INSIDE INSIGHT Volume I Issue 2

Spring 2010

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.

“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

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Table of Contents

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.

Works of Literature

Poetry

“Drive”

“The City”

“The Guitar”

“Music”

“Eden”

“How Do You See?”

Untitled

Short Story

“The Journey”

Personal Essay

Reflections on a Prayer Service

Scholarly Essay

“Is Reality Television Real?”

Art & Photography

Mrs. Patton

Abby Tan

Ms. Mathews

Joy Grosshans

Savannah Posgai

Courtney Fair

Daniel McGowan

Nick Guerrero

Amanda Starcher

Tess Powers

Josh Highburger

Angel Conlon

An Anonymous

TFA Sophomore

Kyle Burnett

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 8

Pages 6-7

Pages 12-13

Cover Art

Page 4

Page 7

Back Cover

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Drive By: Savannah Posgai

When one door closes, one opens, but the closed one will always remain

And shouts seep through that door of all your past pain

The sound can hold you captive, stuck where you are

Without moving on you can't go far

Because cuts on your heart are so slow to heal,

They'll sneak up and attack you before it seems real.

People build walls and think, "Now, it won't matter,"

But reality is that pain has a ladder.

And while love remains knocking outside,

Pain pulls you strongly, like an ocean's tide

It's a full out struggle to reopen the door

The one unlocked that you ignored before

Then the torrent of tears in which you've chosen to swim

Floods out like a tidal wave and love walks in,

You may still be soaked in the pain you cried

But love assures you, you will be soon dried

Cause though pain is an echoing sound

Love walks in and turns the whole thing around.

And there's no word to describe

That despair you can feel inside

On this one way street that we call life

There are to guard rails, u-turns, or headlines

Cause God never intended us to see the darkness of night

Time measures the distance but your speed stays the same

We can't slow down; we weren't meant to have brakes

Each new scene's gone in the blink of an eye

But don't look in your rearview or you'll miss what you pass by

And by the time you realize where you were it'll be gone

So keep your eyes on the road and the sunrise horizon beyond

So take it in, breathe deep, and

Just drive.

The City

By: Courtney Fair

The sun climbs high over the

sprawling city,

And with it rise dreamers soaring

to the top.

Their dreams are reflected in the

fog-like smog.

Its hazy form surrounds them.

At night, city lights twinkle like the

many stars inhabiting this city.

The tall, skinny, perfect palm

trees are role models to every girl

there.

Above the chaos, huge peaks

enclose them;

The hand of God in a lonely

sin city.

And towering white letters

proclaim the message:

"This is where it all begins."

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4

Abby Tan

The Guitar

By: Daniel McGowan

I pick her up and take her in my arms.

I rub my hand along her neck.

Her body so warm, her "voice" so mellow,

Suddenly life doesn't seem so bleak.

We start to play, and oh! The music

Flows freely from her "voice".

My hands just struggle to keep up.

She doesn't mind, she waits for me.

We work together, she and I,

And Oh! The music from her "voice".

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Music

By: Nick Guerrero Music

Is what people

Use to express

What anger or issues

They have on their chest.

No matter what you want

From hip-hop to hard rock

You

Have

The

Choice

To

Choose

The

Way

You

Express.

You

Could

Make

It,

Compose

It,

Or listen

To what

Artists

Have

To share,

What

They're

Feeling

That

Day

Or

Time.

What people feel

Is something that is

Blessed, given by God

To relieve the worldly stress

That you encounter every day.

You see, music is what allows me

To combat fear and anger, it's

There to vanquish what

Negatives you feel.

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Reflections on a Prayer Service

By: Anonymous TFA Sophomore

I had no inkling of what had happened in Haiti until this morn-

ing. When my friend told me there had been an earthquake, I

also had no idea it would affect so deeply some of our friends,

and by connection their friends, family and school.

Then I started to hear about the effect. The earthquake was

strong; it collapsed buildings, it caused death. This is nothing I

have ever experienced. I cannot fathom what it is like to be

there, to see it, to witness what has happened to the people there

who have lost maybe everything. I cannot fathom what the mis-

sion team is experiencing; but what I really cannot imagine, and

what is most devastating, are the lives in Haiti.

As we were at chapel in they gym this morning, and we started

to pray, I did not even know where to begin. I had my day and

my life on my mind. I found myself looking at the people

around me, who was doing what, and wondering what I should

do. I realized I had it all wrong and probably had it wrong for a

while before.

I looked down at my piece of paper I was to be writing a prayer

on. I felt hypocritical. I realized I didn't want to look spiritual

just to impress others. It was not at all about that. God called

me out, and this was time to start to change. I was struggling

with how. Thinking about the faith of the mission team, and

seeing people so passionate about prayer, convicted me. How

much of my spirituality is driven by image and reputation?

Probably more than I realize. Do I really take prayer seriously?

Not enough.

At school, I know I excel on face level easily. But God has

called me through the story of Haiti to go deeper into my spiri-

tual life, to watch those who return from the trip, and learn from

them how to have a real passion for God and His purpose; our

school needs passion like Haiti needs salvation. I don't want to

fool others or myself by putting on a mask. I'd rather be real, no

matter what it looks like or how hard it is. That is what Haiti is:

raw and real. It's life, tragedy, and death; but through that

comes a powerful hope, peace and faith that we lack. It doesn't

involve a false front. It's true and to the heart. I want that pas-

sion in my life that the missionaries are bold enough to share

with the orphans and lost in Haiti. Who knew an earthquake in

Haiti could affect a teenager in Orlando? God is amazing in that

way, and thank you to the whole team who went to Haiti: for

your courage, faith, impact, and love for God, and for showing

us just how amazing God is.

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Mrs. Mathews Welcome home, Haitian Mission Team!

The Journey

By: Angel Conlon

I am walking in a desert. It's hot and dry - so dry

you can feel it in the air. I walk endlessly for what seems

like forever. On and on I go, no destination in sight. At

least, not yet.

More hours go by and I'm still in this same desert.

But now, there is a door. It's a wooden door, probably

twice my height. Curiosity becomes me, but I do nothing.

I just stare at the door.

More hours pass, and I'm still there. Finally, I get

the courage to do something. I pull on the handle, but

nothing happens.

Minutes pass and I hear a voice. "Ask and you shall

receive," it says. I have no idea where this is coming

from, but I open my mouth and say, "May I please come

in?" The door opens slowly, revealing something so beau-

tiful that it makes my long days of wandering worth it. All

I can think is, "I don't want to go back!"

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Eden

By: Amanda Starcher

In a perfect God-created land,

New creations rejoiced

As Lord and man walked hand-in-hand.

God spoke, and he heard His voice.

All was well with man and God but then it did abide:

a deadly coil of smooth deceit,

He slithered to her side.

He knew silently he would not retreat

until his evil cravings were satisfied.

"Turn from God, eat of this tree,"

the slimy creature convinced.

She obeyed hesitantly

and in pain and shame she winced.

The sky turned black. God's wrath released.

There was a feeling of deep cold and dark night.

The bond with God and humanity ceased

Just because of that one bite.

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How Do You See?

By: Tess Powers

How do you see?

We see by light,

by a giant flame.

We all see by the same thing,

but we all see differently.

A flame:

Life giver, destroyer,

The cold fire, wild fire

Pain bringer, or rebirth.

In old times it was believed

a fire was in us all

not a heart but a flame,

a spark of life that when death came was snuffed out.

Fire was a tool, a God-sent gift,

Paid for by blood.

Fire created

Images of family, comfort and safety,

An image of romance and passion

And sometimes loneliness

In the form of a single flickering flame.

We all see but differently.

This old friend wears many masks,

Has great power for destruction,

And ability to guide us safely.

There is no one way to see.

So, yet again, I will ask,

How do you see?

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Untitled

By: Josh Highburger

The feeling of defeat,

of dropping to the ground in agony,

have you ever felt it?

That feeling of hiding from the world

of locking the door to life

and tossing the key into some unforgettable corner

that you refuse to admit exists?

When a shimmer of light finds its way

through that keyhole,

seeping into the darkness which fills your presence,

As it slowly illuminates your one tie to

humanity, to everything that is,

you hear the keyhole come alive.

Suddenly, you see the door knob start to writhe,

to contort in some clockwise manner,

just enough to drown your being in a

blanket of white, pain to the eyes.

Have you ever felt it?

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"Is Reality Television Real?"

By: Kyle Burnett

When asked why he wrote Lord of the Flies, William Golding replied, “It was simply

what seemed sensible for me to write after the war when everyone was thanking God they

weren’t Nazis. I’d seen enough to realize that every single one of us could be Nazis.”

Golding had fought in the Royal Navy during WWII and had also been a part of the D-

Day invasion. It was in these moments, as he witnessed the carnage and horror of war that

he found a theme upon which to write, that is, “to trace the defects of society back to the

defects of human nature” (Davis).

And what does this, you say have to do with reality television? There is a great deal

actually, especially reality television in its current state. You see, I have recently noticed

that reality television has become what appears to be a paradox: it has become what most

perceive as the opposite of reality. How could a husband and wife split after years of mar-

riage and eight children, children who should be causing their parents to draw closer to-

gether than ever before? How can a man be so caught up in the thrill of being on television

that he pretends that his child has floated away in a balloon? How can a woman swear

revenge on a woman that she barely knows because she split her from her teammate on a

game show? People don’t actually behave in this way, do they?

They do. On June 22, 2009, Jon and Kate announced on their show, to no surprise of

the viewing audience, that they were getting a divorce. This was after Jon was allegedly

caught with another woman in a highly publicized affair (“EPISODE”). On October 15,

2009, Richard Heene, who had appeared on the ABC show “Wife Swap” called the police

in Fort Collins, Colorado, to report that his son had taken off in a balloon. After several

nervous hours, the balloon came down, but there was no boy to be found. He had been

hiding in the attic under the direction of his father, Mr. Heene (Banda). On October 13,

2009, Liz, a contestant on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”, swore that after being split up

from her partner, Danny, by another contestant, Tracy, she would be sending her home “in

the most evil way possible” (“Week”).

The most fascinating part about each of these events is that, just like the paradise-like

island in Lord of the Flies, these environments have the potential to be positive and con-

structive for all those involved. For instance, “The Biggest Loser” series is about people

losing weight together so that America, the most obese country in the world, might follow

their example.

I can identify two things that cause this peculiar phenomenon with reality shows. The first

is misplaced love. I believe Liz suffers from “I’m-on-a-game-show-and-I-want-to-win-

some-money-it is”. In 1 Timothy 6:10a, the writer says, “For the love of money is a root

of all kinds of evil” (The Holy Bible, New International Version). Additionally, though I

have never been married or had children, I believe that Jon and Kate could have saved

their marriage if they had loved God first, each other second, their children third,

and themselves last as Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 22:37-40. The second is pride.

Proverbs 16:18 reads, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a

fall” (The Holy Bible, New International Version). Mr. Heene probably got a little too

used to the spotlight and missed it sorely once it was gone.

There is, however, I believe, a solution to these shortcomings in human nature.

As far as misplaced love is concerned, we need to put our love in the right place.

Thankfully, Jesus told us where our love should be quite succinctly in the few verses

that I mentioned before. That is, put quite simply, love God and love others. C.S.

Lewis offers some advice for a person who has no feelings of love for God or others

in his book Mere Christianity. Lewis says that if a person does not feel any love to-

ward God, they must do the same to Him as they would to a person they did not love;

they must treat them as if they love Him and watch as their love for Him grows at

compound interest. “He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. We cannot create

them for ourselves, and we must not demand them as a right” (Lewis 132). If we

struggle to love others, it works in much the same way.

In order to banish pride from our lives, we must adopt its opposite virtue: humil-

ity. The first step to acquiring humility is diagnosing the problem: admitting that one

is prideful (Lewis 128). From there, the rule of thumb is to constantly look for ways

to put others before oneself.

You might have notice that I used words like “we” and “our.” It’s because I

agree with Golding. We all have the potential to be Nazis or one of the aforemen-

tioned people on television, but we also know what is right and just and noble and

good by the Moral Law written on our hearts. The question is: what will you choose?

Sources:

Banda, P. Solomon. “Colorado Parents Plead Guilty in Balloon Boy Saga.” The

Associated Press. 14 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2009.

“EPISODE 6: Houses and Big Changes.” Jon and Kate Plus 8. The Learning

Channel. TLC, Orlando. 22 June 2009. Television.

Davis, Hosiah. “Presentation Transcript.” AuthorStream.com. AuthorStream.com. 1

Nov 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2009.

The Holy Bible, New International Version. Ed. Ryan E. Knutzen. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 1996. Print.

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. New York: Harper One, 2001. Print.

“Week Five.” The Biggest Loser. The Learning Channel. TLC, Orlando. 13 Oct.

2009. Television.

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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).

Joy Grosshans