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  Authors Note: To begin, I would like to offer my opinion on this story. While I was confused initially by the organization, I realized it was part of the stories plan, one that William Faulkner explored and employed in order to add a shock factor to the overall shocking and gloomy story. I highly recommend reading the story and taking the time to re-read and understand Faulkner's writing. Enjoy! 

         In the cabinet that stands tall in my grandmother dining room there sits a cake topper. It has been there since before I was a thought. A young woman in a white gown with lace around her shoulders, in-front of an alter deigned in a hear shape with white and lilac flowers surrounding her feet with just a tad too much lace for my personal taste. This cake topper came from my aunts Quinceanera, or her fifteenth birthday party, a party that represents a promise to her family and faith. For me, this cake topper represents an event I wanted, resented, and never had. To understand my story, and stories similar, I need to explain a Quinceanera. The word Quinceanera incorporates the word Quince, which is fifteen in Spanish. In many Latin countries it is custom for a girl to celebrate her fifteenth birthday as passage of becoming a young woman and signifying her faith will remain strong her entire life. The faith, usually being Christianity or Catholic, incorpora...

  El Paso weather has been something else for the past few days. It was hotter than even I, an El Paso native, could handle and suddenly there is snow and rain all over the city. But that's El Paso for you, it has some of the craziest weather I've ever seen. The weather is just one part of El Paso however.  Roaring with excitement, filled with talented individuals ranging from all ages, El Paso holds many gifted people within its borders .  While some may never get the chance to  pack their bags ,  seek ing  out their dreams, others luckily find their way outside of the surrounding Franklin Mountains. Part of thes e lucky few include a triad of siblings, The Johnson Trio, of which  consists of  two brothers and a sister   that sing, perform, and create   art of all mediums and genres  for the country to enjoy.   The Johnson Trio. Photo Courtesy: brandonbaileyjohnson.com The three siblings include Brandon, Chance, and Shelb...

Warning: There are mentions of bullying, harassments, and mental illnesses including depression. There are also reports of suicidal thoughts and actions. Please avoid reading if these could affect you and please seek help if you feel anything close to this. Numbers will be listed at the end of this report. This essay, produced as a report, presented a topic close to my heart. As a member of the LGBT+ community, I find it essential to fight for the rights of those who have been marginalized, terrorized, and erased from the world. Transgender individuals are faced with constant harassments from family, friends, the world for identifying as their true gender rather than the gender they were assigned at birth. My report focused on transgender teens, perhaps one of the most vulnerable groups of trans individuals. There are an estimated 1.4 million adults (Deschamps & Singer) nationally that present as trans [gender]. That number is roughly adults. Which mean there could be even more tee...

                  Strawberry                 Reading strongly impacted my life from a young age. I began learning to read at around age  four, not to declare that I u nderstood and analyzed what I read , but it began  sparked  my journey and hunger for literature in almost every form. This journey began with my grandfather, or Gramps as I called him. He encouraged me to continue reading even after I felt discouraged for reading a word wrong or not being able to pronounce a word .  I thank Gramps for many  precious gifts , such as the house I live in, the food I enjoy, and  most significant of all, my ability to comprehend and understand words on paper.                                           A mural from the Barrio Gramps grew up.          ...