Third Grade Math, Intro to Philosophy, and Other Disciplines Colette Tennant __________ In third grade, my middle son ended up teaching his class math. I questioned how that helped him. It didn’t add up, but the teacher shrugged and said she didn’t know what else to do. When she made…

Be stFri end Rachel Beachy __________ Halfway between her house and mine there was a hillwe could bike to, but we met at the corner stop sign firstin our flip-flops and braces and braids. We stole ourmothers’ body spray and smelled like cucumber melonthe whole summer. I still remember the…

sidewalk chalk Isaiah Alexander __________ we spent hours under the sun,shading our dreams in sidewalk chalk.neon green, blue, and red.we drew until our knuckles bled. we imagined the possibilities:future homes, husbands, wives, babies—the lives we’d build,etched onto cement.our street became a canvas,a testament to youthful ambition,colored with all of our…

Third Degree Makena Metz __________ The sun beats down on hot tilesin our backyard. I remember when summer was not so hot. When we hung outby the pool, floating on inflated pink flamingos, drinking strawberry lemonade. Coconutsunscreen sprayed against damp, warm skin. We did not care if we burned.Now, the…

Waterfront André Le Mont Wilson __________ I thought the temperature would decrease along the shore, but as I drive from Oakland to Hercules, California, two weeks shy of summer’s end, the outside temperature gauge on my dashboard rose from 82˚ to 104˚. Perhaps the temperature would decrease along the Bay…