ALLEGHENY VIEW
Community College of Allegheny County - Allegheny Campus - Pittsburgh, PA
novemBER 2016
CCAC’S STUDENT VOICE
Trump Sweeps Electoral Vote In-Route to Presidency
BY MALIK VINCENT Allegheny View Co-advisor Nov 8 was the day that voters hit the polls, nationwide, to determine who would head the country as the next president of the United States. Despite losing the national popular vote, republican candidate Donald Trump garnered more than enough Electoral College votes (290 of the necessary 270) to win the election. He is all set to become the country’s 45th commander-in-chief after he is inaugurated this coming January. As time took election watchers into the wee hours of the next morning, Trump registered many of the ‘swing states’ that were crucial to victory. The likes of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin all went red for him to get the win. The backlash of this has not always been widely accepted. Protestors have assembled from coast-to-coast to voice their concerns for the oncoming Trump administration. “We might be in a new (political) era,” said Tim Davis who is president of the student government organization at the Community College of Allegheny County’s (CCAC) Allegheny Campus. “It’s sort of like what we, as a country, went through in the 1960s with all of the protesting… With people feeling like they have stand up for their rights.” On the contrary, there are representatives of the Allegheny Campus student body that are unsure, but hopeful that Trump could bring positive change. “We should all stick together as a country and just see how it goes,” Hayden Bell, a sophomore general studies major, said. “Everybody’s afraid of what Trump will do. We should just be united as a country and
Then-President-Elect Donald J. Trump speaks to supporters on election night in New York City. (Photo: Associated Press) everything should be fine.” Some of the anti-Trump protests have taken place, locally. On Nov 9, the night after the election, assemblers walked through the streets of the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh to express their anti-Trump views in a non-violent fashion. Another peaceful rally occurred in Downtown’s Point State Park on Nov 13, where 70 individuals gathered and voiced their stance against the results. Some of what came of the uproar are select social issues, most namely, governmentsupported healthcare. Trump has voiced in his campaign that he’d like to cut the ‘Obamacare’ initiative that benefits those that require assistance. “I do have a concern that (president-elect-
Trump) will completely and utterly repeal Obamacare,” Davis, a nursing major at Allegheny campus, said. “The reason that I’m concerned is because I know that so many people rely on it. It would be a real shame to see it utterly go away.” As far as issues such as women’s rights are concerned: “I hope the president of the United States is far too busy to be planning or doing anything derogatory to the wellbeing of women or anybody for that matter,” Davis candidly stated.
Student Election Responses
BRANDON KENNY General Studies This is an unsure time and people have fears, but I believe if we come together and learn to help each other we will be better as a country. I feel a bit unsure about the election result, but you have to have faith. We can’t change the fact that Trump is our president, but we can work together as a nation and as a team to come together to pull the country up and keep it afloat. We can flesh out all of the hate to make our country better. Let’s not forget we are a nation under God.
(Malik Vincent is the co-advisor of the Allegheny View student newspaper. He can be reached at mvincent@ccac.edu).
Inside the View P2-3 Cougar Athletics P4 CCAC Honors Foodbox Project P5 Registration Raffle P6 Ridge Avenue Gems P7-8 Celebration of Dreams Essay Contest
MACKENZIE HAUGER Criminal Justice Either way it wouldn’t have been a great outcome. I was really surprised that Trump turned out as the winner. Even with the large amount of people who voted for him, the results were still very shocking. He like hosted reality TV, he’s not a politician.
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novemBER 2016
CCAC
Allegheny Campus - Pittsburgh, PA
ALLEGHENY VIEW Contact Information: (Phone) 412.237.4632 (Emails) mvincent@ccac.edu lkuzak@ccac.edu cmcquaide2@ccac.edu
Student Life
Physical Education Building 808 Ridge Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Layout and Advisers: Malik Vincent Lyndsey Kuzak Christine McQuade
Advertising: Media Mate
In This Edition: Malik Vincent Tanisha D’Souza Lyndsey Kuzak Portia Carmichael Samantha May Julie Luu
CCAC – ALLEGHENY 2016-17 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE & ROSTER 808 RIDGE AVENUE PITTSBURGH, PA 15212-6097 412-237-2503 #/NAME
HT/WT/POS/CLS
2/LaBRYANT ABERCROMBIE 6’3”/184/G/F EUCLID, OH 4/TRAMELL PERRY TAYLOR-ALLDERDICE
6’1”/183/F/S
5/NORMAN TAYLOR PERRY TRADITIONAL
5’10/180/G/F
11/ANTHONY FRENZLEY STO-ROX
6’2”/128/F/S
13/SHAWN ROGERS NORTH ALLEGHENY
5’10/170/G/S
15/RANDALL WHITLEY CENTRAL CATHOLIC
5’10”/138/G/F
23/CAMERON BAILEY TAYLOR-ALLDERDICE
6’4”/175/F/F
25/ROBERT McGILL OBAMA ACADEMY
6’0”/191/G/F
31/JOHN YAWORSKI CORNELL
5’10”/177/G/F
33/ALIJAH CROWE WEST ALLEGHENY
6’3”/183/F/F
42/ADAM KUSMYER NORTH ALLEGHENY
6’3”/205/F/S
GAME SCHEDULE
Editorial Policy:
The VIEW is a is published as a service to the campus community. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of CCAC administration, faculty, staff, or student body.
See the next VIEW Spring 2017 Send submissions to: cmcquaide2@ccac.edu
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FREDERICK CC
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COUGAR MADNESS Kicks Off 2016-17 Campaign for Basketball Programs
BY MALIK VINCENT Allegheny View Co-advisor Cumulatively, the men’s and women’s basketball teams initiated their years, ceremoniously, with their Cougar Madness event for the fourth consecutive season at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)’s Allegheny Campus. T-shirt giveaways, free pizzas and an afternoon filled with collaborative skills competitions completed the affair. How much pizza, one might ask? 60 pies were prepared by nearby Giorgio’s place—a staple in the Allegheny campus social community—for students and staff campus wide. Alijah Crowe, a 6-foot-3, 185 pound freshman forward from West Allegheny High School made his presence felt early in the skills competition by capturing the dunk contest title. “After losing a contest two years ago (at a summer league), I told myself that coming out and winning this one would definitely redeem myself,” Crowe said. Shawn Rogers, a guard from North Allegheny, and Sierra Givens teamed up to win the ‘knockout’ competition, where the two outshot their opponents to get the victory. Givens and the rest of the women’s team
is ready for battle, after the program had experienced turbulent times. They have not played a full season since the 2009-10 campaign. “I knew I was going to win,” Givens boasted, jokingly. “I’ve got the best shot on the team.” Givens and the rest of the women’s team is ready for battle, after the program had experienced turbulent times. They have not played a full season since the 2009-10 campaign. Both the men’s and women’s teams are under the direction of Robert Keslar III this season. I’m working with a lot of new talent and I’m excited about what experiences these young women have in store,” he said. “College basketball is an enriching thing for our studentathletes and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll gain from it.” Coming off of back-to-back Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (WPCC) titles, the men’s team is hoping to elevate that momentum in the coming year. “This is the most talented team that I’ve had, from a depth standpoint, during my entire tenure as head coach,” Keslar mentioned. “We have aspirations this year of not only winning the conference title, but we want to win the regional tournament this time aswell.”
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CCAC’S CCAC’S STUDENT STUDENT VOICE VOICE
CCAC – ALLEGHENY 2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE & ROSTER 808 RIDGE AVENUE PITTSBURGH, PA 15212-6097 412-237-2503
HEAD COACH: ROBERT KESLAR III ASSISTANT COACHES: MATT McKENNA, MARCUS SMITH ATHLETIC COORDINATOR: KEN HOELTJE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE: CHRISTINE McQUAIDE (INTERIM) DEAN OF STUDENTS: DR. ROSLYNNE WILSON
The last time the Cougars secured the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Region XX tournament title was after the 2008-09 season when they ultimately placed 4th overall in the nation. Keslar was a student coaching assistant on that team. “I think we have what it takes, talent-wise, to get back there this season,” he said. “There is a ton of athleticism on this roster and we’ve got some high hopes moving forward with our guys.” Anthony Friendsly, a sophomore swingman
from Sto-Rox and freshman combo guard Jenna Lucza teamed up to win the two-ball competition. In that sort of contest, the objective of the player is to score baskets that are worth different point values, depending on the spot of which it is taken. “(It) should be an exciting year for us,” Friendsly said. “We’re going to be prepared and excited to take on our opponents this year. We’re expecting to be competitive and have a deep run.” The Cougars basketball teams will play a
nonconference tally until they head into their conference schedules in January. The men will take on CCAC-Boyce to open up WPCC play in a home matchup beginning at 6 p.m. on the 4th. Westmoreland County Community College will host the Cougar women for its initial league contest at noon on Jan 7. (Malik Vincent is a co-advisor for the Allegheny View student newspaper and can be reached at mvincent@ccac.edu.)
# NAME
HT/POS/CLS
1 ALICE NYAMBURG
5’3”/G/F
WATKINS MILLS, MD
2 TIANA MORGAN
5’4”/G/F
NORTHGATE
3 MACKENZIE HAUGER
5’3”/G/F
KEYSTONE OAKS
4 AMEEKA DAVIS
5’4”/G/F
McKEESPORT
5 SIERRA GIVENS
5’6”/F/S
WILMINGTON, OH
13 VIRGINIA LUCZA
5’5”/G-F/F
FLONGMORE ACAD.
15 TAYLOR HARBAUGH
5’6”/F/S
O.L.S.H.
23 MONET’ JOHNSON
5’7”/F/F
PERRY TRADITIONAL
31 DIANA AGUILAR-GAMBOA 5’2”/G/F CARRICK
SCHEDULE
Join the Bowling Team
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PS FAYETTE
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CARLOW COLLEGE
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@PENN HIGHLAND CC
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novemBER 2016
CCAC Foodbox Project
BY TANISHA D’SOUZA Special to The Allegheny View
A sense of service is one of the qualities great leaders possess. A zest to serve the people, selflessly, can be seen in great world leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Malala Yousafzai. They do not seek adulation or credit; instead they strive to help the community with the intention of bringing about positive change. Inspired by such leaders, the students of the Honors Leadership class made an attempt to serve the CCAC student community by means of the CCAC FoodBox Project. Members of the Honor’s Program assembled a station in the lobby of Jones Hall with a selection of food items (both perishable and non-perishable) to give away to a number Allegheny Campus occupants on Nov 14. Over the past nine weeks, we have been working collectively on this project imbibing important life lessons as well as learning what “Leadership” really stands for. After a lot of brainstorming, the idea was birthed to serve our own student community by helping to ensure that students are properly nourished. At CCAC, there are students who are struggling to make ends meet. We decided to aid such students by opening a Food Bank at Allegheny Campus that students can access, so that their basic need of food is taken care of. When we started off, it seemed very unachievable. But all the students formed different committees and worked together to make this happen. Two students from our group, Shailja Patel and Jamie Dodson provided overall leadership. Dean Jane Greenwood and the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank assisted in project planning and implementation. Surveys were distributed during C4 week with the help of the CCAC Ambassadors and PTK officers. We also received a grant from the Sprouts organization to supplement the Food Bank. Our class had the first trial run of the popup Food Bank on October 26th. Apart from our class, CCAC ambassadors volunteered at the event. The remaining perishable items were donated to Light of Life Ministries. It was a humbling experience and we were so happy to bring a smile to the student’s faces.
The following Saturday we worked on details for the grand opening ceremony for our Nov 14 pop-up food bank. Dr. Evon Walters, professor Srujana Kanjula, Dean Jane Greenwood, Dr. Roslynn Wilson, other faculty members, and students extended their support by attending the event. Members from Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and Sprouts Organization also were represented. Jamie Dodson spoke about the project on behalf of our class. Dr. Walters shared a few words and then proceeded to cut the ribbon. We offered a wide range of items like canned food, fresh apples, potatoes, cabbage, detergent, tea, chicken and hot dogs to the students. The food distribution spanned from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. 10 students from our leadership class and six ambassadors volunteered to distribute food at event to make it great success. (Tanisha D’Souza is a member of the CCAC’s Honors Program, whom is coordinating the CCAC FoodBox Project. She can be reached at tanish.dsouza@acd.ccac. edu.)
Food items were laid out the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) FoodBox project for Allegheny Campus students at Jones Hall on Nov 14. (Photo by Tanisha D’Souza/Special to the Allegheny View)
Dr. Evon Walters, Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), Allegheny Campus president, addressed attendees at the ribbon cutting for the CCAC FoodBox Project—an initiative of the CCAC Honor’s program at Jones Hall on Nov 14. (Photo by Tanisha D’Souza/Special to the Allegheny View)
Jones Hall was the site of the pop-up food bank that Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) Honor’s Program students established for their Fall 2016 project, Nov 14. (Photo by Tanisha D’Souza/Special to the Allegheny View)
CCAC’S STUDENT VOICE
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novemBER 2016
Ridge Ave Gems:
Culinary Arts Serves up the Industry’s Best Graduates receive an associate’s degree BY MALIK VINCENT Allegheny View Co-advisor with an externship that helps them complete This semester, on select Thursdays, fragrant smells from the lobby of Jones Hall roam the entire building. On Nov 18, chicken breast with a pepper balsamic reduction, a sautéed fish (Romano-style), along with southern style green beans and mashed potatoes was served— capped off with a bottled water for just $5. The sale of such culinary delicacies resulted in a line going out of the building’s entrance. The Culinary Arts department is located in the basement of Jones, located at the edge of Ridge Avenue on ‘Millionaire’s Row.’ It is complete with an industrial-sized kitchen and a walk-in refrigerator and freezer for storage. Its curriculum is set to allow the student to experience classroom and extensive food laboratory services.
up to 300 hours of practical knowledge. Though there are a few job training programs, locally--however--The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) aside from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh are the only graduate-level culinary arts programs, presently. Within the 67 credits required for graduation, students will take a combination of college-level core classes, as well as specialized studies such as menu design, baking, purchasing procedures, and applied foodservice production. In addition to striving in the classroom, these students have been called to give back to the community. Earlier this year, CCAC culinary arts students were called upon to put their skills to use for the Empty Bowls dinner, an annual event that benefits the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and Just Harvest.
Associate culinary arts professor Art Inzinga shows student chef Alyce Toombs the formalities of producing a fruit tray. (Photo by Malik Vincent/Allegheny View)
Student chefs of the Community College of Allegheny County's (CCAC) Culinary Arts program culiminate to create a sushi roll at their kitchens located in the bows of Jones Hall at Allegheny Campus. (Photo by Malik Vincent/Allegheny View) Members of the Allegheny Campus community wait in line to receive lunch from the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) culinary arts department at their culinary corner event on Nov 18 in the lobby of Jones Hall. (Photo by Malik Vincent/Allegheny View) “The students (were) very excited about participating,” associate culinary arts professor Art Inzinga said in a college-issued press release. “There are people in the community that really struggle with where their next meal is coming from. And that hits close to our hearts as chefs.” They served a Middle Eastern-style creamy curried carrot soup to the 1,500 people that this event typically draws. The dinner usually features a simple meal of soup and bread to signify the many Pittsburgh-area residents that are going hungry with ‘empty bowls.’
In an August, 2010 piece called Major Advantage: Colleges and Universities, Pittsburgh Magazine put out informational capsules that described the city’s surrounding academic institutions. The culinary arts program at CCAC was highlighted as its premier ‘right-brained’ programs. It was cited for the opportunities that it provides students to gain professional experience in restaurants and hotels throughout the region and some of the high profile alumni that the program has produced. (Malik Vincent is a co-advisor of the Allegheny View student newspaper. He can be reached at mvincent@ccac.edu.)
Sauteed Romano-style fish is being browned to perfection by the culinary arts department at its campus wide food showcase on Nov 18 at Allegheny Campus's Jones Hall. (Photo by Malik Vincent/Allegheny View)
CCAC’S STUDENT VOICE
Celebration of Dreams
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Essay Contest
Celebration of Dreams essay contest event. Student Life worked with Learning Center coordinator Ria Buford on an essay contest that was inspired by One Book One Campus’ reading of Randy Pauch’s “The Last Lecture.” 20 essays were submitted and students were invited to read their essays on the November 9 at the Celebration of Dreams event. Student Life staff Malik Vincent, Lyndsey Kuzak, and Dr. Penny Bloom judged the essays based on statement positions, tone of writing, organization, sentence structure, and punctuation. Three winners were selected and were awarded gift cards: 1st place, Portia Carmichaels with $250, 2nd place, Samantha May, with $200, and Julie Luu, with $150.
1st place Portia Carmichaels $250 Gift Card
2nd place Samantha May $200 Gift Card
3rd place Julie Luu $150 Gift Card
Portia Carmichael, 1st Place Winner Dreams I’ve always been an avid reader. Reading any and everything I could get my hands on; cereal boxes, t.v. guides, and no book in the library was safe. I realized at a young age that authors write books because they have something important to say and the people who pick them up to read them are people who listen. I understood that with the written word one can express ideas, exchange thoughts, and share experiences with the reader. These intimate connections open up brand new points of view, expanding one’s mind. The more I read, the more I began to appreciate the power and authority of written words. Truly the pen is mightier than the sword. I desired a taste for myself. I wanted to wield a powerful weapon between my figures. I dreamed for a story that would touch people’s hearts and open their opinions. Yet, on the course to accomplishing one’s dreams, some things happen unexpectedly, but all things happen for a reason. I received my first journal when I was thirteen; a gift from the Salvation Army. I don’t much remember any other gifts that year. Once I laid my eyes on the teal, bluebook with pink, orange, and purple goldfish trimmed in gold that gleamed in my hands, nothing else mattered. I found an ink pen and ran off to my room. I stared at the open book, both intimidated and in awe of the blank page. What do I write? The possibilities are endless. A blank page is a world of its own and I, the pen bearer, am the creator. I carried that journal around everywhere. In it, my thoughts were collected into mini poetry-like stories. The beginnings for me into prose poetry. I let my parents read a few of my poems. Their reactions thrilled me. Especially those from my mom. My parents took my feelings from the paper, read them and by default, listened to me. From that moment forward; me, the pen, and the page were a perfect trinity. By age 18, I’d written hundreds of poems. True to form, as I got older, real life happened and it was the only thing strong enough to separate me from the page. I’ve been to college and out of college. I’ve had children. In other words, I became an adult. The more I didn’t pick up my pen, the further we got away from each other. Once or twice a year we would reunite when inspiration struck me so hard, it was either write or explode. In the years between 18 and 30, I only wrote sparingly; a poem for a friend or a small collection for a mother’s day gift. Occasionally, I would visit an open mic night. Sometimes to perform, sometimes not. I just wanted to be around spoken words and people who wrote them. Later at the age 33, I entered a talent show that changed my life, my way of thinking, and placed me back on the journey I began 20 years ago as a teenager. While employed at Rivers Casino, I entered their employee talent show. I can’t sing. I can’t dance, but I can write. I recited “Reset”, a poem I wrote several years before. I was unsure if it would be well received by the crowd and judges; considering all the real talent that graced the stage. Then they called my name. I won first place. The audience listened and they liked it. My soul back flipped in my body, my heart jumped to the stars. The next year I won third place in the same talent show, reading a different poem. That was all the fuel I needed to reignite the passion of writing within me. My transition from poetry to short stories amazed me. Short stories gave me practice in the art of storytelling. Although I wanted to, I didn’t feel there was a book inside of me yet or that I had the skill to write it. Little did I know, my dream was around the corner, disguised as an unfortunate event. There comes a time in most of our lives when we must do something we never thought we would do. After having three kids, I lost not one, but two. Making that decision myself, didn’t lessen the pain or difficulty. The guilt that came, went nowhere. I sat long and hard with myself. Then through the guilt and depression, a nugget of inspiration broke through. My hard place gave birth to a diamond idea for a book, but I had no idea how to write something full length. This is where the steps of accomplish my lifelong dream to write begins. I bought countless books on how to write; such as “The Constant Art of Being a Writer” By N.M. Kelby and ‘Breathing life into Your Characters” by Rachel Ballor. I Checked out many more from the library and read them all. I studied other authors and carry close to my heart quotes and tips that have helped them become successful. I enjoy writing short stories to practice characterization and how to unfold a story properly. I enrolled at CCAC, majoring in Liberal Arts/ Creative Writing, to learn how to shape my craft. Most importantly, I write every day; advancing my book, short stories or poetry. No matter what, my pen meets paper daily. My dream is to write about meaningful experiences from my heart that connect to meaningful experiences of another‘s heart. To have that heart read what I wrote and listen to what I have to say. A dream deferred…no, mission accomplished.
Continued on Pg 8
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ALLEGHENY VIEW novemBER 2016 Samantha May, 2nd Place Winner It’s a boy! I don’t quite remember my birth, but I can imagine people saying it as I was introduced to the world. Despite this seeming so incredibly obvious to anybody in attendance who could see my male shaped genitalia, it was incorrect. I identify as women, and I am in the process of transitioning from a male body to a female one. It took me a while to realize and accept my gender identity. Despite some obvious childhood signs, such as my desire to cross-dress, it wasn’t until my senior year of high school to recognize I identify as a women. I was reading an article for my religion class on masculinity, and I felt completely detached from every word written. My detachment caused me to realize my identity. Throughout the following weeks, I began to play more female characters in video games and listen to more female artists. This helped, but it was still an impossible idea for me to accept. I couldn’t imagine coming out to anyone, even close friends I knew would support me. I remember being in the car with my family over Christmas break, driving downtown, with my thoughts consumed over whether or not I was a girl. Unfortunately, this anxiety led to inaction on my part. Because of my fear, I buried my feelings, hoping that it was all a mistake. It took less than a year for me to be forced to confront my identity again, in much worse circumstance. I was in college, and I was incredibly depressed. I was at a point that I wanted to kill myself. On one bus ride home, I was thinking if there was anything I could do that could possibly make me happy. Anything at all. And I thought about cross-dressing publicly. Maybe If I was more open with myself, I would become happier as a result. As much as I knew this would be difficult, I knew I had to if I wanted to live. And as I was thinking about it, and envisioning what I wanted, I realize that I wouldn’t want to stop with cross-dressing. I needed to fully transition to become a woman. The first part of transitioning was coming out. Even after I was sure of my identity, and sure there were people who wouldn’t judge me for it, coming out was still seemed like an impossible task to complete. I had already told my mom and oldest brother, James, that there was something specific I needed to get off my chest, but I couldn’t bring myself to say what it was. My mon knew I wasn’t going to be comfortable telling her, so she “encouraged” James to talk to me. It was after Thanksgiving. We had gotten back from visiting family in New York, and our father invited us to his apartment for a second Thanksgiving dinner. We had to go through the Squirrel Hill tunnels, and traffic was heavy that night. He was gently prodding me, saying that the traffic was a great opportunity to talk. I accepted that if I couldn’t tell him then, I could never work up the courage to tell anyone. My hands started shaking. I looked out the window, trying to turn my thoughts into words. Eventually, I just decided to do it. I looked at him and just said, “I’m transgender.” He took it very calmly, and we talked very generally about what I wanted. As we got out of the car, I hugged him before realizing what I was doing. Throughout the next few months, I came out to my closest friends and family, and then eventually publicly. Most people now know me as Samantha, though I haven’t come out at work yet. I began therapy in May, followed by Hormone Replacement Therapy on August 16th, 2016 Hormones have been amazing. My mind had felt so much clearer, and I have felt more confident beginning other aspects of my transition. On October 15th, I began laser hair removal surgery for my facial hair. I asked all of my teachers to call me Sam. Moving forward, I hope to always present as female. This will be done by wearing more female clothes, legally changing my name to Samantha, training my voice to sound more feminine, and continuing with HRT and laser hair surgery. By the start for next fall I plan to start four year college again. At that time I hope to be presenting as female full-time. This is the most excited I’ve ever felt about my future. It is hard to truly explain something like gender dysphoria to somebody who’s never experienced it, and it is harder to fully articulate why one fells they need to transition. If I had not contemplated suicide, I may not have thought about transitioning. But my current body was why I needed to transition. It may sound petty to say the way I looked was the major cause in my depression, but it is true. Now that I am transitioning, and achieving this dream, I am no longer depressed. Even if most people can’t understand why, this is the best decision I’ve ever made.
Julie Luu, 3rd Place Winner Everyone Matters I have played violin for 8 years. I love playing and listening to music. Whenever I am stressed and need to express my feelings in a different way, I go to my violin. Being in the school orchestra made me into who I am today. Even though I am not a violinist in Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, I learned even the smallest things in life has a purpose. I was so shy, and was so nervous about everything. I wanted to be normal kid. I had overprotective mother, so I could not do any after school activity. However, there was one in school activity, and it was orchestra. Even though, the concerts would be after school, I was able to convince my mom to let me join. I like music, but I never expected to make music. I was in the fourth grade when I joined the orchestra. On the first day of practice, I was so nervous that my stomach was churning. I had met the orchestra teacher, Mrs. Endler, she was a kind, motherly figure. She was probably in the early 30s, and had a soft voice. She assured that everything will be alright. However, I never played an instrument, nor even read a piece of music, so I had every reason to be nervous. The next practice came, and this time she taught us how to read music. It was so hard. The memorization of which note is which, and where every music note is located on the instrument was difficult. Yet she was very patient, and took time teaching us. Eventually I got that hang of it, but was still so nervous. Every time we play a song for practice, I would play so quiet so she, or anyone around me, would not her the mistakes. One day Mrs. Endler caught me, while we were playing with one of our pieces. She pulled me aside and told me that practice makes perfect. We, the student, have to work together. Everyone to push even harder. I learned that he was so strict, because he wanted his students to succeed and not mess up in front of the audience. If he caught me playing quietly to myself and not with the group, he would tell everyone to stop playing, and would tell me to play out loud for everyone to hear. He said everybody has a reason to play. Does not matter how small or big your part was, you were still very important. I was so sad at my last senior concert. Being in the orchestra was like being in my own little family. I grew with these people. At the end of the concert, Mr. Crone awarded me with outstanding and most improved member in the orchestra. I was so surprised and shocked. I would have never though he would do that, but he told me that I deserved it, I worked hard work even harder when there was criticism. I never tried to pursue my dream to be in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra because I just wanted to go follow my othe dream, which is to be a pharmacist. However, I do not regret being in the orchestra for eight years of my life. If it was not for Mrs. Endler and Mr. Crone, I would not be who I am today. They helped me learned that you have to work hard to get where you want to be, and does not matter how small or big it could be, you are still very important.
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