Learn, by Jazmine

Learn:

I've learned to never depend on anybody but yourself, because you are the only one you can really trust.

Be independent, learn from your mistakes to make you a stronger person.

The more you depend on others, the less you depend on yourself.

You're the only person who's always going to be there for you, so be strong and speak up for yourself.

Last but not least, be yourself!

Orange High School, by Jazmine

High school is a learning experience, from ninth to twelfth grade the changes that have been made have been so dramatic.

During your high school year's, I think everyone finds who they are or what they want to become.

Classes change, friends change, and the surroundings change.

You learn and grow to be more responsible and independent.

But, high school also can be a way to collect bad habits, such as drama, backstabbing, and also making the wrong friends. High school has been a huge stage of development for me, changes that I have seen take place within myself have made me proud. No matter how much I say, "I'm ready to leave this place," it's this place that has taught me life lessons to grow and to become succesful.

Book Review: Grace After Midnight, by India

Well, so far Felicia, aka "Snoop," has been going through some things. For one, she was a crack baby. The state wouldnt let her mom keep her because she was on drugs real bad. They let Snoop visit her mom one day and Snoop begged to stay with her mom. But, they wouldnt let her stay the first day. Then Snoop visuallized what her mom's home looked like: Snoop said, "it had to be pretty and big" because her mom was beautiful. So the next visit, the social worker let Snoop stay with her mom. Snoop thought it was the wrong place because it was an apartment that didnt look too nice. When she got up to the room with her mom, the apartment was smelly and trashed. Snoop didn't want to stay anymore. Then her mom told her to take off all of her clothes. Snoop didn't want to do it, but her mom forced her to. Her mom told her to get in the closet. Snoop was yelling at the top of her lungs, but no one could hear her. Then the social worker came back up there and got her out the closet. For eight years, Snoop was teased about being a crackbaby and about being cross-eyed. Her foster mom an dad always told her she was fine though and that she wasn't ugly. When kids teased her, she wanted to fight them at first,  but she was too small to fight them. Snoop said it her hurt her though to hear people talk about her like that. Then one day she met this man named Bernard. Her pop told her that was her real father. He told her that she was not ugly that she was just as pretty as her mom. Her dad had brought her a baby doll, but she did not want it she said she hated baby dolls. Her dad was talking to her but she did not say one word back. To be continued.

In Praise of Sloppy Joes, by India

Growing up, I loved Sloppy Joes. But what kid doesn't? Sloppy Joes are sweet, tangy, and sometimes, very messy sandwiches. They were a rare treat around our house, so when I did get to eat them, they were all the better. I'm the meal planner these days. I try to make Sloppy Joes all the time. And, since I'm a big fan of searching out simple and highly-rated recipes, whenever I cook, I skip the store-bought stuff and use a from-scratch recipe whenever I get a craving.

New Day, by Jazmine

It's a new day:

Every day is a new day

New beginnings, New feelings

Each day brings a different feeling

Happy or Sad, Glad or Mad

Start each day with a new beginning

Each day is a new blessing

Wake up happy because its a new day

Dont complain if your day goes bad, you're the one to blame.

Each day brings something new, just be glad that you wake up,

Be glad to be you!

Sick, by Jazmine

Sick:

Sick of the drama

Sick of the rules

Sick of being told what I can and cannot do

Sick of doubting myself

Sick of being doubted

Sick of being told that I'm nothing like the rest

Sick of being sick

tick tick tick

I am who I am and that's it!

Roll-a-coaster, by Jazmine

Roll-a-coaster:

Life has been a roll-a-coaster and I'm sure that the ride isn't over.

From people dropping in and out of my life and people who said I could depend on them, never being dependable.

Trust comes hard, Ive been lied to, disappointed, and let down so many times, that its hard to trust anyone.

So I feel that I have to be self-reliant, love, depend, and be honest to myself, because if I don't, no one else will.