Artwork by Kiera Classen

The other day, I found myself watching the Major League Soccer Cup playoffs between the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls, and my first thought was: the NBA Lockout needs to end. Thankfully, on Friday, November 25, both sides of the lockout reached an agreement and the regular season will begin on Christmas day.

The lockout is when the two sides of a Collective Bargaining Agreement, a contract of how the “work force” and “bosses” will split money, cannot agree on the terms of the contract. Both the owners and the players were at odds between a $3 billion revenue spilt in which the owners wanted a fair 50-50 distribution and the players wanted a 52-48 split. They eventually agreed on a 51-49 split in the favors of the players.  This dispute caused the NBA lockout. The players can receive more up to 60% if the income for the NBA exceeds projections, as stated by Players Union Chief Billy Hunter in his memo to the players

Both the owners and the players had fair reasoning for getting what they wanted from the revenue split. The “owners-me” and the “players-me” could have an entire argument, and here is how it would pan out.

Owners-me: How is 50-50 not fair? We take all the big risks in this business. We go to the local government and make sure that our stadium stays up to date. We also keep everything at the stadium up and running. The fans stay happy because of our work and contributions. If the fans really just wanted basketball that badly, they could go to your events and watch you play. However, they demand the NBA, which we own and orchestrate.

Players-me: We are the heart of the NBA. We keep the fans coming back again and again. Who makes the SportsCenter “Top 10 Plays” day after day? Not you guys, standing in the executive box, that’s for sure. Also, in the last NBA lockout, we caved just to save most of the NBA season. This time around, we make enough money to get us by through simple endorsement deals. So, don’t think that we are going to wait for you guys to sort out everything before we blindly sign a deal for this year.

Owners-me: We gave you players a chance to save the NBA season; by giving you the revenue split we thought you wanted. But, instead you voted to decertify the union and put the owners in a place having to force an agreement with you guys. We are also trying to save small market teams, something you guys don’t want to do , as evidenced by “The Decision” and “The Dream Team” Miami Heat. Teams like the Jazz and Bobcats don’t have any opportunity to win an NBA Championship if you guys team up and all play in New York, Boston, and Miami.

Players-me: First of all the so-called “Dream Team” was a defunct experiment, and it is clear that a team has to bond before thinking about winning the NBA Championship. Also, who wants to play for small market teams? Did you grow up in your driveway counting down “The Jazz for the championship…3…2…1…It’s in! The Jazz win it all!” No, you think about Madison Square Garden with the Knicks or The Bank with the Celtics for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Besides, no sport has loyalty anymore; athletes go where the money is.

I have never really liked David Stern to begin with. He doesn’t have the personality for the NBA Commissioner and he gets into too many fights with the other owners. Stern wasn’t the reason for the lockout ending, the loss of his money was. He is the source of all the problems in the NBA, and needs to find a new job. With David Stern gone, the NBA would be at peace for a long time to come. The new Commissioner of the NBA should then be Jerry West. He is “the logo” of the NBA, and everyone relates to him. He would keep the players happy because he would relate to them, and the owners happy because he is on their side.

With David Stern gone and Jerry West the new commissioner, the NBA may not be locked out another day of our lives.

Senior year Homecoming, painting my face with school spirit. Photo by Gaby Landeros

I will be honest here: freshman, sophomore, and junior years at TJ are all but a blur to me. The memories I made, the people I have met, the things I have done, have all meshed together into one faint memory. This year, though, is as clear as a sunny Colorado sky. How could I forget about the Senior Sleep Out? Powder-Puff? Homecoming Parade? Mr. TJ? And did I mention I met Charlie Sheen before a soccer game?

There are so many expectations that I had coming into senior year, as well as expectations that administrators and teachers held for me. Fitting into the mold that put me at the top of the food chain was exhilarating at first; I felt as though I could talk to whomever I wanted, and I had a feeling of higher power and authority over others. It was as if I were injected with mega-confidence giving me the can-do attitude to get anything and everything done. I tried to put reason to this feeling of infinite amounts of audacity. Why did this final year feel so different from the rest?

I decided to give credit for this lasting impression to the mighty feeling no one can fight: pride. After three full years of building upon familiarity, spirit, community, friendship, and knowledge, pride is born. Pride is one’s dignity, pleasure, a flourishing time, and sense of self-respect; all of which I have experienced this year.

For TJ, pride will never be an issue. Having such a strong sense of Spartan spirit will never grow stale; it is one of TJ’s treasures, one that fills in the cracks on the walls, the spaces between people, the silence hovering in the air, and the blank lines occupying a piece of paper.

This year’s sports seemed to have an invisible fence around them; one that created challenges that no one could foresee, making it difficult to overcome and prepare for these obstacles. Both the girls’ and boys’ soccer teams radiated with talent, yet lacked the teamwork to guide them towards progress and success. The football team had the fans lose their voices to thrill during the first half of the homecoming game, yet couldn’t keep the spark going to come out with the win. The boys’ basketball team made it to playoffs all the way in Pueblo, yet with a nail-biting game, settled with a hard-fought loss. Out of these gaps of defeat and tests of pride came some of my greatest memories at TJ, as well as crucial lessons learned.

Soccer invigorated me with the sense and meaning of passion. After every loss I was set on empty, giving me another chance to fill myself with hard work, and a reminder to never run on satisfaction, nor settle for contentment. As the football team moved down on the scoreboard, my cheers only amplified, and the stands were still crowded with supporting fans; it was the definition of commitment that was smeared across our faces. I drove over two hours hoping I would see a basketball game that would dominate the court; instead I saw a prodigious game, one full of dedication and hearts pounding with the tempo of the beating basketball.

As a senior I felt as if it were my obligation to give TJ places to boast with pride and spirit. It was placed in the hands of my class to create an image for TJ, one that everyone would be proud of. One of our greatest successes was done early on. The Senior Sleep Out was something that so many classes before us had tried to rebel and act upon, yet were shut down before the words even rolled off of their tongues. It was a final project that was to be posed as an argument for Mr. Almond’s class junior year that gave us the chance to explore this path that had been vacant for so many years. Working hard throughout the summer alongside administrators, we defied gravity, proved the impossible; we gained the permission and approval to have an organized senior sleep out. After this event being banned for over a decade, we were making history, marking our spot, and definitely making a lot of people jealous.

The sleep out knocked out two birds with one stone. The seniors were able to spend their last day of summer together; indulged in the barbecue, watching Forest Gump, playing a dangerous game of red rover, sharing summer stories, keeping our chaperones up all night, and sleeping out on school grounds covered by the sheets of the night stars and warmth of the moon’s glow. The next morning gave seniors the chance to make it right with our unforgettable freshman days of being attacked by water balloons and other things as courtesy of the senior class of ‘08. Aside from the breakfast we had prepared for our ‘Freshies’, the trophy-winner was the tunnel formed near the front door for our new freshman to walk through. We all clapped and cheered until we turned their nervous jitters into excitement. Our fidelity towards the school could not be any more modest. This tradition that had finally made a comeback became an icon in my head, to remind me that anything I set my mind to and work hard at can be done.

Thinking back on senior year I ask myself what I would change if I could, and whether I have any regrets? Nothing at all, and not a single thing. There are of course many things that come to mind that I have labeled as mistakes, and other things pushed to that place in my head called “please try to forget about this.” But without some of these faults, the monumental times and fearless feelings would never have felt so great. I have come to learn that it takes some wrong to do some right.

As my final days as a Spartan wrap-up, I hope that I can leave TJ having made an impact on at least one individual. I will find comfort knowing that I have worked hard towards leaving behind a meaningful legacy, which is built upon an unlimited amount of pride, the ability to explore passions to their depths, and a commitment that has been consumed by the bleeding pigments of brown and gold.

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

Since its conception, the Internet has been a marvel of information, speed, and technology. With a couple of clicks, one can listen to the Berlin Philharmonic perform Beethoven’s Fifth, see the Great Wall of China, or pursue a treasure trove of information that would put the Libraries of Alexandria and Congress to shame, all without leaving the comfort of one’s chair.

Pretty impressive, huh? Yes, without the Internet, society would not be as advanced as it is today. However, the Internet is not all knowledge and culture. In fact, it’s mostly fun and games. Which would be good, if all the fun didn’t distract its users from the numerous research papers, essays, articles, and other work they should be doing. Yes, the Internet is the devious mastermind behind every hour of procrastination that dogs our work output. In fact, I’ve had at least four different sites distract me from writing this article since its inception.

It is through these silly, time-wasting sites that the Internet has become a concrete addition to modern culture. In fact, the words unfriend, heart, as a verb, (as in to heart someone) and the acronyms LOL, FYI, and OMG, have been added to the dictionary due to the Internet. Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Myspace have forever changed the way people interact with one another. Search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing can take their users anywhere they want to go, as well as into new frontiers. Video sites like YouTube and Dailymotion can provide distractions from cats playing the piano to a skateboarder falling on his face. The Internet is everywhere, whether one wants to embrace it or not.

And therein lies the problem. Now that the Internet has forced its way into everyday life, it is impossible to ignore the effect it has. While there are definite advantages to having vast stores of information readily available, it seems that there are more and more piles of garbage and fewer pockets of important material. In today’s America, Wikipedia has the answers to any question, “LOL” can be heard in the hallways as an accepted word, and YouTube star Justin Bieber sells out concerts. In fact, the Internet is now recognized as a proper noun, and has to be capitalized. Does no one else see what’s wrong with this? The internet is a tool, not a name, place, or event. It is a means to an end, whether that be researching a paper, reading an article, interacting with friends, or simply wasting time on amusing sites.

However, I’m not trying to imply the internet is a morally reprehensible thing. In fact, much good has come from it. Though occasionally we have to deal with trash like Beiber and Rebecca Black, YouTube has become an outlet for many up-and-coming musicians, comedians, and directors. The video-sharing site has given birth to artists like the singing comedian Bo Burnham, who combines jaunty tunes with witty, satirical, and often raunchy lyrics/one-liners.  Thanks to his popularity on the site, Bo has gone on to perform two stand-up shows for Comedy Central.

YouTube is full to bursting with ridiculous videos, but many of the users have gone on to do greater things. Comedian Shane Dawson of ShaneDawsonTV has earned the eye of Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, to create a TV show, and comedian/cooking masters Epic Meal Time, whose videos consist of creating ridiculous high-calorie meals consisting of meat (mostly bacon) and alcohol, are working on creating a cooking show for Comedy Central. I’m not sure whether it’s a step in the right direction or a horrible plunge backwards when people on YouTube are escalated to stardom, but if it brings hilarious people like Bo Burnham and the crazed group of Epic Meal Time into the limelight, then I’m all for it.

The internet is a necessary evil. Though humanity may have to deal with the acronyms OMG and LOL becoming part of everyday life, or have to listen to Rebecca Black through bleeding ears, the internet has given birth to talented entertainers. YouTube has created a medium where previously unknown entertainers have ridden the elevator to celebrity status, when they most likely would never have been noticed before. Overall, I’d say that’s a pretty even trade. We may not see eye to eye all the time, internet, but even though you distract me from doing my actual job, I salute you. I still refuse to capitalize your name, however.

Photo by Sam Kutz

Of people between the ages of 15 and 20, car crashes are the leading cause of death. Billions of dollars are spent and people’s lives are forever changed. These things don’t just happen. The numbers and statistics don’t sound quite real. More teenagers die due to car crashes than anything else.

Inside an automobile, several miniature explosions happen within the blink of an eye. These explosions cause a rod to spin, moving a large disk that rotates a succession of gears. Those gears transfer motion to the wheels, propelling the car. This happens with little input from the driver and none from the passengers. To make all this happen, an internal combustion engine needs air, fuel, electricity, and an operator. The wild card is fuel. The tank in every car holds several gallons of flammable gasoline that can make a collision into a fire hazard. All of the mechanical aspects of a car are controllable, but the person driving is the biggest variable.

The riskiest part of any car lies behind the wheel. Turning music all the way up, driving faster than the posted speed limit, and having a habit of grooving to a favorite song make any driver more at risk to get in a collision. 37% of male drivers between 15 and 20 years old involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time. More than half of the 3,678 passengers between 16 and 20 years killed in a crash weren’t buckled up.

The previous generation of drivers lacked something that this generation has: video games. These simulations may be used to tell stories or allow players to release some stress, but they instill a lack of realism; a world without consequences, where players can start from a point where their characters are faced with a challenge and are allowed to fail and restart from a save point infinitely, until they get it right. When it comes to real life, people don’t get a second chance to drive home knowing that around the same corner there is the same car that will always pull out of the same parking spot without looking. They can’t start from a checkpoint before they were on that road and try again. This new hobby allows the players to retrace past mistakes and even start fresh, losing their high score, but getting a chance to do it perfectly with the strategy guide sitting in their lap. Life doesn’t have a guide to it. People don’t have the luxury of a second chance exactly like the first one. Once something is altered in real life, there is no way to revert it to its original state. Whether it’s the bent frame of a car or a bad first impression, it is impossible to return to the original circumstances. The older generation of drivers on the road knows this. When they were teenagers, these miniature alternate realities didn’t exist.

The other main factor in this is that teenagers think that they’re invincible. Why else would any sane person do half of the dangerous things teenagers do? This is a time in the lives of youth when minor mistakes can be overlooked and forgiven. This coupled with a loose grasp on reality that always allows for a second, third or fourth chance, provides teenagers with reckless driving instincts that cause the death of thousands of people every year. Crashes that involved 15-17 year olds cost more than $34 billion dollars in this nation, which was spent on property damage, medical treatment, and many other related costs. That’s more than Google is worth.

There are campaigns whose purpose is to enforce safe driving, but the best way to change the way people drive is for drivers to take the initiative. Making sure that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up is one of the safest things to do. Some EMTs say they have never had to cut a dead man out of a seat belt.

The easiest way to prevent many deaths that are caused by car crashes is to buckle up. Individual drivers know how they are going to drive, but other drivers can behave unpredictably.

Ultimately, control lies in the hands of the driver. They need to know what is happening on the road is more important than an epic guitar solo or an awesome lyric. Buckling seat belts can save lives in a car wreck, but having an observant driver prevents accidents.

Photo by Hanna Kazlovskaya

“LOL”, “G2G”,” J/K”, these small three letter acronyms along with many others have become part of the vocabulary for millions of people all over the world. Now an alarming 81% of people in the United States text these short words to each other while driving.

Clearly adults and especially teens these days are obsessed with texting, whether it is at school, with friends, at work, home, and most unfortunately while driving. Statistics show that an alarming 81% of the United States population alone admit to texting while driving. The dangers of texting while driving are just as numerous and unfortunate as the consequences of those actions.

Texting has become a great phenomenon of the 21st century; a phenomenon that has outstanding advantages as well as devastating disadvantages. Sending a quick message to someone when one is in a hurry instead of having to have a long conversation, or taking a picture of something funny and sending it to a friend, makes life easier and more enjoyable for many people. The art of texting is made even more attractive with all the new high tech phones emerging such as the Droid or the Blackberry Torch. To add to that, new features such as mobile banking and 4G also add to the appeal of texting. The “Can you hear me now” Verizon commercials don’t make it easier for people to resist the charm of a cellular device in all instances.

Although it may be easier to send a friend a quick message about the homework he or she missed or capture a funny moment in a video and send it to a family member who is miles away, or even send a spouse a touching birthday message on the way to work, it doesn’t compare to the potential consequences of doing all of this while driving.

Driving distracted can not only cause terrible accidents, but it also weighs heavy on the wallet. Texting while driving can earn drivers a fine that can range anywhere from $150 in Georgia to $250 in New Jersey. Clearly, the cost is not worth it.

There are many big academic tests known to students, the ACT and SAT to name a couple, but another big test is the driving test. Practicing before the big test is key to getting the license, an event that all 16-year-olds look forward to and work hard for. However, a license is as much of a pleasure as it is a privilege. But statistics show that people who can’t put their phones down for a few minutes especially while driving, are 23 times more likely to get into an accident. Although it is tempting to hear that text ringtone while having your hands at 10 and 2, the moment a hand leaves the wheel a person is that much closer to hurting themselves and/or someone else within just a few seconds.

November 20, 2007 was a night Victoria McBryde’s family can never forget. At approximately 11:00 p.m. McBryde’s yellow Fiat Punto was hit by Phillipa Curtis’ blue Peugeot at approximately 60-70mph, after she had been distracted by her mobile device. A fashion school graduate, Victoria McBryde, 24, was forced to pull over after a flat tire gradually caused her car to slow down. Had she not been distracted by her phone Curtis would have clearly seen McBryde’s emergency lights on; unfortunately, the Fiat Punto was sent spinning across the road causing McBryde a fatal head injury and an immediate death.

The McBryde family lost a daughter and a sister within a matter of seconds, an event that changed their lives forever. A divorce, constant fighting, anger and resentment were all consequences of this tragic night that tore a family apart. Curtis was found guilty and sentenced to 21 months in jail.

There is no way to bring back a loved one who has been lost. No text message is worth wasting even a few seconds of one’s attention. Even though the 21st century is a technologically advanced world which keeps on growing, changing, and becoming more high tech, that is never an excuse for people to act less responsible.

Technology has allowed people to find cures for diseases, build satellites to orbit the earth in space, create cars with a lot of horse power, and have advanced cell phones that allow people to do things from booking a flight to communicating with people halfway around the world. Nevertheless, in a moving car – a technological device itself – people not only control the car but also their actions.

Little sisters can be the worst! Cartoon by Anna Romero

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

Christmas is a glorious holiday and each ethnicity celebrates it in its own unique way. Growing up in a Russian family I have become accustomed to our own rules and ways of celebrating the birth of Christ. Unlike many Western societies, we celebrate Christmas and the New Year twice per year, first time according to the Western calendar and the second time according to the Julian calendar. Julius Caesar, in Rome, used this calendar and its empire which included Russia, and many other European countries have kept the calendar.

These holidays are enjoyed by many people around the world, but in Russian culture Christmas and any other religious holidays were banned after the 1917 Revolution, but later were brought back in 1992. The Communist party at that time did not allow people to worship God and celebrate any of the religious holidays. But people still followed the customs even if it had to be done in secret. This is a reason why today Christmas and New Year in Russia is celebrated with immediate family only.

The Russian Orthodox Christmas runs from January 6^th to the 7^th, with many specific rules that are meant to be followed. On Christmas Eve, the family gathers together and begins the fasting that last usually until the first star appears in the sky. The dinner that follows is a celebration of its own. Because meat is not allowed at this dinner, Kutya -a type of porridge- is the primary dish.

When the first star appears, that is when the festivities truly begin. The food that is served is strictly Lenten, and served in a special manner; the dinner is called “The Holy Supper.” The whole family must gather around the table and drink red wine in honor of the coming Christ Child. In the center of the table there is usually a tall white candle that represents “The Light of the World.” By the candle there is a loaf of Lenten bread, “pagach,” which represents “The Bread of Life.”

As we get settled in our seats my father – head of the family – begins the holiday with a prayer. Then he greets everyone at the table by saying “Christ is born!” and we all respond “Glorify Him!” Then my mother steps in and blesses each person with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year.”

One by one, starting with the youngest, we rip a piece of the bread and dip it into honey and then chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. This is when “The Holy Supper” officially begins. At the table there must be 12 different foods that represent the 12 Apostles:
1) Mushroom soup
2) Lenten bread (“pagach”)
3) Grated garlic
4) Bowl of honey
5) Baked cod
6) Fresh Apricots, Oranges, Figs and Dates
7) Nuts
Kidney beans seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper
9) Peas
10) Parsley Potatoes
11) Bobal’ki (small biscuits)
12) Red Wine

After we finish dinner, no dishes are washed and we give Christmas presents to each other. We then all go to church and finish the night with prayers and blessing our friends. Also, Russians believe that this is the most proper time for fortune-telling and card reading. We, as a family, predict our life for the upcoming year. Our predictions show a good future, and we hope that everyone has a great upcoming year.

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

Along with the December Christmas and Chunukah Celebrations, many people also celebrate Kwanzaa. During the winter holiday season, my family celebrates both Christmas and Kwanzaa. It’s a wonderful experience with many opportunities to grow. The principles of this holiday season combines appreciation, commitment and reflection, not just gift giving.

In 2006, approximately 28 million people celebrated Kwanzaa.

Many people are unaware of what Kwanza is and why it is celebrated. Some families celebrate it because it’s festive and some celebrate it to reach a goal.

The goal of Kwanzaa was to give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.

However, my family believes that Kwanzaa isn’t just for Blacks; we believe it’s for anyone who wants to do more than just exchange gifts at the end of the year. My family celebrates Kwanzaa because it’s a time when we come together and acknowledge as a family the events of the year, our achievements,  and recognize the support we receive from each other on a daily basis.

Kwanzaa is based upon seven symbols in Swahili, which are principles. The first is Umoja (Unity) which means to strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

The second is Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) meaning to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

The is third Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), which means to build and maintain our community together and to solve problems together.

The fourth Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) means to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

The fifth Nia (Purpose), means to put our community in order, which restores our people to their traditional greatness.

The sixth Kuumba (Creativity), means to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

And the last, my personal favorite Imani (Faith), means to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

During the Kwanzaa celebration, seven candles, called Mishumaa Saba, represent the seven principles. The colors of Kwanzaa, and the candles are black, red and green. The black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle. The candles are not just held by any thing, the candles are placed in a candleholder called the Kinara, which Kinara symbolizes our roots, as a society. As each day of Kwanzaa passes, another candles it lit. On the seventh day all the candles are lit.

When my family celebrates Kwanzaa, we set up an area in our home. Which we decorate with many things including books, music, mats, candles, and fruit. A mat is place over this area called Mkeka, which is the foundation on which we build. The kinara, which symbolizes our roots, fresh fruits that stand for celebrations and of the rewards of productive and collective labor. The books and music are present to provide food for thought on the day’s topic. These things make the celebration more interesting.

A Kwanzaa ceremony from other families may include musical selections, libations, a reading of the African literature touching on the principle of the day, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and a feast (Karamu).

Each day of the seven days of Kwanzaa, candle lighting and a greeting starts the ceremony. The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is Habari Gani? Which is Swahili for “What’s the News?” My family answers this question by stating the principle of the day, followed by a reflection of how the given principle has been used in our life over the year, and how we plan to use it next year differently. The unity cup, Kikombe cha Umoja, is passed around during this discussion and everyone takes a sip of the juice within the cup. The discussion and reflection time can range anywhere between twenty and sixty minutes.

Like Christmas and Chunukah celebrators, families who celebrate Kwanzaa exchange gifts as well. On the seventh day of Kwanzaa, my family and I exchange what is known as Zawadi, which are gifts. The zawadi are symbols of the labor of the year, the love of parents and the commitments made.

Photo by Mia Nogueira

With a pink towel tied securely around my neck and my underwear worn proudly atop my miniature head, I dashed across the kitchen with grace and integrity.

Wielding a plastic wand in one hand, and a juice-box in the other, I paraded through the house with pride and purpose. I sought a damsel in distress, a sinister villain, or perhaps even a lost cat, in order to prove my virtue to the audience of stuffed animals and toy soldiers that sat before me, anticipating my upcoming escapades.

It’s true. I’ve always wanted to be a superhero. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t? They’re bold, brave, and sturdy, consistently depicting ideal human qualities such as self-sacrifice, modesty, and equity. While over-the-top and sometimes hokey, they have given me – along with millions of other impressionable children – something to look up to; a figure that always overcomes adversity, despite the dwindling chance of success. The superhero was an image of hope and, as a child, that’s something that was never in abundance for me.

So did I throw on a mask and stride across rooftops, saving the innocent and punishing the wicked? No. But I did accumulate an awesome comic-book collection that I felt made up for my lack of combat experience. My favorite franchise soon became Marvel, home of idolized superheroes such as Spider-man, the X-Men, and the Hulk. Before long, Stan Lee – the creator, main writer, and all-around spokesperson for Marvel Comics – became somewhat of a deity in my eyes. I would ritualistically read his comics, gaining knowledge and strength after every page. I loved the characters, I loved the settings, I loved the artwork, and I even loved the cliché, romantic side-plots that seemed to work their way into even the most masculine of series.

But what truly inspired me about the comics that captured me was the message they portrayed. The point was not to spontaneously gain superpowers and fight evildoers, nor was it to create an elaborate costume and become a public celebrity. Instead, comics gave me the inspiration to stick to my convictions; to remain virtuous and stalwart even in the bleakest of times. A true superhero doesn’t do what he does for the glory. A superhero does what he believes is the right thing to do. Superheroes overcome obstacles, they triumph over unappreciative citizens, they even risk their lives, all because of a sense of duty that can’t be trumped.

Let’s take a look at one of the most prominent Marvel Superheroes out there: Spider-man. Most can thoroughly describe this mighty hero without even picking up a comic-book. He is bold, fearless, and has all the powers of a mutated spider. It all seems simple enough, doesn’t it? But behind this peerless avenger lies imperfection; simply a resident of Manhattan who wants to make money and get through life unharmed. This unrecognized and underappreciated character is Peter Parker, the man behind the mask.

Is Peter Parker bold? No. Fearless? Absolutely not. Peter Parker is rigid, flawed, and socially fearful. Here’s just a normal guy who’s worried if girls will like him. Parker’s inner demons are consistently depicted throughout numerous series, displaying his doubts, inconsistencies, and even his greed. Probably the greatest – and certainly most recognized – internal struggle faced by Parker can be seen in the Amazing Spider-Man #50. In this issue, Parker begins to lose faith in his abilities as Spider-Man. This is primarily due to his financial struggles, his failing relationships – most notably with romantic lead Gwen Stacy – and his trouble keeping a steady job.

Ultimately, Parker loses all hope, throwing his Spider-Man costume into an alleyway trash bin and declaring that he is, “Spider-Man No More!” This leads to a massive inflation in local crime, along with an incessant feeling of guilt, haunting Peter Parker.

Sound heroic? It shouldn’t.

Sound like someone you know? It does to me.

In almost every issue of any Spider-Man series, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of Parker’s doubts and selfishness. But what makes him a hero, an idol, and someone I’ve looked up to since I was a child, isn’t his flaws; it’s how he overcomes them. Parker is no stranger to the evils of humanity; he experiences all weaknesses any everyday citizen would. But, despite his worries, and despite his desire to become wealthy, he prevails as an individual, remaining kind and benevolent in his normal – and, of course, abnormal – life.

A good, well-rounded character should never be perfect. And that applies to superheroes, as well. Without a well-rounded character, the superhero is unimaginative, and ultimately uninspiring. Displaying the humanity and flawed nature of the everyday Super-hero is an aspect of writing that Stan Lee has valued since the inception of Marvel Comics in 1961. Even after 50 years of writing, Stan Lee still vows to create interesting and comprehendible characters in his works. “If you’re writing about a character, if he’s a powerful character, unless you give him vulnerability I don’t think he’ll be as interesting to the reader,” said Stan Lee during an interview in 2006.

Comic books have continuously instilled confidence and courage in me every day, allowing me to prevail over countless hindrances throughout my life. I don’t do what Iron Man believes is right; I do what I believe is right. And that idea has guided me through good times and bad, allowing me to rise to the occasion and find courage even in times when courage is hard to find.

It is because of this guidance that Stan Lee, through his creation of the modern superhero, has remained my inspiration to remain virtuous, kind, and respectful throughout my life. Plus, he gave me an excuse to accumulate a wicked comic-book collection, which was always appreciated.

And hey, I’ve got the personality flaws down pat, meaning the next logical step is a much more difficult one: getting superpowers!