By Maddy Bergey Positivity: the practice of being optimistic in attitude. Plastered everywhere we go — posted inside shopping centers, portrayed in shows on television, and inscribed on daily journals — the construct of positivity is almost inherent in humans. This proposes a question: when does positivity get warped into a new, toxic form? Here’s a closer look at the depths … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project “…” (Awkward silence)
By Kaylee Arndt Imagine you’re at one of those beloved family gatherings — the one with Great-great-aunt Mildred and the second cousin you’ve seen but once in your life and whose name might be Freddy... or Frank — you’re not entirely sure. Can you picture it? Wonderful. Now, let’s say you’re drawn (or forced) into a pleasant conversation with these two characters. It … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: Life elsewhere
By Kristina Biel My name is Kristina Biel, and I have pretty basic origins. There’s a little bit of German in there and other stuff that I can’t currently remember. So now you’re probably wondering where I am going with this. Well, if we look back to the origins of humans, past the Homo Habilis and the Australopithecus, we get to the basics. Unicellular bacteria – that’s where … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: Why modern cartoons are gay
By Zenessa Anderson When you think of cartoons, you probably picture the “Looney Toons,” “Mickey Mouse,” or “Tom and Jerry.” These classics had an episodic structure that could be picked up at any episode. No matter what season the show was on, you would know everything you needed to to understand the plot. Some modern cartoons are like this as well, such as “The Amazing … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: Am I just a bad test taker?
By Abby Zutz I have recently found that in my classes, especially while I am online, I am doing really badly on tests and quizzes. I don’t know how I do so poorly on these tests when I do great throughout the chapter and don’t have a problem getting 100% on the assignments. Is it really possible that I just stink at taking tests? It turns out I am not the only one with this … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: The Christmas angel
By Bethany Schneekloth Every year without fail, during the Christmas season, people put out their angels. Whether they are topping trees, ornaments, or little figurines decorating an area, the angels all have similar characteristics with their horns of gold and vibrant dresses. With wings of either gold or white feathers, they are beautiful to see. But when did the use of … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – Eating together is feminist art
By Maddy Bergey Ever since I can remember, I have indulged in my grandma’s cooking. This came from a place of being a hungry child whose days at her grandparents’ revolved around holding a spelling bee, watching “Days Of Our Lives”, sketching runway-worthy outfits, and especially admiring Grandma’s large collection of cookbooks. These cookbooks were planned, created, and … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Changing that inner voice
Many individuals, young and old, struggle with inner conflicts. It is a daily struggle for many people that can last for years or decades if there is not a shift in one’s inner critic. This is not a slow and easy process for anyone; like anything else, changing this inner voice takes time, patience, and practice. Recently, I went on a women’s retreat with my mother. This is … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – The elimination of ACT and SAT requirements: an excellent thing… right?
By Kaylee Arndt There seems to be no end to the stresses of high school: lengthy assignments, essays with looming deadlines, frightening pop quizzes, and... the dreaded ACT or SAT test. These two standardized tests play a major role in determining college acceptance and scholarship decisions, so high schoolers have a right to stress over them — well, they did have a right to … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – Foster care
By Ryleigh Alery Currently, over 400,000 children are in the foster care system. Children are usually put into foster care when their guardians cannot provide the bare necessities such as shelter, food, or water. Children are also put into foster care when they have been orphaned, abandoned, abused, or neglected. Children can be in foster care for a couple of hours or until … [Read more...]