A Day At The Age

Going back to the early days of American history, there were very little made to distinguish criminal responsibility of children versus that of adults. During this time, juveniles, some young as seven years old could be tried and prosecuted within an adult criminal court. Children would have to stand for trial in court based on the offenses they committed, and could then be sentenced to prison and sometimes possibly even capital punishment. Is this form of justice beneficial to minors, or does it just obstruct their futures?

The weather cleared up and me, along with my entire class and teachers, got to enjoy a beautiful ceremony. Lining up we started to proceed out to the football stadium from the gymnasium, my mind would not stop thinking. I just could not stop remembering what it took for me to get to this day. The stress that I endured studying for the SAT, filling out my applications and most importantly, perfecting my essay. The idea that I was not going to be living in this beautiful town I have spent my life in, brought a flood of emotions. Thoughts of my friends not being by my side next year made me feel as if I was sinking into a deep hole; this place, this town has had so much to offer to me. The past two years that I had spent in this place were the most emotional and exciting times of my life. I knew even though I was not going to be waking up in my familiar place anymore, I would be waking up in what was to become my new familiar place. I knew that even though my friends would not physically be there with me every day, that they would be there when I called them. If it were not for all of the people I have met along the way, I do not think I would have ended up where I am today. It just is a common thought for whenever I get sad about everything ending, I remind myself that there is a new beginning coming and it is going to be amazing. The place that I have spent my whole life

It was early in my first semester on a Friday, when I first chose to spend a weekend partying with friends outside of Binghamton University's swim team. After a grueling practice, there was a discussion in the locker room about party plans for that night and for the night after. As a shy and modest freshman, I kept my thoughts to myself. Meanwhile, the upper classmen were brainstorming ideas for a party theme. As the team was changing, the brainstorming continued and I unexpectedly got a text message from a Calculus classmate who I met earlier that week. He was inviting me to a social festivity with him and other new classmates of mine that night. At the very moment I finished reading that text, one of the captains shouted, "Hey Artie! You're coming with us, right?" There was an everlasting pause from the moment he said "right?" with inquiry in his voice, making it clear that he was expecting an answer. The demanding question caught me off guard, and I stood there gaping while I was still holding my phone which was still opened to the text message that I just received. There was an awkward pause before I came up with an answer. It took three "Mississippi seconds" of weird silence for everyone in the locker room to look up and stare at me while waiting for a response. For those three long seconds I was unsure of what to say and how to express my true interests. I felt

There are No Children Here; by Alex Kotlowitz is a story about two brothers and their mother, Pharaoh, Lafayette and LaJoe Rivers and them growing up in the late 1980's in the (HHH) Henry Horner Homes, a housing project in Chicago. In the story the boys try to retain their youthfulness while they see constant gang violence, death of people close to them and their brother is in jail and their dad is struggling with drug addiction.

My life experience while attending Pikes Peak Community College in spring of 2012 seemed to be moving right along. My husband Larry and I decided to take a trip back home to South Carolina when the semester was over. We arose early Friday morning and got on the road around 5:00 am. We continued driving until we reached St. Louis, MO. We had been driving for 16 hrs, therefore we were tired and hungry from driving all day. We decided to stop at Red Roof Inn. We arose the next day at 6:00 am, ate breakfast and proceeded on our way to South Carolina. We arrived at 2:00 pm at my big sister’s Lillie’s house. There we found out that my little sister Sarah had been staying with Lillie for the last four months. As the day continued into the night, we had gotten some news about Sarah

I thought today would be just another normal day in chilled Maryland, but oh could I have been more wrong. The day started out just like every other. My little eleven-year-old heart was full of jubilance. I was having an admirable day with all my friends, and I had no worries. None of my siblings knew that an event that night at dinner was about to change our lives for better or for worse. My family and I sat down at aged table and we could all feel the tension that surrounded the air. “We have something to tell you guys, and we don’t want you to get upset” declared my mother. This statement made me nervous. Anytime some says not to get upset, you know something has happened that is going to change your entire live. “We are moving

Second period had just ended and you would see students walking out to the field. Taking it easy I approached the end of the ramp, I took a look around and I saw the many small cliques. I heard a faint voice call my name so I turned to see who it was. A teacher. She looked at me and signaled to come over. She had told me to talk to young girl who was by herself, just like me. I sat down next to her, we were both silent. I decided to break the ice and ask her a few questions and she asked some in return. We had some form of a conversation, and because of that we became friends. Best friends. I never knew that it was that easy, and soon after that our friendship circle became a lot bigger. I was able to laugh and smile just like how I saw the other students on the first day of school. I was able to come to school and enjoy it. When I was young I always thought that I would be attending Mira Mesa High School, I never had imagined graduating at High Tech High North County, until

We pull up to the May Wood County High School, my mom quickly drives off as I get out of the car. I turn to the building, not even two seconds after looking at it, a lady in black comes up to me and grabs my arm. "You need to get in the school before the bell rings young man!" Her voice was eerie in a sense. She dragged me into the building, standing there were tons of other students talking to their friends and socializing. The lady walks back outside to "greet" the other late students. I stand in the middle of the sea of students, not knowing what to do. Everyone was eyeing me and I could definitely hear them talking about me, all of a sudden the bell rang and the flock of kids moved down the hall to their first period. I had to take a quick

It was my freshman year of high school where I was just a lost fish in a hugh sea of people attending Byron Nelson High School, with no clue who I was and my place in life. Life seemed rough but then again it was freshman year. When I was attending Byron I didn't know what I was going to do with my life in the future. On one day just like any other the morning school announcements came on; talking about some meeting in the counselor's office about some academy. At that time I had no idea what they were talking about and I had never even heard of Eaton High school, which happens to be the new high school for my school district. It came to lunch time where my friend that I sat with was absent, so I figured why not go see what this meeting is

Two years ago in fifth grade was a great year until one something happened, something that was not going to make the year better, but make the year worse. I was sitting in my room watching TV when mom yells from the living room, “Kandace! Can you come here please?”. I pause the show and walk out of the room and sit on the couch she looks at her phone and then at me, “ Katelynn and Andrea are moving to Arizona.” she says in a sad voice, My heart stopped. In my head, I just kept thinking It’s a joke, she is just kidding, why would they move so far away? but she wasn’t they were really moving to Arizona, and I had no idea why.

7th grade was the year I woke up. My mom called me into her bedroom late one afternoon and was still sitting on her bed, wearing her pajamas. The bright and cheerful sunshine that lit up the room gave a false ambiance of the tension that clouded the air. I already knew what she was going to say, but I did not want to believe it as the truth. I had noticed that my mom and dad's relationship with one another was growing apart just by the way they acted around each other. The conversations between them became shorter and their affection for one another began to fade. My dad spent his nights falling asleep watching TV on the couch, while my mom slowly disappeared back into her bedroom, alone. This had been happening for a while now, so I do not know why I was even surprised when my mom said to me that, “Your dad and I are getting a divorce”. I should have seen it coming. The clues were all in front of me, but I was too afraid to put them together. I was scared because, for the first time in my life, the image of my "perfect" family was crumbling before me. I knew inside that my family was falling apart, but I was desperately holding onto the fibers that I thought were keeping us together. It is hard to believe that one encounter can change the course of one's life forever. In this instance, I was awoken from the dream that I had been living in for so long.

The night of graduation we all lined up the same way we did at practice, ABC order, as I walked out I felt so rewarded that I was able to make it to my high school graduation. We all sat in a huge gym surrounded by our loves ones, Black and gold caps and gowns filled the room. I waited anxiously for my name to be called; with my last name starting with a W I was pretty much at the end. I walked up and across the stage, shook their hand as I received my diploma and smiled for a picture. As I walked back to my seat I feel my eyes start to water because I felt so proud of myself that I made it to this point after years of hard work. I look around once I’m seated and see how happy everyone is. Next year everyone will be going their separate ways, starting college and making new friends. The ceremony ends with a bunch of smiles, some tears and caps being thrown up in the air while everyone is clapping for

Graduation day arrived and I had butterflies out of this world. It seemed as if I misplaced everything. I could not find my dress. My family came from one state to another. I finally got to the church were the commencement was going to be held. I

Monday, May 16th, graduation day. It’s 5:37 in the morning and I remember this cause I never wake up earlier than 8 unless I have to, but today I didn’t have to. It’s the day culminating twelve years of hard work and dedication into a three hour ceremony in which I will actually have to do something with my life other than a routine I believe I’ve perfected throughout these last four years. I roll over and pick up my phone, a dim light comes through a slit in my window shades just to remind me how early it actually is. I can’t fall back asleep so I decide to get out of bed. I sit up on my bed rubbing my eyes trying to make sense of the room around me, I may have lived here for 18 years but I can never find the cord to my ceiling light. I

It was May 17th, 2011, it was a normal school day when my brother and I were told that my mom called to say that she was picking us up early. I was anxious, wondering why we were going home early and breaking our usual routine. When my mom came to get us, the first thing that I noticed was that she didn’t greet us with her usual smile. I was 9 years old, very observant, but not able to sense what was to come. We got into the car, when I asked my mom where we were going hoping