Essay Contest Winners – South Hill Rotary Club

South Hill Rotary Club

We ran the essay contest as a pilot for the seventh grade only at Park View Middle School (PVMS) in South Hill, VA. It was a club initiative based upon some research that we did through the RI website. The RI website lead us to your website and the experience of others with this type of contest. We were very pleased with the results and the support that we received from the Faculty and Administration at PVMS. The contest integrated well with their middle school curriculum.

Middle School (Grades 7-8 )

Alyx Powers, Grade 7, Park View Middle School – 1st Place
Jackie Johnson, Grade 7, Park View Middle School – 2nd Place
Steven Swank, Grade 7, Park View Middle School – 3rd Place

4 Way Test

South Hill Rotary Club/District 7600
Alyx Powers, First Place
Grade 7, Park View Middle School
Teacher:  Mr. Winter

Four things in life that make you a better person are: telling the truth, fairness, goodwill, and friendship. When you do these things, you feel like a hero.

Telling the truth lets people know that they can trust you. When you are honest, people can tell that you are a good friend. I think that when a person is able to talk to me and know that I will tell them the truth, they feel good. If I have someone that can tell me the truth, it makes me very happy. People that don’t tell the truth usually don’t have as many friends. If one of your friends asks you a question or for your opinion and you lie, you might lose them as a friend. Just remember, nobody likes a person that lies to them.

To me, fairness is to treat everyone equally. Being fair lets people know that you are a good person. Also, you can make a lot of friends by being fair. People that aren’t fair and treat people badly usually don’t have as many people to support them. When I was little, my two older brothers never treated me fairly. They figured since I was younger they could treat me however they wanted. But, when my two cousins that were older than them started visiting us more, they understood what it was like to be younger. They realized that being treated unfairly wasn’t fun. So, they apologized and treated me differently. Ever since, we have been best friends and have gotten along very well.

Goodwill is willing to do something nice for someone or something. My church does a program called “Stop Hunger Now!” Once a month, a few people gather and package meals for the hungry. Then we send them to other countries. After doing this program, I feel like I am saving someone’s life and that I am really making a difference. I think everyone should show goodwill. Even though sometimes helping out may not be very much fun, you are still helping a person and making them happy.

Friendship is being someone’s friend or maybe even being a good friend. Friendship can help a person a lot. They can come to you for advice. It is hard to find a friend that I can count on no matter what. I have one friend like that: Kayla. She is always here for me and I can trust her with anything. In order to be someone’s friend, you have to be kind. When you aren’t a good friend to someone or mean to them, it might come back to you and you will see how upset a person can get by not being their friend.
In conclusion, truthfulness, fairness, goodwill, and friendship are all great ways to show that you can be a great person. People will be able to tell that you are kind and that they probably want a friend like you.

The 4-way Test

South Hill Rotary Club/District 7600
Jackie Johnson, Second Place
Grade 7, Park View Middle School
Teacher:  Mr. Winter

Today, I will be writing the 4-way test. This test is about truth, fairness, goodwill, and friendship. These words mean many things to me. Be it a bad situation, or a good situation, I feel that all these qualities should be shown. Without these qualities, the world would be a bad place.

Quality number one is truth. Everyone should tell the truth, because honesty is important in order to earn trust. Honesty should be possessed everywhere at every time. One of my favorite stories, “the boy that cried wolf,” greatly relays this quality. Had the boy taken his work seriously and not lied, then the villagers would have believed him. Then he would not have lost his sheep. To me this story excellently shows how important honesty really is. If you can’t be honest, then you have to be willing to accept the consequences. To me, honesty is forming a bond of trust with someone, and proving to them that you can be dependable.

The second quality I’m writing about is fairness. This quality should again be shown everywhere at all times. Fairness includes honesty, respect, and sharing. Fairness is important because karma affects the world. If you treat someone fairly, then one day, when you need help, they might be there. Like one time, my neighbor had surgery, and one day while she was recovering, her husband had obligations somewhere, so I stayed with her. Since then whenever I need something, she is there. And for that I am very grateful. The main thing about fairness is treating someone the way you want to be treated.

The next quality I’m writing about is goodwill. Many people everywhere have goodwill, but at the same time, there’s still many that don’t. One of the ladies that used to go to my church is now in the nursing home, and every holiday, I send her a card. The person that takes her the card always says how happy she is that someone remembers her. This is just one example of the many things that people do for goodwill. I think all people should have goodwill because helping people in the world helps the world. This means that by helping someone, you’re showing them to help others. Goodwill is doing good things for others.
The last and best quality is friendship. All people everywhere have friends. Friendship can mean many things. It could be talking to someone that looks lonely, or many hours having exciting adventures and gossip together. Friendship is important because it gives people happiness and support. Whether you need a shoulder to cry on or a person to laugh with, your friend is always there for you. Some friends only last through school, but true friends last forever. Friendship is important because it gives you a bond of trust, honesty, and many days of laughs together.

These four qualities greatly enrich the world. From this test I have, it is important to show these wonderful qualities in life.

The 4-Way Test and You

South Hill Rotary Club/District 7600
Steven Swank, Third Place
Grade 7, Park View Middle School
Teacher:  Ms. Van Dyke

So have you ever heard the quote,” Actions speak louder than words?” What does it mean to you? First is truth. It is also known as being truthful. It means to tell the truth under any condition. It means to be honest to one another. Showing that you are responsible and can be trusted. You can show honesty by telling people the absolute truth. If you broke something, be honest and tell the person; that goes for if something happened at school, home, or anywhere else. You may get into trouble, but it won’t be as bad if you told them a lie. If you tell a lie, it will most likely make you or them mad. One time I lied to my mom about lighting then dropping a candle onto the floor and it burning the carpet. I didn’t want to tell my mom about it because I thought she may be furious about it because the carpet was almost new. But she found out and I now know that telling the truth is better than lying.
Second is friendship. Friendship means to be a good friend. Friendships’ being is being kind to others and respecting their privacy. It means to treat a friend or family member with the kind of respect you would want to be treated with. Friendship can also mean showing sportsmanship when playing a sport. Under the condition while playing, if someone is hurt, you should help them. If you are winning or losing, don’t get mad; keep trying your hardest. If you are sad, feeling down, or depressed, a good friend would help you get back on your feet. If your friend is sad, emotional, or whatever the cause may be you should help them. It doesn’t matter who is depressed, you should try your best to help anyone to feel better. A good sign of friendship would be my mom. She always puts my sister and me first. She does that because she loves us and likes to see us happy.
Third, I would like to tell you about goodwill. You may be thinking about the goodwill store where you donate things and get tax refunds. Goodwill deals with generosity. It means to be kind and nice to people. You could donate things for good causes. You could donate things around the world, or just in your local area. You could donate to charities all around the world. You can share offerings when you go to church,
help families that are homeless or live in bad conditions, or even children whom live in orphanages.
Fourth and last, I would like to tell you about fairness. Fairness can have many different definitions or meanings. One can play fairly with others. And share things such as toys or food. This is what the 4-way test means to me.

Never Be the Same Again!

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Akash Salam, First Place
Grade 7, Middle School Division
Ms. Duarte, Paulding Middle School

It was a beautiful morning; white, fluffy clouds drifting carelessly
across the blue, bright sky, morning birds chirping as they got ready
for a quick breakfast, tall trees covered by leaves upon leaves. Won-
dering if the day could have been any better, I walked through dew
covered grass and looked at the guys getting ready to play kickball.
Little did I know that this perfect day would turn into my worst night-
mare…. “Akash! Hey, Akash! Join our team, dude!” cried a voice
from the kickball field. I jogged the rest of the way and joined the
three players.
“I get Akash,” cried William with a lot of enthusiasm. I strolled over
to William, who gave me a high-five, and stood beside him. William
was my best friend from second grade on. He always stood by me no
matter what and was an all around great person. He was almost a
foot taller than me and weighed nearly 220 pounds (no offense to
that), and was a terrific friend to have.
“Fine! You can have him,” Jack said, showing anger. “I get Steve.
Come on, Steve!” Jack was by far the meanest maniac in the 6th
grade. The guy was legendary for trash talking and picking on kids.
With a sad expression upon his face, Steve walked over to Jack, who
gave him a back-breaking slap on the back.
Kickball wasn’t the most interesting sport in our school, not even
close. 6th graders were more interested in social life, you know…
girlfriends and boyfriends. William and I always enjoyed kickball, but
didn’t like it when Jack was involved in any way. And the idea of two-
on-two didn’t appeal to us either.
“You go first, Akash”, William requested with a small smile. That’s
what I liked about William. He cared more about his family members
and friends, than himself. I jumped on the batter’s plate and waited
for the pitch. Jack pitched the ball with all of the power in his entire
body. The ball came at me so fast, that I couldn’t position my legs
correctly. Still, I managed to kick the thing past Jack and toward mid-
field. Instantly, I ran toward first base, but noticed that the ball was
already thrown by Jack and reaching Steve, who stood on first waiting
for the ball. I sprinted but the ball was catching up to me. I slid,
touched the base, and looked up to see if the ball made it as well.
Steve was clutching it in his hands with a confused expression.
“You’re out, Akash. Get off the plate and join your losing team.
Here, give me the ball, Steve!. “You lose, sucker!” Jack screamed. “I
wasn’t out! I made it before Steve caught the ball!” I protested.
“Yeah, right! Get OFF, Akash. You are OUT!” roared Jack
“No, I was safe!” All of a sudden, Jack threw the ball right at me,
aiming for my legs, but he missed. Gritting my teeth, I rushed toward
him and pushed him. Jack slammed into the ground with an earth
shaking force. Everyone froze. Everyone was silent. Everyone was
shocked. Everyone was a …witness. I was shocked myself, for do-
ing such a horrible thing. Terror came to me when I looked at Jack.
Much to my amazement, Jack was up on his feet, clutching his stom-
ach with his left hand, while his right one pointed directly toward me.
“NO! Jack don’t. I’m sorry….” I couldn’t finish the sentence as
Jack punched me right in the stomach. He then aimed for my head,
but I dodged him and attacked with a kick right at his wounded arm,
followed by a strong blow at his head. Seeing that he didn’t go down,
I closed my fist and struck a blow at his neck. Jack instantly fell to the
ground, face first. Blood came gushing out the cut that my kick made
in his middle finger. Jack forced himself up, and with a disgusted ex-
pression on his face, whispered, “You’re gone Akash, out of this
school!” He rushed toward the school office, trying not to fall over.
“Akash…why, why did you do that pal? You might get suspended
or even expelled!”, William said with a sad and disappointed tone.
He came over and rested his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t move, I
couldn’t move. What have I done? Fighting at school! What if Jack
told on me? He surely will. How will my parents react to this horrible
incident? I couldn’t think about it anymore. My stomach hurt. I be-
gan to sweat and felt extremely dizzy.
“I…I don’t know William, I don’t know what to do. I better go, don’t
wanna be late for class”. With that, I hurried toward my classroom,
leaving William behind. As soon as I reached my class, I was told by
my teacher to head to the office. She had a disappointed and
shocked expression on her face. Surely, I was being sent to the office
regarding the fight, but what would I do? I have never been sus-
pended or expelled in my whole life, heck I didn’t even go to the office
for anything bad at all. As I walked through the deserted hallway, I
thought to myself if this was the last time I would be walking through
this hallway, smelling the cookies being baked in the cafeteria, hear-
ing the chatter of the kindergartners, or see my school.
Upon entering the office, I noticed that Jack was sitting on a chair
with bandages all over his hand and an ice pack on his head and an-
other one on his neck. The principal, Mr. Norveka, was looking at
Jack with a sorry expression, but not anger. When he finally noticed
me, Mr. Norveka commanded, “Akash, sit.” Suddenly his expression
changed; it became irritated. “So, let me get this straight,” Mr.
Norveka started, “Akash, you purposely punched Jack …” “Sir, I…”
I tried to defend myself, but didn’t have any luck. “Don’t interrupt me.
Akash, you punched Jack in his stomach, then kicked his finger, and
finally elbowed him on his head. You realize this is illegal at school?”
questioned Mr. Norveka. I had to think of something that would get
me out of this, but what?
“I didn’t hit, punch, or elbow Jack! He’s lying, Mr. Norveka! I would
never do such a horrible thing to anyone!” “Then how do you explain
the cuts and bruises?” challenged the principal. Without looking at
him, I answered, “It was William, sir! William is the one who did it! I
swear!” I had to do something to save myself and blaming seemed
the only option. “William? Is that true, Jack? Did William hit you?
You told me Akash did it!.” “WHAT!? No, no, Akash did this to me!
It was Akash! Tell the truth you liar! Don’t blame your best friend,
William!” Jack shouted.
“You’re a liar, Jack! You are just blaming me because I’m better
than you at sprinting, and you want to get me expelled! You know
William did this!” I exclaimed, trying to be as confident as I could pos-
sibly be. “Stop it, you two! I’m calling William and I’m going to get the
truth.” I felt dry to the pit of my stomach. Will William tell him the
truth or the lie?
When William saw Jack and me, he lost the small amount of color
in his face. He made eye contact with me, but not for long. “William
sit, please.” Mr. Norveka explained everything. After a minute of
dead silence, William finally replied, “I didn’t do it.”
Tears rolled from his eyes as he spoke those few words. He tried
to hold the tears with his fingers, but couldn’t manage. “So, Akash
did it?” Mr. Norveka questioned, looking at me with an I-knew-you-
did-it-expression. Jack quietly snickered. William didn’t have a re-
sponse to this. The poor boy looked as if he had been slapped in his
face and then humiliated in front of millions of people. William, you
may leave,” the principal finally requested. William left, without look-
ing at me or anyone else. Suddenly I started to cry. “I am so disap-
pointed in you, Akash. You hurt someone, and then you blame it on
your best friend, thinking you can get away with it? Jack, you may go
back to class.” Jack stood up, glanced at me with a grin, and left.
The principal asked, “Akash, why?” I didn’t answer. I felt so sad
that I wanted to disappear from the face of the earth. “You will be
given a 5 week suspension.” The principal began calling my parents.
. My life completely changed after that incident. Completely. My
parents were so shocked and disappointed that they didn’t talk to me
that day. The following morning, my mom cried so much, it seemed
as if her son had died. My dad was almost the opposite. He was
extremely furious. I had to avoid him at all costs. The following days
were the worst in my entire 12-year-old life. I stayed in my room,
kept quiet and read books, coming out only to consume dinner and
lunch. My parents never talked with me anymore. I have never seen
them act that way. They were just so…so disappointed that it was
unbelievable. When in my room, I sometimes heard them say, “What
will happen to him, what’s the reason for us to live?”
As the following days passed, my parents became normal again.
Well, not like they once were, but normal enough to talk to me. I had
lost my old parents…I so much wish I had them back! And my
friends? Well, there were none. William, who used to come over to
my house every single day of the week, never showed up again or
called or played with me online. I had lost my best friend because of
a lie, a horrible lie. My other friends never contacted me. They went
on with their lives, forgetting the once great Akash. The word
“friendship” disappeared from my vocabulary.
My neighbors didn’t have different opinions about me either. My
parents were secretive about my suspension with my relatives, so
they didn’t behave as badly After the five dreadful weeks, I returned
to school. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had to because of
my parents.
School was much, much worse. William had moved out of the city.
Jack had changed and became a “good” guy with friends appearing
everywhere he went. My teachers were awful to me; they knew what
had happened and didn’t appreciate it at all. My principal ignored me.
Not that surprising.
As days passed, I learned that my fight with Jack did something that
caused the whole school to suffer. Our school, Guilevia Elementary,
was given awful scores on behavior control. I don’t know if our fight
affected the decision, but I was sure that it had an impact on it. Be-
cause we fought, the school suffered. I felt miserable.
Did I tell the truth to the principal? I lied, causing my friendship to
collapse. Was it fair to all concerned? The whole school and
neighborhood suffered miserably because I battled in a stupid fight for
no reason whatsoever. Did it build good will and better friendship? I
lost all of my friends and don’t know if I’ll ever have a friend once
more. Was it beneficial to all concerned? Beneficial? It was the
worst possible incident that ever occurred to Guilevia; a student caus-
ing all this trouble to get away from a small suspension! Even a thief
stealing goods wouldn’t be as bad. I did all that. It was unbelievable!
As I lay on my bed that lonely night, I didn’t know if I was ever going
to have a future, friends, or family that cared for me. I had betrayed
everyone. I didn’t know if I would ever become normal again, but I
did know that my life would never, ever be the same ….

Making A Difference in our Community One Action at a Time

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Makulumy Alexander-Hills, Second Place
Grade 8, Middle School Division
Ms. McLaughlin, Judkins Middle School

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one,” Mother
Teresa said.  This is completely true when speaking about an individ-
ual’s role in benefiting one’s community.  We may not be able to help
our entire town, but we can start small and make a difference, for
every tiny bit helps.
We can help others in our community by starting with our own fam-
ily.  I know what it is like to live in a family where parents are looking
for a job, and where money may be scarce.  As  teenagers we can
help out simply by doing the laundry or cooking dinner.  Small chores
such as these are time consuming, and when our parents do not have
to worry about completing them, they tend to have lighter attitudes
and more relaxed conversations with us at the end of a long day.
Also, teens can be beneficial to their family by tutoring younger sib-
lings, holding small fundraisers, such as garage sales for outgrown
clothes or toys, and mowing lawns.  Everything helps.  As a teen, I
can see how we can spread goodwill by tutoring neighborhood chil-
dren.  I know what it is like when a kid down the street comes to your
house to say, “thank you; you helped me get a good grade on the test
I took yesterday”.  It’s only fair to help others; by doing so, we may
build friendships not just among ourselves, but among our parents as
well.
We can also benefit our community at school.  Our local middle
school has a “Natural Helper” program where students are chosen to
help others in need of academic support.  Natural helpers build strong
friendships with someone who may not have many friends or some-
one who needs a peer to discuss ideas and family issues with them.
Also, as students, we can support our school through fundraisers.  By
helping our school, we benefit others in our community.
Finally, teens are not too young to join parents who help our com-
munity directly by being present at city council meetings where they
share their ideas of fairness and their hopes for their city.  Also, they
can help feed the homeless.  I know what it is like to be involved with
feeding, helping, and entertaining the homeless on Christmas Day.
I know how contributing to my community builds friendships not just
between the homeless and ourselves, but also between the other
members who support the homeless along with us.  Finally, I share a
sense of fairness when helping them select warm clothing items or
sleeping bags, giving a fair amount to all.  Helping out at a homeless
dinner shows community goodwill.  Without these dinners, the home-
less would have no place to go on Christmas and they would feel
even more unfairness in their plight.
Overall, there are many ways to spread good will in our community.
We may promote fairness and speak the truth at a city council meet-
ing, help build friendships at our schools and at homeless dinners,
and benefit the entire community by simply tutoring a struggling stu-
dent.  But if each individual thought consciously about the principles
of the 4-Way Test before choosing what to say to another individual,
or how to act towards others, we could build a caring community that
knows no limits.

The Test of a True Friend

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Anna Miller, Third Place
Grade 8, Middle School Division
Mrs. Fierman , Judkins Middle School

“You’re out Anna! You’re out!”
The girls that I thought were my friends suddenly were my enemies.
They ganged up on me to make me lose the basketball game, and
now they were saying mean things and making fun of me. One of my
best friends, Chloee, had a new friend and now that new friend was
trying to take her away from me. Even Chloee was following the
crowd and yelling at me. I felt hurt, embarrassed, and alone.
Suddenly I heard a voice say, “You guys aren’t being very nice!
Anna, you can come and play with me.” It was my friend, Amelia.
She wasn’t playing the game, but she saw what was happening. She
came over and stuck up for me. I felt so much better. I was amazed
that my friend had so much courage to stand up to a group like that.
This happened three years ago and I still remember it very clearly.
At school I learned about the Four Way Test. It is something that
we should think about when we are trying to make a decision about
how to treat others. Before we act, we should ask ourselves these
four questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build good will and bet-
ter friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? I don’t know if
Amelia knew about the Four Way Test, but she acted like she knew.
Is it the truth? A true friend is honest. Amelia showed that she was
a trustworthy friend by sticking up for me. The other girls made me
doubt that I could trust them because of their mean behavior.
It is fair? Amelia saw that the other girls were not playing fairly.
They ganged up on me and they cheated just to get me out. She was
not afraid to tell them that they were treating me unfairly.
Will it build good will and better friendships? The girls who ganged
up on me damaged our friendship. After that I could never be sure
that they were truly my friends, but Amelia showed me that she was a
good friend. She built good will, because she did what she thought
was right and not what everyone else was doing. After that our
friendship was stronger because I knew that she would always be
there for me when I needed a true friend. I have drifted apart from
many of those untrue friends, but Amelia and I are still very close.
Will it be beneficial to all concerned? I think that Amelia was benefi-
cial to everyone because she showed how good friends treat each
other. She helped me by making me feel better and by showing me
that I really did have a good friend.

The Four Way Test can sometimes be hard to follow. It means that
you have to speak up when you see people doing something wrong.
That can be very difficult to do, but Amelia did it for me and that is
why after all of these years I still remember what she did and I still
consider her my best friend.

Today, I am going to talk to you about the Four Way Test…

District 6450 Winner
Rotary Club of Moraine Valley
Kate Moran, Second Place
Conrady Jr. High, Hickory Hills, IL
Teacher: Mrs. Baltimore

Today, I am going to talk to you about the Four Way Test. The Four Way Test is a test of our citizenship, morals, and ethics in the things we think say and do. We should think of thse four questions in any and every situation we are in.

The questions we should aks ourselves are
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all Concerned?

Is it the truth? This is a good question we should always ask ourselves. People that tell the truth are honest and trustworthy. In telling the truth you build friendships and bonds with people. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear or accept, but in the end it is always beneficial to all involved. Those that do not tell the truth often tell lie after lie, and can never be believed. Not telling the truth does not build friendships it only makes enemies.

Is it fair to all concerned? When answering this question, we should think of all people involved, not just ourselves. Being fair is often very difficult, but at the same time the right thing to do. Fairness can mean that all individuals involved need to make compromises. In making compromises everyone gets a fair alternative. Being fair is the right thing to do, but not always the easiest thing to agree on.

Will it build goodwill and better friendships? This can often be a confusing question to some. What you feel is the moral thing to do may not be what someone else feels is correct. If you know in your heart that what you say or do for someone is the right thing to do, then you often build goodwill and better friendships.

Will it be beneficial to all concerned? In making decisions that will be beneficial to all, we sometimes have to make sacrifices. When making these decisions knowing the outcome will be benefiting all, can sometimes make the decision easier.

The philosophy of the Four Way Test challenges many areas of the thought process. The test gives you the opportunity to look at your morals and ethics. Finally, if you use the Four-Way Test in everyday life you will definitely be a better citizen, friend, and family member.

Blame it on Bro

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Mariah Cossey, First Place
Grade 6, Intermediate Division
Staci Andrews, Grover Heights

About 3 years ago, my brother and I were given the chance to prove our sense of responsibility. Alex, my ten-year-old brother, was swamped with homework so he was allowed to stay home from a two-hour meeting that my parents had to go to. I begged to be allowed to stay home too, but they were reluctant at first.
“Please, Mom!” I pleaded with my wide 8-year-old eyes. “I don’t know if you’re ready yet, Maia. You have to prove your maturity first,” my mom droned, giving me the look that showed pity, love, and annoyance. Finally, after my rather sophisticated way of reasoning, she let me stay with the warning that I would lose their trust if I misbehaved.
That day I found out that staying home alone wasn’t as much fun as I thought it would be and after an hour I was practically dying of boredom. Skipping into my brother’s room, I saw that he had language arts, math, and social studies homework to finish. But of course I did what every normal kid would do.
“Whatcha doin?” I asked in a sickly sweet and innocent voice. “Homework,” he grunted. “Get out!” “What’s this?” I asked cutely, holding up his math work. His reaction was to ignore me, but that was the worst thing he could have done. “I’ll rip it! I sang malevolently. “Leave! He yelled at me grabbing back his papers.
I didn’t move so…he shoved me to the ground. All the energy and anger from being bored, ignored and shoved built up inside me until there was no room for anything else. Eyes wild, I flew at my brother with claws out and reason gone. I didn’t stop to think about the outcomes my actions might have. I just did it. I bit and scratched my brother until he kicked me back, but that just infuriated me more. Like a wild beast I tore up his math papers, ran from the kill to my room and locked the door.
When my parents came home, they confronted me with hostile expressions after talking with Alex. I stared at my mom and, with a dry mouth, did what they told me never to do. I lied.
I made up a story of how I was minding my own business when I thought I might ask my brother to play with me. I told them I accidentally ripped his paper as I was leaving. Then he started attacking me. I finished with a tale of remorse for hurting him in my self-defense. My brother had been known to have a temper lately and a history of lying about video games so they believed me. Mostly…. Our only punishment was a time out and Alex got one too.
That night, guilt welled up inside me. The harder I tried to ignore it the fiercer it fought. It swelled and writhed and ate away at me until I had to get up and go to the sink. I drank in desperation to try and drown the evil, guilt-ridden monster, but it was persistent. At last I gave in and ran to my parents’ room. They weren’t all too enthusiastic about me waking them from their beneficial sleep so early in the morning. But when I told them it was to fix my fragile friendship with Alex they got nice. I told them everything, the complete truth this time. The punishment for lying, hurting Alex and ripping his homework was great but at least I could sleep at night.
Looking back, I realize how much better off I would have been if I had thought about the 4-Way Test before I acted. The 4-Way Test is a perfect thing to go by in life. However, to put it in clear, simple terms, I will probably make a big mistake again. Nobody is perfect. No matter how good you are, you aren’t going to think about the test for everything in your life, Eventually, everyone is going to mess up badly at some point. That’s the truth and that’s what I know.

Tears of Pain

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Maria Chavez, Second Place
Grade 6, Intermediate Division
Staci Andrews, Grover Heights

If I would have had another chance, just one chance to undo what I had done, I would have taken it. If I would have had a wish I would have wished for a chance, and all because I wanted to save a friendship. It was an ugly, cold, probably going-to-rain type of day. Despite the weather the day had gone on fairly well and all my friends and I were sitting in our usual spot in the school cafeteria. We were talking and laughing doing what normal 5th graders do, until one of my best friends, Sally, showed us a picture of a mermaid she drew. It wasn’t exactly the best mermaid in the world but, hey, she’s only in 5th grade and mermaids aren’t the easiest things to draw. So like a best friend would do I exclaimed “Hey! That’s great.” Unfortunately, my other best friend Karla wasn’t so considerate. I don’t exactly remember what Karla said but it was enough to see the pain and hurt in Sally’s eyes. Sally, no longer excited about her drawing, gloomily walked to the far end of the table. It was very depressing, it was as if a gray cloud was pouring rain on top of her head. When Sally left I turned to Karla and said “Karla, that was a horrible thing to do! You should go and apologize!” Karla shrugged her shoulders. I knew that Karla wasn’t being fair so I told my friend Jake what had happened. Jake came up with a plan, it was a mean plan, but since we were both so angry about what she did we didn’t really care. Both Jake and I snatched the tangerines off our plate and slowly inched the tangerines closer to Karla and “Now!”, Jake yelled. We both squeezed the tangerines as hard as we could. Once the juice made contact with Karla we didn’t feel big, we didn’t feel better and we especially didn’t fix anything. Actually, we probably made things worse. The path that the juice decided to take was straight into her eyes. Her eye almost instantly turned red and swollen and started to overflow with tears of pain. Our jaws practically dropped to the floor in astonishment. The glare that Karla gave us went straight past my eyes and burned the back of my skull. For the rest of the day Karla gave us the cold shoulder. It felt as though frost was sliding down my spine and my insides were getting ripped apart every time I would try to apologize. By the end of the day I decided to write her an apology letter, it was my only hope. I didn’t know if she forgave me or not until the next day. Karla did end up forgiving me and she even said sorry to Sally for the comment that she made about her drawing. This incident happened about a year ago and Karla, Sally and I are better friends than we were before. All of this story is completely true with the exception of the names, which shall not be given out under any circumstances.