An Anxious Excitement

As we prepare to jump into the meat of helping LAMP this semester, a lot of thoughts flood my mind. I am very eager to help LAMP as I have a strong love for learning and believe very much in their initiative. After Rachel’s presentation in class, I am also very excited to work with her. Her enthusiasm is very contagious and I cannot wait to be a part of something she is working toward. However, I am also very cautious about how this will play out. All of the ideas our group has thrown around to help LAMP keeps circling in my head, and I know we will only be able to focus on one. Will we even have any impact at all? I know we started this with the idea that we might not be of any help in the end, but I am very much looking forward to being of some service. The thought that we might not benefit them just terrifies me. By the end of the class that is all I hope to accomplish – making a positive change for LAMP. If we achieve that, I will be satisfied. All of these thoughts running through my head will be put to ease. 

Our Write to Sing

Sometimes it seems learning to write is a waste of time – that it will never be useful. But writing can make all the difference in the world. It can be powerful, even to change the way people think.  

It was senior year. My choir congregated early one morning, anxious for our state-wide journey to the University of Wyoming. We were nominated to sing for Basix, a world-famous a cappella group, at the university. This was an opportunity of a life-time! But something stood in our way: closed roads. Even if they opened, our principal threatened to call off the trip. We had every right to go. We earned it! So we started to plan. Some hopped on computers and researched road conditions, while others helped me write. We were determined to produce evidence that proved alternative routes to ensure our safety. We also argued the importance of the trip and what it took to be nominated.  The document was professional, with legal language and cited sources. Full routes were included with state statistics on crash percentages, risk factors, and estimated travel times. Attached were recent photos of the conditions and maps of the planned routes. Long lists of expenses and time that went into vocal competitions were also included and explained in detail. Time was running out, but luck was on our side. We printed the documents and rushed to the principal’s office – pride in our steps. Would this hard work pay off? What was our plan if this attempt failed? Parents carpooling us down? There were too many of us for that! Only time would tell - a fistful of minutes maybe, but it felt like an eternity.

Sitting on a bus for eight hours never felt so rewarding. We did it! We convinced the principal to let us journey on our route – no closed roads included. He analyzed our work and was impressed. He cautioned that we might not make it. He warned of the possibility getting stuck along the way. But he let us go! Roads were crummy and dangerous, but those were just temporary circumstances. We sang like never before. Unforgettable experiences transpired and character heightened. Voices were strengthened. Ruined plans were avoided and the risk was worth it. Would I do it again? Absolutely. I realized the influence I have, the power in me to change a mind. The power of writing.