Six weeks. That’s how long I laid in agony. I waited for six weeks as my doctor tried one thing after another, before finally prescribing adequate pain medication for my previously diagnosed juvenile arthritis. He was following protocol, of course, but lying in bed for six weeks as I was denied the pain relief I desperately craved, makes protocol a poor excuse for waiting. Had he prescribed them sooner, I would not have spent those many weeks in pain. However, that was not the “appropriate” way to handle the situation.

My first semester of college was a life changing experience; not only did I grow and mature as a person, but I witnessed a good friend of mine, Michael, destroy his life with drug abuse. Michael’s drug of choice was Xanax, a prescription pill categorized as a central nervous system depressant that serves to slow down normal brain function, and is prescribed to patients with anxiety and sleep disorders.  Although he began experimenting with prescription drugs in high school, it was not until college that he began regularly using pharmaceuticals and forming an addiction.

One would believe that bulging bellies and tenacious toddlers are rarely seen in a suburban, predominately middle class high school setting. However, from my first year of high school through the summer following my graduation, I saw countless childbearing contemporaries and had many pregnancy troubled friends. Some of my fretful peers exemplified the racy, risk-taking stereotype of sexually active teens. Others were relatively careful, and still others were the reason for the “it only takes once” cliché. A friend of mine, Tiffany, came dangerously close to illustrating the cliché.

Scientists have been trying to create synthetic life, life created in lab, for many years. The first breakthrough in this process happened about thirty years ago when genetic engineers began to genetically modify organisms (Savulescu). These engineers physically move genes across species in order to improve an organism or to cause an organism to function differently. Even though this process sounds as if it happens only in fantasy games, genetically modified organisms are common.

[Murray] ”Yes even, he's gay!” [Dionne] “He does like to shop, Cher. And the boy can dress.”

—Clueless [The Movie, 1995]

When Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys was seen screaming at his doctors during a football game this season, it marked a crucial moment in the NFL’s conflict with concussions. Witten was upset that his doctors would not allow him back onto the field after he seemed woozy from a big hit by a defender. This event showed the changing mentality of the league towards serious head injuries. Demaurice Smith, the Executive Director of the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association), stated that his number one priority is the safety of NFL players (Smith’s testimony).

Although recycling programs in the United States have become a key component in waste management, recycling programs are in fact one the most costly methods of waste disposal.

My highly anticipated senior year of high school had begun, which meant the confusing, dreaded college application process had begun along with it. I had already researched many potential universities and colleges and finally decided to which schools I was going to apply. However, I was just beginning to thoroughly read the actual applications. I came to realize that each of the different schools asked its prospective students unique essay questions.

When it comes to the topic of hiring for vacant positions in a company, most of us will readily agree that employers look for someone who is responsible, reliable, and gets their work done. Agreement ends, however, regarding the question of whether or not employers can use social networking sites to determine if an applicant is good for the company or not.

Under a darkened sky, raindrops drew trails across my skin and onto the concrete pavement as I walked towards the entrance of a large building resembling a school. The words Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF) were emblazoned across the face of the building. As part of my honors seminar assignment, my class visited this facility to physically see what we were learning about in class. I was quite surprised about the tour; this facility looked nothing like what I had expected --- dull, gray cells and dirty walls and floors. Inside, I walked along wide, clean hallways.