Faith

Most of my blog posts this year have been about finding yourself and becoming who you want to be. In this last post I want to talk about my one little word.

When we were asked to choose a word that we would focus on for the rest of the year I had a difficult time at first. There wasn't a single word that I felt was worthy enough, but after sitting and contemplating for a while something came to me-Faith.

The most common interpretation of the word faith is "belief in god or in the doctrines or teachings of religion," but in my context faith meant having confidence and trust in my future. At the time, most of us seniors had just applied to colleges and were waiting for acceptance letters in the mail so faith seemed like the perfect fit.


Looking back at my experience, faith is what kept me sane during that time of anticipation and excitement. Now, faith is more than a little word to me; faith is what keeps me grounded.

-Lauren B.

Recipe For Me

Sugar Cookies

1 cup of butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350˚. Stir flour and baking powder together. Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in egg, milk, and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Chill for about 1 hour. Roll out on flour surface and cut in desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugars or cake decorations. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.

The sound of the mixer, sprinkles spilled over the  counter, and flour covers our aprons. It’s just another day spent at my grandma’s house baking our favorite treat-sugar cookies. From christmas trees to heart shaped, we baked cookies for every occasion and no occasion at all. As I think back to my childhood, I have vivd images of the beige walls, tiled counters, and bunny knick-knacks of the 60’s styled kitchen that I have so many fond memories of. Remembering the simple days when my sisters and I had no worries and little responsibilities, I realize how much I treasure those days. This recipe will always remind me of the all the days I spent at my grandma’s and the memories created there. As my sisters and I grow up and go our separate ways, we will always have those long afternoons in the kitchen to remind us of our loving, wonderful grandmother and our sisterhood that could never be destroyed.

Research Project (Alireza Behbahani)

"So Simon, how do you think the novel, The Shipping News, has literary merit?"

As our group (Sasan, Simon, Cameron and I) continued planning our video by taking deep analytical notes. The idea of writing a traditional essay always crossed my mind, but I wanted a change. Since change was the theme throughout both the books in the project, I thought it was ironic that change has been the the main theme within my life since I am transforming from a child to an adult . The project started out as an idea to better enhance the knowledge we received from the book. Not everyone had the same outlook on the novel, so different perspectives allowed us to better dissect the novel. The group assignment was a better alternative than a simple written essay or sugar coated graphical online presentation.