(no subject)
Nothing here, keep going.
RJ
Abstinence Talk
Final Draft
Word Count: 972
Blanca Sandoval
“Sex is bad; sex is dirty; you're going to die,” was what most students expected to hear, just in a nicer way, from the Romance without Regret speaker.
However, by the time Mr. Jason Evert carried “Laquisha,” Mr. Cheung, to the edge of the stage; symbolic of the dangers of taking a relationship too far, most had learned the errors of their assumptions.
The context of the above quote from Mr. Evert is of his own childhood experiences dealing with abstinence, and what his mother told him.
His own encounter with temptation came around the same time. Mr. Evert had only known the girl for three days before he was wondering if they should have sex. His answer for this tough question was to wait until marriage.
Now, as an abstinence speaker to young adults, Mr. Evert receives a lot of questions that at one time he had to answer for himself. This is probably why many of his answers are very blunt.
“A seventh grader asked me if it was alright to hook-up, but not have sex, “ Mr. Evert explained, and in response he said, “ Would you want your future spouse to have sex with someone else?”
A senior in Alabama had asked Mr. Evert if having oral sex was okay. The answer Mr. Evert gave was blunt, but more than that, was something many of the teens in the audience hadn't already heard a million times. It was so profound one could actually hear gasps from the students.
“If a guy needs to put his genitals in the mouth of a girl to show her how much she means to him, then that is exactly what she means to him,” answered Evert.
One of his points for why girls have sex with someone that is not special for them is because they don't believe there are actually any more decent men in the world. He told a story about a man whose wife was disfigured facially. Her husband vows to stay with her forever, and as he lowers his face to kiss her, he twists his lips to match her own.
Truthfully, he said this doesn't happen often, but other facts show that waiting for Mr. Right and marriage are actually worth waiting for.
Those who get married as virgins have less of a chance of divorce, and 77% of girls in high school who had sex wish they had waited.
“As a guy I have no Idea what it is like for a girl,” Evert truthfully admitted.
However, he mentioned many things that teen girls should know, a few of those being, girls are not Barbie, and should never try to be; girls are told by the media to hate their body, but wear less clothes.
“The beauty of womanhood comes when she shows boys her dignity; not skin,” Mr. Evert said in response to this.
After this he told a story about a girl. She had a bad childhood, and her father beat and abused her mother. She winded up dating the football star, and, of course, he wanted sex. She gave him her virginity at 15, and after this he only spent time with her body before he dumped her.
She didn't respect herself and started playing “musical chairs” with boys and sex. She didn't like the person she was during this time. She was afraid of pregnancy, STD's, and the lack of any real relationships.
These were her reasons for choosing abstinence. She would write love letters to her future husband and bought a white candle to give him on their wedding night.
It was at this moment that he revealed that this women is his wife, and they are going to have a baby.
The cooing from all the girls in the auditorium weas near deafening after he announced this. There were many moments like this during Mr. Evert's talk, but the moment that had the most effect was when he got down to cold, hard facts.
With each new sex partner a girl has, there is an increased chance of cervical cancer. Birth control puts girls at risk for breast cancer. Depopravera, a birth control, changes girls' immune systems, increases chances of catching STD's, and thins out girls' bones.
This popular birth control is given to rapists in California prisons to lower their sex drive. Veterinarians won't give it to dogs anymore, but girls are given this, and doctors don't even have to explain any of these side affects.
HPV is the most transmitted STD, but it only usually affects girls. Condems cannot protect girls from it, and boys cannot get tested for it. Half of all girls who get HPV get it from their first sexual experience.
One could get almost any STD from oral sex, and now it is the leading cause of throat cancer.
Another thing that Mr. Evert taught during his talk was that anyone could be redeemed. One doesn't have to be a virgin to be abstinent, and one doesn't have to live her choice alone.
Both he and his wife have written books, and for questions one might have in choosing abstinence can be answered at pureloveclub.com.
One of the major themes that Mr. Evert had through his talk was that one's biggest supporter through abstinence and life is God.
“After hearing my talk today you may have a heavy heart,” Mr. Evert acknowledged, “ but God doesn't give up on you. He loves you, and at any point is ready to say, 'welcome back.'”
Though, the most heartening thing was not during his talk, but after. It was the line of girls wanting to ask him questions, instead of just rushing home to get ready for The Homecoming Dance. That shows true courage, as well as wondrous results.
Column: Violence
Final Draft
Word Count: 436
Blanca Sandoval
It was in Mr. Rogers' Sociology class that I learned by the age of 15 the normal American teen has watched 50,000 homicides on television. Freshmen are only a year away from this average; while sophomores have hit this point; juniors have passes it, and I guess seniors must be experts on the ways of killing people.
Please try to hold back your groans as I say this, but could this be a cause of the rising violence in the preteen and teen society? I know you've heard it a million times, but maybe it does stem from some kind of truth.
You hear it on the news almost every day: a teen who brings his father's gun to school, makes a wish list of who he wants to kill, or even shoots up his school.
You probably think, “What the heck are they thinking?”
Could it be that our attitude to violence is freer than it should be? Every time we see someone murdered on “CSI” and then see the same person kill someone on “Law and Order”, we become jaded to death, as if it were a game.
Of course, it would be easy to blame it all on television, but this logic could easily be questioned if you look at violence pre-television. Does anyone remember Leopold and Loeb, the famous Chicagoan, teen murderers. In the early 1920's they killed a little boy just to see if they could get away with it. They sound just as jaded and cruel as the violent teens of today, but they didn't have any television to influence them.
Another concept that could be debated is that violence is in ones genetics. As animals humans are genetically predisposed to be violent. I personally believe that this is untrue. Through thousands of years of evolution, an opposable thumb and a language for each culture I believe we have mostly separated ourselves from our animal counterparts. It would be too simple to blame nature. We are not Kujo or King Kong, and as sophisticated beings we should be able to solve a dispute or a misunderstanding without hurting a fellow human being.
There are many theories about why teens, and pre-teens are becoming more violent; but instead of debating these theories let's change them altogether. Remember, these statistics are on us and our actions. As teens we could make a difference just by being different. Let us change the ever growing rate of violence by just being peaceful. The generations to come will hopefully follow in our path.
Blanca Sandoval
English
9/23/07
Bradley University
Personal Statement
Like my Mother...
“I will get though this sickness, mi hija, because of everything you have done for me but I will never forgive you if you don't make something of yourself. I know you can because you are like me.” These words my mother spoke reminded me of the struggles we had shared but urged me to rise above it.
I was twelve when my mother officially became my hero. My father had a failing liver and was dying. He wasn't seen as a “worthy candidate' for a transplant and my family froze, helplessly devastated.
My mother like a living oasis, battled with every force until my father received a transplant. Soon after my mother was infected by my father's hepatitis her liver rapidly deteriorated. For my mother the only one to fight for her was me.
This became my challenge in life. I made her appointments, went with her to every one of them, and dispensed medication. One year after my mother was diagnosed, she received a liver.
At this point I thought the battle was over. I felt reassured that my mother would be in my life for a long time so we could have our nightly talks about life. Then six months later a diagnosis of breast cancer seemed to break my mother's will.
My mother became fragile physically, emotionally and mentally. Seeing this had a similar affect on me. I didn't care about the world around me except my mother.
During this time I took on many of my mother's and even father's responsibilities. Taking care of my autistic brothers', Andrew and Antony was one of them. At twenty Andrew couldn't bathe himself, and at ten Antony wouldn't eat unless someone he trusted fed him.
At school though, my grades suffered tremendously. It took my scholarship foundation Daniel Murphy, to break me out of my trance. I came to the ultimatum of bringing my grades up or lose my scholarship. It was at this point I panicked, and with the fear of my own incompetence I needed my mother.
I told her about my low test grades in school. In return she told me the words that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The echo of her word led me down the path that long ago I thought I had lost. I remembered my ambitions in life and found inspiration to write again, something I hadn't done in a long time.
Aggressively, I stopped at nothing to raise my grades. I had strength to stay up late and wake up early, studying, learning and progressing. My GPA rose greatly and I was awarded the “Scholarship Chicago ” scholarship.
I have ambitions in English, Pre-Medicine, and Psychology. For me writing is like breathing, and my own personal experiences with autism and mental illness would lead me to take the latter.
As I look towards the future, I realize there will be constant struggles, but I am too much like my mother to ever give up.
Lake Forest College
Blanca Sandoval
1)
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about Lake Forest College. It took further research, and a visit to Lake Forest, though that led me to the conclusion this college would be the perfect fit for me. The vast variety of fields to study are amazing. I feel that the size and location of Lake Forest are exactly what I was looking for. I would be a great fit to this college because of my advanced maturity that has come with life experience, as well, as an ambition to achieve.
2)
I have received the American History Excellence Award, the Stock Market Game Award, the Honor Roll award, the Poetry.com Award, the Dramatic Poetry Award, and the Daniel Murphy Scholarship.
3)
The academic fields of English, Pre-Med, and Psychology are both in my interest. For me writing is like breathing, and my advocacy for autism would lead me to take the latter as well. I hope to take both of these if I attend Lake Forest College. Additionally, I would be interested in theater, the newspaper, creative writing, debate, community service, and golf.
4)
My professional goals are to be a psychiatrist and a writer.
5)
My past employment includes caddying and community service at Easter Seals. As a caddy I assisted golfers with their golf bags, and cleaned their golfing equipment. While doing community service at Easter Seals I helped mentally ill adults adjust to everyday activities. Other activities include the care of my family in cooking and cleaning. In the past two summers I have also been trying to get my poetry book published.
6)
Both my mother and father received liver transplant, but an affect was psychical, emotional and mental fragility. I became one of the sole care providers to my mother and two autistic brothers. The added responsibility combined with my own conflicting emotions led to a drop in my grades. I will always regret letting my grades drop but I will never be able to regret the reason why they did. I learned a lot about myself during this experience. One of these things was my own strength of will. I was able to raise my grades from this low point, as well as my GPA. I know in the future I will be able to take on whatever life has for me. I learned that from any low point in life that I will always be able to rise above it.
7)
The connections that Lake Forest University has in the city can enhance my college experience by helping me explore many topics that before I did not have access to. Chicago is my home but I have yet to see all of it's culture, and I hope this program Lake Forest University has will help me do so.
Loyola
Writing Samples
Blanca Sandoval
Wayward
Morpheus holds me within this sleep
Rocking me slowly, so don't you weep
Just pray for the wayward in this life
Hold them as you held me in my strife
Bury my body for it is gone
Keep my soul, and it will keep you strong
Seek out the outcast and take her hand
I ask you to lead these fallen man
You were my compass when I was lost
Follow my words and you shell bear this cross
Through this journey you are not alone
I'm in your heart and I will be your home
Lunch Line Dilemma
Maria Harold
Blanca Sandoval
The shrieks of “This stupid line is not going anywhere,” or “I want to eat sometime this century” are the current hums that I hear during lunchtime at Maria. It is true that each school day I despair at the 20 people in front of me at any time when I enter the lunch line.
Though, in my musings I found that there is a bright side to these 10-minute waits between getting your lunch and eating it. In fact I came to this resolution while in the lunch line!
While looking sadly at my quickly cooling food and sighing loudly at the sight of eight people gathered around the microwave, I was enticed into a conversation about the new border laws.
As the line slowly moved forward, the conversation escalated into deep philosophical thoughts about prejudice and the American way.
It was at this moment that the ingenious thought hit me. “This lunch line is not an experimental form of water torture, but a handy extra 10 to 12 minutes to do those things that you could never find time for.”
In this time you could finish those last three questions in the assignment you didn't finish. The reorganization of two to five folders will easily fit in this time.
For freshmen, reading the rules in the handbook will fill your time and prevent you from getting a detention at the same time.
For sophomores, the time will flash by while you read those unfinished scenes in Macbeth. Then, for juniors and seniors alike, putting all those formulas in your calculator for the ACT could be done easily within 10 minutes.
So when you feel that whine trying to escape your throat when you see the herds of peers before you, don't fret, but do what I've learned. The lines will never get shorter, but maybe your to-do list will.
A question of meaning
What is thy significance?
My life's meaning and magnificence?
A wise man would say “Life is categories and stages”
“All inevitably and extremely mortal”
“Separated by the passing of ages”
“All in which the end will take it toll”
A silly man would say “Life is an always and never ending play”
“Full of adornment and influence”
“Of defiance and wonderful torment”
“Your life is only as grounded as your dreams”
“Nothing has to be as it seems”
My inner realist
Would choose the first on this list
Though, if I had a choice in the matter
I would choose the latter.
DePaul University
Blanca Sandoval
Part 1)
The list of awards:
American History Excellence Award: For the highest grade in American History
Stock Market Game Award: For the largest amount of (fake) money made
Honor Roll Award: For being on the Honor Roll for all of Junior year
Poetry Publishing Award: For excellence in poetry writing
Dramatic Poetry Award: For excellence in reciting a self-wrote dramatic poem
Daniel Murphy Scholarship: A scholarship that paid/pays for a four years of a private high school
Scholarship Chicago: A scholarship that provides help for the college process, as well as some financial need
List of honors:
Honor Roll
High Honor Roll
English Honors
Biology Honors
Global Studies Honors
American History Honors
Pre-Calc Honors
Physics Honors
List of leadership positions:
Co-Editor and Chief of the Maria Harold
Main role in Match Maker
Big Sister in Big Sisters/Little Sisters
List of extracurricular activities/hobbies:
Easter Seals Adult Vocational Program community service: Helping mentally ill adults adjust to everyday activities
Softball
Soccer
Golf/Caddy
Writing stories/poetry
Part 2)
I am a full year student at Maria High School, I am a Daniel Murphy scholar, I Caddied at River Forest Country Club, I am a activist for Autism awareness, I am a reporter, editor and photographer for the Maria Harold, and I am a Scholarship Chicago scholar.
Part 3)
My biggest failure and achievement are very closely intertwined. My mother was psychically, emotionally and mentally ill after her liver transplant. I achieved at being one of the sole care givers to my mother and two autistic brothers during this long duration. My failure though, was the drop in my grades because of my hardships. I will always regret letting them drop but I will never be able to regret the reason why they did. I learned a lot about myself during this experience. One of these things was my own strength of will. I was able to raise my grades, as well as my GPA. In the future I will be able to take on whatever life has for me. From any low point in life I learned that I will always be able to rise above it.
Part 4)
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about DePaul University. It took further research though, from your site that led me to the conclusion that DePaul University would be the perfect fit for me. The vast variety of fields to study are amazing. I feel that the size and location of DePual are exactly what I was looking for.
Bradley University
Blanca Sandoval
Part 2)
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about Bradley University. It took further research though, from your site that led me to the conclusion that Bradley University would be the perfect fit for me. The vast variety of fields to study are amazing. I feel that the size and location of Bradley are exactly what I was looking for. I plan on taking a deeper interest in the English, Pre-Medicine, and Psychology programs.
Part 3)
The list of awards:
American History Excellence Award: For the highest grade in American History
Stock Market Game Award: For the largest amount of (fake) money made
Honor Roll Award: For being on the Honor Roll for all of Junior year
Poetry Publishing Award: For excellence in poetry writing
Dramatic Poetry Award: For excellence in reciting a self-wrote dramatic poem
Daniel Murphy Scholarship: A scholarship that paid/pays for a four years of a private high school
Scholarship Chicago; A scholarship that provides help for the college process, as well as some financial need
List of honors:
Honor Roll
High Honor Roll
English Honors
Biology Honors
Global Studies Honors
American History Honors
Pre-Calc Honors
Physics Honors
List of leadership positions:
Co-Editor and Chief of the Maria Harold
Main role in Match Maker
Big Sister in Big Sisters/Little Sisters
List of extracurricular activities:
Easter Seals Adult Vocational Program community service: Helping mentally ill adults adjust to everyday activities
Softball
Soccer
Golf/Caddy
Part 4)
Other colleges I plan to apply to are Illinois State University, University of Chicago, Loyola, Lake Forest, and DePaul.
Bradly University University of Chicago at Chicago
1) Personal Statement
Blanca Sandoval
Like my Mother...
“I will get through this sickness, mi hija, because of everything you have done for me but I will never forgive you if you don't make something of yourself. I know you can because you are like me.” These are the words my mother spoke that both broke my heart and put back together my shattered being.
I was twelve when my mother officially became my hero. My father had a failing liver and was dieing. He wasn't seen as a "worthy candidate" for a transplant and my family froze, helplessly devastated.
My mother, like a living oasis, battled with every force until my father received an organ. In a bitter cause and affect scenario my mother became sick and had a rapidly deteriorating liver. For my mother, though, there was no one to fight for her
This became my challenge in life. At fourteen, I fought for my mother to live. I made her appointments, went with her to every one of them, while dispensing medication. One year after my mother was diagnosed, she received a liver.
At that point I thought the battle was over. I felt reassured that my mother would be in my life for a long time so we could have our nightly talks about life. Then, after having nothing from my mother but complete strength, I saw a side of her that broke my will.
My mother became fragile psychically, emotionally and mentally. Seeing this and being so much like her; I followed the same path. I didn't care about the world around me except my mother, who at the time was fighting breast cancer.
I took on many of my mother's and even father's responsibilities. Taking care of my autistic brother's, Andrew and Antony was one of them. There was never a question if I would but a desperation to just make things better.
At school though, my grades suffered tremendously. It took my scholarship, Daniel Murphy, to break me out of my trance. It had come to the ultimatum of bringing my grades up or lose my scholarship. It was at this point that I panicked, and with the fear of my own incompetence I needed I needed my mother.
I told her all the transgressions of my academics. In return she told me the words that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The echo of her words led me down the path that long ago I thought I had lost. I remembered my ambitions in life. I was able to pick up a pencil and write poetry. Aggressively, I stopped at nothing to raise my grades. I had strength to stay up late and wake up early, studying, learning and progressing. My GPA rose greatly and I was awarded the Scholarship Chicago Scholarship.
I have ambitions in English, Pre-Medicine, and Psychology. For me writing is like breathing, and my advocacy for autism and mental illness would lead me to take the latter as well.
I know the admissions process can be a difficult struggle. I've heard " your GPA isn't high enough," various times. These are not things that can deter me from what I know I can do and do greatly. In the end I am too much like my mother to ever give up.
Illinois State Univeristy
Personal Statement
Word Count 500
Like my mother...
“I will get through this sickness, mi hija, because of everything you have done for me but I will never forgive you if you don't make something of yourself. I know you can because you are like me.” These are the words my mother spoke that both broke my heart and put back together my shattered being.
I was twelve when my mother officially became my hero. My father's liver was dieing and my family froze, helplessly devastated. My mother, like a living oasis, battled with every force until my father received an organ. This experience caused my mother to became ill with a rapidly deteriorating liver. For my mother, though, there was no one to fight for her
This became my challenge in life. At fourteen, I fought for my mother to live. I made her appointments, and went with her to all of them, while dispensing medication. One year after my mother was diagnosed, she received a liver.
At that point I thought the battle was over. I was reassured that my mother would be in my life for a long time. Then, after having nothing from my mother but complete strength, I saw a side of her that broke my will.
My mother became fragile psychically and mentally. Seeing this and being so much like her; I followed the same path. I didn't care about the world around me except my mother, who was fighting breast cancer, as well.
I took on many responsibilities, including the care of my autistic brother's. There was never a question of if I would but a desperation to just make things better.
At school though, my grades suffered. My scholarship, Daniel Murphy, broke me out of my trance with an ultimatum of bringing my grades up or lose my scholarship. With the coiling fear of my own incompetence I knew needed my mother.
I told her the transgressions of my academics. She told me the words that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The echo of her words led me down the path that I thought I had lost. Remembering my ambitions in life I started writing again. Aggressively, I stopped at nothing to raise my grades. I stayed up late and woke up early, studying, learning and progressing. My GPA rose tremendously and was awarded the Scholarship Chicago Scholarship.
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about Illinois State University. With much further research I came to the conclusion that ISU is the next step in my path. Your variety of fields to study are amazing especially, your English and psychology programs. For me writing is like breathing, and my advocacy for autism would lead me to take the latter as well.
I know the admissions process can be difficult. I've heard " your GPA isn't high enough," various times. This won't deter me from what I know I can do greatly. In the end I am too much like my mother to ever give up.
Lunch Line Dilemma
09/14/07
Second Draft
Blanca Sandoval
323
The shrieks of “This stupid line is not going anywhere,” or “I want to eat sometime this century” are the current hums that I hear during lunchtime at Maria. It is true that each school day I despair at the 20 people in front of me at any time when I enter the lunch line.
Though, in my musings I found that there is a bright side to these 10-minute waits between getting your lunch and eating it. In fact I came to this resolution while in the lunch line!
While looking sadly at my quickly cooling food and sighing loudly at the sight of eight people gathered around the microwave, I was enticed into a conversation about the new border laws.
As the line slowly moved forward, the conversation escalated into deep philosophical thoughts about prejudice and the American way.
It was at this moment that the ingenious thought hit me. “This lunch line is not an experimental form of water torture, but a handy extra 10 to 12 minutes to do those things that you could never find time for.”
In this time you could finish those last three questions in the assignment you didn't finish. The reorganization of two to five folders will easily fit in this time.
For freshmen, reading the rules in the handbook will fill your time and prevent you from getting a detention at the same time.
For sophomores, the time will flash by while you read those unfinished scenes in Macbeth. Then, for juniors and seniors alike, putting all those formulas in your calculator for the ACT could be done easily within 10 minutes.
So when you feel that whine trying to escape your throat when you see the herds of peers before you, don't fret, but do what I've learned. The lines will never get shorter, but maybe your to-do list will.
Sara: Birth and Death
I was never born or shell ever die.
You shell never see these gray tears I cry.
My vision is but a veil of dark.
Raping the life I will never embark.
I dreamed of colors that splashed in my books.
Something my father so easily took.
Giving me unwanted hands on my body.
Such an evil face so older than me.
There was no way out of this noose of jewels.
I did not want to live in a life this cruel.
I took my life but Alla said it wasn't my time.
There was more years of life to serve my crime.
But I landed in my mother's embrace.
A second chance in a familiar place.
The passing of time blurred with my memories.
Leaving the bitter taste of inequalities.
My mother was taken away from me.
My friend was condemned for an eternity.
Then I entwined myself with a better man.
In marriage I let him take my hand.
I bore all of his children and his heir.
But through my body I feel this fear.
A loathing for these men with rules unfair.
But in the end you may not really care.
For in the end there will be nothing of me left.
For I was never born and not many will remember after my death.
RJ
Abstinence Talk
Final Draft
Word Count: 972
Blanca Sandoval
“Sex is bad; sex is dirty; you're going to die,” was what most students expected to hear, just in a nicer way, from the Romance without Regret speaker.
However, by the time Mr. Jason Evert carried “Laquisha,” Mr. Cheung, to the edge of the stage; symbolic of the dangers of taking a relationship too far, most had learned the errors of their assumptions.
The context of the above quote from Mr. Evert is of his own childhood experiences dealing with abstinence, and what his mother told him.
His own encounter with temptation came around the same time. Mr. Evert had only known the girl for three days before he was wondering if they should have sex. His answer for this tough question was to wait until marriage.
Now, as an abstinence speaker to young adults, Mr. Evert receives a lot of questions that at one time he had to answer for himself. This is probably why many of his answers are very blunt.
“A seventh grader asked me if it was alright to hook-up, but not have sex, “ Mr. Evert explained, and in response he said, “ Would you want your future spouse to have sex with someone else?”
A senior in Alabama had asked Mr. Evert if having oral sex was okay. The answer Mr. Evert gave was blunt, but more than that, was something many of the teens in the audience hadn't already heard a million times. It was so profound one could actually hear gasps from the students.
“If a guy needs to put his genitals in the mouth of a girl to show her how much she means to him, then that is exactly what she means to him,” answered Evert.
One of his points for why girls have sex with someone that is not special for them is because they don't believe there are actually any more decent men in the world. He told a story about a man whose wife was disfigured facially. Her husband vows to stay with her forever, and as he lowers his face to kiss her, he twists his lips to match her own.
Truthfully, he said this doesn't happen often, but other facts show that waiting for Mr. Right and marriage are actually worth waiting for.
Those who get married as virgins have less of a chance of divorce, and 77% of girls in high school who had sex wish they had waited.
“As a guy I have no Idea what it is like for a girl,” Evert truthfully admitted.
However, he mentioned many things that teen girls should know, a few of those being, girls are not Barbie, and should never try to be; girls are told by the media to hate their body, but wear less clothes.
“The beauty of womanhood comes when she shows boys her dignity; not skin,” Mr. Evert said in response to this.
After this he told a story about a girl. She had a bad childhood, and her father beat and abused her mother. She winded up dating the football star, and, of course, he wanted sex. She gave him her virginity at 15, and after this he only spent time with her body before he dumped her.
She didn't respect herself and started playing “musical chairs” with boys and sex. She didn't like the person she was during this time. She was afraid of pregnancy, STD's, and the lack of any real relationships.
These were her reasons for choosing abstinence. She would write love letters to her future husband and bought a white candle to give him on their wedding night.
It was at this moment that he revealed that this women is his wife, and they are going to have a baby.
The cooing from all the girls in the auditorium weas near deafening after he announced this. There were many moments like this during Mr. Evert's talk, but the moment that had the most effect was when he got down to cold, hard facts.
With each new sex partner a girl has, there is an increased chance of cervical cancer. Birth control puts girls at risk for breast cancer. Depopravera, a birth control, changes girls' immune systems, increases chances of catching STD's, and thins out girls' bones.
This popular birth control is given to rapists in California prisons to lower their sex drive. Veterinarians won't give it to dogs anymore, but girls are given this, and doctors don't even have to explain any of these side affects.
HPV is the most transmitted STD, but it only usually affects girls. Condems cannot protect girls from it, and boys cannot get tested for it. Half of all girls who get HPV get it from their first sexual experience.
One could get almost any STD from oral sex, and now it is the leading cause of throat cancer.
Another thing that Mr. Evert taught during his talk was that anyone could be redeemed. One doesn't have to be a virgin to be abstinent, and one doesn't have to live her choice alone.
Both he and his wife have written books, and for questions one might have in choosing abstinence can be answered at pureloveclub.com.
One of the major themes that Mr. Evert had through his talk was that one's biggest supporter through abstinence and life is God.
“After hearing my talk today you may have a heavy heart,” Mr. Evert acknowledged, “ but God doesn't give up on you. He loves you, and at any point is ready to say, 'welcome back.'”
Though, the most heartening thing was not during his talk, but after. It was the line of girls wanting to ask him questions, instead of just rushing home to get ready for The Homecoming Dance. That shows true courage, as well as wondrous results.
Column: Violence
Final Draft
Word Count: 436
Blanca Sandoval
It was in Mr. Rogers' Sociology class that I learned by the age of 15 the normal American teen has watched 50,000 homicides on television. Freshmen are only a year away from this average; while sophomores have hit this point; juniors have passes it, and I guess seniors must be experts on the ways of killing people.
Please try to hold back your groans as I say this, but could this be a cause of the rising violence in the preteen and teen society? I know you've heard it a million times, but maybe it does stem from some kind of truth.
You hear it on the news almost every day: a teen who brings his father's gun to school, makes a wish list of who he wants to kill, or even shoots up his school.
You probably think, “What the heck are they thinking?”
Could it be that our attitude to violence is freer than it should be? Every time we see someone murdered on “CSI” and then see the same person kill someone on “Law and Order”, we become jaded to death, as if it were a game.
Of course, it would be easy to blame it all on television, but this logic could easily be questioned if you look at violence pre-television. Does anyone remember Leopold and Loeb, the famous Chicagoan, teen murderers. In the early 1920's they killed a little boy just to see if they could get away with it. They sound just as jaded and cruel as the violent teens of today, but they didn't have any television to influence them.
Another concept that could be debated is that violence is in ones genetics. As animals humans are genetically predisposed to be violent. I personally believe that this is untrue. Through thousands of years of evolution, an opposable thumb and a language for each culture I believe we have mostly separated ourselves from our animal counterparts. It would be too simple to blame nature. We are not Kujo or King Kong, and as sophisticated beings we should be able to solve a dispute or a misunderstanding without hurting a fellow human being.
There are many theories about why teens, and pre-teens are becoming more violent; but instead of debating these theories let's change them altogether. Remember, these statistics are on us and our actions. As teens we could make a difference just by being different. Let us change the ever growing rate of violence by just being peaceful. The generations to come will hopefully follow in our path.
Blanca Sandoval
English
9/23/07
Bradley University
Personal Statement
Like my Mother...
“I will get though this sickness, mi hija, because of everything you have done for me but I will never forgive you if you don't make something of yourself. I know you can because you are like me.” These words my mother spoke reminded me of the struggles we had shared but urged me to rise above it.
I was twelve when my mother officially became my hero. My father had a failing liver and was dying. He wasn't seen as a “worthy candidate' for a transplant and my family froze, helplessly devastated.
My mother like a living oasis, battled with every force until my father received a transplant. Soon after my mother was infected by my father's hepatitis her liver rapidly deteriorated. For my mother the only one to fight for her was me.
This became my challenge in life. I made her appointments, went with her to every one of them, and dispensed medication. One year after my mother was diagnosed, she received a liver.
At this point I thought the battle was over. I felt reassured that my mother would be in my life for a long time so we could have our nightly talks about life. Then six months later a diagnosis of breast cancer seemed to break my mother's will.
My mother became fragile physically, emotionally and mentally. Seeing this had a similar affect on me. I didn't care about the world around me except my mother.
During this time I took on many of my mother's and even father's responsibilities. Taking care of my autistic brothers', Andrew and Antony was one of them. At twenty Andrew couldn't bathe himself, and at ten Antony wouldn't eat unless someone he trusted fed him.
At school though, my grades suffered tremendously. It took my scholarship foundation Daniel Murphy, to break me out of my trance. I came to the ultimatum of bringing my grades up or lose my scholarship. It was at this point I panicked, and with the fear of my own incompetence I needed my mother.
I told her about my low test grades in school. In return she told me the words that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The echo of her word led me down the path that long ago I thought I had lost. I remembered my ambitions in life and found inspiration to write again, something I hadn't done in a long time.
Aggressively, I stopped at nothing to raise my grades. I had strength to stay up late and wake up early, studying, learning and progressing. My GPA rose greatly and I was awarded the “Scholarship Chicago ” scholarship.
I have ambitions in English, Pre-Medicine, and Psychology. For me writing is like breathing, and my own personal experiences with autism and mental illness would lead me to take the latter.
As I look towards the future, I realize there will be constant struggles, but I am too much like my mother to ever give up.
Lake Forest College
Blanca Sandoval
1)
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about Lake Forest College. It took further research, and a visit to Lake Forest, though that led me to the conclusion this college would be the perfect fit for me. The vast variety of fields to study are amazing. I feel that the size and location of Lake Forest are exactly what I was looking for. I would be a great fit to this college because of my advanced maturity that has come with life experience, as well, as an ambition to achieve.
2)
I have received the American History Excellence Award, the Stock Market Game Award, the Honor Roll award, the Poetry.com Award, the Dramatic Poetry Award, and the Daniel Murphy Scholarship.
3)
The academic fields of English, Pre-Med, and Psychology are both in my interest. For me writing is like breathing, and my advocacy for autism would lead me to take the latter as well. I hope to take both of these if I attend Lake Forest College. Additionally, I would be interested in theater, the newspaper, creative writing, debate, community service, and golf.
4)
My professional goals are to be a psychiatrist and a writer.
5)
My past employment includes caddying and community service at Easter Seals. As a caddy I assisted golfers with their golf bags, and cleaned their golfing equipment. While doing community service at Easter Seals I helped mentally ill adults adjust to everyday activities. Other activities include the care of my family in cooking and cleaning. In the past two summers I have also been trying to get my poetry book published.
6)
Both my mother and father received liver transplant, but an affect was psychical, emotional and mental fragility. I became one of the sole care providers to my mother and two autistic brothers. The added responsibility combined with my own conflicting emotions led to a drop in my grades. I will always regret letting my grades drop but I will never be able to regret the reason why they did. I learned a lot about myself during this experience. One of these things was my own strength of will. I was able to raise my grades from this low point, as well as my GPA. I know in the future I will be able to take on whatever life has for me. I learned that from any low point in life that I will always be able to rise above it.
7)
The connections that Lake Forest University has in the city can enhance my college experience by helping me explore many topics that before I did not have access to. Chicago is my home but I have yet to see all of it's culture, and I hope this program Lake Forest University has will help me do so.
Loyola
Writing Samples
Blanca Sandoval
Wayward
Morpheus holds me within this sleep
Rocking me slowly, so don't you weep
Just pray for the wayward in this life
Hold them as you held me in my strife
Bury my body for it is gone
Keep my soul, and it will keep you strong
Seek out the outcast and take her hand
I ask you to lead these fallen man
You were my compass when I was lost
Follow my words and you shell bear this cross
Through this journey you are not alone
I'm in your heart and I will be your home
Lunch Line Dilemma
Maria Harold
Blanca Sandoval
The shrieks of “This stupid line is not going anywhere,” or “I want to eat sometime this century” are the current hums that I hear during lunchtime at Maria. It is true that each school day I despair at the 20 people in front of me at any time when I enter the lunch line.
Though, in my musings I found that there is a bright side to these 10-minute waits between getting your lunch and eating it. In fact I came to this resolution while in the lunch line!
While looking sadly at my quickly cooling food and sighing loudly at the sight of eight people gathered around the microwave, I was enticed into a conversation about the new border laws.
As the line slowly moved forward, the conversation escalated into deep philosophical thoughts about prejudice and the American way.
It was at this moment that the ingenious thought hit me. “This lunch line is not an experimental form of water torture, but a handy extra 10 to 12 minutes to do those things that you could never find time for.”
In this time you could finish those last three questions in the assignment you didn't finish. The reorganization of two to five folders will easily fit in this time.
For freshmen, reading the rules in the handbook will fill your time and prevent you from getting a detention at the same time.
For sophomores, the time will flash by while you read those unfinished scenes in Macbeth. Then, for juniors and seniors alike, putting all those formulas in your calculator for the ACT could be done easily within 10 minutes.
So when you feel that whine trying to escape your throat when you see the herds of peers before you, don't fret, but do what I've learned. The lines will never get shorter, but maybe your to-do list will.
A question of meaning
What is thy significance?
My life's meaning and magnificence?
A wise man would say “Life is categories and stages”
“All inevitably and extremely mortal”
“Separated by the passing of ages”
“All in which the end will take it toll”
A silly man would say “Life is an always and never ending play”
“Full of adornment and influence”
“Of defiance and wonderful torment”
“Your life is only as grounded as your dreams”
“Nothing has to be as it seems”
My inner realist
Would choose the first on this list
Though, if I had a choice in the matter
I would choose the latter.
DePaul University
Blanca Sandoval
Part 1)
The list of awards:
American History Excellence Award: For the highest grade in American History
Stock Market Game Award: For the largest amount of (fake) money made
Honor Roll Award: For being on the Honor Roll for all of Junior year
Poetry Publishing Award: For excellence in poetry writing
Dramatic Poetry Award: For excellence in reciting a self-wrote dramatic poem
Daniel Murphy Scholarship: A scholarship that paid/pays for a four years of a private high school
Scholarship Chicago: A scholarship that provides help for the college process, as well as some financial need
List of honors:
Honor Roll
High Honor Roll
English Honors
Biology Honors
Global Studies Honors
American History Honors
Pre-Calc Honors
Physics Honors
List of leadership positions:
Co-Editor and Chief of the Maria Harold
Main role in Match Maker
Big Sister in Big Sisters/Little Sisters
List of extracurricular activities/hobbies:
Easter Seals Adult Vocational Program community service: Helping mentally ill adults adjust to everyday activities
Softball
Soccer
Golf/Caddy
Writing stories/poetry
Part 2)
I am a full year student at Maria High School, I am a Daniel Murphy scholar, I Caddied at River Forest Country Club, I am a activist for Autism awareness, I am a reporter, editor and photographer for the Maria Harold, and I am a Scholarship Chicago scholar.
Part 3)
My biggest failure and achievement are very closely intertwined. My mother was psychically, emotionally and mentally ill after her liver transplant. I achieved at being one of the sole care givers to my mother and two autistic brothers during this long duration. My failure though, was the drop in my grades because of my hardships. I will always regret letting them drop but I will never be able to regret the reason why they did. I learned a lot about myself during this experience. One of these things was my own strength of will. I was able to raise my grades, as well as my GPA. In the future I will be able to take on whatever life has for me. From any low point in life I learned that I will always be able to rise above it.
Part 4)
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about DePaul University. It took further research though, from your site that led me to the conclusion that DePaul University would be the perfect fit for me. The vast variety of fields to study are amazing. I feel that the size and location of DePual are exactly what I was looking for.
Bradley University
Blanca Sandoval
Part 2)
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about Bradley University. It took further research though, from your site that led me to the conclusion that Bradley University would be the perfect fit for me. The vast variety of fields to study are amazing. I feel that the size and location of Bradley are exactly what I was looking for. I plan on taking a deeper interest in the English, Pre-Medicine, and Psychology programs.
Part 3)
The list of awards:
American History Excellence Award: For the highest grade in American History
Stock Market Game Award: For the largest amount of (fake) money made
Honor Roll Award: For being on the Honor Roll for all of Junior year
Poetry Publishing Award: For excellence in poetry writing
Dramatic Poetry Award: For excellence in reciting a self-wrote dramatic poem
Daniel Murphy Scholarship: A scholarship that paid/pays for a four years of a private high school
Scholarship Chicago; A scholarship that provides help for the college process, as well as some financial need
List of honors:
Honor Roll
High Honor Roll
English Honors
Biology Honors
Global Studies Honors
American History Honors
Pre-Calc Honors
Physics Honors
List of leadership positions:
Co-Editor and Chief of the Maria Harold
Main role in Match Maker
Big Sister in Big Sisters/Little Sisters
List of extracurricular activities:
Easter Seals Adult Vocational Program community service: Helping mentally ill adults adjust to everyday activities
Softball
Soccer
Golf/Caddy
Part 4)
Other colleges I plan to apply to are Illinois State University, University of Chicago, Loyola, Lake Forest, and DePaul.
Bradly University University of Chicago at Chicago
1) Personal Statement
Blanca Sandoval
Like my Mother...
“I will get through this sickness, mi hija, because of everything you have done for me but I will never forgive you if you don't make something of yourself. I know you can because you are like me.” These are the words my mother spoke that both broke my heart and put back together my shattered being.
I was twelve when my mother officially became my hero. My father had a failing liver and was dieing. He wasn't seen as a "worthy candidate" for a transplant and my family froze, helplessly devastated.
My mother, like a living oasis, battled with every force until my father received an organ. In a bitter cause and affect scenario my mother became sick and had a rapidly deteriorating liver. For my mother, though, there was no one to fight for her
This became my challenge in life. At fourteen, I fought for my mother to live. I made her appointments, went with her to every one of them, while dispensing medication. One year after my mother was diagnosed, she received a liver.
At that point I thought the battle was over. I felt reassured that my mother would be in my life for a long time so we could have our nightly talks about life. Then, after having nothing from my mother but complete strength, I saw a side of her that broke my will.
My mother became fragile psychically, emotionally and mentally. Seeing this and being so much like her; I followed the same path. I didn't care about the world around me except my mother, who at the time was fighting breast cancer.
I took on many of my mother's and even father's responsibilities. Taking care of my autistic brother's, Andrew and Antony was one of them. There was never a question if I would but a desperation to just make things better.
At school though, my grades suffered tremendously. It took my scholarship, Daniel Murphy, to break me out of my trance. It had come to the ultimatum of bringing my grades up or lose my scholarship. It was at this point that I panicked, and with the fear of my own incompetence I needed I needed my mother.
I told her all the transgressions of my academics. In return she told me the words that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The echo of her words led me down the path that long ago I thought I had lost. I remembered my ambitions in life. I was able to pick up a pencil and write poetry. Aggressively, I stopped at nothing to raise my grades. I had strength to stay up late and wake up early, studying, learning and progressing. My GPA rose greatly and I was awarded the Scholarship Chicago Scholarship.
I have ambitions in English, Pre-Medicine, and Psychology. For me writing is like breathing, and my advocacy for autism and mental illness would lead me to take the latter as well.
I know the admissions process can be a difficult struggle. I've heard " your GPA isn't high enough," various times. These are not things that can deter me from what I know I can do and do greatly. In the end I am too much like my mother to ever give up.
Illinois State Univeristy
Personal Statement
Word Count 500
Like my mother...
“I will get through this sickness, mi hija, because of everything you have done for me but I will never forgive you if you don't make something of yourself. I know you can because you are like me.” These are the words my mother spoke that both broke my heart and put back together my shattered being.
I was twelve when my mother officially became my hero. My father's liver was dieing and my family froze, helplessly devastated. My mother, like a living oasis, battled with every force until my father received an organ. This experience caused my mother to became ill with a rapidly deteriorating liver. For my mother, though, there was no one to fight for her
This became my challenge in life. At fourteen, I fought for my mother to live. I made her appointments, and went with her to all of them, while dispensing medication. One year after my mother was diagnosed, she received a liver.
At that point I thought the battle was over. I was reassured that my mother would be in my life for a long time. Then, after having nothing from my mother but complete strength, I saw a side of her that broke my will.
My mother became fragile psychically and mentally. Seeing this and being so much like her; I followed the same path. I didn't care about the world around me except my mother, who was fighting breast cancer, as well.
I took on many responsibilities, including the care of my autistic brother's. There was never a question of if I would but a desperation to just make things better.
At school though, my grades suffered. My scholarship, Daniel Murphy, broke me out of my trance with an ultimatum of bringing my grades up or lose my scholarship. With the coiling fear of my own incompetence I knew needed my mother.
I told her the transgressions of my academics. She told me the words that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The echo of her words led me down the path that I thought I had lost. Remembering my ambitions in life I started writing again. Aggressively, I stopped at nothing to raise my grades. I stayed up late and woke up early, studying, learning and progressing. My GPA rose tremendously and was awarded the Scholarship Chicago Scholarship.
Scholarship Chicago is where I first heard about Illinois State University. With much further research I came to the conclusion that ISU is the next step in my path. Your variety of fields to study are amazing especially, your English and psychology programs. For me writing is like breathing, and my advocacy for autism would lead me to take the latter as well.
I know the admissions process can be difficult. I've heard " your GPA isn't high enough," various times. This won't deter me from what I know I can do greatly. In the end I am too much like my mother to ever give up.
Lunch Line Dilemma
09/14/07
Second Draft
Blanca Sandoval
323
The shrieks of “This stupid line is not going anywhere,” or “I want to eat sometime this century” are the current hums that I hear during lunchtime at Maria. It is true that each school day I despair at the 20 people in front of me at any time when I enter the lunch line.
Though, in my musings I found that there is a bright side to these 10-minute waits between getting your lunch and eating it. In fact I came to this resolution while in the lunch line!
While looking sadly at my quickly cooling food and sighing loudly at the sight of eight people gathered around the microwave, I was enticed into a conversation about the new border laws.
As the line slowly moved forward, the conversation escalated into deep philosophical thoughts about prejudice and the American way.
It was at this moment that the ingenious thought hit me. “This lunch line is not an experimental form of water torture, but a handy extra 10 to 12 minutes to do those things that you could never find time for.”
In this time you could finish those last three questions in the assignment you didn't finish. The reorganization of two to five folders will easily fit in this time.
For freshmen, reading the rules in the handbook will fill your time and prevent you from getting a detention at the same time.
For sophomores, the time will flash by while you read those unfinished scenes in Macbeth. Then, for juniors and seniors alike, putting all those formulas in your calculator for the ACT could be done easily within 10 minutes.
So when you feel that whine trying to escape your throat when you see the herds of peers before you, don't fret, but do what I've learned. The lines will never get shorter, but maybe your to-do list will.
Sara: Birth and Death
I was never born or shell ever die.
You shell never see these gray tears I cry.
My vision is but a veil of dark.
Raping the life I will never embark.
I dreamed of colors that splashed in my books.
Something my father so easily took.
Giving me unwanted hands on my body.
Such an evil face so older than me.
There was no way out of this noose of jewels.
I did not want to live in a life this cruel.
I took my life but Alla said it wasn't my time.
There was more years of life to serve my crime.
But I landed in my mother's embrace.
A second chance in a familiar place.
The passing of time blurred with my memories.
Leaving the bitter taste of inequalities.
My mother was taken away from me.
My friend was condemned for an eternity.
Then I entwined myself with a better man.
In marriage I let him take my hand.
I bore all of his children and his heir.
But through my body I feel this fear.
A loathing for these men with rules unfair.
But in the end you may not really care.
For in the end there will be nothing of me left.
For I was never born and not many will remember after my death.