The Yellow Stairs Description

The paint is chipped and worn. Bright and bold from a distance but up close, visibly defined by the cracks and stains that overwhelm each step. Regardless, the stairs still remain. A symbol for success, these stairs, in the center o the school are tarnished and worn. The yellow paint, once vibrant and bright is not turning to white. Each step bears a distinctly blemished surface. The cold, bland concrete emerges in patches and incites a feeling comparable to seeing an old, wounded veteran. The only reminder that the stairs are not solitary and abandoned are the bits of food scattering the steps that are left from the students.

Boxman Debrief

1. I leaned that sometimes small details can be more important than they seem, such as the line about the comparing  the way the Boxman turned the newspaper page to how a grandmother licks her finger before turning the page.
2. I wish we had discussed the juxtaposition of the examples to reveal the benefit of choosing solitude.
3. I wanted to talk more in depth about the differences between the examples and the lady who went in to the diner to get a bowl of soup and crackers every night. I wanted to discuss how the lady would take as long as possible to break her crackers because, unlike the Boxman, this lady craved social interaction and this ws her only chance to do so. She was unhappy with her situation whereas the Boxman embraced it.

My I am.... Essay

I am NOT Controlling

Long Form- Dumbing Us Down

Long Form for Dumbing Us Down

Senior Project

           The summer after my sophomore year, my Youth Ministry Leadership Team went on a service trip to Los Angeles to help the homeless. One experience had an unexpectedly enormous impact on me. My group was walking around Skid Row passing out water and food and we pass a man lying on the sidewalk on a rather desolate street. Statuesquely standing next to the man was a security guard. After passing by it was clear the man was not in a good condition. Turning around, another group member and I walked back and were about to set down a bottle of water and some food in case the man was hungry or thirsty. By this point the group had turned around as well and was standing with us. Once setting down the water the immobile security guard told us we were not to give him anything to drink or it. Confused we asked if it could just be there for him later, and in return we got  a cold "No." Not wishing to argue with the security guard, we moved on. About 30 minutes later as we were walking back to the car, we passed the street where the man had been, however the street was no longer desolate. Huddled on a corner across the street we all watched as we saw the man we had tried to help casually lifted onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.  I felt utterly helpless as I was forced to watch this, angry and upset that we were not allowed to help him earlier.  While it sounds dramatic to say that in one week my life was changed, it really was. I returned to Napa with a new viewpoint on several aspects of life and with the conviction that I needed to do something to help in my own community. About a month later, once back in school, I created a club called P.A.T.H. (Providing Assistance To Homeless). We have done several fundraisers to to raise as much money as we could to donate it to several shelters in Napa and use the money to purchase food, water, and socks, to hand out on the streets of San Francisco.
            As soon as I found out about the Senior Project and its requirements I was determined that I would use this cause as my basis. After attending a tour of the Samaritan House, a family shelter, with my club, I thought that it may be a good specific cause for my Senior Project. Currently my goal is this: To raise enough money to help provide extra showers for the Samaritan House and have money left over to help buy supplies for other shelters. I am very passionate about this cause as I feel occasionally people treat the homeless as if they do not exist, choosing to ignore rather than help. I will need to plan many fundraisers, both of large and small scale, in order to raise the sufficient amount of funds.
              It is my hope that all goes according to plan and this time, I will not feel helpless.

A Little Bit About Me

            While describing myself is a rather large task, I suppose I should probably start with the basics. So without further adieu, my name is Olivia, and the first thing you should know about me is that I can be extremely sarcastic. Seeing as sarcasm doesn't always translate well over text, I will wait until in person to demonstrate this gift of mine.
            Since I am currently writing this in a Starbucks while eavesdropping on a heated debate about religion, I believe I must take this opportunity to discuss that aspect of myself. I am extremely involved with my church Youth Minsitry. Being a part of the Youth Minsitry has had a tremendous impact on who I have become and what I got involved in throughout high school. Through my Youth Ministry I  was able to participate in a plethora of community service projects. The summer after my sophomore year those of us on the Youth Ministry Leadership Team went on a service trip to L.A. to help the homeless. A month after returning from the trip, I founded a club at my high school called P.A.T.H.  (Providing Assistance To Homeless). Less than a year later we have already raised several thousand dollars that have gone to support the homeless shelters in Napa as well as spent time volunteering through several organizations. We also interacted with homeless people on a personal level when we went to SF and passed out food, water, and socks (which was surprisingly the most requested item). I love just listening to their stories and backgrounds, and they love having someone listen to them. The feeling that I get while helping and interacting with these people is indescribable. 

            Other hobbies of mine (yes,  I do consider community service a hobby) include tennis, track, and school. In track I pole vault, and while I am not good at it at all, I have for some reason continued to do it for three years in a row. Now, school is more of a developed hobby. I did not decide to just "try it out and see if I liked it" but because my goal is to attend Georgetown University I have learned to love the hours spent studying and doing homework in hopes that they will help me achieve my goal, and even my goal isn't achieved, I have always loved a challenge, and my rigorous course load has provided me just that. 
            Before concluding this post about myself I will include five random facts that I believe provide an accurate depiction of my personality.

1. I am addicted to chocolate, specifically dark chocolate
2. Never ask me to tell a story about an experience I had or what not if you are in a rush, because my stories tend to take quite a while as I like to include every detail.
3. I love driving, mostly because it gives me a chance to sing and dance to music while it is blasting from the radio.
4. When I grow up I aspire to become an attorney and from there proceed into politics.
5. My friends are like my family.