Welcome to MindShift!

High Tech Middle North County

December 2018

This semester, our seventh grade students studied strategies for shifting people’s thinking and for disagreeing productively. For the written component of the project, the students crafted narratives aimed at “humanizing” issues they feel strongly about, since storytelling is often more effective than argument alone. This website contains these narratives.

You may use the lists of links on the right to search for a specific student author or for a topic of interest to you. This website is hidden from search engines and is viewable only to those who have the site’s address.

Once you’ve read a narrative, please consider leaving a comment below it so that the author(s) can know the impact of their work. Please keep your comments positive and specific -- for example, something you appreciate about the narrative, or how it has shifted your thinking. No criticism or insults!

We hope you enjoy the writing!

Mike Fishback, 7th grade humanities teacher

Minerva C., Selma E., & Alex S.

Topic: Body shaming

Despite the chipped yellow paint, my window and I had something in common: people just see right through us. I put my hand on my cheek and sighed. After finishing my thoughts, I rolled over and placed my head on the soft, silky pillow that rested on my bed, and I glanced up to the blank ceiling. My eyelids started to get heavy, so I shut them, relieving the tension in my face. I suddenly heard footsteps climbing up the house’s aged stairs, followed by a knock on my door that broke the silence.

“Mia, what do you want?” I was slightly annoyed, but I was careful not to sound annoyed.

“Thanks for the warm welcoming,” she said, starting to walk into my room. “Get ready and meet me at the stairs in five minutes.”

I was going to speak, but she had already taken off, leaving my questions in the dust. I rolled out of the sheets that hugged me close, letting the cool breeze enter my body. Hmm, what will it be today, what will it be? I was staring at my closet filled with colorful items. I reached forward and grabbed my favorite baggy jeans, along with a white T-shirt you could tell I’ve worn a lot.

After I put on my clothes, I walked over to my bathroom mirror and took a long hard look at myself. I did different facial expressions in the mirror and started to laugh; I can never stay serious. I put in my lucky hoop earring and put my brown, soft hair into my favorite scrunchy. I'm ready for Mia's craziness.

I trotted down the staircase, holding onto the stern handrail. While walking to the kitchen, I encountered my well-energized dog, who greeted me with a couple of yoga poses.

“Mia, I’m ready!” I called out, looking around. Suddenly a woman I was not familiar with skipped into the hall and smiled at me. Her freckled face was covered in loads of makeup, making her bright blue eyes sparkle.

“Mia?” I was so confused. “What…?”

After she rolled her eyes, she grabbed my hand and said “Come on!” and led me to the front door. “Yes, it's me! Mia!” she said, doing a spin. “I like your outfit, Cam. Where did you get those clothes?”

This kind of felt like an insult, like no one my size would have decent clothes to wear.

“I made them,” I said.

“Really?” she said, taking me to the car. “All of it?” I know this reaction; I get it a lot. I’m used to it.

“Yes, all of it,” I said in a fake, cheery voice. “Where are we going, anyway?” I heard a clicking, meaning she had locked the car door.

After a few moments of hesitation, she said, “We are going to a modeling interview, hence the reason I'm all dressed up...” As soon as those words reached my ears, I threw my  arms at the door, trying to open it, but after a few moments of fiddling with the handle, I realized that Mia had locked the door.

“DUDE!” I blurted out. “I can’t go to that! Why are we going, anyways? What’s the reason?” Her expression went from a silly and present look to a nervous and scared one.

“I--” She cut off. “I want to be a model.”

I stared at her. “Okay, why am I involved?”

We came to a red light. “I’m nervous, and I need you. Please?” She started to bat her eyes and quiver her lips. “Pretty please, favorite cousin?”

I stared at her and sighed. “Fine, let's go.”

***

We both walked inside the main hall, which led to a couple of large and very well decorated rooms. If you didn't know Mia very well, you couldn't tell that she was nervous. From the outside, she looked so calm and confident, but I know Mia. She was shaking on the inside.

I heard the clicking of heels coming our way. A tall, blonde woman with a tight dress on came over and started talking to Mia. She took a couple of glances my way, and they weren't necessarily the best ones I've ever gotten. All I did was smile at her. After some small talk with Mia -- compliments, laughter, and some hand movements -- she put her hand on Mia's shoulder and started to walk away. I thought Mia would turn around or something, but the lady with the perfect face did. She gave me a death stare from head to toe, like she was scanning me. Out of nowhere I just blurted out, “YEAH! Go, Mia! You're going to do great!!” Now she looked behind her, towards me, and smiled, mouthing, “Thank you.”

I sat down in a black leather chair next to the exit of the building and started to read, trying to ignore the fact that people were staring at me. Man, when is she going to get done?

I looked up from my book and marked my place. The fair maiden... I stuck my tongue out like a dog begging for water. I got out of the soft chair, trying to find someone who would help me.

I finally found someone who got me some water. She was skinny and beautiful, too, like all the rest of the fine women who worked here. Something about this place seemed off, something that made me feel really uncomfortable.

I went back to my comfy little area in the corner and picked up one of the magazines that were so neatly placed on the side table. The first one I grabbed said… “Abercrombie and Fitch? Are you sure?” Not knowing what I got myself into, I started to read.

“Mike Jeffries says he only wants beautiful people in his store, only the cool kids with high self-esteem.” This can't be real, I thought. I kept on reading. “He says he is not afraid to kick oversized women out of his stores.” Is that what people think of others like me? That we don't “deserve” to be in fancy stores like that? Am I a disgrace to society?

***

I am currently in the car listening to Mia go on and on about how much they loved her, and about how much fun it was. At the end of all her boasting, she turned to me and thanked me for coming. I forced my face to make an authentic smile, and then I congratulated her.

We arrived home, and I started walking up the stairs while watching Mia skip into the kitchen and tell my mom all about the modeling thing. I opened my door and listened to the fierce, creaking sound. I walked over to my bed, grabbed my phone out of my bag, and jumped and fell onto my bed, sinking into the squishy wonderland. I picked my phone back up and typed, feeling the rhinestones on the back of my phone case. Mike Jeffries, Abercrombie and Fitch. I wanted to see if this was real.

After some research and a couple of cups of hot cocoa, I found what I needed, and I wasn't very happy. After that day, I've been feeling pretty depressed. No wonder I never go to the mall. My friends and family have been hiding me, hiding me from the real world. Along with all the disturbing articles, I also found an article on diets, and how to lose weight. I found something called the water diet, where you only drink water for three days, and you supposedly will lose weight. I was so desperate to fit in at this point that I wanted to do it.

***

It’s been two days, no food, only water. I’ve been hiding from everyone. Hiding. I’ve been getting out of dinner, saying I had homework and would eat later. Mia has been getting a little nosey lately, but not to the point where comes up to me. Mom hasn’t been suspicious at all, though, mainly because she has been very busy at work. It’s been hard, but I really want this; I don’t want to be judged anymore. I haven’t been moving around the house as easily. I have no energy.

***

I have been feeling extremely light-headed, but I’m almost there. I’ve lost almost seven pounds, but that’s not enough.

Something interrupted my thoughts, footsteps that were followed by a petite voice. “Hey, Cam.” Mia opened my door just a little bit. “Can I come in?”

“Sure, whatever.” I sounded hazy, tired. I stood up and started to look at the birds flying so freely out in the open air through my window. She walked in slowly and stared at me. I knew what she had come in for.

“Cam.” She started to tear up and crumble to the ground. “Cam, please don’t, please.”

“Don’t what?” I managed to get out, choking my tears back.

Her big, blue eyes turned a lighter blue. ”Cam, you know what I’m talking about, please stop,” she was saying to me, but I didn’t listen. I sat back down on my bed. Talking took more energy than it needed to. I lay down, making hot tears slip down my face, to then get sucked into the pillow’s fabric. She read what I was about to say. “I needed to go on your computer for homework, Cam.” She was trying hard not to cry. “And you didn’t close your tabs.”

In that second, tears didn’t matter to me, because instead of being sad, anger appeared. “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” I startled her. “You’re a beautiful, gorgeous woman! Look at me, Mia, look at me! I don’t fit in, people don’t want me!”

She started to cry, even more, making her mascara drip down her cheek.

She started to talk. Though she was very quiet, she was trying to understand.

“Cam, you--you have never felt--felt this way before. Why are you now fe--feeling like this? What happened?”

I started to shake, and I felt extremely light headed. I felt as if I were lost, as if I couldn’t find the right words to say, but I managed to get out, “Abercrombie.” I felt myself getting really hot. My voice started to fade and turned into a whisper tone, but I got out, “And Fitch.” I started to spin, and I felt the floor reach my face.

Interested in learning more? Click here for an informative slideshow!

Hayley S.

Topic: Animal euthanasia

I open my eyes and look at the digital clock. It is 6:37 AM; time to wake up. I slowly take my two front paws and lean forward to get myself up. I immediately sprint to my owner’s bedroom and jump onto her bed. As per usual, I bark and lick her face until she gets out of her bed. As she smiles and pets my soft white fur, I think about how lucky I am to have such an amazing life. My owner’s name is Madison Rose. She named me Snowball, Snowy for short. Madison is 23 years old and I am 7. We live together in an apartment in San Francisco, CA.

Later that day, it looks like Madison is getting ready for a gargantuan event. She tells me she’ll be back in a couple of hours. She pets me with her small hands and leaves me a couple of delectable treats. As she hastily walks out the front door, I bark goodbye, and she promises she’ll be back soon.  

As the clock in the living room is turning and turning, I can tell it has been a couple of hours. I keep going to the front door excitedly every time I hear a noise outside. I start to get very perturbed; whenever Madison says she’ll be back soon, she's always back soon. Madison never lies. I talk myself into believing she’ll be back in the morning, and I go to sleep.

When I wake up the next morning, I hear footsteps walking in, and I get ready to give my delighted greeting to Madison. I dash to the front door, and it is Madison’s brother. Madison is always talking about him and I’ve seen him at family gatherings, so I know the coast is clear. I start wondering if today is another family gathering, maybe Thanksgiving or Halloween, I wonder. Madison’s brother starts sobbing as he weakly turns his head to look at me. He then falls to the floor and softly says, “She isn’t coming back.” He then says to himself, “She’s dead.” At this point, I am so bewildered. I think, what do you mean she isn’t coming back? I wonder what being dead means. I start barking, and I feel my heart fall apart. The next thing I can remember after that is sitting in the back of Madison’s brother’s vehicle. He wipes the tears off his burning face and says, “I’m sorry, I’’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I have never seen someone so agonized.

After what felt like forever, we drive up to a building that spells out the letters, A-N-I-M-A-L S-H-E-L-T-E-R. Madison’s brother picks me up and takes me inside. He tells them that he cannot take care of me anymore. I keep trying to tell him to not leave me, but he won’t listen. I bark so loud that Madison’s brother cannot even talk to the people who work there because he can’t hear his own voice. The next thing I know, Madison's brother is gone, and I am sitting behind a fence in an infinitesimal room.

I am petrified. I am using the one ripped-up blanket to cover my shivering body. I am trying to remain calm; the lady told me in a menacing tone that there would be consequences if I barked. I want to go home so badly. All I want is to have Madison telling me everything's going to be okay. I keep thinking about how yesterday she was petting my soft white fur. That sounds like a fantasy now.

The next morning I get woken up by a tall strange woman. She tells me I’m leaving, and I get so excited. I think to myself, “Finally, I get to go home to Madison!” She puts a hard chain leash on me and eagerly drags me inside the building. It hurts, but my thoughts about seeing Madison outweigh my pain. I get taken into a room where there is some nerve-wracking equipment. The lady in there says, “I hope you had a good life.” I feel my heart speed up, I feel I am having a loss of breath, and my entire body is shaking. I start barking, and barking, and barking, trying to fend for my life. The lady tries to manipulate me into believing everything's alright. She keeps repeating in a soft voice, “Everything’s gonna be alright.” I’m uncontrollably barking, and my body hurts from shaking so violently. The lady picks me up, and I try scratching her as hard as I can. She throws me into a little cage. I sit in the cage seconds before my life is about to be taken away from me, panicking. All of a sudden, I see fumes of gas come out at me from the sides of the cage, and I start shaking even more rapidly. I hear the lady yell, “He’s having a convulsion, it’s working!” This two minutes feels like two years to me. I bark one last time, trying to say, “Tell Madison I’ll miss her,” and I traumatically feel myself stop breathing.

Approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats have their lives stripped away from them in a shelter each year. Snowball was just one of them.

Kendall C.

Topic: Girls' educational opportunities

On a Tuesday, as I woke up from a morning of sleeping in later than I usually do, I smelled the comforting scent of my mother’s cooking. I walked into the kitchen, to see her waiting for me with a basket of dirty laundry.

“Asali, can you go clean those for me? Food will be ready for you once you have finished,” my mother told me without looking up from her cooking.

“Yes, Mother.” I carried the clothing outside and started the day’s work.

My life consists of housework, and only housework. I do the chores, and cook the food, and help out my mother, Badeea. My mother always wished that I could have the life that she was unable to have: get a proper education, a nice job, a right to live the life I want to. But that was unable to happen, and there is nothing that I can do about this, and she blames herself for that. I was once enrolled in primary school, but I had to leave because my family could not afford it, due to the lack of education my mother had. But my story is not that different from many girls who live in my country, because there are 34 million other girls, just like me, not getting the right to live the life they long for. I got used to it, though. I knew this was what my life would be like, and there was nothing I could do about it. I mean, that’s just the way things are around here.

***

My best friend Farhia and I live similar lives. She also does not attend school, and spends most of her days taking care of housework, like all girls are expected to do.. But her family wants it that way. They believe that her role as a female is to clean, get married, and have children, whereas my family would do just about anything to give me the life that I want. Sometimes Farhia and I stay up late at night and fantasize about what our future lives will be like; I want to be a licensed nurse and help people, and she wants to be a writer, and leave this country. It’s nice to think about our lives being like that, but we both know those things will never be a possibility for us.   

***

“Wake up, wake up! You have to get there on time,” my little brother, Hashim, said to me as he woke me up.

“Hashim, I’m not going anywhere. I don’t have to get up this early. It’s only 7 a.m.”

“Did Mom and Dad not tell you? You are going to school!”

I could not believe what he had just told me. Don’t get me wrong, I had dreamt of the day that I could have a real life. But I never thought this could actually happen. As I dug through my drawer of clothing to find my school uniform from many years ago, tears of joy started to stream down my face. The only thing that could make this moment better was if Farhia could be doing this with me, but even though I had prayed that she could get everything that she wants in life, I knew that would not be a possibility for her. It pained me to admit it, but there would be no way; she is forced to live the life that her parents want her to have, the life everyone in this country expects  you to have.

***

As we took the trail to the all-girls school, I saw Farhia outside of her house, hanging up clothing to dry. When she looked up and saw me, in my school uniform, it was clear to me that she was at a loss for words.

“So you are going to school now?” Farhia said in a voice that clearly showed her fake excitement.  

“Yeah, but I wish you could be going with me.”

“Asali, we both know that will never happen. But promise me one thing. Achieve everything that you have ever wanted. It will be hard, but do it for me.”

For the second time this morning I was crying, and not tears of joy this time. I felt guilty. I am one of the lucky ones: I get to go to school, I get to live a real life, unlike Farhia and my mother, and many other girls. But I will keep my promise, no matter how hard it will be, and not only will I be doing this for myself, I’ll be doing this for Farhia.

***

Fifteen  years later...

I kept my promise to Farhia: I achieved everything that I have ever wanted. I’m a licensed nurse, I have a seven-year-old daughter named Gulnar, and I help people. The blessings that I was given were not given to Fariah. We are still friends, but it pains me being around her because it is so clear how miserable she is with her life. She had always dreamt of becoming a writer, and getting out of this country, and she can’t have any of that, just because she is a girl. And the worst part is I know that if she were given the chance to go to school, she would have been so happy.

On Saturday night, I walk into my daughter’s room later than I usually do, and I see the comforting sight of her doing her math homework.

“Mother, can you help me with my math homework? You can go back to what you were doing once I have finished.”

“Yes, honey.” I pick up the pencil, and help her with tonight’s work.

Zoey P.

Topic: Animal spaying

“Mr. Wade, bring your little pup to the back and we’ll check her out!” shouted the vet tech from behind the counter. Mr. Wade held his six-month-old Pit Bull puppy, Cookie, in his arms, and followed the vet tech into the back room. He set her down on the examining table and took a seat. Shortly after, the veterinarian came in and did a quick check over the pup’s record. She nodded and smiled.

“Alrighty! So, it seems that she’s around the age that she should be spayed,” the vet said. Mr. Wade frowned and gazed at his dog. The puppy looked back at him and wagged her tail wildly, letting out a loud bark.

“I don’t think I will. I’ve heard how it changes your dog’s personality. I won’t have it!” He snorted. The vet let out a long sigh.

“Those are misconceptions, sir. If anything, it’ll help Cookie behave better! Make her gentler. Make fewer accidents in your home. And if she has puppies, it’ll just be adding to the many overpopulated dogs on the streets,” the vet countered tiredly.

But Mr. Wade was a stubborn man. He frowned and shook his head. “I think we’re done here,” he said as he picked up his dog.

***

I watch the people’s feet passing by under the bushes. My mother Cookie isn’t back yet. She’s out getting food for us. She left her human a while ago.  

“Olive, how’s Pine?” I bark. My little brother, the runt, is really sick. He can’t get up.  My little Tsister Olive turns to me. Her ears are lowered, and she lets out a whine.

“Bad. I think we should just leave him alone,” she murmurs. I nod and curl up into a ball. I begin wondering about where my mom is at, when a round object falls from the sky and lands right next to me. It’s small and blue: a human toy. I stand up and look to my sister. NO is the last thought I think before a human pup bursts through the bushes after the ball. It scoops up the toy and begins to look away when it notices my limp brother. He drops the toy, and begins to make his way to my brother. In a split second I launch myself at his feet and sink my teeth into him. He gives out a loud cry, which draws the attention of the grown-humans. A female human comes through the bushes and sees us. She calls something to the other humans.

A deep growl rises in my throat. I rush towards my siblings, and stand in front of them. Can I protect them? The answer becomes clear when the female human picks me up and tosses me to the side. This is my last chance. I sprint towards the human again and bite her. I will not let go. Not as long as she’s coming for my brother and sister. She stumbles backwards, and I take this chance to grab Pine by the scruff.

I turn around to find that Olive has already scattered into the bushes. I yank Pine into some underbrush. Thorns lace the branches of the bushes. Humans don’t like thorns. I hide Pine under a pile of leaves.

I turn around and race towards the voices of the humans. I run under their legs and try to escape their grasps. I make it a few paces down the street, when a man comes and grabs me from behind. He has his hand clamped around my muzzle. I stop struggling. He has won. I just pray that he doesn’t find Pine.

***   

Barking. So much barking. It’s all that I can hear. I’ve been trapped in this place for a while now. If Olive hasn’t been caught yet, that’s good. Maybe she’ll take care of Pine. The humans provide a bed, water, and two meals each day. It doesn’t make up for the smell of urine, though. I walk over to my half-full food bowl. It stinks. I put my brown paw over my nose. That’s when I hear a tap, tap, tap coming down the hallway. The sound of footsteps approaching rapidly. A tall human man comes up to the barrier separating me from him. He puts a small object into a hole, and the barrier opens up. I’ve learned not to fight anymore. He reaches down and picks me up. We begin down a long hall, when I catch a whiff of something. Fear. An overwhelming sense of dread flows over me. Something bad is about to happen to me. I begin to wiggle under the tight grip of the man’s paws. The grip only becomes tighter. We make two turns and finally show up at our destination. He opens the door, and we go into a small room. There are more humans in there. They are standing around dressed in white. There are all sorts of human objects lying around. Scary things have happened in this room. The male human sets me down on a cold table. A woman comes over to me with a long pointy-looking object. I close my eyes and let out my best growl. She talks in a soothing voice.

“Stay away,” I snarl. She doesn’t get the point. I try to run off the table, but am caught by another woman’s cold hands. She puts me back on the table. No. I have to make it back to Pine. Please. Don’t hurt me. I let out a long, drawn out whimper. The woman strokes my head all the way down to my tail. It feels. . . nice. This is the first time I’ve felt warmth from a human. I begin to let my guard down and close my eyes. I feel a sharp prick on my hind leg, and a drowsy feeling consumes me. I wanna go home! The fear has faded away into a side thought. All that is there now is a hope that everything will be okay in the end. For me, for the other dogs, and for my family.  

Kelton L.

Topic: Animal testing

In a town called Thneedville in Northern America, there was a lab considered a non-government group, and let’s just say they haven't had a sunny day in over a decade. They were called Test 2024, and they were testing rats. They had the worst things you could think of: tumors all over their bodies and more, and some even had eyes missing. These animals were in cold rooms for very long times. They had about ten tests a week, and if they resisted, the scientists would put them in a room for a week with no food or light. There was one rat who had been there the longest and was blind in both eyes. They called him 05 because that was when he was introduced to the lab.

When we are waiting in these cold rooms for hours a day, some of us are given drugs to help us stay awake because you never know when we need to have testing done; but the thing with these drugs is we get addicted to them. So the outcome is super crazy, and some of us even chew on ourselves and that causes us not to sleep at night. When we get tested on, these people get angry because their serum did not work, and all along it was their fault for giving us the drugs.

One afternoon I was trying to get some sleep, but when they give us these drugs it’s impossible. I felt the footsteps, then the door opened very quietly, and they grasped my body and I was in shock from what had happened. All I felt was a needle pierce my furry body, then a mask being put onto my face as the needle was slowly going deeper into my skin. Finally it snapped. The second that moment happened, my head drifted down to my body, and I was so uncomfortable from the cold, and that was what made me get sick. I was left in this room, and they finally said that we need to get rid of this rat because he has too many diseases and tumors. I was not healthy enough to get the right results, so they said, “Sir, we have a problem”.  The man who is behind all of this came in and examined my body. He saw that I was not looking so great. He cut open my body and took out the needle; I could barely keep my eyes open. He took the serum out of my body and threw it out. Then I was next to a wall trying to get some warmth. I noticed I had an IV in my arm, but I knew there was something wrong because I hadn’t felt warmth in so long. I thought this whole entire time I was in deep sleep, but nope, I was in this place called the reformatory. This is the place you are taken when you no longer are used for testing because you don't have any more life in you. All I had was a cold damp towel, which is very uncomfortable, and I had a muzzle on me so I would not rip out the IV.

It has been a week since I have seen any of my fellow rats, but it feels like yesterday when I was getting needles pinched and squeezed into my skin. It feels like 30 minutes ago when they said they are throwing me out. Right now I'm in a coma from all of these drugs and I don't know when my life will end.

One morning it was about 5:00 a.m. I heard some loud noises coming from the lobby and some voices too. Every lab official who was in here was getting cuffed, and all the animals were very scared. It reminded me of when I was a little rat and it was just me and my mother. They took every test subject that was useless and brought them somewhere unknown. This very moment I knew for a fact that my life was over, but I was wrong. These people were taking away the actual testers who were working here illegally, and they were going away for a long time. These very calm and gentle government officials made sure that every single test subject was out of here before they had left.

So now I live in a nice home with a young man named Quinton. He was part of saving all the test subjects, and he wanted me, the one with the most wounds. He made sure that I had everything I needed to be taken care of. This was what I had dreamed of back in the lab. He gave me hearing aids and sight again; I'm so happy that I have nicest person taking care of me. ne of the rats is even an astronaut who is on the International Space Station right now. All my best friends live with some cool people; another is even on tour with his owner, who is in a famous band, and one more is living with the government officials as their workplace pet. We have the best life we could think of!

Jack M.

Topic: Distracted driving

The following is a script to accompany an animation:

“Not texting while driving is important because let's say that there is a kid in this world right now. Imagine that. Named let’s say Jeff, who is 17. Then imagine that Jeff is on the freeway and decides that they want to text and drive. Which is illegal. Then they get into a wreck. But they are lucky to be alive, because texting is the leading cause of death in car crashes. The police show up. What next…”

Show four links for the four punishments.

Someone yells in the background: “Why does that matter?!”

Then make a face while going miniature.

Jail story

“You chose the jail story. They go to jail for one year and a maximum fine of $10,000. How would that affect the family financially and emotionally? For one, it would drain the family of a lot of money. And Jeff will be in jail, and that’s bad in itself. But when they get out, it might be hard to get a job, or they may not be able to drive, etc. They will be feeling regret and sadness.”

Fine story

“This is the fine story. So let’s say that in the worst case scenario, they get a $500 fine.

Then they have to find a job then work overtime at that job to pay this off. They will be overworked and overtired.”

License suspension story

“This is the license suspension story. Their license can be suspended for 120 days. They have to walk or ride a bike everywhere. They would get around very slowly. They will be feeling frustrated and regretful.”

Rise in auto insurance rate story

“This is the rise in auto insurance rate story. So the insurance raise their rates, which means that the insurance people will make it harder for Jeff to pay. So if it happens again it will be a lot more money. They’re feeling stressed, enraged, and scared.”

“But with the help of an electronic chip in the steering wheel and in your phone that will sense when you have your phone out while driving and will shut it off, you might not get arrested, fined, or killed, and see a rise in your insurance rates.”  

Sophie H. & Ashley N.

Topic: Racial stereotyping

One day I was walking around the beach and I heard this lady yelling. So I look over, and I see this white woman harassing a woman of color. There were also two white kids looking at the awful situation, trying to get the tension lower between the two women. The white woman was expressing herself with various rude cuss words against the woman of color, which caused the woman of color to get extremely mad. So I rapidly sprinted to the older-looking kid, the brother, and asked him what started this.

He said, “The white lady came and started it. She thought we were going to get hurt.”

And then I looked at the sister and said, “I don't like seeing people get hurt.”

The white woman then accused the woman of color of kidnapping the kids This made the sister run into her older brother’s arms and tear up. It seemed that the woman of color was being greatly affected by the offensive words the white woman was using. You could easily notice this based on her facial expressions and the tears running down her face.

Once the white woman got tired of arguing, I went up to the woman of color, who was now hugging the kids, and I said, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?”

The woman said, “Well, I just wanted to take my kids to the beach!”

And in that moment, in my head, I was like, wow, that’s their mom! I felt so bad for them once the woman of color told me that the kids were hers and that the white woman had made false assumptions. So I asked her kindly, “Is there anything you need? Some money? A ride home…?”

And she replied, “Excuse me? Are you assuming that I have no money? No car? How do you think I got my kids and myself here?!”

And in that moment, I realized that I myself was making assumptions about this woman of color! I was assuming she was poor and didn’t have a car to take her kids back home in, just like the white woman earlier had been assuming that she couldn’t have been the mom of two white children.

After I apologized, I got into my car and started to drive home, thinking about what had just happened at the beach. I even started talking to myself about the whole situation: “Why did I even ask that?! She looked like she knew how to take care of her kids.” I abruptly stopped my car at the red light two miles away from my house. “What would have happened if i hadn’t said that…?” Once I got home, I went straight to my room, thinking, “I have never stereotyped people ever in my whole life…” I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. I complained to myself, saying, “What would have happened if I hadn't said anything or done anything?... I don't stereotype people based on their color… Or do I??”

And at that moment, I realized I do stereotype, and once I noticed, I stopped. It felt like the whole world just froze, and I felt every emotion in one, together. I felt horrible about myself for what I did to the woman who, because of me, got stereotyped twice in one day.

Gavin G. & Milan Q.

Topic: Animal abuse at circuses

I woke up to the beautiful trees, the perfect breeze, and the shining sun. Today couldn't be any better because it was my birthday. I walked downstairs to the smell of oatmeal and the sight of presents on the table. Both of my parents were already awake, and they greeted me with a warming hug. After I had breakfast and opened all my gifts, we went to pick up my friend. It was a long car ride to the circus, but even that was a good thing because we got to play on my new Nintendo Switch even longer!

At the circus, it smelled like buttered popcorn. It was crowded, but I didn't care. I loved this place. Almost as soon as we got there, we both had the same idea: the snack bar. One of my presents was fifty bucks to spend at the snack bar. My friend and I kept eating and eating until we got stuffed. I started to feel nauseated. I told my parents we were going to the bathroom, but my friend and I actually went behind the circus tent and let it all out. When we were finished vomiting, we started to head back, and what we saw was practically traumatizing. We saw a guy beating a horse that had just come from the show. My friend and I looked at each other for a second and then glanced back. We yelled at the man to stop and quickly ran towards the animal. The man dropped the whip, and we unstrapped the horse. The animal was free, but it looked like it didn't know what to do, and at that point neither did we. Until finally, the animal ran away.

***

I woke up in a hot sweaty trailer and I could barely breathe, but that's what I'm used to. I've heard of animals dying of dehydration in here, and honestly, I'm surprised I haven't yet. We used to think that getting picked to be in the circus was the highest honor. We would become famous and do amazing things. But it’s all an illusion. None of that is true. I HATE this life. I'm constantly being physically punished with hooks and whips, carried from place to place in these horrible trailers, and I haven't seen my family in years. One mistake causes me so much pain. I wish I could escape, but I have a show to do, and I have no other choice.

The show today was hard, and at one point there was a man standing while I was running. Then, I fell. The crowd went quiet but quickly got louder as the man said he was OK. I was ushered out of the tent into the back.

I was strapped down, and I was ready for the punishment. This time it hurt more than ever, because this time was different: this time I was thinking of my family. This time I was thinking of my old life. This time, this was the last I could take... but then there was shouting. The whipping stopped and my straps were removed. I assumed that I was going to be put in another cage, but that was it. There was nothing. No hands grabbing me, no straps, no cage. I thought I was dead. Then I realized that I wasn't dead. There was still the noise of the leaving crowd and the smell of old popcorn. I wasn't dead, I was free.

I didn't know what to do, so I ran and I ran. There was shouting and screaming, but I didn't care. I kept running. It wasn't long until I realized that it didn't matter how fast I ran. This was the end for me. There wasn't anything I could do; they were going to kill me. So I ran home. I ran to where I was raised because that is where I wanted to die. I smelled the familiar smell of home, the flowers and grass, and the big oak tree off in the distance. So I sat and cried. Then the sound of sirens, and that was it.

Kianna M., Aida N., & Sara R.

Topic: Animal abandonment


I started to see two new people. They looked like a couple. They went over to the golden retrievers and work their way down to the cockapoos and then to my siblings and me. They started to throw treats at me and started talking to me in a weird way. It was hard to understand them, but I just got super excited, and then they walked away. A few minutes later they came back with a person and the person said, “This one.”

After they carried me and put this weird thing on my neck, they put me on the floor and started pulling me. I tried to pull back, but they managed to make me move by using a loud noise like a squeaking noise, and they threw the toy pig into their car.

I got in. They drove and then stopped at another building called Petco. They left again, but this time they left me with water and some food and the window halfway down. I tried to climb out, but I was too short to reach the edge. Then they came back with big bags with food, treats, toys, some bath stuff for cleaning, and a big bed!

They walked out of the car and opened the door. I started to make a run for it. I heard my name being called: “Milo! Heel!” But I kept squirming, trying to break free by whimpering, and then I finally gave up trying, so they walked me inside, where I got cold water.

A week later, I heard my owners, Julie and James, yelling at me to get off the couch, to stop jumping on them, to stop going on the table and stop being “aggressive when being playful.” Another way they tried is by having a person with a loud whistle make me sit, roll over, and stop jumping. I would just lay there because I would be too tired, but I would get yelled at, and when we got home I went on the couch and fell asleep. They kept on trying to pulling me off the couch and started yelling at each other to stop yelling at me.

Then a few days later, Julie left and came back only two times a day.

She had been my favorite owner. I could tell that James did not like me too much. He would be the one to yell at me the most.

James tried to put me in a shelter, because he did not have the time to take care of me.  But I heard him once say I remind him of Julie, so both of them tried trainers again as a last resort, but again I would not listen. I would try this time, like I would roll over and sit, but by the time I got home I would start to jump on my owner, seeing if he wanted to play, but this time I scratched him so hard that he was bleeding on his arm. It was like living in a bad dream I could not wake up from. I wished I could tell him it was an accident, until he said with anger, “I have had it with you!”

I tilted my head with confusion, unsure of what he was talking about. He grabbed me and dumped me into the car, and I heard the engine start up. I barked, trying to ask him, “Where are we going?”

He shouted at me to stop barking, and I replied with a quiet whimper. I could tell he was mad about what I had done.

Suddenly the car jerked to a stop, and I nearly flew out of the seat. I looked out of the window. We had arrived at an old dog park. The owner got out of the car, opened the door where I was, and shoved me out of the car.

I wagged my tail, thinking we were going to play fetch, so he threw one of my favorite toys and I stopped, waiting for one of my favorite words. My owner stopped to think, then replied with, “Go get it, Milo.”

Now that was what I was waiting for, not knowing that I had heard it for the last time.

I ran to get the toy and ran back, but I was too late. He was already in the car and had driven off. I was feeling so many things: confusion, sadness… betrayal. And that was just some of it. Then I realized that I was running after the car. I could not catch up; that thing was fast! I slowed my pace to a walk, wondering where I was. Wow, I was hungry!

I smelled something, something that smelled like... CHICKEN! I ran to the source of that wonderful smell. A tall person was eating a chicken sandwich. I did the only thing I could think of: I tilted my head, looked up, and whimpered. The person gave me a look of disgust. How was I supposed to know that he was a cat person? His pants smelled of cats. He pushed me away with his foot softly and said, “Sorry, this is my sandwich.”

I tried one last time, but the person got irritated and kicked me hard on my side. So I gave up and tried other people, yet still I got nothing. Finally someone gave me a pathetic scrap of chicken.

I wagged my tail and gratefully ate it. She patted me softly on the head and left. It was getting late, so I found a spot under a bench. I was restless, but finally I forced myself to sleep. I woke up and still found myself under the bench. I wished this were a dream. I wished I were still on my comfy dog bed. I wish I had food.

Out of the things I miss, most would be my bed.

No… food. I miss that most of all. Or the way my owner scratched me behind the ear. Ugg, I thought he liked me. I put so much trust into him! I still don’t understand. I thought he liked me.

He took care of me. Why didn’t he just give up once he got me? I remember when we first met. He had looked at me and I saw the love in his eyes; he looked like he would never give me up. But yet here I was, under a bench, hoping for something that would probably never happen again. I walked to an alleyway and found some boys playing around. I barked playfully, wagging my tail. They gave me a strange look, and I did not like that look.

Before I could blink, one of them picked me up. He said, “Look at this tiny guy.” He was giving me an innocent look. He looked at the other boys and there was that same strange look again.

The other boy closest to me said, “Let’s play catch!” Then I was thrown at him.

They started throwing me around. It reminded me of one of those ball games my owner played sometimes where they throw a ball into a hoop. Uh-oh, next thing I knew is they threw me into a large trash can. I was paralyzed with shock. There were pieces of glass in there, and it looked like some got into my skin. I ate some roast leftover beef in the trash, trying to not eat glass. When I was sure they were gone, I got out and I felt very weak; I collapsed.

I woke up to the worst day. I had cuts and bruises, I was out in the streets miles away from my home, and I didn't have any food, water, or bags of treats for me. I tried to get up, but with the pain that I was feeling, I couldn’t stand up.

I was hungry, so I got up weak, tired, and hungry. I was walking slowly down the road side. I looked up to see no one helping me, just people trying to look away. I was so thin that I could see my rib cage. There I had ticks all over me, and fleas. I felt like I wasn't going to be able to survive to see tomorrow. When I was walking down the road, passing a park where there were kids and parents, I stopped by a tree, where I sat down in the shade. Kids came to see me, and I looked up to find the kids holding rocks. I knew right away, but it was to late…

They threw rocks at me, laughing, and ignoring the fact that I had my rib cage showing. Then one of them took things too far and threw the rock very hard at my leg. There was a sickening “CRACK”. They stopped. Some were surprised, while others were scared. Some of them were crying and ran to their parents. Others gave me a sorry look, and the one who threw a rock at my leg was in shock. My bones must have gotten weaker over time because of no food and fresh water. One of the kids came rushing, with their parents worried and shocked, They called the vet. then I fainted.

I woke up another day, inside a small room, with a bed and food and water.

I had a white thing on my leg, but I looked at the food and water and I rushed over there with the thing in my leg holding me back. I finished both the food and the water. I was wondering where I was. I started to panic, barking loudly, and then I heard a bark next to me, then another, and another. I thought to myself, “Where am I?”

Then people came inside and started walking to the hallway where the dogs were barking. I tried to back away, but there was that thing on my leg holding me back. I felt the pain rushing into my whole leg. They knew I was scared, so they tried calmly walking towards me, but I take a long time for trust. After all, I had my owner abandon me. They looked at my collar and tried my name: Milo.

I stared at them with a scared look in my eyes. They tried to pet me, but I scooted back more. They were persistent: “It’s okay, Milo, you are safe now. You’re safe with us.”

Safe? I was trapped by these strange smelly people. How was this safe? After all this, how could I trust anyone? I had to try; I would give them one more chance, just one. I got up and tried to see if she would be nice. She let out her hand, and then I licked her hand.

And she smiled.

Don’t leave your pets just because they have behavior problems. Instead, get trainers or teach them on your own. If you are moving and can’t bring pets, just give yours to a friend or a family member who can keep your pet safe.

Imagine if you were dropped off in a park by your loved ones. How would you feel? Left with no food, water, or shelter. How would you survive?

How would you feel if you were left with no one to look after you or want to help you, abandoned by the person you love most? How would you feel…?