inside inisight fall 2009
DESCRIPTION
Inaugural EditionTRANSCRIPT
Inside Insight
Purpose
Inside Insight exists to provide an outlet to show-
case the God-given talents of The First Academy’s
authors, poets, essayists, photographers and artists.
This inaugural edition of Inside Insight is designed
to show a small sampling of the talents our TFA
family possesses and to encourage more students
to feel comfortable with sharing their work with
the rest of our family.
We encourage all forms of written expression as
well as the artistic talents which are able to be put
into print. Throughout each issue, there will be a
sampling of everything from poems and songs to
essays to short stories written both as assignments
and as simple expressions of themselves. As the
title suggests, the one goal is to reveal the amazing
and unique students who make up our school as
they really are.
It is the hope of the Inside Insight staff that more
students will be willing to participate and share a
glimpse into their own lives through this outlet.
i
“Inside Insight”
The sounds are heard,
A fog is lifted,
A heart begins to open to the world.
Exposure to the sun
Without fear of burning;
Arms open to the possibilities,
Without apprehension.
Slowly, the fists uncurl,
And the mask falls to the floor.
What others see and who we are
Become one.
The light breaks through the darkness,
The door opens to the soul.
Now all who are around see
Not just the surface but
Reality;
Inside Insight.
Inside Insight Staff
Kirk Hensley, Senior Editor
Tamara Allen, Junior Editor
Amanda Whitaker, Sophomore Editor
Mrs. Patton, Sponsor
ii
Poetry
“High School” “Restoring Blue” “Glorify”
Essay The Great Debate
Art Mrs. Patton Ted Hudgeons Caroline Tesch Mrs. Patton Shalisha Sheffield Lyndee Rose Lauren Salter Scott Simmons Casey O’Brien Jarrod Harrison Mrs. Patton Danny Rodriguez Austin Muehleman Jack Mixner
Madie Sunberg
Savannah Posgai
Catherine Cramer
An Anonymous
TFA Sophomore
Page 2
Page 3
Page 6
Page 9
Front Cover
Page 4
Page 4
Page 5
Page 7
Page 7
Page 7
Page 8
Page 8
Page 8
Page 9
Page 12
Page 12
Back Cover
1
Photography on pages 4, 7, 8, 12 and Back Cover
Courtesy of Tamara Allen
The First Academy Mission Statement
The First Academy is a Christ-centered, college-preparatory school
whose mission is to prepare children for life as Christian leaders
who choose character before career, wisdom beyond scholarship,
service before self, and participation as a way of life.
Table of Contents
“High School” By Madie Sunberg
My feet hit the ground,
I walk into the building.
I climb the stairs and
Immediately I am swarmed.
There are friends, drama,
Unfinished homework,
All to be accomplished before
The Bell…
Into our classes we go,
Whether it’s math, English or science.
30 minutes go by,
I look to the clock to see,
We have an hour left.
I sit there and try to avoid
The teacher looking over at
Me to answer a question.
I start to doze off,
When my eyes are forcefully
Opened again.
Finally, the bell rings.
I’m free!!
My legs move as fast
As they can.
I can’t wait to be out.
To home I go, to find I
Have to do this all again…
Tomorrow!
2
“Restoring Blue” By: Savannah Posgai
A broken heart beats differently,
Love blinded eyes just can’t see.
The light or truth that may lie all around
‘Cause love doesn’t always make a sound.
A crushed spirit doesn’t function right,
Can’t distinguish if it’s day or night.
They choose to hold on to the pain, and they know it’s true
‘Cause to move on means letting go of you.
But stagnant pool just lets the world pass by.
Its water clouds as more tear drops cry.
Cut off from the river that is life,
There’s no current to sweep away the strife.
And a heart that holds on to a person no longer there
Is simply floating in thin air,
And here’s a fact that they will miss,
They’re descending themselves into a black abyss.
Hope is available to those who, it, desire,
But some prefer to remain stuck in the filthy mire.
Maybe to self-pity they’ve become so accustomed
That hope is a foreign taste to them.
However, one day a hand will catch them in their fall,
Brush them off, remove their walls.
Love clears the fog and starts them anew,
Reopening their eyes to a new sky that’s blue…
3
“Glorify” By: Catherine Cramer
Rolling hills of green dotted with violet petite petals,
The wind rushes up and around, trees whistle and dance,
A sweet aroma is produced smelling serene and blissful,
The sun yields warmth and dries up sadness.
The mountains are complete and content to glorify their Creator.
The sand is grainy yet soft, the vast dark water is powerful yet fertile.
The creatures jump and prance in their sea, exclaiming excitement.
The waves rush quickly, creating a loud roar but will always obey
and recede.
The ocean is complete and content to obey its Creator.
Darkness: The stars flicker their brilliant light.
The moon shines faithfully. A strike of lightning illuminates
The sky while reminding the Earth of its beauty
And detriment. Only moments later, a bang is
Relinquished from the heavens. That crack of
Thunder causes the earth to shudder.
The night sky is complete and content to glorify its Creator.
The calm mountains; the obedient oceans; the majestic sky.
The Earth is complete and content to glorify its
Creator.
6
The Great Faith Debate By: An Anonymous TFA Sophomore
During The Great Faith Debate, the question “What
about science and reason?” was asked. Renowned atheist Chris-
topher Hitchens provided a simple response stating that science
and religion were not related. Internationally recognized apolo-
gist Dinesh D’Souza replied by using an illustration discussing
the inference of an author due to a character of a book. He used
Hamlet and William Shakespeare to demonstrate his point:
Shakespeare is not mentioned once in the play, yet someone did
create the characters. An intelligent mind went behind the plan-
ning and designing of the plot. A creator controlled the out-
come, sustained each individual, and knew before the characters
what would happen. There has not been a more accurate anal-
ogy to compare with the obvious reality that the Earth is indeed
a product of someone’s careful thought and planning.
“I suppose he’ll die soon. I’m expecting it, like you do
for a dog that’s seventeen. There’s no way to know how I’ll re-
act. He’ll have faced his own placid death and slipped without
a sound inside himself. Mostly, I
imagine I’ll crouch there at the door,
fall onto him, and cry hard into the
stench of his fur. I’ll wait for him to
wake up, but he won’t. I’ll bury him.
I’ll carry him outside, feeling his
warmth turn to cold as the horizon
frays and falls down in my backyard.
For now, though, he’s okay. I can see
him breathing. He just smells like
9
What have you just learned about Markus Zusak? You might
think Markus is the narrator, the young man preparing to grieve
for his elderly canine. Another assumption could suggest that
the dog himself is named Markus Zusak. However, the words
“Markus Zusak” refer entirely to the author of I Am the Messen-
ger, the book from which this excerpt was taken. Mr. Zusak
was not mentioned once in this story, nor was any reference
made to his very existence. At the same time, there is no ques-
tion that there is indeed a writer; someone who creates, sustains,
and oversees the characters and their lives.
In the same way, examining the earth, the galaxy, the
universe, without finding a Creator within the creation, you can
still deduct that a Creator does exist. The complexity, the plot,
the intelligence, and the intricacy of life as we know it points
directly to some sort of an author. God is real. He is alive. He
matters, whether or not you choose to recognize him.
Despite a belief that is gaining popularity, religion –
Christianity in particular – will not be the bane of modern soci-
ety. On the contrary, throughout history religion has held vari-
ous civilizations together in their times of need.
The success of the United States forming an independent
country is a perfect example. England was a world power,
seemingly untouchable. Their thirteen colonies in North Amer-
ica were dependent, appeared to be unstable, and not nearly as
organized as their mother country. After a series of mistreat-
ment, they began to rebel and revolt: from boycotting English
products to the Boston Tea Party. Against all odds, Americans
defeated a major nation in what looked like a losing battle. The
world was shocked, speechless, and in awe.
10
The leaders of the new nation, however, were unmoved, knowing
that, through the power of God, anything would be achievable.
Two of these leaders, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin,
are excellent examples of men whose faith was placed completely
in the one true God.
This same concept is illustrated in the Bible. In the seven-
teenth chapter of Exodus, verses eight through sixteen discuss the
Israelites’ defeat of Amalek. Moses stood at the top of a hill
where the entire battle could be seen. With him were Aaron, Hur,
and the rod of God. By simply lifting the rod, Moses trusted God
to dominate, and he demonstrated God’s power. However, the
moment the rod was lowered, Israel began to lose the battle. In an
instant, change could occur. Each moment was crucial. With the
help of Aaron and Hur, Moses kept the rod raised, and God’s cho-
sen people prevailed. These two examples display the sheer au-
thority that is gained when trust is placed in God.
Religion does indeed hold the keys to creating a better
world. With God’s power and omnipotence, all seemingly endless
struggles can and will cease. What is stopping you from believ-
ing, making the most important decision of your life? No excuse
is valid.
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Jack Mixner
God's Plan of Salvation Admit - "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Pray: Lord, I admit that I am a sinner
in need of a Savior.
Believe - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but
have everlasting life" (John3:16). Pray: Lord, I believe
that Jesus died and shed His blood for my sins. I believe this in my heart and not just my head.
Call - "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13).
Pray: Lord, I call upon You to save me from my sins. I confess and repent of my sins. I know that Your Son, Jesus paid
my debt on the cross-a debt I could never pay despite all my good works-and I thankfully accept Your gift of eternal life
in Heaven that His death makes possible (Acts 2:38-39).