire life. I have applied for five colleges so far, signed up for the act, and am dealing with a million due dates in one week. Next, I have to worry about scholarships and whatever else seniors have to do. But I understand that it is a part of growing up. Everything I am doing now is building my strength for college and for a career in what I want to do. This is a very scary time, but fear is a part of the process of being better.

p.s. some of the stress is my fault ngl. but y’all already know that.

See You Later 🩵🤍

I don’t know how to start this without getting emotional, but here we are—When I came to MSA I didn’t know what I was doing. I stayed in my room all the time because I was worried other would see that I didn’t really belong here like they did. I stayed close to the one friend I had that came to the from my town. I saw how amazing all my classmates were at writing, and I thought I wouldn’t make it.

But as the first couple weeks pasted, I found myself stepping out of my shell (or dorm room in this case) as I found that I enjoyed a lot of the same things as many people on my floor. Then as the first semester pasted by, I grew closer to those who I now consider my Best Friends, no matter how childish that might sound to some. I love my hometown very much, but I know that if I stayed, I would have never gotten the opportunities that I got here at MSA or would I have met the wonderful people here from all over Mississippi who taught me so much about places outside of the small world I used to live in.

This school has been more than just a building filled with classrooms—it’s been a collection of memories, laughter, heartbreak, awkward moments, and unexpected friendships. It’s been a place where we found pieces of ourselves, sometimes in the people around us, and sometimes in the quietest moments we didn’t think anyone noticed.

I’ll miss the chaos of the mornings, the sleepy stares in first period, the inside jokes whispered across the room, the lunch table drama, the group projects that nearly broke us (but somehow made us closer), and the teachers who believed in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves.

We grew up here. We stumbled, we failed, we succeeded, we learned—and not just from textbooks. We learned about life. About people. About how hard goodbyes really are.

To the people who stayed, who left, who changed us in ways they’ll never fully understand—thank you. To the hallways that heard our secrets and the classrooms that held our dreams—thank you. To every single day that shaped us into who we are right now—thank you.

It’s time to say goodbye now. And as much as I wanted to sprint toward the future, I find myself pausing, just for a moment, to look back. To feel everything one last time.

So, this is it. My final sign-off. Goodbye, school. You’ll always have a piece of my heart.

With love,

Crislyn Lance, MSA Senior Literary Class of ‘25

You’re the one crying! Not me :(

Of course, I knew my very last blog for MSA was going to be about moments that are based on reflecting about time or about the journeys we take. Not creepy or chaotic like my first blog. That itself seems like a lifetime ago.

Let’s talk lovelies. Or just read, it’s what brings us together best.

These past two school years have been the best story for me yet. Coming into MSA, I was ready to not get close to others out of habit of not fitting in. I was worried that I would lose my passion thinking I would be amongst those who would make me feel as if my craft isn’t up to par, coming from an old environment when writing was considered inferior to things like sports and homecoming court. I’m so happy by the fact that those nightmares didn’t occur.

When I stepped into the Literary classroom, I found that I was surrounded by passionate individuals who had a voice and a strive just like me. And they weren’t here to step on me, but instead to lift me up so that I could stay and be taught by their own experiences. I love being surrounded by other artists and their individual styles a lot. Like A LOT. Shout out to my senior class, their diverse voices are amazingly clever and bold, and every day since Junior year, I knew I struck gold with them as my classmates. Amelia, Carter, Chanel, Cooper, Crislyn, and Sone’t; thank you with my full being for adding to the indents that carve me into a better artist.

Thank you too Dr. A! Being under your instruction has helped me find a path to my voice. Now I’m ready to take a path with more creative freedom.

Throughout my time here at MSA I have grown quite a bit from the old person I was being just to survive. I’ve learned what type of people I truly like surrounding myself around and I’ve learned that those people are usually the ones that I feel comfortable getting silent around. I’ve learned to separate anger from stress and sleepiness from burn-out. MSA has also taught me that it’s okay to want to be in solitude sometimes. Being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. Being alone has given me time to adapt to learning new things by myself because people I know aren’t always going to be around the corner when I turn. That’s very much important to me because I come from a place where everyone sees everyone and everyone knows everything about you. That doesn’t give someone a chance to discover themselves when people know every move you make and each choice you decide. Getting a chance to decide for myself has been the biggest fresh breath of air. Writing was my main escape from people, but now it’s no longer just an escape but a haven that I spend time in so I can spend a moment out of reality before I run back to it. It’s great when I don’t mind reality.

This whole experience has been worth it, and I can dive into all my gratefulness for my time here and all the people that are some people to know, but I’ll be here all day. So instead, I’m going to go back to my roots with the movies. This time, I’m dropping movies that sum up how I feel about this journey we’ve been through.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED

Madagascar was basically a movie about these animals and their self-discovery journey, right? Well, they all learned something new about themselves every movie. Marty proved he was unique and not like the other zebras, he discovered individuality. Melman learned confidence and courage. Gloria learned self-acceptance and true love. Then Alex not only learned loyalty, but he found his family. Throughout my school life I’ve found different members of my family, and like any family some became estranged, and some taught awful lessons that I needed to learn eventually. But here at MSA, this family taught me acceptance. I first watched this movie in the Malco theater when I was in first grade with my aunt and my cousins. We went to McDonalds after, and I even remember the drive, the fireworks shop we looked at was what I really remember seeing. Sadly, my aunt passed not soon after from cancer. It hurt because that was one of the lessons about life that I learned early. Life’s journey isn’t always grand, but it’s the small moments that you cherish with people you love that are the most important. Like in Madagascar they went on all the wildest trips with each other, but they didn’t take any moment for granted. They also stuck together until the end. Class, y’all gave me a lot of those moments. Honestly.

SING

Y’all know that part in the movie when Meena is trying to get Moon to stop having a pity party and he tells her “You and me, we’re both afraid for good reason. Cause deep down, we know… We just don’t have what it takes.” Yeah, y’all know the part. Welp I’m pretty sure we all had that feeling at some point during our 13 years of school. But listen, the moment I love the most in this movie was at the end. When they are all lined behind that ribbon, and they clip the ribbon revealing a new beginning. One that they worked so hard for despite the doubt. We’re living in that moment right now. After all these times we’ve wanted to give up, we didn’t, and now we will finally be able to cut that ribbon. And just like for Moon and his father, all the self-doubt and pity parties you recovered from will be worth it. Just close your eyes and listen to the applause. You deserve it, after climbing up from rock bottom to see the moon.

TOY STORY 3

I got sick of watching this movie every day in fifth grade during state-testing. Now, my heart is breaking remembering what this movie did to me. It made me think that this moment would be so far away. But now it’s 23 days away starting today. Wow, okay, tearing up a little. But this is the biggest feeling that I feel right now. The feeling of letting go of old memories from your childhood so you can make new ones for your future into adulthood. Right now, we’re all Andy’s. And just like how he left his toys staring behind him, try not to get sad as you walk away from all the random friends you met at the water park, all the teachers who gave you headaches, all the bus rides when you really wanted to laugh at those kids who weren’t supposed be funny, and the bits of missed school days when your heart swelled at snow days, and it’s okay to get in the car like Andy. All of those you may leave behind will understand.

But yeah, again I just want to say thank you all and I hope to see you reign in your success in the future. And like what Buzz said to Woody on his way to his next chapter,

“To infinity, and beyond.”

two years feels like a lifetime

I’m not sure if this is the very last blog of the year, but I don’t see how we would have time to do another before the school year is over, so I’ll continue to assume that this is the very last blog.
It’s so scary to think that highschool is going to be over is less than a few weeks. Freshman year feels like a lifetime ago.

I know it’s cliche, and I don’t mean this lightly, but so much has changed. My taste in music, the way I dress, my friends, my family. People I’ve loved have died. Some of my cousins are getting married, some are already married and have kids. My parents got divorced. My grandfather died.
I’ve made lifelong friends from just spending 1-2 short years together. I’ve met so many talented people.

I like to brag about how, when were all distant, I know at least a few of us will make it big out there. I like to think I’ll see someone I went to school with here on the news. Hopefully for something good. And I’ll be able to say “I went to school with them.”

God, my brother is entering his sophomore year. That’s crazy to think. While my highschool career is ending, his has just begun. I can’t even imagine his senior year. What the world will look like in another three short years.

There are a lot of things I hoped I would have done before I graduated highschool. I don’t think many of things will happen. But I’m glad to have had the hope.

My sister will be entering her senior year soon. That’s scary. It’s hard to imagine myself in college, but I feel like it’s impossible to imagine my younger siblings in college. I can’t even begin to comprehend them starting a family, or getting married, or moving out of the house.

I feel like that’s just one way people cope with change that’s too big to handle. You just can’t fathom it. It seems less scary if it’s impossible. That doesn’t mean I don’t want them to. I want them to succeed. I want them to grow and progress through life. But it feels like I have to look through a foggy mirror to be able to imagine it.

I’ll be going to USM in the fall, and it’s nice to know that I’ll have the same roommate that I did this year. Assuming that he does go. There still might be a chance he goes to Georgia for college.
A new roommate seems scary, but I could also see it as exciting.

I think I really lucked out with my roommate this year. Parker and I have had so much fun together. We made up games to play on the 3rd floor. We made a like, super hard hide and seek game, where you would put on silencing headphones and blast really eerie music. All the lights would be off, and the other people had to hide in the room. We had people hiding on top of the cabinets, in chests, in cabinets, under beds. And the seeker would be completely blind and deaf.
We also had a game called the belt game. Where you would have to hold your feet still and try and doge a belt. If you screamed, the opponent gets a point, if you fall opponent gets 10 points.

Living at MSA has definitely ruined my eating habits. The amount of times I’ve eaten out with friends is absurd. I’ve never had more fast food apps installed on my phone at once than I have while living at MSA. It got to the point where almost all the employees recognize me whenever I go into Domino’s. The subway here, though is awful. I don’t know if any of you have had Subway here, the one at the gas station. I don’t know how someone could be so bad at making a sandwich.

My favorite monster flavour is Ultra Rosa, and I got super sad when I realized they weren’t being stocked anywhere anymore. BUT… there’s one gas station. One gas station in what feels like the state of Mississippi that still sells them. I was told that the only reason they keep them in stock is because they always sell out……. That’s because of me. Anytime I see ultra rosa, I buy as many as there are. I buy out the ENTIRE stock. It costs around $30, but it’s worth it, because for about a week I have my favorite flavour of Monster every morning.

All in all, I think MSA was a wonderful experience. It makes me question how my life would have been different if I had gone to school in hattiesurg though. Like how my brother and sister are doing. Would I have made more friends that I probably would have had a better chance at keeping in contact with? Probably. I definitely would have saved so much money on food and Gas. Gas is a killer. I go home every weekend because I work at a record store in Hattiesburg. And it basically just cancels out the drive there and back because of gas.

I’m very thankful for the chance I had to attend MSA, I’m very thankful that I got to meet everyone that I did. This school has done a lot for me, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to graduate from it.