the taco bell

I crossed the last box on my checklist: join the right clubs. But, what does that really mean? How do I know what's right? What do colleges really want? Does the number of clubs I do even matter? These questions never leave my head. In fact, society makes it seem like you're behind if you don't follow the "magic" rules of taking every AP class, joining every club, doing research, joining a lab, etc. If you haven't been doing this, it feels like you're way behind. Even though you really aren't. I started to spiral through my own thoughts and what society has made seem "normal" these days. Whether it was the pressure of trying to be like everyone else or fit into a checklist titled "how to be successful," I started to loose what actually mattered to me. That's when we were assigned to read Nicole Dennis-Benn's story "Swimmer." The main character in the story wasn't just trying not to drown but was also trying to ...

My alarm rang at 6:07am. Which was earlier than I had wanted but I had someplace to be. Is it as important as the upcoming Spider-Man movie? No. I just had to take care of some kids. So I hauled my half-awake body out of bed and got ready. Skipping breakfast, which is my favorite part of the day, I drove to the kids' house wondering if a cup of coffee could have saved me. Babysitting sounds simple, well until you realize you're taking care of hyperactive kids who want to do everything and anything all at once. The second I walked in, I saw one on the ground painting the floor and the other opening up all the cabinets in the house trying to find every possible sweet treat her tiny fingers could grab. I mean at least they weren't begging me to put on "K-PoP Demon Hunters" for like the 67th time this week.  The problem with kids is that they operate like tiny robots powered up with sugar, zipping around the whole house as they make a mess every step of the way. One s...

     We all know Taco Bell's most famous sauce, the Diablo Sauce. It's that little black packet filled with what they call "next level". The deep red inside feels like fire that won't stop quickly, spreading across your tongue with an intense feeling. It's more than just the flavor, it's the thrill of waiting for the heat, and drinking milk after (the ones that can't handle some spice).That same color, representing anger and intensity, showed up on the Christopher Columbus Monument in Riverside Park when citizens splashed red paint across it. Unfortunately the splash of red wasn't vandalism, it was a form of protest where "protesters dressed in traditional Native American garb and tossed red paint" (UPI Archives). Just like how the Diablo sauce is more than a flavor, it's a warning. The red paint symbolized blood, resistance, and an appeal to recognize the painful part of history people have often ignored. The paint on the monument wa...