Example WR 121 Student Essays (1)
Webpublished with students' permission ~ Thank you! ~ Cora
(1) Out-of-Class Essay Examples
Fall 2002: Noell Devenny: "Natural Horsemanship: Being One with Your Horse"
Araya Drescher 1: "Silence Was Enough"
Kathy Fish 1: "Skater Punks" | Kathy Fish 2: "Common Courage?"
Juanita Majel: "The Best Job in the World"
Alyson Muir: "Vacation Memories"
Winter 2003: Anonymous (1): "Alcohol Among Teens"

Noell Devenny
WR 121, Prof. C. Agatucci
Out of Class Essay - Final Draft
23 October 2002

Natural Horsemanship: Being One with Your Horse

Men and women have had a long historical relationship with horses.  Since the discovery of a horse’s usefulness as a transportation source, people have sought more effective ways to bend these beasts to their will. Natural Horsemanship training does just that, using some reverse psychology methods on horses as well as speaking their language to yield positive outcomes.

What if you could train your horse to follow you around like a dog without a rope attached to him, or have him come running from across the field to meet you at the gate? What if he was taught to stand calmly while you had to untangle barbed wire that was wrapped around his legs? Natural Horsemanship training allows us to teach our horse all these things and many more without harming him in any way.

Natural Horsemanship is a relatively new concept in training around the world and I’m sure it has yet to be introduced in many countries. However, the techniques that are reaching outlying areas are being grasped with increased enthusiasm. This newer form of training allows equine owners to bond with their horses as opposed to breaking their spirits.

Traditional training methods frequently involved cruelty and brutality to force horses to submit to our will. The use of rope restraints on young or wild horses was a common practice in the old days. Trainers or owners would tie horses to a post so short they couldn’t move or they would hog tie them on the ground and leave them there for hours, even days until the animal was too exhausted to struggle or fight. Most episodes would result in the horse becoming so terrified and fighting so violently that he would injure himself or his handlers. Occasionally the horse’s struggles would break the ropes allowing him to escape briefly, but he normally was just roped and restrained again.

The biggest problem with rope restraints is that the horse will associate the rope with his pain for the rest of his life. He most likely will never allow himself to be tied without some sort of fight. In the event that he has broken the rope in the past, he will test every rope from then on just to gain his freedom.

Another commonality was the use of whips to encourage a horse to enter a trailer or step over an obstacle that scares him. Again, the horse associates his pain with the whip. He says to himself ‘Oh, I don’t like the look of that scary dark box but I don’t like that thing biting my back legs either.’ The horse is forced to make a decision over the lesser of the two evils. The outcome is usually a violent train wreck because he is blinded by fear and fights for a third option, a way out of his situation.

So how can we as horse owners learn from our animals? In order for us to learn anything, we must first understand a couple of important facts about horses. Horses are flight animals. If the horse feels that he is in danger in any way, his instincts tell him to run away. The second key point we must realize is that all horses are herd animals. There is safety in numbers and a horse will seek his reassurances for his safety within his herd. He is also a social creature so he seeks social interaction from his kind.

Horses have a natural unspoken language among their species that is based on head and body position. Monty Roberts, author of The Man Who Listens to Horses, has named this language “Equus” (23). We can learn much from our equines by observing how they communicate in their herd. We see that there is an established pecking order. One horse will prove itself as the dominant over the others. With mixed genders in a herd, an older mare (female horse) will usually take charge. This matriarch will tell the herd, using her body language (head, ear, and body position, biting or kicking) that she is the boss and not to be disputed or challenged. She leads her drove to their eating area, tells them when they will drink, and she alerts them to potential danger or leads them in their flight. She punishes the young for misbehavior by running them out of the herd. She will use her language to let them know that they are in ‘time out’ and by her body position; she will determine when they will be allowed to rejoin the herd. Should the youngster offend again, she will drive him further away for a longer period of time. In turn, the youngster will beg to return. He paces the perimeters the matriarch has set with his head stretched downward while snapping his mouth open and closed. He is telling her that he is sorry and that he is no threat to her or the herd. When she allows him back, she will show her forgiveness by grooming the youngster, scratching his neck and back with her teeth. He will then move from one herd member to another offering to groom them in the same manner.

            We can connect with our horses using much of the same language. It has to be done one- on-one generally in a round pen. In a one-on-one scenario, you can establish yourself as the ‘lead horse,’ first by driving the other away from you in the same manner that the matriarch mare drove out the misbehaving youngster. You are going to push your horse away from you to a distance of approximately two to four miles. When he feels that his heart and lungs might explode from his exertion then you should stop him and ask him a question. He has a choice to make so you will ask him, ”Would you prefer to be close to me and rest, or would you like to stay by yourself out there where you are vulnerable?”  If your horse answers that he prefers to be near you, then he will come in and stand very close, usually at your shoulder or directly in front of you. Should you turn and walk away from him, he will follow right at your shoulder. If his answer is to remain alone, then he has not run far enough to want to be a part of your herd. Your answer is for him to get moving and you should drive him away from you for a while longer.  You want him with you, for once he is, then he shows trust in you and he will allow you to do other lessons that might be frightening for him.

            One might ask how can Natural Horsemanship change or help a horse that has been broke using traditional methods with ropes or whips, etc.? This answer is simple. A horse can see and understand his own language. If we are telling him to run in his language, using body movement and position, and then ask him to join us and be safe, then we are forming a bond. He feels safe with us because we are his leader, the dominant ‘horse’ in our herd of two. If he doesn’t come back to us, it is simply because we did not speak to him clearly, not because of his past training. He just didn’t understand the question. John Lyons explains, “The way I know I’m asking ‘yes’ questions is if the horse does what I am asking” (19). Lyons also states, “It’s important that we not ask the horse questions that will result in incorrect answers” (18). Asking him to do things that he does not understand only sets him up to fail.

            Sometimes we make big mistakes during our training. There are definite dos and don’ts with the Natural Horsemanship training discipline. 1) You need to take your time and be sure that you are asking your horse questions very clearly, such as “will you trot to the left?”  2) You should never get frustrated with a lesson that the horse just can’t seem to grasp. Getting frustrated only upsets you, which in turn upsets your horse. Horses can’t think rationally when they become frightened. You can step back to a lesson that you know that you’ll get a positive answer to. You can try the difficult lesson later when you are calm and can ask the questions clearly. 3) You must never move onto a more challenging lesson until your horse can achieve a simple lesson 100% of the time. You have to get a ‘yes’ answer every time you ask the question. 4) You need to reward your horse with positive praise and a solid rub between his eyes or on his neck. If he allows you to rub between his eyes, it generally means that he trusts you. Horses can’t see between their eyes, thus making it a vulnerable area. 5) It is very important that you end your lessons on a positive note; with your horse doing something he knows how to do well, where you get a ‘yes’ answer 100% of the time. This reassures your horse that he is doing good and imprints the lessons more firmly in his mind. If you end the lesson on something that he is unsure about, you are only reinforcing that it’s ok for him to do it the wrong way.

Natural Horsemanship training allows us to build and strengthen bonds of trust that we make with our horses. John Lyons believes that horses are “conditioned-response” animals. “If we set up a condition often enough, and get the same response often enough, then the condition becomes a cue” (15). I tend to agree with Lyon’s theory. I have found in my personal experiences training with these techniques, that I have taught my own horses many different “cues” just by setting up repetitive “conditions.”  The horses are allowed to make positive decisions rather than being forced into a submissive state resulting in negative outcomes.

Though there are many traditional training techniques still being used, I feel that the future holds a gentler approach where our horses are concerned. That is not to say that the old techniques are not effective, but that they are not going to be as accepted. Natural Horsemanship training achieves the same long-term results minus the traumatic experiences, in less time. If I had to choose between an environment where my horse was abused to get a training lesson concept across or one that he could learn with little stress and build his confidence and trust in me, I feel the choice is rather obvious.

Works Cited

Lyons, John, and Sinclair Browning. Lyons on Horses. New York: Doubleday, 1991.

Roberts, Monty. The Man Who Listens To Horses. New York: Random House, 1996.

© 2002, Noell Devenny

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Araya Drescher
Writing 121, Prof. C. Agatucci
Out of Class Essay - Final Draft
23 October 2002

Silence Was Enough

        Through the journey of life each person has a divergent path from the next.  The paths that we encounter along the way become interlaced with our own.  Without meeting an individual you can still have a tremendous effect on personal travels through a path that is intertwined with yours.  The mingling of different paths is what makes the world a small place.  The merging of two travelers, no matter how brief, will play a significant role on the whole scheme of things.  It is each person’s duty to decide what will come out of the circumstances given.
        There are endless types of relationships and each relationship plays a different role in life.  At the same time, it is not just merely a one way game, but rather something that you put yourself into.  Whatever benefits that emerge from particular companionship are in addition to a relationship.
        In  most cases, general classifications can’t be put on relationships, but I have found that when you really think about it they can in fact be divided into three, maybe four categories.  The depth of the level within each category will vary from person to person. That is, who is in each category and for what reason is dependent on each individual viewpoint. 
        The first category involves impersonal relationships.  These interactions can range from people you pass on the street  to school mates that you never get the chance to associate with.  It is amazing to think about how many of our relationships can be classified as impersonal.  Sometimes I wonder why people choose not to relate with one another out of normal context. What is it that keeps us so closed up to some and then open to the next?  Perhaps it is all a matter of outlook and acceptance.  Despite human nature to persevere  by selective detachment, simple acquaintances can be the spark of joy that is needed to spread a wildfire.  Even the littlest things can have a profound impact on a life.  Though impersonal relations can appear dead and void of meaning, there still is an underlying reason deep within.  It is when underlying meanings are dug up and revealed that a relationship turns from impersonal to something more.

                The observation of relations between other people can have a dramatic change on the understanding of one’s self.  Richard Rodriguez demonstrates in a short essay entitled “Los Pobres,” that relations apart from yourself can in fact convey a lesson without personal participation.  During one of his summer jobs Richard Rodriguez noticed the interactions of some of the hired hands,  and without speaking a word to each other they were able to teach a life lesson to him, “Their silence stays with me now. ...Their silence is more telling” (394).  Richard Rodriguez never knew the men, but through them a seed was planted in his heart.

        The next category can be classified as semi-personal or casual.  These relationships are on a more intimate level and take more time and energy.  Casual friendships can be a great source of spontaneous fun without a whole lot of complications getting in he way.  For me, they include friends, family friends, teachers, small church group members, co-workers, and the like.  Usually the people that fall into this category are people that you can relate to; they have familiar views and goals.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1997 ed.) defines familiar as “companionship,” a familiar person is someone who is “closely acquainted” (274).  They know much about you, yet much is unknown.  For the most part casual relationships are for a reason and tend to last for a particular season. 

        Finally there are relationships that are very in depth and are extremely personal.  For some, most of their relationships fall into the second category while few people let others share in their entire world.  These relationships require a strong base of compatibility and tend to fall into place after time. Personal relationships are built upon the time shared and the lessons learned; we accept these friends as who they are and support them through whatever stumbling block may emerge during their journey.  They are people who are there for you and have a shared understanding.  Plato once wrote “...in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort...” (451).  A lot of the time friendships seem this way.  You don’t know what you have until it is almost too late, and then it is still hard to grasp the real meaning of it all.   

        Some have said that people come into your life for a reason, season, or a lifetime.  A reason is usually meant to meet a need or fulfill a prayer.  They are a God send, but when the time comes they must move on. People that come into a life for a season are there to help you laugh and grow, they support you through your time together, but it is only for a season in your
life.  Then there are relationships that are for a lifetime which teach you lifetime lessons.  They can include best friends, parents, family, spiritual leaders, and your partner.  Your time of growing will play a role in every other relation you encounter; it is our duty to share the love and lesson we have learned  and apply it to every aspect of our life. Another life time relationship can be a spiritual one.  I have found the most important relationship in my life is with Jesus, my Lord and Savior.  Through him anything is possible and if I follow His ways the rest of my relationships will fall into place.  If I don’t live my life by God’s standards then my whole world starts falling apart.  Now I am not saying that just because I am saved and have a relationship with my God that everything will be peachy.  Trials will come my way and urge me to grow.  It is my friends and my love for the Lord that keep me going through the thick of
it. 

        Of course there are many other types of relationships out there; each person looks at them in a different view and will put a specific meaning behind it.  Some other genres of relationships can include enemies, and ones that just break you down.  Everyone knows the sort.  In these circumstances the gate must swing both ways.  What you put into a  friendship is not always what comes out of it but you must be willing to take a chance; it could end up being the biggest blessing of your life, a blessing in disguise.                   

        Relationships come and go as we travel through life.  Each person we meet plays a different role; they could be there to walk beside us or to offer a hand along the way.  Maybe it is our role to be a companion’s guide through a tunnel of darkness.  Whatever it is, relationships are an essential part of life and can bring the whole world together.   The merging of two travelers, no matter how brief, will play a significant role on the whole world.     

Works Cited

Plato.  “The Allegory of the Cave.”  Republic.  Rpt. The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines.  Ed.  Gilbert H. Muller.  8th ed.  Boston:  McGraw-Hill. 2003.  451-452.

Rodriguez, Richard.  “Los Pobres.”  New West 1981.  Rpt.  The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues  Across the Disciplines.  Ed.  Gilbert H. Muller.  8th ed.  Boston:  McGraw-Hill. 2003.  391-394.

© 2002, Araya Drescher

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Kathy Fish
WR 121 Prof. C. Agatucci
Out-of-Class Essay - Final Draft
29 October 2002

Skater Punks

You know exactly what I am talking about. We have all seen them: the thrashed skate boards with nightmarish graphics, the bizarre array of boxers peeking out of the ridiculously baggy pants, jewelry protruding from places previously only inhabited by the stray hair trying to avoid being plucked, that’s right, the skater punks.  They aren’t just boys or men; girls who played dress up and Barbie have thrown off the perception of pale pink and purple and are clad in black, brown, army green or any drab variation of the ominous colors Generation X has chosen for their coat of arms.  Young men and women dress the same, walk the same, skate the same and sport the same flippantly arrogant attitude.  What on earth would possess the youth of our nation to dress, behave and mutilate themselves in such a manner?  Have you ever seen an X-Games skate board competition?  These people are amazing.  Why would you waste that athleticism and agility on a sport that has nothing to offer but a bad reputation, injury and trouble with the law?

“Mom, I’m home!  Guess where Grandma took me to today.  We found a skateboard at a garage sale and we bought it for $2.00 and we went to the skate park.  It is so cool.  I met some new friends and they showed me some tricks.  Grandma is going to take me back next week,” Conner, my then six year old, excitedly gushed as he walked through the front door.

 Fear and anger seized me.  I didn’t know who to yell at first.  Conner, seeing the fierce look in my eyes, yelled, “Grandma made me do it!”   In her quest to become “cool,” grandma had been turned to the “dark side.”  In Benedict Arnold style, facing battle and guaranteed desecration of her sainthood, she caved, switched allegiances, and sold me out for the price of a smile.  I couldn’t trust her, or the vipers she was now “hangin” with.  Disbelief engulfed me like a dark, damp heavy cloud.  My ally was gone, deserted; I stood alone to bear accusations like “you don’t understand,” “my friends who have cool parents get to skate,” “you’re closed minded and prejudiced,” “just because you’re old doesn’t mean you know everything.”  The verbal battle was in full array and the arrows were hitting their target.

 I pause from the narration at this time to relate an observation that has come as a morbid dose of reality for me.  You will all have the following experience, at one time or another, it is unavoidable.   You will supply grandchildren for your parents who have shamelessly begged, bribed, pleaded and blackmailed you to procreate.  By giving in to their pleas you will have equipped them with the opportunity to earn their sainthood.  Then, watching you stagger from a near fatal battle wound, they will step forward, take the sword from your child’s hand and drive the final blow straight through your heart.  With this one act they will forever endear themselves to your offspring and irrevocably reveal their true alliances- with them, against you. 

“You know honey…..you really should come check out the skate park before you make your final decision,” a woman I did not know, who bore a striking resemblance to my mother, cooed logically.

I spun around, a cornered, wild animal sensing the battle to ensue.  “How dare you…We have talked endlessly about the problems with the youth of today, not the least of which is the ‘skater-tude’….. I entrusted my child to you and this is where you take him?......I don’t care if he asked you to,….be the adult,……..show some back bone…..You never had a problem saying the word ‘no’ when I was his age……”  My emotional diatribe was unashamedly being ignored.  The traitor smiled, winked at Conner and said over her shoulder as she turned to leave: “Conner and I would be happy to let you tag along next time.”  I was speechless.

Defeated, weary from the staunch defense of ideals and perceptions my faculties began to call an all out retreat.  “What could it hurt to go?...........are you really afraid of some skater punks?.......ratify your assumptions……..prove your perceptions…..isn’t Conner worth your time…..are you seriously going to let a 70-year-old grandma be more open-minded than you?”  Finally with a sigh of surrender, "I’ll go.”

As I walked up the dirt trail to the “bowls” I tried to not look as scared as I felt.  At first glance all I could see was concrete.  There are two large “bowls” that are side by side and have a small lip that connects them.  The “track” is the ring around the outer edge of the cement that incorporates two large ramps for building speed for jumps.  In the middle there is a crisscross design with stairs and rails for “grinding.”  The design was ingenious, not much space but lots of options.

Conner threw his board down, put on his helmet, and off he rolled; around the track, up and down the ramps over and over, his smile spreading wider and wider across his innocent face.  “Hi Conner,” called a tall stereotypical skater.  I bristled, started to step forward and the icy stiletto fingers from my childhood grabbed my arm.  Without a word my mom rescued Conner from certain social death.  “Hi Grandma, who’s your friend?” the skater called out.  Introductions were made and the grip on my perceptions began to erode.

Then my fears were realized, Conner took a nasty spill trying to grind.  His board was too “sticky” to slide on the metal rail and he landed on his elbow and hip.  To my surprise the skater punk got there before Conner’s over protective mom.  He gently picked him up, asked if he was okay, looked to make sure there was no blood, and walked him over to sit down.

“Next time borrow some of my wax to rub on the rail so it slides,” came the helpful suggestion from the “punk.”   I was dumbfounded.  Where were the “flippantly arrogant attitudes”, disrespectful indifference, and the scorching defiant eyes?  “He’ll be okay, don’t worry,” the punk said reassuringly.

“Thanks” I mumbled.

“Mom, you said you rode a skateboard when you were young, try mine, its fun.”

“You rode a board?  How cool, hop on and see if you remember how to roll” the skater kid smiled.  “I wish my parents did something cool like that, then maybe they would understand. You are lucky Conner.”

I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud.  My tattle-tale conscience reminded me  of those ten minutes earlier I was reciting the evils of skateboarding to myself.  I cautiously placed Conner’s board down and assumed the stance.  The wheels rolled slowly at first, then faster and my confidence began to build.  The adrenaline rush was instant.  The faster I went the more intoxicated I felt.  What a rush.  I could do this all day.

“Mom, could I have my board now?” 

“One more time around,” I pleaded as I rolled quickly by. 

“Come on mom, it’s my board.”

I slowed down and jumped off.  Conner took off and yelled, “Hey mom, watch this!”

Standing there I realized the“sk-8-ter boi,” Avril Lavigne, was not what society and myself had labeled him.  As Avril Lavigne sings, “...there is more than meets the eye, I see the soul that is inside.”  Teachers come in all shapes, sizes and wear all kinds of different clothes. From eight to eighteen to seventy there are many different people from diverse walks of life that can show us things about who we are, who we think we are and most importantly who we want to become.  I didn’t change my choice of clothes, music or friends, but my custom board and pierced belly button have raised some eyebrows and given me the opportunity to do a little teaching of my own.

Works Cited

Lavigne, Avril.  Let Go. Sk-8-ter boi. Arista Records. 2002.

© 2002, Kathy Fish
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As Elizabeth Wertz, RN, BSN, MPM, EMT-P, PHRN, dedicated her work in the  Mosby’s EMT-Intermediate Textbook: “To my colleagues in emergency care: Thanks for sharing and teaching me. Don’t lose sight of your goals even though the days may be long and you may not always feel appreciated-you do make a difference.”(V).  This quote captures how many Firefighters feel about themselves and their peers.  We, as Fire/Medics in general up until recently, have had fairly thankless jobs.  Once in a while we would be thanked by someone whose life or property we saved, but these were few and far between.  After 9-11 we are thanked more often.

 When people ask, “Why are you a Fire/Medic?”, I tell them I do it because I love my job.  This is the only job I have ever had where every day, hour, and minute is different.  It is challenging, fun, exciting, and filled with interaction with people.  We see people at their worst when they are hurting, sick, dying, or losing all of their possessions in a house fire.  The reward is not the thanks we sometimes get; it is knowing we made a difference in someone’s life today and gave them help when they needed it most.  I put my life on the line every time I put my uniform on and report to work.  I do this to save lives and protect property and protect the environment.  I have the best job in the world.         

Works Cited

Wertz, Elizabeth, and others. Mosby’s EMT-Intermediate Textbook. St. Louis: Mosby’s-Year Book, Inc. 2001. V.

© 2002, Juanita Majel

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Alyson Muir
WR 121 Prof. C. Agatucci
Out-of-Class Essay #3
18 November 2002

Vacation Memories

Everyone has family vacations they never forget. Even E. B. White, famous author of Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan has special memories of family vacations. In his essay "Once More to the Lake" he tells us that from the first family vacation to a favorite spot, "none of us ever thought there was any place in the world like that lake in Maine" (171). Reading about his special vacation spot in Maine reminded me of a few special vacations that my family has taken throughout the years. On these vacations we were surprised, hurt, injured, excited, exhausted, and many other things, but I will always remember both the good and the bad that we experienced on these family vacations and at these special vacation spots.

Like the family of E. B. White, my family has a vacation spot that we visit almost every summer: Lake Tahoe. When we were small children and lived in Sacramento, the drive took only a few hours, which is ideal for parents of young children. We also took a baby-sitter with us so that Mom and Dad would be able to go out for dinner or a movie together. The library nearby supplied our books, from Gertrude Chandler Warner, to Phyllis Whitney, to Janette Oke. The library also supplied a playground, with swings, slides and bridges for us to play on. One shaky bridge and my father as the troll provided the perfect place for my brother, sister, and me to play "three billy-goats gruff." At Zephyr Point there are cabins to rent, and we have stayed in quite a few. One had a covered mud room area that had boulders as one of the walls. My brother and I would squeeze out between the rocks and the roof and climb all over the rocks, high into the air. Sometimes we would explore, and sometimes we’d just bring books and read on top of the rocks. After a short hike down the hill and some stairs we would get to the lake-beach. Docks had been built around the swimming area to keep large waves away from the beach. Depending on whether there had been any drought or not, the top of the docks were anywhere from eight to fifteen feet from the water. As soon as we got to the lake, we would run out to the docks and jump off, over and over. Ladders were attached to the sides of the docks, but we often would rather stay in the water, which seemed warmer. Crawdads also lived in the lake, and we would bring bacon fat and long string to fish for them. One baby-sitter said he would give us each a piece of candy if we ate some, so we took one home and cooked it. I don’t remember anyone else’s reaction, or even trying it, but that crawdad has made me anti-seafood ever since. On Sunday mornings, we would walk down to the church and see everyone we hadn’t seen since the year before. The stone stairs that led from the parking lot to the church had two tracks, and in the middle was a raised garden bed with snap-dragons all over the place, which, of course, we would play with, fascinated by the way they opened their mouths.

Another amazing vacation of ours was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The family borrowed my grandparents' camper and drove around the country for seven weeks. If that isn’t crazy enough, my mom only came with us for three weeks, and my dad had to manage driving and three kids by himself for the rest of the time. Surprisingly, we didn’t fight as much as we were expecting. While my brother and sister played in the back (together, amazingly enough), I copiloted and my dad drove. We set off heading east, and stopped places along the way, such as a visit to Nebraska, to visit my brother’s pen-pal, and visiting Mark Twain’s home and the cave that they believe became part of Tom Sawyer’s adventure with Becky Thatcher. We visited amazing houses, such as Monticello and Falling Waters, and arrived in Washington, DC in time to get a campsite, and pick up my mother from the airport. We went straight to a restaurant and returned to our camper to find that someone had broken through the passenger window and stolen a camera, a Walkman, and a few other small things. A quick replacement of the window the next day, and we were set to explore, although a bit depressed at our welcome to DC. Perfectly, we were there the week of July 4th, and had front row seats to the fireworks above the Washington Monument. After an amazing week full of tours of federal buildings and the Smithsonian Museums, we continued north, through Amish country, with surprisingly bland food, a day on Martha’s Vineyard, where we bought the fourth Harry Potter on the day it came out, and on to the Statue of Liberty, which one would expect to be very painful on the legs to climb. The line is so slow, however, you are more likely to get cramps from lack of movement than from strain on your muscles. One of my favorite memories of the trip is Niagara Falls, where we were given rain coats and taken down to the foot of the Bridal Veil waterfall (not to be confused with the main fall, where people float down in barrels for kicks). The "hurricane deck" was situated so that people could stand right under the spray and feel the full force of the water. My sister and I took off our rain coats and immersed ourselves in the freezing water, while the tour guide laughed. Our final day with Mom was at the Mall of America in Minnesota, where we didn’t shop, but rather visited Snoopyville, a small version of Disneyland dedicated to Snoopy. After a long drive through the Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone, and eastern Oregon, and we were home. An amazing, unforgettable trip was over.

Throughout my live I have gone many places with my family, and each vacation has treasured memories I would never give up. I grew closer to each family member through these experiences, and we will always remember our vacations. Later in life, we can look back on these trips and laugh about what amazing memories we created together.

Works Cited

White, E. B. "Once More to the Lake" from One Man’s Meat. Tilbury House, Publishers, 1941. Rpt. The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 171-175

© 2002, Alyson Muir

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Anonymous (1)
WR 121 Prof. C. Agatucci
Out-of-Class Essay #1
7 February 2003

Alcohol Among Teens

        Alcohol is the number one drug problem among the nation’s youth.  Alcoholism is a disease just like diabetes or high blood pressure.  Young people get bombarded with general messages about alcohol every day.  Some of these messages are true, but many of them are false.  The reality is that underage drinking among teens can lead to car crashes, drowning, unplanned pregnancies, school failure, and tooth decay (British Dental Journal).  Simply put, alcohol ruins many young lives. 

        The twenty-one year-old drinking age is the law in all fifty states; and where it is strictly enforced, it saves lives.  The law is that anyone under the age of twenty-one may not purchase, possess, or consume alcohol legally (Washington Regional).  However, in too many communities, the law is simply not enforced.  Many young people who drink simply walk into a store and buy it without ever being asked for identification.  Others use fake IDs or ask friends or siblings to make the purchase for them.  A popular source of alcohol for young people is the family liquor cabinet or parties, usually at friends’ homes, sometimes without parental supervision. 

        Studies show that teens do not understand the concept of alcohol content.  They think that they can sober up by drinking coffee or by getting some fresh air.  But alcoholic beverages can harm anyone in the long run.  Long-term effects of heavy alcohol use include vitamin deficiencies, stomach ailments, sexual impotence, liver damage, heart and central nervous system damage, and memory loss (Alcohol-Long Term Effects). 

        The parents’ role in these matters is often a difficult one.  Giving young people information they may not want to hear or challenging a behavior that has peer approval can be difficult, but is necessary.  Given the potential dangers of alcohol use, adults simply have no choice.  Parents must realize and teach teens that alcohol is no less dangerous than other drugs, but is much more available.

        It is also important to consider that teens may face their own frustrations and difficulties regarding the use of alcohol, brought on by factors such as peer pressure.  Doing drugs, including alcohol, won’t make anyone happy or popular, and will not help in learning the skills needed for growing up.  In fact, doing drugs can cause failure in all these aspects.  Some people who are shy in social situations and use alcohol to loosen up frequently end up making fools of themselves and behaving in a manner that they later regret.
To put the size of the underage drinking problem in perspective, "Over 60 percent of high school seniors drink at least once a week" ("Teenage Drinking"). 

        Many ask themselves, "What can I do to help?"  There are actually many ways to help peers. Here are some ideas: use community centers and halls to host non-alcoholic parties for under twenty-one youth in the area.  Specify all rules before anyone begins a party, including the starting and ending times.  Circulate regularly during parties, checking all rooms of the center and the parking lot.  Do not allow youths to leave and re-enter.  Establish a citizen hot-line to report underage drinking parties to police departments and alcohol beverage control (ABC) agencies.  Work with parents and other community groups to share information and to coordinate activities.  Publicize liquor establishments that continually sell to underage youth in community newsletter and flyers.  Volunteer to work with youth at teen centers and after-school programs to help them develop peer leadership and peer pressure resistance skills.  Create and sponsor mini-grants for use by student groups and schools for prevention actives.  Local businesses can provide funds.  Write letters to the editor on the need for more attention to the issue of underage drinking.  Send letters of congratulation to local police departments on their underage drinking enforcement efforts, and also get involved in local prevention organizations or chapters (Washington Regional).  There are many different ways that people can help teens and peers to stop, or never to start drinking.

Works Cited

"Alcohol-Long Term Effects."  Eirpharm, 2003.  February 6, 2003.  http://www.eirpharm.com/alcohol_long_effects.php

British Dental Journal.  "Teenage Drinking Leads to Bad Teeth."  BBC News, February 6, 2003.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1224498.stm

"Teenage Drinking."  HBO and Co., 1999 Rpt. University of Iowa Health Care, 2001.  February 6, 2003. http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/alcoholproblems/alco4138.html

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program.  "Tips About Teenage Drinking."  Best Friends for the Best Future, 2000.  February 1, 2003.  http://www.bestfriendsfoundation.org/drinking.html

© 2003, Held by Student

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