The power Within
The Power to be Me!
The picture of the field gives me power when I play soccer on it or even practice. Now I haven’t actually played a real game on that field. I played my drums on that field with the marching band here in 8th grade. That day I was scared I would mess up or people would laugh at me. I believe I did really well and hearing how people thought how I was playing my drums was cool and that gave me a lot of power. Knowing that my friends liked what I did gave me a lot of power.
That field has given me so much power since I've been here. I have done a lot on that field and track, from trying out for cheer, to practicing my soccer, to practicing and actually performing with the marching band. All that gives me immense power.
The thing that kinda took my power away is my grades. I couldn’t be on the soccer team because my grades were awful, not that I am proud of that. A lot of power was taken away from me knowing I couldn’t play soccer this school year. If I could change my grades to be able to play soccer this past school year, trust me I would. I love being on that field. It makes me happy doing something I love. Something else that took power away from me was not making the cheer team because of my grades, again. I was in the marching band but because of Covid we weren't in school and we weren't allowed to be at games or around people in general. It just pulled me down.
But you know what gives me even more power? Thinking about the next school year and how I’m gonna have good grades and be able to be on the soccer team. And, finally, writing this essay gives me power because I truly love writing. I can freely write about anything and it gives me so much power because I feel free, and I believe freedom is one of the biggest powers anyone can have no matter who they are.
Cincere (Age 15)
Here’s To The Girl (Also by Cincere)
Who would rather wear leggings than jeans, who puts her hair up in a puff everyday, who cares about someone too much, who is a real friend, who doesn’t flirt with every cute guy, who is a strong fighter, who isn’t one of the “popular kids,” who is waiting for you to take the first step, who loves ice cream, who always has music playing, who stays up all night, who is weird in public, and can be herself no matter what people think.
Power
You can find power in many different ways or forms. You can find power in pictures , animals or even tv shows. I like to compare power to the food chain because if you think about it the less power you have the weaker you are. The smaller the animal, the more chance a bigger animal would eat it. So if you are feeling weak or not in control that means you have less power. If you are feeling more in control and more excited you have more power. So having power is all about how you treat the situation but sometimes you can't control it. Let's take cops for an example, if a cop pulls you over, they have more power and most of the time you can’t do anything about it because if you do you could get into trouble or die. So that's what I think about power. Just like in my picture, I had power because I felt like I was at peace with life, and it was just calming. I can always go and look at that picture and just think about life and how good that picture makes me feel.
Elijah (Age 16)
Power Through a Student’s Eyes
Things that I believe give me positive power in life are those around me, the actions I’m able to take to determine where my life goes, and the way that I treat others. The way that the people around me have the ability to give me positive power by influencing the way I carry myself in the world, the actions I make to get where I want, and the mindset that I use throughout my life. The actions I take in my life are one of the biggest sources of positive power that I can utilize. The things I do in life play a key role in the way the world sees me, and the amount of power it potentially lets me have. The photo of the entrance versus the door used in this display is a representation of the role you are expected to fill in the world versus the role you feel you need to fill. The grand entrance symbolizes expectations the world has of you. The unkept utility door is the role you believe you should play in the world.
The things that I believe help people have positive power are the tools that they develop over time. The tools that people develop are social, mental, and physical skills that people have. These let them navigate the world in a way that helps them decide on what they will invest their power in.
Things that get in the way of me having positive power are my own decisions, and the way I present myself to the world around me. The way I lose power, many times, has nobody to blame other than myself. In life I have a tendency to set up roadblocks1, essentially preventing myself from achieving the goals that I have in life. The way that I present myself to the world affecting the amount of power I receive is best symbolized by the door having the role of the grand entrance of the high school, while just being a utility door.
Cayden (Age 16)
1roadblocks: Procrastinating to the last second, giving myself an out by doing one thing and thinking “that’s enough”, and the worst being lying to myself and others about things important or inconsequential.
