2021

The high school literary and arts magazine of Wayland Baptist University

sparks

Faculty Judging Committee:

Dr. Karen Beth StrovasDr. Erin Heath

Dr. Joshua Mora

Editors:

Dr. Karen Beth StrovasDr. Erin Heath

Dr. Joshua Mora

Cover Credit:“Árbol de naranjas” by Susana Hernández

© Wayland Baptist University, 2021

2021

The high school literary and arts magazine of Wayland Baptist University

sparks

4

Table of ContentsSHORT FICTION

The Little Monsters Within Us ~ Jalon Thomason, Class of 2021, Spur High..............................11

Abducted ~ Emily Daza, Class of 2021, Spur High......................18Nine Years After the Lockdown ~

Eowyn Thornhill, 9th, Plainview High.......................................26

PERSONAL ESSAY / ENSAYO PERSONALUn día memorable ~ Ana Flores, 11th, Plainview High................8Todo en mí ~ Anonymous, 11th, Plainview High........................20Porqué estudio español ~ Rufino Juárez, 11th, Plainview High....24

POETRYThe Farewell ~ Addmyra Robles, 9th, Plainview High..................7Colors ~ Addmyra Robles, 9th, Plainview High............................14When Oceans Collide ~ Ravaya Kuenstler, 11th, Spur High........22

SONG LYRICSLa dueña de mi corazón ~ Rufino Juárez, 11th, Plainview High...17

ARTThe Final Defeat ~ Eowyn Thornhill, 9th, Plainview High........10Painted ~ Eowyn Thornhill, 9th, Plainview High.........................16

5

PHOTOGRAPHYUn verano en Jalisco ~ Susana Hernández, 12th, Plainview High, series of photographs with individual pieces as follows:

Por la plaza...................................................................................6Nopales frescos............................................................................9Peluchín cuidando la tienda.......................................................9Todo de azul...............................................................................13Vestidos bordados.....................................................................15Escongiendo guayabas..............................................................15La iglesia de Teocaltiche..........................................................20Árbol de naranjas......................................................................23Verdura de color........................................................................23Por el mercado...........................................................................25Las letras.....................................................................................27

•The WBU School of Languages and Literature gives its special thanks to the following individual sponsoring teachers and schools. Without them, Sparks 2021would not be possible.• Spur High School• Plainview High School• Levi Brown• Myles Hammack• Marcelina Nava• Jessi Thornhill

6

Susana Hernández ~ PhotographyPor la Plaza

7

The FarewellAddmyra Robles

StarsOh, how bright they shine in the glimmering night sky

Travelers spend their nights looking at the starsMaybe wish upon a shooting star

That this life they were given wouldn’t fall apartThat time could perhaps stop

With a blink of an eye it wouldn’t wither awayIf only that shooting star which is only made out of

Hydrogen, helium, dust and fragmentsCould turn back time

Yet, those who roam this world forget thatstars themselves also don’t choose when they say

Goodbye

•

8

Ana FloresUn día memorable

Un día memorable de mi vida fue cuando mi abuelo falleció porque fue algo duro que no se me ha olvidado. Mi abuelo fue como mi segundo padre. Mi papá no estaba con nosotros muy seguido porque tenía que trabajar desde que mis hermanos y yo éramos pequeños. Como mi hermano era mayor de mi hermana y yo, siempre mi mamá y él eran los que nos cuidaban y tomaban turnos. Yo tengo recuerdos de mi abuelo más que de mis hermanos.

Cuando estaba con mi abuelo me sentaba en sus piernas y veíamos El Chavo, Laura, o Chespirito, y casi siempre que él salía de trabajar nos llevaba un obsequio, como tunas o dulces. En mi cuarto tengo un jarro y una muñeca todavía en su caja.

De chiquita nos vinimos para EE.UU. y recuerdo que un día de Nochebuena mi tía le llamó a mi mama que habían robado a mi abuelo y le dejaron un golpe en la cabeza, y como ya tenía un tumor en la cabeza era difícil que viviera por mucho tiempo. El 28 de diciembre nos llamaron diciendo que mi abuelo había muerto. Yo lloré mucho y recé por él por donde estuviera, mi mamá se fue a México y nosotros nos quedamos en la casa. Nada más mi mamá fue al funeral y al entierro. Descanso y regresó un día antes de Año Nuevo, y la Navidad no las celebre feliz. Todavía lo extraño, pero ahora lo recuerdo como si hubiera sido algo bonito. A veces pienso que es broma que haya fallecido porque siempre lo siento junto a mí.

•

9

Peluchín cuidando la tienda Susana Hernández ~ Photography

Nopales frescos Susana Hernández ~ Photography

10

Eowyn Thornhill ~ Acrylic on CanvasThe Final Defeat

11

Jalon Thomason Once upon a time there was a girl named Robin. Every day after school, she would lock herself in her room with the feeling that no one ever wanted her around. One day, when she was going back to school, she met a monster; his name was Ronald. Every other day, Ronald got bigger. For some reason Robin started to get worse because of him. She didn’t even want to go to school. The thing was that Ronald was by her side every single day. He refused to let go. Sometimes, you could see that he was dragging her down like a ball and chain, but she kept on trying to get up.

Her friends were starting to worry about her and could tell she was going through great pains. They noticed that Ronald was starting to get to her, so one day, they all showed up at her house and started to bang on her doors and windows yelling for her to get up. They seemed to be too late. She was too far gone; Ronald was in complete control. She did not even get up to tell them to stop or anything. Ronald was starting to multiply, and he was affecting the people she cared about the most: her family and her friends. She had to do something, so she started to resort to multiple drugs. She felt better, but it just made it so much worse. It was so awful that when she stopped, her emotions were like a hurricane. She was miserable for days on end, however, sometimes she was calm and happy.

Even though she fought him daily, Ronald was still there turning her addictions into a horrific nightmare. Every time she did anything, no one could tell if she was calm or depressed. She knew that she would never be truly happy. The problem with that was everyone saw it and thought she was fine, but she had become a husk of her former self. At that point, she was doing anything in her power to make the pain go away. Her eyes were like dead fisheyes, just blank and ready for death, but she could never bring herself to do it because she knew what her friends and family would think.

So, one day she decided to leave the village to see if it would help. At first, she despised being there and hated every second of it, but after a while, it grew on her. For the first time in forever she felt a little happier and for some reason, Ronald was getting smaller. Every week she was in her new abode it seemed like Ronald was scared. So, he tried everything in his power to keep her from being happy and enjoying life. He made

The Little Monsters Within Us

12

her own brother go clinically insane and made Robin’s own mom despise her entire existence. The one person it never could phase was her father, because he knew how that pain felt and was able to be there for her. Every day she looked up to her father, even at her worst, because he would not run away from her; he was always there. Each time Ronald ever tried anything, he just laughed it off, but it never did fully go away.

After three years, her father noticed that when she was in the village with her mom, she became miserable. It was a vicious cycle. Every time she went there, she could feel Ronald slowly growing back. At that moment, she decided to temporarily cut all connections in that little village as an experiment. She was untroubled with everything that was going on in the village and Ronald became so small that she could barely hear him. So, he had to start finding other ways to get down in her skin. He started to mess with her dreams. She started waking up in the middle of the night finding herself unable to go to sleep and for a little while. She was sleeping in the middle of class which was never a good thing. After a while, she had learned that music was a way to soothe her soul. She started asking her friends for different types of music and she learned it. Music and her friends were the gateways to defeat Ronald. She felt comfortable talking to her friends and music allowed her to finally feel relevant feelings. She was finally free.

So now, Ronald is a little tic to her. He can be annoying at times, but she has learned what his true intentions are. His true name is depression, but at that point, it does not matter. She was victorious and is now in control of her own future.

“It’s estimated that 16.2 million adults in the United States,or 6.7 percent of American adults, have had

at least one major depressive episode in a given year.” (Koskie 2020)Take care of your loved ones.

•

13Todo de azul Susana Hernández ~ Photography

14

Addmyra RoblesColors

Red—the colorOf madness

AsIndividuals obsess

Over loveOrange—the color

Of warmthThe smell of bonfires

Wisting into theAir

Yellow—the colorOf optimism

Like the beautiful smileThe sun emulates

Every time itRises

Green—the colorOf invigoratingSimultaneous

To fresh cut grass hittingThe bottom of one’s

FeetBlue—the color

Of sadnessIntertwining individuals

To feel the sense ofLoss

These pigmentationsWith so many moreAre what some have

The pleasure toSee

Each and every dayOf their

Lives

15

Vestidos bordados Susana Hernández ~ Photography

Susana Hernández ~ PhotographyEscongiendo guayabas

16

Eowyn Thornhill ~ Acrylic on CanvasPainted

17

La dueña de mi corazónRufino Juárez ~ song lyrics

Sé que yo no soy el príncipe queNo soñaste, pero en mi corazón hayUn lugar para tiTe invito que mires lo que tengoY en este corazón loco y románticoTe digo con palabras románticasQue me dije que yo te amoCon mi corazónDe mí como que te diga queTe amé o que te beséDiséñame que yo te haréLa persona más feliz del mundoDime que te compre el regalo más bonitoDel mundoHazme que no me olvide de tiO que te tenga en mi mente las 24 horas.

•

18

Emily DazaAbducted Erin never thought it could happen to her, but as she lay on the floor of that house, covered in blood, her life flashed before her eyes. She realized how dreadfully wrong she was. Erin had seen the stories on TV; an unsuspecting teenage girl gets in a sketchy car with a stranger. It turns out, he was a well-known psychotic killer. It was someone she knew that she recognized. It was prom night and Erin, a junior in high school, was excited. Erin was in a sparkly pink dress with sequins and was wearing high heels with her hair in a bun. She could not wait to show her dress to all her classmates. Austin, her prom date, was going to pick her up at 5:30 p.m. to take pictures and then get some food with their friends before the prom started. Erin had spent four hours getting ready trying several shades of makeup and multiple hairstyles. The time came around and so did Austin. He honked the horn and Erin went to say goodnight to her mother. “Night mom. I will be back around two. Don’t bother waiting up for me,” she said. Her mother replied, “I want you home by 11:30 p.m.” “But mom!” Erin pleaded, “Austin and I were going to go to the big after-party at Elisa’s.” “I was young once too, and I know what goes on at those parties! You will be no part of it! You will be home at 11:30 p.m. and that’s final!” “Sometimes you act so stupid!” Erin slammed the door and walked out. Soon they arrived at Edmond High School and walked to the gymnasium door. They were a little late; mostly everyone was there. The four of them made their way to the purse table so Erin and Elisa could set down their handbags and jackets. Brad assisted Elisa in taking off her jacket, but Austin simply stood and watched Erin struggle to remove hers. Brad and Elisa went to the dance floor, however, Austin told Erin that he did not like to dance and would rather sit. The couple sat in the corner for six songs. Erin thought, “This is going to be an awful night.”

19

She fled to the bathroom, found refuge in a stall, and sobbed her eyes dry. She wept for what seemed like eternity. When she gained her composure and came out of the restroom, she did not see anyone. The school was completely empty. The walls that were once plastered in cheap decorations were now bare. The table that was recently littered with a rainbow of purses now only displayed Erin’s lonely purse and sweater. All signs of any activity in the gymnasium had been stripped away. How was she to get home? She looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:45 p.m. She thought, “Well, I’ll just call Mom to come and get me.” She walked to the table where her purse was, opened her pocketbook, and realized that she did not have her phone. She frantically began searching for it, trying to recall where she had had it last. She then remembered where it was. It was with her mother, who hours ago took it from her. She decided to walk home at midnight and heard a voice behind her say “Need a ride?” She replied, “Ummmm, yes please.” Erin climbed into the red Camry a little hesitant, but she was more scared to walk home that late at night all by herself. She explained the way to her house, and he began to drive. A little time passed, and she realized that he was going the wrong way. “Sir this isn’t the way to my house.” He looked at her with the creepiest smile and gave her a wink. She knew something was not right. Those piercing eyes were so familiar to her. He began to pick up speed, driving faster and faster, and finally slowed down to pull into a driveway on the outskirts of town. She desperately tried to escape. He hit her on the head with what she believed to be a rock. Her life flashed before her eyes; she knew this was it... The room became darker and darker as he stood over her. The last thing she saw was his smiling face covered in her blood as she died in the middle of that dirty run-down house. Although she had not seen her biological father in 12 years, those rusted eyes could not escape her memory. They were the last thing she saw before her eyes, replicas of his, would leave this world forever.

•

20

La iglesia de Teocaltiche Susana Hernández ~ Photography

Hablar en español es un miedo que yo he tenido por años. Para mí, era un mundo donde yo nunca podía caminar, y si lo podía hacer, no iba a ser aceptada. Yo prefería quedarme hablando en inglés, donde me siento seguro, protegida del español. No quiero ser bilingüe, yo decidí. Ser bilingüe no tiene valor. Por un largo tiempo, sentí que yo no era mexicana, que yo no era suficiente mexicana. Mis pensamientos eran que yo no podía hablar, leer, o escribir en español fluidamente; ¿cómo puedo ser yo bilingüe? Este sentimiento de aislamiento de mi herencia cultural fue la razón que rechacé el uso de mi primer nombre Lupita por unos años. Lupita es un nombre maravilloso, pero yo sentí que era un nombre para alguien mexicana de verdad. No era un nombre para mí. Entonces, me fui por mi otro nombre, Sahyly. Durante este tiempo, no trabajé para aprender más español, y no me importaba. Pero el empiezo de la escuela media era el catalizador que yo necesitaba para empezar mi travesía del bilingüismo. El momento en

Todo en míAnonymous, PHS Grade 11

21

que entre en el sexto grado, todos mis maestros y amigos nuevos me llamaron Lupita. No les podía decir que no porque me dio vergüenza. Esto me ayudó a sentirme a gusto con mi primer nombre. Era el primer paso para aceptar mi identidad mexicana. El punto de partida de yo trabajando para aprender más español era en el octavo grado. Ese año, tomé mi primera clase de español. Era sobre cosas que yo ya sabía, pero me ayudó a implementar la estructura y gramática para comunicar en español. Sinceramente, no me gustó esa clase. Además, tengo agradecimiento por lo que hizo para mi educación bilingüe. En el mismo año, mi primo nació. Su papá nada más habla en español; así que, yo decidí que tengo que hablar totalmente en español con mi primo. Siempre estaba en mi casa, y así tenía mucha práctica hablando en español. Era un bebé, pero me ayudó a desarrollar mi vocabulario y aumentó mi uso de mi segunda lengua. Ya empecé a entender los beneficios de saber inglés y español. Ya quería tener fluidez en español. Yo quería ser bilingüe. El próximo año, empecé la secundaria y tomé mi segundo año de español. Esa vez fue divertido aprender español, gracias a mi maestro. Entendí cómo conjugar palabras en el tiempo correcto, y cómo hablar correctamente. Español no me dio tanto miedo. Ahora estoy en el décimo grado. Tomando esta clase de español es una bendición porque ha hecho milagros para mis habilidades lingüísticas. Mis habilidades de leer, escribir, y hablar en español han mejorado poco a poco. Ya acepto que soy bilingüe, aunque no perfectamente, y no tengo que tener miedo. A mis padres les gusta ver novelas, y, cuando puedo, las miro con ellos. Es como una prueba de mi español a ver si puedo comprender qué está pasando. Las palabras que yo no sé, y son muchísimas, pregunto a mis padres que las explican. Entonces, yo las repito para saber cómo se deben decir, hasta si a digo incorrectamente. Tengo mucha más confianza en mi español, y siento que mi inglés también ha mejorado. Todavía me siento más segura comunicando en inglés, pero no quiero decir que voy a olvidar mi español. Voy a continuar mirando novelas con mis padres, comprar mis libros favoritos para niños en español, y hablar con mis primos chiquitos en español. Todo esto para asegurar que no pierdo mi español. Me encanta que soy bilingüe. Teniendo la habilidad de comunicación en dos lenguas abre mundos de oportunidades para mí. Voy a continuar aprendiendo español e inglés durante el resto de mi vida, y ya sé que mi familia va a estar conmigo. Nada más tengo que recordarme que nadie me puede dar fluidez en español. Todo el trabajo yo lo tengo que hacer. La decisión de ser bilingüe es mía, y mía solamente.

22

Ravaya KuenstlerWhen Oceans CollideHis eyes are like a forest in the blazing sun;his skin warm like a summer breeze.He looks at me with joy in his eyesand kindred spirit.He wasn’t the physical type,but I still adored the moments that he offered to me.He talks with excitement ringing in his voice;I always hope it rubs off on me.The way he feels is like a fresh breath of air no longer forced to hold my tongue.His hair falls in wavescrashing over his face like the tide on the shorequietly making its appearance.His smile is like a thousand sand dollarsbringing me peace every time I can get one out of him.

I watch as he crosses under the twinkling lights.He is said to be a man of the night.Stars are rotating, colliding, crashing. Her dress shines of the sun;his smile flashes like the moon.We are celestial beings destined to be together. His last steps are elegantly spoken,speaking only to meas his lips land upon mine.

—The Pacific and Atlantic collide not melding but still one.

•

23

Árbol de naranjas Susana Hernández ~ Photography

Susana Hernández ~ PhotographyVerdura de color

24

Rufino JuárezPorqué estudio español El español es una lengua muy hablada, pero el uso de este idioma es un poco escaso en cualquier lugar fuera de México. Recuerdos nacieron de este idioma y también florecieron nuevas culturas del español. El español mantiene nuestras tradiciones vivas, una conexión al pasado y un futuro a las siguientes generaciones. Las tradiciones de México son muy diversas y hasta se podría decir infinitas. De esto nacieron nuevas lenguas, culturas, vestimentas, comidas, bailes y mucho más; el español es una forma de conectar todo esto. Es importante estudiar el español para mantener estas tradiciones con vida y con la oportunidad de compartir sus grandes virtudes. Sin embargo, al estudiar esto se abren nuevas puertas y misterios sobre nuestro pasado, lo cual no deja a la mente descansar y no querer saber más. El pasado no es muy frecuente que se recuerde o que se tenga un conocimiento sobre ello. Las personas comienzan a olvidar sus raíces una vez que se alejan de ellas, pues ya que es más común que no se practique lo usual. Estudiar el español para muchos es algo que les mantiene conexión a los recuerdos del pasado, una conexión a sus raíces y una forma de no olvidar de donde comenzaron. Muchos usan el estudio del español como apoyo para sus metas. En mi caso, el estudiarlo me ayuda como base para saber dónde estuve de pie alguna vez y ahora puedo mirar detrás y observar todo el camino que he recorrido. Al igual que esto es algo que me recuerda de donde vengo y todos los obstáculos que ya pasé para alcanzar el lugar en el que me encuentro hoy. Por esta razón es por la que no he dejado de estudiar español. Las personas piensan en las futuras generaciones constantemente. Obviamente, el estudiar español no es una idea fascinante que cruza por su mente, pero para cualquier conocedor de nuestra cultura, es esencial. Nuestra hermosa cultura es diversa y colorida, al igual nuestras historias le dan vida al alma. Nuestra música le da ritmo a la vida. Nuestra comida le da sabor a nuestras bocas y nuestra lengua le da importancia al pasado y nos empuja a un futuro. Nuestras futuras generaciones deberán entender dónde nuestra gente estuvo de pie alguna vez, donde cayeron nuestros más importantes miembros y donde se encuentra el resto de nuestra historia. Yo estudio el español para en un futuro poder pasar ese conocimiento a mi futura familia para otorgarles esa bendición de saber de nuestro pasado, crear viajes al pasado y más importante, darles una perspectiva más abierta para seguir adelante.

25

El español es muy importante, y no es algo que se debe olvidar. Somos los encargados de hacer que esta lengua fluya como el agua, y al igual que la brisa, se esparza a todos lados. Este estudio debe continuar y yo me encargaré de mantenerlo vivo conmigo para después verlo nacer en otros.

•

Por el mercado Susana Hernández ~ Photography

26

Today is the day. Maisy shot out of her bed full of bubbly excitement. Her bedroom door opened and Maisy heard her mother’s voice. “Good morning, Sugar!” Mom smiled as she hugged Maisy, “Better get ready for school, Kindergartener.” In an instant, Mom pulled Maisy’s previously messy cloud of curly brown hair into a bunch of little braids with yellow and pink beads on the ends. Mom then helped Maisy to get into her new pink overalls. “Now hurry on downstairs,” Mom said, smiling. Maisy then grew great big feathery wings and flew down the stairs. When Daddy saw her, she tucked her wings safely away so she wouldn’t get any feathers in her food. “How’s my big girl today?” Daddy asked as he presented Maisy with a plate of warm golden cakes. “I’m super duper excited! Mister Green is supposed to be my teacher!” “Principal!” Mom said as she appeared on the stairs with Maisy’s backpack that was dropped when Maisy went down for breakfast. “What’s a principal?” Maisy asked as she shoved a piece of warm pancake in her mouth. “A principal is sort of like the president of the school,” Daddy said, sitting down. And a president is like a king, I can remember that! Maisy finished off her pancakes in a manic rush. She was a black hole, swallowing everything around her. “I’m ready to go now, Mommy!” “Now, Maisy Anne.” Uh oh, Mom was getting her serious voice on. Maisy looked into her mother’s hazel eyes. “School has been out for a while so everyone else is gonna be big. Don’t call anyone else stupid, they’re still learning and need all the help they can get.” That would be hard, but Maisy didn’t want to disappoint her mom. “Yes, Mommy, I promise.” Mom hugged Maisy and planted a kiss on her cheek. “See you after school, baby! I love you!” Maisy waved back at her mother and climbed into the car. Daddy looked back at Maisy as she buckled herself into her car seat.

Nine Years after theLockdownEowyn Thornhill

27Las letras

“Ready for school?” He asked with a smile on his face. “Yes I am.” Maisy smiled, “I’m ready for school.”

~~~ Maisy nearly stopped breathing as she looked up at the school’s giant entrance. She looked around and noticed something. The other students were huge! Maisy squeezed Daddy’s hand and the two walked into her classroom. It was a big, bright, and colorful classroom. Eleven other giants were sitting at the tables. They were staring at their phones and laughing like old friends. Daddy bent down and kissed Maisy’s cheek. “Bye, Sugar, I love you.” Maisy hugged her dad again. She felt a little nervous. Who wouldn’t be if they were put into a school for giants? That’s why the doors are so huge! How else would the Giant King fit into this building? “Hey there Maisy.” A sweet old southern voice said, “I’m your teacher, Ms. Kurt. It’s so nice to have a little girl like you in kindergarten!” Maisy smiled saying thank you like she was taught and walked over to the other giants where Ms. Kurt said Maisy was going to sit. She sat and thought about how she was going to talk to these creatures. Giants like to eat people like me, so I need to be real nice so they don’t eat me. Maisy smiled at the four giants who were now staring at her. Two of

Susana Hernández ~ Photography

28

them had metal bars on their teeth. They must have eaten something metal for breakfast. She climbed up onto her chair and looked at the giant’s faces. “Hi! I’m Maisy!” Maisy said as her legs swung back and forth. “Who brought a baby in here?” One with glasses snorted. “Oh, give it up Ryan. Maybe she’s in the wrong room.” The blonde girl with plastic earrings said, “Are you sure you’re supposed to be with us sweetie?” Her voice was syrupy and fake. “I’m not lost.” Maisy retorted. The boy giant with metal in his mouth snickered, “Jeez, next they’ll bring babies to work at McDonalds.” “I’m not a baby, I’m five years old. It’s not my fault I’m smaller than you giants.” Maisy said matter of factly, “I’m just a regular human kid going to school.” “What’s the big idea?” The giant named Ryan laughed, “We’re not giants, stupid. We’re teenagers.” Teenage giants. Maisy thought, That’s even worse than adult giants, they suck the fun out of everything. “Let’s begin by learning our ABCs.” Ms. Kurt announced as the school doors closed. Ms. Kurt then said the letter and the sound. She went painfully slow. Maisy fidgeted in her chair and fiddled with the yellow beads on her braids. She already knew all this, she even knew how to read. Giants must be stupid, she thought to herself as her eyes wandered around the bright classroom. Several minutes passed and finally Ms. Kurt finished the alphabet and moved on to the next project. She talked about learning the colors and passed out a few papers with shapes on them. “Color in the square red, the circle blue,” as she spoke the class came alive and wrestled for the red and blue crayons, “and the triangle green.” Maisy quietly brought out the glittery crayons her parents had gotten her. She slowly colored the shapes in, ignoring the teen giants’ bellows and commotion. She floated off into her own world and the crayons danced in her fingers. Dragons, griffins, sea monsters, and fairies! They flew off the page and twirled around her in a rainbow circle. Witches, goblins, elves, and mermaids! All of Maisy’s favorite things flew from her fingers to the paper. Then she looked up and her trance abruptly ended. She noticed the other giants at her table start to stare. Then all the giants looked at her. They whispered amongst themselves and Maisy feared

29

that they were deciding how to eat her. Ms. Kurt shushed the steadily growing voices and came over to Maisy’s table. “My goodness Maisy! That’s a beautiful drawing, you’re such a talented artist.” Ms. Kurt then took Maisy’s paper after it was signed, with Maisy’s permission of course, and hung it on the wall next to the whiteboard. She looked back at Maisy and smiled. Ms. Kurt looked rather nice when she smiled, her brown wrinkles and white teeth reminded Maisy of her neighbor. Maisy hurriedly put her glitter crayons back into her backpack. She wasn’t about to let them get eaten. Ms. Kurt made all the giants practice their names, but she let Maisy read for a bit in the corner. The giants growled and groaned when they saw Maisy getting special treatment, but she was too happy to notice. A bell rang, and Ms. Kurt announced that it was time for recess. Maisy clutched her backpack close and followed the giants outside and onto the playground. As soon as they exited the building the teen giants got out their phones and ignored everything else. They all stood still, mesmerized by their games, pictures, and videos. Maisy let out a sigh, knowing she would spend every day of kindergarten alone for she was the only human. She sat on the jungle gym’s roof and waited for recess to be over. The rest of the day was dull and slow. Maisy ate her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches alone. Ms. Kurt let Maisy continue to read while the giants finished their coloring page. Then Ms. Kurt pulled down a big white sheet and played a video for the rest of the class time. Before long the bell rang and Maisy walked out of the school’s doors and onto the wet grass. She was surrounded by a sea of giants waiting for their parents to pick them up. She caught a glimpse of her daddy’s car and saw him wave at her. She ran across the parking lot and jumped into her dad’s waiting arms. Daddy kissed her head and opened the car door for her. She got into the car and they began their drive back home. “How was your day?” Daddy asked. “Oh, fine I guess. The giants aren’t that smart.” Maisy replied, looking out the window. “I know Sugar,” Daddy said, “but you’ll still be nice to them right?” Maisy nodded and was quiet for a bit until an idea popped in her head. “Yes I will. And I’ll be the bestest human at school.” •

30

To Apply to Wayland Baptist University, visit https://apply.wbu.edu today!

Wayland’s School of Languages and Literature offers a diversity of programs for

undergraduate and graduate students. Majors• British Studies (History and Literature) • English• English/Language Arts (Grades 7-12)• English/Professional Writing Specialization• Film and Literature• Humanities• Humanities/Tabletop Game Design• Spanish• Spanish (Grades EC-12)

Minors• British Studies • Chinese*• Digital Humanities • English• German*• Humanities• Latin*• Professional Writing• Spanish

Master of Arts• English*• Humanities*• Interdisciplinary Studies in English and History** online only

31

For more information about Languages and Literature, contact Dr. Kimberlee Mendoza,

MendozaK@wbu.edu, 806-291-1106,or find us at http://www.wbu.edu.

Scholarships are available!

32