Marina rebounds with “Baby”, Love + Fear

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The Welsh artist formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds has taken a long hiatus from producing music for self-discovery. Marina said that “a lot of my identity was tied up in who I was as an artist,” which triggered her change in stage name. Now, she is ready to make her return to the music industry.

Her collaboration with Clean Bandit and Luis Fonsi, “Baby,” was released on November 8th, 2018. This was marked as her true return to music, even though at this time she revealed that her next album was in the works. The song is certified silver in the United Kingdom and has peaked at #13 on the United States Billboard. The song did peak #1 in countries like Mexico and Israel.

The style surrounding the single “Baby” is a different style for Marina, as this song is labeled as Latin pop, and her music is more indie. She perfectly executes the song while portraying the theme of the song: being with someone while you’re in love with someone else. This song is such a bop, and I hope to see Marina perform a wide variety of music styles in the future.

As continued with each of her albums so far, each album has a distinct sound to it, which separates it from each of her previous works. She has confirmed via Twitter post that the pattern will continue.

Her new single “Handmade Heaven” was released on February 8th, and it will headline her new album Love + Fear, set to come out April 26th. Marina has written her headlining solo as a solo author as well.

The song “Handmade Heaven” is an ethereal and hymnal like piece which outlines her imagination of paradise. Described as contemporary pop, I can definitely see how Marina was attempting to marginalize this album from her previous albums. The beginning of the song sounds very whimsical and spiritual (but not in a religious fashion). This song could be a possible metaphor for her self-discovery surrounding her stage personality change.

Marina did tease a snippet of the song “Orange Trees” from the album, and it shared a similar sound to “Handmade Heaven”.

The album Love + Fear will be released April 26th; the album and tour tickets are on pre-sale now.

Objectification in music fosters negative impact

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If you’ve ever listened to popular music stations, such as Z107.7 or Y98, you’ve probably come across one or two immensely questionable songs with a repelling meaning behind a fresh beat and powerful vocals. One of the more current examples is “Body Like a Back Road” sung by Sam Hunt. The explanation is simple: the song is literally comparing a woman’s body to driving on a back road. Objectifying and sexualizing women in music is so much more common than we think.

Sexual objectification “occurs when a woman’s body or body parts are singled out and separated from her as a person and she is viewed primarily as a physical object of male sexual desire,” according to the University of Tennessee’s Psychology department. Many people look past the meaning of lyrics in music and just sing along to the peppy beat. But do people really understand what they’re singing?

When looking at the top twenty-five songs on the Billboard 100 for the week of October 21, 2017, many songs contained lyrics about objectifying and/or sexualizing women (this applies to songs sung by women as well). Fifteen of the twenty-five songs contained lyrics that objectified and/or sexualized people of both genders, fourteen of these being women. Three of the songs that are objectifying others feature women singing, but all of the songs are primarily sung by men. The songs that exemplify objectification include “Shape of You,” “Slow Hands,” and “That’s What I Like,” all three receiving a fair amount of airplay.

This information presents a variety of concerns for society. First, the radio stations only censor so much from their songs, and according to the Federal Communications Commission, “Federal law prohibits obscene, indecent and profane content from being broadcast on the radio or TV.”

Even though certain songs are screened through the air, many people stream music through various services such as Spotify and Pandora. Through these services, anyone can listen to any song they want. This can present a concern from parents who wish to monitor their kids’ music choices.  It also presents a problem when younger siblings catch on to what their older siblings are listening. As the old saying goes, “monkey see, monkey do.” Older siblings and role models are not doing their onlookers any favors if they are constantly listening to obscene music with graphic themes.

It seems that no lyric is shocking anymore. Many songs listed on the top twenty-five talk about stealing a girl that’s already in a relationship or taking a girl home for a one-night stand. But now, so many songs use these vulgar themes that it just doesn’t seem shocking anymore. Our culture has become desensitized to the point where most don’t care what’s in their lyrics. Songwriters and musicians push the line further and further to bring a shock factor to their music. Musicians frequently use obscenities and so-called “wild factors” in their music to summon attention. When will the music industry synchronize with reality? When will our music treat people like they’re people?

Everyone has been so accustomed to listening to music surrounding sex culture that it isn’t such a “big deal” as it was twenty years ago. Most high-schoolers today have grown up either misunderstanding lyrics or neglecting the meaning of them altogether. This ignorance has grown over time, and now our entire culture is surrounded by an absurd facade of fun when it is really mistreating people and treating them like to objects to be used like they’re nothing.

Not all songs played on air contain repulsing messages, though. Number four on the Billboard 100 for the analyzed week was “1-800-273-8255,” sung by the rapper Logic and featuring singers Alessia Cara and Khalid. The song’s namesake is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, and the song reaches out and, according to the lyric site Genius, Logic’s message in the song is that “suicide is never the answer to anyone’s problems.” So maybe music can have a positive impact on people as long as objective and sexual songs don’t cloud over the inspirational ones.

Why is prom so expensive? Commercialism around high school dances

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This year, prom will be held at Bogey Hills Country Club, and the change in venue comes with a change in price.

The price of a single ticket will jump from fifty dollars to eighty dollars, a thirty dollar price hike. Granted, the ticket includes admission to prom and a t-shirt, but for those paying for two tickets, the cost of tickets alone would be $160, comparable to the price of a dress, depending on your budget. So why is the cost of attending prom so expensive?

Last year at Old Hickory Golf Club, dancegoers were provided food and drinks, along with a golf cart shuttle service. Also to be taken into account is the rental of the photo booth, DJ, and the rental of Bogey Hills itself.

But the ticket itself is not even half the cost of the average prom. According to the 2017 Yahoo Prom Across America survey, the average cost of Midwestern students attending prom was $610, with students spending nearly $250 on their outfit.

Taking the dress cost average into account, and combining all of the beauty appointments, accessories, and pre-dance activities, the cost of prom this year for the average Fort Zumwalt North student could be upwards of almost five hundred dollars. It should be noted that some students spend way more or way less than the average cost, depending on personal preferences and budget.

Some students spend as little as $50 for a dress to wear to prom, whereas other students will spend hundreds of dollars to find the perfect dress.

It is possible to keep your prom budget low. Finding dress deals online, buying accessories on clearance, and driving yourself to prom are a few ideas to keep costs low.

Many students also sell their past prom dresses online, which could also be put forth to buying a new dress for the next event.

There are many ways to navigate around the commercialism surrounding prom, but it all depends on what you’re willing to put into your prom night.

Keat’s Diction and Love for Fanny Brawne

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WARNING: THIS IS NOT PUBLISHED FOR PLAGIARIZING PURPOSES. This was published in my portfolio because I worked really hard on this paper and I wanted to share with people my capabilities. This is no way intended for people to cheat. Thank you.

The renowned British poet John Keats was engaged to Fanny Brawne in his last few years of his life, which have also been recounted as the most productive years in his career. Living further apart, Keats and Brawne exchanged letters to communicate their thoughts and feelings to each other. The employment of affectionate, devout, and enviable diction in John Keats’s letters to Fanny Brawne reflect his slowly diminishing mentality and demonstrates his unwavering love for his courtship with Brawne.

Keats first employs affectionate diction in his first letter to Brawne, calling her  “a beautiful Girl whom I love so much” (page 3). In the opening of Keats’s first letter, he is already letting Brawne know that he loves her, which shows his affection. Also by capitalizing “Girl” (page 3) in the phrase, it implements how important Brawne is to him. In Keats’s fourth letter, he speaks of his jealousy of Brawne and how she may be seeing other men, but still signs his letter as “your ever affectionate” (page 14). This substantiates that Keats still loves Brawne, although he is quite jealous throughout his letter. By using an informal ending, it makes the letter more personal and more affectionate. At the end of Keats’s eighth letter, he states that his “love is selfish. I cannot breathe without you” (page 24). This furthers the fact that Keats loves Brawne, and wants to be affectionate towards her. Keats states in the same letter to Brawne that “I cannot exist without you” (page 23). This reinforces that Keats is undoubtedly in love with Brawne, and he intends to charm her with an oxymoron such as this. He is currently living without Brawne, but he assures Brawne that he cannot live without her. Keats is acting very admirable towards Brawne. This adds to his mental state because he is slightly going crazy without her.

Devout diction is utilized in Keats’s letters to Fanny to demonstrate his love for Brawne. In his eighth letter to Brawne, Keats explains that he is shocked that men would die for their religion, and further says “I could be martyr’d for my religion – Love is my religion – I could die for that. I could die for you” (page 24). Keats would be willing to die for his religion, which is his love for Brawne. He deploys a religious reference in this part of the letter to explain that her love is the one thing he yearns the most. His desire for Brawne demonstrates his commitment towards their relationship.He is becoming so enraptured in their relationship that it is causing him to be obsequious towards Brawne. He then later states that “My Creed is Love and you are it’s only tenet” (page 24). In this, Keats says he puts his faith in love, and Brawne is the center of his faith. This solidifies his devoutness towards Brawne by comparing his commitment towards her to a religious faith. Keats’s devotion and commitment to Brawne is also expedited through other means than religion. In Keats’s sixteenth letter to Brawne, he makes an analogy towards their engagement, comparing him and Brawne to the purple and blue shades in the ink. Keats states that “I did not know whether to say purple or blue so in the mixture of the thought wrote purplue which may be an excellent name for a colour made up of these two, and would suit well to start next spring” (page 33). This analogy between the ink and Keats’s engagement exhibits the level of commitment Keats is willing to give the relationship between Brawne and him.

Keats finally demonstrates enviable diction while confessing his love for Brawne. In Keats’s fourth letter to Brawne, he states that “I do not think myself a fright any more than I do Mr. A; Mr. B; and Mr. C. – yet if I were a woman I should not like A. B. C” (page 12). Keats knows that he has competitors, and he is not afraid of them. However, he advises to Brawne that she should not consider the likelihood of Keats’s competitors because he is jealous of them. Brawne should not seek love elsewhere because Keats would consider it intolerable. Another example established is in Keats’s thirty-fifth letter to Brawne, in which he states that Brawne should “not write to me if you have done anything this month which it would have pained me to have seen”  (page 58). Keats could not bear the jealousy he would face if Brawne did indeed do anything that would pain Keats. He would be hurt emotionally by Brawne’s actions, which would cause a great amount of envy. This envy would push Keats to a depressive state.

Keats demonstrates his unwavering love for Brawne in his letters by exhibiting admirable, devout, and enviable diction. His diction is also used to bring attention to his deteriorating mental state.

Flying Tones and Godly Symbols

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WARNING: THIS IS NOT PUBLISHED FOR PLAGIARIZING PURPOSES. This was published in my portfolio because I worked really hard on this paper and I wanted to share with people my capabilities. This is no way intended for people to cheat. Thank you.

Keats and Shelley have both written poems featuring birds in “Ode to a Nightingale” and “To a Skylark” respectively. Both authors wrote the poems about birds to convey a deeper meaning. Keats and Shelley both use symbolism and envious and irritated tones throughout the poem to convey that the bird is not actually a bird, but a God-like figure, albeit Shelley starts his poem praising the bird while Keats scorns it immediately.

Symbolism is used in both poems comparing the birds to an immortal spirit or God-like figure. Shelley first introduces the bird as a “blithe Spirit” (Shelley 1), and also says that “bird thou never wert” (Shelly 2), which means that the bird is not actually a bird at all. Keats introduces the bird as a “light-winged Dryad of the trees” (Keats 7). A Dryad of trees is a tree spirit or nymph in Greek mythology. Both authors also curse their birds or symbolic spirit. Shelley describes the bird as “singing hymns unbidden, till the world is wrought to sympathy with hopes and fears it heeded not” (Shelley 38-40). Shelley describes the bird’s singing as unwanted, and that it would sing until the world is worn down. This is brought in an irritated tone, because the birds is a spirit, thus it is immortal. Shelley curses the bird for being immortal because it is perfect. Keats also scorns the bird in “Ode to a Nightingale” at the end of the poem by calling the bird a “deceiving elf” (Keats 74). Calling the bird a lying sprite is very demeaning towards the bird.

Envious tones are used throughout both poems to exemplify the mortal envy they carry towards the immortal bird. Shelley envies the bird’s singing when he states the bird’s songs are “match’d with thine would be all but an empty vaunt, a thing wherein we feel there is some hidden want” (Shelley 68-70). By this, Shelley is saying that no mortal will ever be able to match the triumphant ability of the immortal bird, creating a jealousy and envy for said bird. Keats uses the same envious tones while saying “‘tis not through envy of thy happy lot, but being too happy in thine happiness” (Keats 5-6). Keats is stating that he is not envious of the happy bird itself, but of how abundantly happy the immortal bird is. This illustrates a mortal envy towards the immortal bird.

Shelley and Keats have their own different perceptions of the bird at the beginning of each poem. Shelley begins his poem as describing the bird as “the pale purple even” (Shelley 16) and “like a star of Heaven” (Shelley 18). Shelley utilized the use of purple in the poem to highlight the bird’s status and royalty, thus uplifting the spirit status. Shelley also compares the bird to a star of Heaven because the bird is a God-like figure, and spirits are stars of Heaven. Keats mentions that the bird carries a “melodious plot” (Keats 8), which means that the bird is producing a plot against Keats. This makes Keats immediately see a negative perception of the bird instead of an immediate positive one.

Shelley and Keats have both written poems about birds and relating them to God-like figures. Keats and Shelley both use symbolism, envious and irritated tones, and different perceptions of the bird to convey that the bird was a spirit.

Happiness: Humanity’s Greatest Flaw

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WARNING: THIS IS NOT PUBLISHED FOR PLAGIARIZING PURPOSES. This was published in my portfolio because I worked really hard on this paper and I wanted to share with people my capabilities. This is no way intended for people to cheat. Thank you.

Seasonal affective disorder, which is seasonal depression, affects nearly three million people every year. It comes during the colder months, and goes away during warmer months (SAD). People are generally happier during warmer months, because the sun is out and shining. The sun is inevitable, and it is seen everyday, whether one wants to or not. Happiness is like the sun: it is seen everywhere, whether you’re looking for it or not. To most people, happiness is essential for mental stability. Excessive amounts of happiness is potentially harmful, which makes it humanity’s greatest flaw.

Some studies show that too much exposure to happiness can lead to detrimental outcomes. According to studies by June Gruber from Yale University, “very high levels of positive feelings predict risk-taking behaviors, excess alcohol and drug consumption, binge eating, and may lead us to neglect threats” (Zaraska). Many of the aforementioned behaviors are frowned upon in today’s society. These behaviors are fueled by mindless happiness, and thus make you unhappy in the long run. Another study conducted by Joe Forgas, professor of psychology at the University of New South Wales in Australia, showed that “cheerful people are easier to deceive, couldn’t detect lies as easily as those in negative moods and couldn’t tell a thief from an honest person” (Zaraska). In other words, happier people are more naive to deceptive situations, and the results could be bad if not taken seriously. The horrendous results make it the greatest flaw.

Experts say that those who are always happy may become less happy over time. Harvard psychologist Susan David explains that “there is evidence that people who value happiness, people who are focused on being happy, and who set happiness as a goal for themselves actually become less happy over time” (Semnani). Even if someone maintained a happy mindset for a short period of time, they are less likely to keep it in the long haul. Happiness is inevitably making you less happy. David also mentions that she “believe[s] the strong cultural focus on happiness and thinking positively is actually making us less resilient” (Semnani). On the whole, being too happy will make someone less likely to withstand emotional trauma and bounce back to reality.

Many believe that depression may be a driving flaw of humanity. According to the American Family Physician Journal, “Depression negatively impacts growth and development, school performance, and peer or family relationships and may lead to suicide” (Bhatia). This may be seen as detrimental to growing up and maturing mentally, especially to adolescents. Causing catastrophic symptoms and side effects makes it seem that depression could be the greatest flaw. But depression, in light to severe cases, can be treated with “antidepressants, preferably in conjunction with cognitive behavior therapy, may be considered for severe depression” (Bhatia). Depression is treatable, but the outcomes of excessive exposure to happiness is not; for instance, the abuse of alcohol and drugs, binge eating (which can lead to obesity), and ignoring threats.

Happiness is an adversity to anyone who experiences it. It may seem like bliss while it is experience, but leads to prejudicial effects. Since there are much more detrimental outcomes to happiness than depression, it makes excessive exposure to happiness humanity’s greatest flaw.

Monarchs and their Pretensions

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WARNING: THIS IS NOT PUBLISHED FOR PLAGIARIZING PURPOSES. This was published in my portfolio because I worked really hard on this paper and I wanted to share with people my capabilities. This is no way intended for people to cheat. Thank you.

Many may believe that some historical monarchs are monstrous, and don’t take their role maturely. While this may be true for past generations, monarchs have learned from their relatives’ mistakes. Monarchs do not look ludacris and monstrous in their pretensions.

King Edward VIII was one king that was not monstrous nor ridiculous. Edward VIII had stepped down as king to pursue a relationship with American woman Wallis Simpson. In his farewell speech, he notes “you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do so without the help and support of the woman I love” (Source I). Edward VIII’s intentions are to be with the woman he loves, and he found it very hard to put down the crown to be with her. He also states that he would not want to carry on his duties without her by his side. It is very chivalrous of Edward VIII to not mention Simpson’s name throughout the speech, which reveals that he respects her privacy. Edward VIII’s respectful manner towards Simpson shows that he is neither monstrous or ridiculous.

Later in Edward VIII’s speech, he states “I want you to know that the decision I have made was mine and mine alone…The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course” (Source I).  Edward VIII is taking responsibility for his actions and says that he made the choice alone. The “other person” (most presumably Simpson) attempted to influence him, but he made the choice that he felt was best fit for him, Simpson, and the country. This also denotes that Edward VIII was neither heinous or preposterous.

Elizabeth I was also a prime example of a monarch who was neither evil or unreasonable. Within the first year of her reign, she received a request from Parliament for her to marry, to which she retaliated with “I happily chose this kind of life in which I yet live, which I assure you for my own part hath hitherto best contented myself and I trust hath been most acceptable to God” (Source B). Elizabeth I explains to Parliament that she chose to be a queen, and she read the fine print before signing up. She is very happy where she is, and she hopes that it is appealing to God. Elizabeth further replies with “And in the end this shall be for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a Queen, having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin” (Source B). She explains that she is more worried about being a great queen and leaving behind a positive legacy than getting married to appease the Parliament. She is neither monstrous or ridiculous in saying that she wants the best for her country.

Elizabeth II, the current queen of England, is another example of an admirable monarch. In her speech on her coronation day, she says “I asked you all, whatever your religion, to pray for me on the day of my coronation” (Source K). She asked all of the citizens, whatever their religion may be, to pray for her so she could be led on the right path. This is significant because she is being unprejudiced towards her citizens based on religion. Towards the middle of her speech, she states “All of you, near or far, have been united in one purpose. It is hard for me to find words in which to tell you of the strength which this knowledge has given me” (Source K). Elizabeth II is saying that the country’s unity for her coronation is giving her strength to be a great leader, which is an admirable thing to say.

There are indeed some appalling monarchs. Henry VIII, for example, was a ridiculous ruler. In his poem Lusty Youth should us ensue, he writes “For they have him his liberty refrain, and all merry company for to disdain. But I will not do whatsoever they say, but follow his mind in all that we may” (Source F). Henry VIII is saying that he does not want to be restricted by rules he has to follow as a king, and he just wants to live a free life while ruling. This can be seen as absurd and ridiculous because it is imperative for monarchs to follow set guidelines.

However, while ending his poem, Henry VIII mentions that “Now unto God this prayer we make, that this rude play may well betake and that we may our faults amend and bliss obtain at our last end” (Source F). He says that this childish behavior is wrong, and that the young people who do make mistakes need to take fault and fix them. It is admirable that Henry VIII counters his original thought and ends with a request to amend faults.

Monarchs throughout every corner in history have received bad reputations for being ridiculous and monstrous, when their pretentions are not as bad as most think. Most monarchs are good in heart, and are not absurd and heinous as they seem.

Egotistical Epic Heroes

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WARNING: THIS IS NOT PUBLISHED FOR PLAGIARIZING PURPOSES. This was published in my portfolio because I worked really hard on this paper and I wanted to share with people my capabilities. This is no way intended for people to cheat. Thank you.

Throughout history, athleticism became widely favored. With such athleticism, many times also comes pride and arrogance. Anglo-Saxon culture highlights many epic-style literature pieces. In Anglo-Saxon culture, epic heroes were often praised for their athletic ability, strength, and bravery. There to save society, epic heroes often are portrayed as the protagonist whose mission is to slay the beast, the antagonist. Whereas in reality, the same epic heroes are arrogant and find every way to boost their ego and inflate their image.

In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, the main protagonist Beowulf is introducing himself to others. He says that “They have seen my strength for themselves, they have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood,” (Raffel 151-153). Beowulf is describing his immaculate strength to others who will listen, and the imagery he provides create a vivid picture of Beowulf’s supposed bravery and strength. The anaphora utilized in Beowulf’s dialogue intensifies the images he creates to his listeners. Beowulf’s evocative images brought into his onlookers’ heads will make them believe that he is brave for wearing his enemies’ blood and surviving war.

But Beowulf also exhibits an inflated ego later on in his self-titled poem, Beowulf. In reaction to Beowulf slaying the main antagonist Grendel, the citizens rejoiced Grendel’s death. Caught in the midst of all the commotion, they claimed there was no warrior better fit to rule the land than Beowulf, “but no one meant Beowulf’s praise to belittle Hrothgar, their kind and gracious king!” (Raffel 543-544). It seemed everyone was praising Beowulf for saving them from such a monstrosity, for saving their society, that they just forgot about their actual ruler, King Hrothgar, altogether. In lieu of completely forgetting their true leader, they felt compelled to give Hrothgar a few kind words to proclaim how much he was really appreciated. The citizens spend so much time swooning about how great the strong and brave Beowulf is, that their “kind and gracious king” (Raffel 545) is well hidden by Beowulf’s inflated ego.

Beowulf is only one epic hero that exhibits praise for strength while boosting an arrogant ego. In the verse narrative Gilgamesh, the titular character and protagonist Gilgamesh is given a mission to fight Humbaba. The older men reminisce on their old times of fighting in the war, and “their voices gave the confidence his friend had failed to give” (Mason 38-39). These older men are confiding in Gilgamesh to successfully kill Humbaba because they believe he is strong and brave enough to carry out this mission. The older men have already had reached their primal age for glory, and now it is time to let another man have success in trying to hunt down Humababa. Gilgamesh is the strongest and bravest, and perhaps the fittest for the job, as the elders put their vote of confidence in him.

But like Beowulf, Gilgamesh shares similar ego boosting tendencies. At the very beginning of the narrative, Gilgamesh is explaining his plan of attack on Humbaba with Enkidu when he ponders “What happened to your power that could once challenge and equal mine?” (Mason 5-6). Gilgamesh’s words reveal the arrogant and ego building side of him, as he wonders why someone is not as strong as they once were. The dialogue itself reveals the haughty side of Gilgamesh, as he believes that he sets the standard for the epitome of strength. Gilgamesh is almost asking for a fight when he says their power could have challenged his, mainly because he wants to prove he is the strongest and the most powerful of all. If anyone can rival his strength, Gilgamesh would want to prove his superiority, which would also ultimately boost his self-image.

Beowulf and Gilgamesh, both the protagonists of their respective titular stories, are portrayed as strong and brave in their communities. But over time, their arrogance and egotistical views are unveiled.  Heroes in epic Anglo-Saxon culture are reflective of both Beowulf and Gilgamesh, where the heroes are portrayed to their communities as the epitome of strength and bravery, but then quickly show signs of arrogance and an inflated ego.

North teacher runs across America

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AP Physics teacher, Cathy Howell, has a dream of running from sea to shining sea.

Starting in 2012, Howell has run multiple half-marathons in forty-three states across the country, and participated in “more races in the St. Louis and Chicago area than I can remember, including two full marathons,” Howell says.

“My original goal was to run in all fifty states,” Howell states, “but I have a feeling I will not want to stop. I will probably add Washington D.C., then who knows? They hold half-marathons all over the world!”

Finishing her goal of running across all fifty states will be hard because her “remaining states are far away and therefore expensive.” She approximates that it will be another two years before she reaches her final destination.

Howell says that picking her favorite race was too hard because each race holds a special place in her heart, but for different reasons.

Some of her half-marathons she remembers because she enjoyed them with her friends and family.

“I ran with my daughter in Connecticut for her first half-marathon. I ran with friends in Iowa and Tennessee. Nevada was cool because my husband and I ran through railway tunnels.”

Something Howell also remembers about her marathons is the beautiful scenery she has encountered.

“Minnesota’s finish was really cool because we ran over a bridge festooned with flags.  Anytime I get to see an ocean I am happy, so Massachusetts was great. California was great because I saw flowers in January.  Arizona was cool because I saw cacti.”

Howell reflects on even the most challenging of her races.

“I enjoyed the challenge of Virginia because it was a fifteen-mile trail run with a 1 and 1/2 mile uphill.”

Howell has also run on two NASCAR tracks, belonging to the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, which ranges from twelve-degree banking – or sideways incline – to thirty-six-degree banking. 

Howell says that she enjoys her races because she gets to see how beautiful America is.

“It has been a joy and a blessing to see so much of our country.”