M1: Medieval Europe

     I alighted from my Porsche and felt the densely packed earth of medieval Europe under my feet. All around me, people hurtled about the French marketplace. Garments of rough linen brushed past me. I heard the loud, harsh cries of hard-working people peddling their wares. The moist aroma of freshly pulled root vegetables wafted throughout the square. The market was situated in a crowded street lined with tall, narrow houses. A sign with a faded picture advertising fresh bread perched on one. I pushed open the splintery wooden door below it and was greeted by warm, humid air and a cloud of flour.
     After climbing up a steep path, I saw my first glimpse of a Medieval cathedral.The spires of the great church dripped upwards into the vibrant blue sky. Cold stares of stone gargoyles bore into my head and made me shiver. As I walked inside, I was illuminated by the warm, brightly colored sunlight streaming in from the stained glass windows. The priest murmured in a low voice to the throngs of reverent merchants and peasants. Not wanting to disturb the mass, I slipped back outside, unnoticed.
     I walked on a worn path that winded through the kingdom. On my left, some knights were engaged in a brutal training battle, and I heard their swords clang. On my right, peasants hoed the fields, sweat glistening on their brows. Ahead of me, the path sloped upwards and led to a large stone manor. The manors size seemed to insinuate that this kingdom was not a force to be reckoned with. The smell of weak broth trickled up from the small cluster of peasant shacks, and I turned on my heels. The prospect of warm food was preferable to foreboding lords.
     The peasant house was cramped and I tried to make my way around sparse furniture in the dark. Harsh smoke got in my eyes and I coughed violently. A large pot of broth boiled on a roaring fire. I handed a small child a coin I had found, warm from my pocket. In return, she handed me a rough ceramic bowl of soup. The soup was watery, but having something hot to drink comforted me. After a bit, I became claustrophobic from the closed in room, and the smoke made me itchy, so I left the hut. A cool wind greeted me outside.
     As I walked, I came upon a large creek. I dove in, and was shocked by the cold. Farther along the river, I saw several people. A young girl bounced a wailing baby on her hip while doing laundry, and a man tried unsuccessfully to catch fish. The glittering moon reflected in the rushing water, and I realized how dark it was. Although I slipped on some mossy rocks, I eventually succeeded in pulling myself out of the river. I found a moon speckled clearing in a small wood. Pulling a pile of crinkly dead grass around me, I fell asleep under tall oak trees whose leaves rustled in the wind.

Rue Lawrence

                There is an old cliché “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” The story of fashion designer extraordinaire Rue Lawrence proves that this is true. With perseverance, you can achieve your goals.

            Rue Lawrence really wanted to go to a college of design, but she couldn’t afford to pay the tuition. She knew that fashion design was her future. Rue worked at the GAP every day, trying to save her money. Still, she made just enough to live off, and ate Ramen every night. Rue couldn’t pay for school, so she had to try plan B.

            Because Rue didn’t want to give up her dream, she sent her portfolio to 12 design schools with scholarship programs. It was very important to her to go to college. Rue carried her sketch book with her everywhere, and she spent all her free time working on her résumé. As she waited for an answer to come in the mail, Rue wished she could have a foretaste of what was to come.

            Rue got a full tuition scholarship to Parson’s School of Design. The Dean sent her a handwritten letter of approval that smelled like promise. She was one of four people to get this prestigious honor. Rue couldn’t wait to start. She thought she would never make it to design college, but Rue worked interminably and accomplished the impossible.

            As this paper shows, with perseverance you can reach your goals. The story of Rue Lawrence proves that if you don’t give up, anything is possible!