Articles

The Dreamer

​Left, right, left. One foot after another. Rhythmically pressing against the pavement. Each step and breath guiding her body and taking it away from the stress and demands of daily life. She calls herself a runner. An identity that she uses to combat her other identity that brings ridicule and hatred. 

​Jamie Turcios goes for a run almost every day. She does not think about her upcoming biology exams or her future as an undocumented student. Instead, she breathes and clears her mind so when her legs stop she can face everything with strength.

Segregating the Past from the Present

“Remember, you are supposed to be helping each other, not insulting each other,” Pamela Henderson, says with authority as she surveys the almost 30 students in her eighth-grade classroom. Henderson's students duly nod their heads.

The students, seated in wooden desks arranged in groups of four, help each other solve compound inequalities. A tall young lady leaves her desk and approaches Henderson.  

Visiting the Outdoors Outside the City Limits

A drive 50 miles northwest of Austin, TX, puts you directly inside a chain of six freshwater lakes, which many Texans during the summer months may confuse with heaven. This lake chain, better known as the Highland Lakes, flows through several Hill Country towns including Marble Falls. The small town of nearly 7,000 people helps travelers looking to destress from the hustle of the big city and provides a few options for those hoping to explore nature.