Half Full

If I am having a bad day then the glass will look half empty; a good day and it looks half full. It's really amazing how two different perspectives can almost tell two completely different stories. I have grown to appreciate the true meaning that stories hold, but mostly because of the variety that you can get looking at one story from many different angles. Stories are more than just words on paper; they are love, life and culture. Perspectives have always been sitting in front of me, but I have American Studies to thank for making their worth clearer.

Word Count: 100

Don't Worry, Be Happy

The American dream is something that everyone seems to live for; however nowadays it seems to be just that, a dream. We've all had to make sacrifices in our lives in order to gain some of the things that we want and in the process it's easy to become a mere shadow of everything that you were once prideful of about yourself. But what allows us to get to this point in our life? Eager to accomplish all the goals that we initially had in place for ourselves we strive to be the best, but there always seems to be something, or someone that tries to pull us back down. It's gotta be scientifically proven somewhere that time goes by faster the more fun you are having, but the opposite can definitely be said for the times that you are bored out of your mind. Night after night, my sister came home after work with another story to tell expressing how much she enjoyed her job. I never quite understood if she actually enjoyed her job that much or she just wanted to rub it in my face since she knew how I felt about mine. When I think about all the reasons that I have put up with what had to be the most unpleasant times of my life I realize that I in fact only had one, and that reason had lost its meaning over time. So, I decided to do something that I knew I would never be able to take back, something that would finally liberate me from all of the wrongdoing that I had experienced for the past two years....I quit.

 Word Count: 276

Point: Life is too short to accept something that makes you unhappy.

Fireside Lunch Break

One by one, students begin filing into the commons at the same time each day while the line at Salsarita’s quickly extends around the corner and the lunch tables under the flags take only minutes to fill. Even with all the commotion going on mere steps away, the upper level of the Commons seems unaffected by the initiation of free hour. Perhaps the most welcoming area on the top floor of the commons, the fireside lounge is a small social gathering area complete with cozy chairs and a glowing fireplace yearning for bodies to surround it during the colder months of the year. Although the room is fairly unused during the morning hours, there tends to be a scattering of the occasional faculty/student group meeting or wandering student closer to the lunch hours of the day. The evenings usually leave the lounge with a presence similar to the morning.

Word Count: 149

Never Stop Trying

Never Stop Trying

Samantha Mims

Word Count: 266

            You take a deep breath and fresh air fills your lungs, a light breeze dances across your face, and the sun smiles down on you to announce the beginning of your Monday while you can only think to yourself "Damn, I wish I could go back to sleep". Everyone has heard the phrase "don't take things for granted", but with everything that is going on in the world, is that even possible? The beautiful environment that surrounds us, the family and friends that we enjoy, the education that we continue to build, the food that is essential to us; the list goes on and on. The things that we are supposed to appreciate become things that we grow accustomed to and eventually become nothing more than routine. Most people unfortunately learn this lesson by losing something or someone who was very precious to them and realizing it only after they were lost. Although I have not yet had to experience a painful loss, I imagine a future where I do and I know that I don't want to feel any regrets when I have been given the opportunity to acknowledge everything that I have. When you take the time to step back and look over some of the aspects of your life, you just might be surprised when you see something that you once overlooked. I believe that it is impossible to appreciate the true value of everything in your life and not take it for granted, but I also believe that no one should ever stop striving towards just that.


I believe that it is impossible to appreciate the true value of everything in your life and not take it for granted, but I also believe that no one should ever stop striving towards just that.

Zeros to Heroes

The Orioles have gone from one of the worst baseball teams in the league to one of the best and with each win, more fans show up for their home games in Camden Yards. The people of Baltimore have regained their reason to take pride in Camden Yards. When people thought of Camden Yards they used to only think of its historical importance, however the O's domination has brought a rejuvenation of the stadium, transforming it into something to be feared by the opposing teams and something reuniting its community. Camden Yards is no longer just historic, its making history.

Word Count: 100

Picture Link: http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=6ua&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1366&bih=703&tbm=isch&tbnid=5OPgdeNKk2J1vM:&imgrefurl=http://espn.go.com/travel/stadium/_/s/mlb/id/1/oriole-park-camden-yards&docid=KoRGDJLPeluFHM&imgurl=http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0509/BAL_53551949_580.jpg&w=580&h=326&ei=9KZrUOHxJoqV0QHg4oDQAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1033&vpy=372&dur=463&hovh=100&hovw=178&tx=240&ty=96&sig=105685710677621539993&page=1&tbnh=100&tbnw=178&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:183

Brands Don't Define Me

Forever 21; A popular women’s clothing store that has its own form of “cool hunting” by constantly changing its styles based on consumer fashion to match the most recent trends of the current generation. It’s strange that this thought that had never crossed my mind now seems so obvious just by looking at the name of the store. Although I do find myself making stops there often, I believe that the fact that I buy this brand says the same thing about me as when I buy any other brand. I buy what I like and can actually afford.

Word Count : 99