STATUS
August 2020 | Issue 01
Welcome Back! Pg. 3
Diving Deep
Pg. 4
Introducing the S.A. Team
Pg. 7
Arctic Delusions
Pg. 8
Two Graves
Pg. 11
Pursue Faithfulness
A Letter from Your Editor
Diving Deep
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Imagine you’re a deep sea diver.
You suit up and jump into the thrashing waves of the mysterious ocean. At first, there’s the things that your familiar with: tuna, angel fish, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, and whales. Some creatures amaze you while others terrify you, and the deeper you go, the more you see. At first there’s color and shape, but then there’s darkness and confusion. The pressure you feel as you dive deeper and deeper and the gauge on your oxygen tank let you know that it’s time to return to the surface, so you swim back up to your boat while silently planning your next exploratory dive into the depths of the sea. As we begin a new school year, we will be diving into new and unchartered waters of learning what our new normal will be as a school and as a society. Don’t let the challenges of fear and frustration drag you down. Discover the amazing mysteries that have yet to be fully explained or even solved and see the bigger and better picture of God’s wondrous creation. Throughout this year, I will be threading the ocean theme throughout the Status issues as a way to remind you that no matter what challenges we face, God will always be there to help us find beauty in the darkness and purpose in the mystery.
By Aletia Thornton
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Introducing the S.A. Team
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Arctic Delusion By Christian Gonzalez
A lone penguin Stops amidst in his tracks Leaving his friends behind So that he may ponder To go left- colonization To go right- familiarity But to go straight- the unknown He ponders What delusion is this? Who is this Napoleon Bonaparte? Has he gone deranged? Disoriented? Mad? Or is he simply, a dreamer Wanting to know what is beyond the horizon? There are no more polar bears with Coca-Colas, There is no Santa Claus Behind those mountains There is only inevitable death But he does not know that He simply trots along Up to those mountains Where eternity awaits him Freedom from his life
THIS POEM WON 1ST PLACE IN POETRY CATEGORY OF THE SWAU 2020 CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST.
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Two Graves
By Darren Joseph If there’s one thing in life that I’ve found to be true, it’s that you can learn in one of two ways: either by making your own mistakes or by watching someone else make theirs. You can put your hand on the hot stove, or you can bear witness to the pain it causes another person. That being said, I’ll never forget the day I chose to put my hand on the metaphorical stove. That was the day I learned the number one rule of revenge. No one could’ve told me anything that day. “I’m the man!” a six-year-old me thought as I walked outside the Dollar General wearing a fresh pair of plastic yellow sunglasses. I was too happy, but I couldn’t help it. It was one of those rare moments when harassing my mom in the store didn’t result in a silent but stifling tirade of a Caribbean women’s tongue. I can’t remember why I decided to take the risk that day. Maybe it was because they were my favorite color, or maybe that unmistakable summertime vibe had me feeling bold. Regardless, my day couldn’t have been any better. That was the thought I had on the ride back home. There was always something enchanting about the street leading into my neighborhood. Going down Telegraph Road always felt like entering a portal to another dimension. Even as I reflect on it now, I can’t help but feel warm inside, almost like a literal ride down memory lane. The large trees on both sides of the pavement blocked the sun’s rays from the road, just barely letting through staffs of light slimmer than the street itself, which could narrowly fit two cars side by side. That day the feeling was made even greater by the darkened view through my tinted shades. Right in the middle of the road was a large dip that my brother and I called Godzilla because riding downhill on our bikes felt like beaming down the back of a tailed behemoth. We would do so while playing a dangerous game of dodging oncoming traffic. Sometimes we’d get stuck in the bottom because we didn’t have the strength to pedal back uphill. As the car came over the other side of Godzilla, we cruised a few blocks further down the road until our home was in view. When we pulled into the driveway, I noticed a car that wasn’t normally there. It belonged to my uncle who rarely ever visits.
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“Mom!” I yelled from the back seat, “What’s Uncle Tut doing here?” She parked the car and turned her head towards me. “He’s helping your dad fix the garage door. Meme and Jahmarley are inside.” Hearing those words was the one thing that could top my mom buying me a worthless accessory from the store. My whole body rang with excitement. “My cousins are here!” I screamed while jumping out of the car. My mom sucked her lips as I slammed the door and made a bee-line straight for the red brick stairs leading to the front of the house. To the right of me was my father and uncle handling power tools and working on the garage. “Hi, Uncle Tut,” I said as I rushed inside. “Yo, what up DJ!’ was the response that I faintly heard as I bolted through the green-tiled hallway into the kitchen. I opened the door to the den, which was my dad’s unfinished man-cave project, and saw Me-me and Jahmarley laying on carpet playing with my WWE action figures. Jahmarley was a shorter kid that leaned on the chubby side and had an infectious giggle that made it hard not to crack a smile. His older sister Me-me was taller than both of us and much louder too. We embraced each other tightly, rocking back and forth until we fell over with a thud loud enough to be heard throughout the house. Immediately I could hear the sound of my mother's footsteps stomping down the hallway and into the kitchen. She stopped in the door frame and looked directly at me with eyes that said, “If you think I won’t beat you in front of your cousins, think again.” Each of us sat completely still on the floor. “If y’all are gonna play rough, then do it outside!” she said with a stern look on her face. I turned to my cousins and asked if they wanted to play tag in the backyard. They both agreed and we headed out the glass sliding door onto the deck. The deck had two distinct portions, an upper level connected to the house and a slightly lower level with stairs leading to the grass. My dad had built it with a few friends when I was much younger. It hadn’t aged well, as its burgundy floorboards had become faded and warped over time. Many of the railing’s balusters were either loose, broken, or just straight missing. The wood creaked beneath our feet as we ran for the grass. The backyard was very spacious, but far from picture perfect. There were all sorts of depressions in the ground and holes left by gophers, not to mention how unkempt it was compared to the front yard. Those were all sort of weeds and even poison ivy in some areas closer to the “forest.” We decided not to play too close to that area and that the zone would be from the edge of the forest to the backside of the house. No safe zones. We decided that Jahmarley would be “it” first because he was the youngest. As soon as we declared Jahmarley “it,” he lunged his arm out towards me, but I didn’t expect him to do what he did. He grabbed my shades right off my face. He put them on and took off. I was upset. “Give me back my shades!” I yelled. He turned to taunt me. “Come and get ‘em,” he said in a teasing manner. I did just that. I chased him all around the backyard.
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Neither of us were playing the game anymore. I had several chances to tag Me-me, but she wasn’t important. Both of us were in the front yard far beyond the established zone. I couldn’t catch up with him and that made me even more upset. I couldn't figure out how the fat kid was out-running me. At that moment I realized that he couldn't outrun my arm and that I didn't have to catch him, but just corner him instead. I stopped my pursuit and picked up the largest rock I could find. I grabbed a heavy stone from under the deck and cornered my burnt-out cousin with his back against the paneling of the house. I held the stone tight, my grip filled with resentment. With no hesitation, I threw the rock straight for his head. I threw the rock harder than Ash Ketchum throwing a poke ball at a legendary Pokémon, harder than Joe Montana throwing the football to Dwight Clark in 1982, harder than David throwing his sling at Goliath. The resentment in my heart quickly turned into a deep regret. He moved at the last second and right behind, now lying flat and motionless was his older sister. I was right on target. She bled from her forehead and down her face. Her cries came at a delay like the sound of thunder during a storm. It was in contrast to my punishment that came swiftly. My dad and uncle came around the corner. As my uncle tended to his daughter, my father gave me a whoopin’ I can feel to this day. With tears in my eyes I watched as my cousins left and my uncle’s car disappeared down the back of Godzilla. That day I learned a valuable lesson. Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. -Confucius.
This story won 1st place in Short Story Category of the SWAU 2020 Creative Writing Contest.
Pursue Faithfulness
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By Eliel Coming to Southwestern has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I remember the excitement I had when I first arrived at this campus. My thoughts were mostly filled with dreams, goals, and hopes for success. However, reaching Step 7 even during registration, woke me up to the reality of life as a college student. All my savings were gone on the very first day I stepped on campus. Attending classes, completing assignments, and working hard in the cafeteria became my new lifestyle for a whole year. I would only see 30 percent of my earnings, while the rest would go straight into paying for my school bill. I did not have enough money to pay for my car insurance, gas, and personal expenses. I had to become an artist to keep my relationship alive, because I could not even afford a cheap restaurant. But despite my economical struggles, I decided to be faithful to God, and continue to return my tithes and offerings to Him. One day, I wanted to send $50 to my mom in Cuba. I spent an entire night thinking about how I could make that happen. Soon I realized that my desire to helping my mom was impossible for me. However, I knew it was possible for God. Therefore, I prayed and asked God for a miracle. I told Him that sending money to my mom was out of my hands, but not out of His. It was about six o’ clock in the morning, and as soon as I finished praying, my cousin from Florida called me. He asked me to check my bank account to see if I had received the $200 that he’d transferred to me the day before. With a joyful heart, I checked my account, and there it was: $200! After calling and thanking my cousin, I knelt down to pray once again, but this time, I knelt to thank God for answering my prayer even before I had prayed it. God has promised to be faithful to those who are faithful to Him. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “ Therefore, know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” When I honored God by returning my tithes and offerings, I was blessed to see how God returned my faithfulness by helping me financially in my family’s time of need. He is so merciful and good to us. He was faithful to be there for me when I needed Him most; and He will be there for you too. All He asks, is that we are faithful to Him and that we keep His commandments. As this new school year begins, challenging times might be waiting ahead as your companions. There might be moments when you’ll want to question God’s faithfulness, moments where it looks like you are left alone, and no one is by your side. However, the Bible declares that God will always be with those who love Him and keep His commandments. That is why, no matter what you might face throughout this year, I want to encourage you to pursue faithfulness to God. When it feels like giving up on God, still be faithful to Him. Sometimes He will answer right away. Sometimes He might take longer than you expect. However, He will always be faithful to you; because His faithfulness is everlasting with those who are faithful to Him.