Student

March 28, 2026


TIMPER XU

Rather than saying Larry’s essay is a pure reflection on the Idaho chapter of State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, saying that it is a guide that leads readers to understand the history that is behind this chapter would be more reasonable and accurate.

Anthony Doerr

The series, WPA State Guides is the starting point of this history: it is the first series that gathered and edited the information of every state, which revealed how the USA isn’t only what you see in your own hometown or state.

Decades later, State by State is written; it is more interesting, shorter, and easier to understand compared to the “lengthy books named the WPA State Guides”. 

In A Panoramic Portrait of America, every author of every state is independent, so every chapter is equally important and interesting, and when we consider that we live in a federal republic of fifty more or less interdependent states with their own governments and laws, we can see that the book is a valiant and accurate reflection of our country. 

Look at Idaho! The author never wrote boring, dry, outdated history: the author shown his views on Idaho with the conflicts between the US government and “the Tukudeka tribe”, the author wrote about the natural landscape, and his own thinkings about change (“The history of our planet is one of absolutely relentless change. Everything…eventually goes extinct”). 

The most special part of A Panoramic Portrait of America is that it is alive, you can feel emotions and thoughts from it, like a person telling you a tale from their hometown.

February 20, 2026


AUBREY CHU

The mice got to the lake by first Miss Bianca decided to resign from Chairwoman and to keep to her private life. Bernard decided to throw her a party, so then they had a water picnic to celebrate with no speeches on Miss Bianca’s . The mice danced, “The Dashing Brown Mouse, Roll out the Walnuts, Jenny’s Whiskers and then they danced to Hickory Dickory, Mousetown Races, and that oldest favorite of all, Belling the Cat!” They danced on lily pads and Miss Bianca would have liked Le Cambert, but she still enjoyed the other dances. As she admired the view, she noticed an old turret with ivy crawling over the walls, when she looked in the water, she saw the reflection and said “Do observe, Bernard, the reflection of the turret in the moat! It’s quite like Canaletto!” 

“The Piazza San Marco in Venice” by Canaletto

 When she looked closer she saw a piece of paper, and sent a Boy Scout to scamper up and fetch it. The Boy Scout went and brought down the piece of paper, which in reality, was a piece of linen or fabric. Miss Bianca was a bit angry that mice or people would litter like that! So, she told Bernard to hold onto it until they reached a bin. After she spoke of her going back to her private life, she then cast a backwards glance to the turret after her speech and saw a second piece of paper! She was very quiet on the way home because her thoughts were occupied, but since most mice were quiet too, nobody remarked. Miss Bianca finally told Bernard what was bothering her, “I tell you that the turret has a prisoner inside!” She soon went back to the second piece of paper, realizing it was another piece of fabric, and saw the name that was faintly visible: “Mandrake”. At first, Miss Bianca was not too deeply sympathetic, or sorry, but she soon realized that the Grand Duchess would kill him for letting Patience escape. She soon felt that she had to help and rescue him.  

January 21, 2026


LEONA ZHOU

Response to “The Tower of Cirith Ungol”: 

         I was so relieved when we finally zoomed back to Sam and the situation he was stuck in with Frodo being taken away and being done who knows what to him. As Sam made his way to find Frodo and access the home turf of Sauron, he seemed to find a new sense of courage and pride within himself. And seeing him do so is renewing, because we already know throughout the last book and now that he was extremely loyal and true to Frodo as a friend, but he needed a little character development with bravery and derring-do. We see him do exactly that in this chapter; inching bit by bit evermore out of his comfort zone. “‘Come on, you miserable sluggard!’ Sam cried to himself. ‘Now for it!’ He drew Sting and ran towards the open gate… Hardening his will Sam thrust forward once again,” (882). This was almost monumental since it’s almost like the leading role of the Ring is up to Sam now – which basically it is as he has the Ring. His fight with terror as he explored the horrid place is admirable, because we must not forget that at the end of the day he was just a hobbit who loved his food, garden and pipe. But now he has cast that aside and whole-heartedly committed to dying, if needed to save Frodo. Adding on to him being a hobbit, we could truly see in moments when Sam decided to put the Ring on that he is almost just as pure and good as Frodo. Of course, all hobbits are strong and have quite an ability to hold against such forces like Gandalf had said. “Already the Ring tempted him, gnawing at his will and reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land… In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden,” (881). And along the way of exploring, Sam encountered an Orc who was actually afraid of him. It’s some much needed comedic relief in such a tense moment: “For a moment the orc crouched, and then with a hideous yelp of fear it turned and fled back as it had come. Never was any dog more heartened when its enemy turned tail than Sam as this unexpected flight. With a shout he gave chase. ‘Yes! The Elf-warrior is loose!’” (883-884). 

October 13, 2025


ISAAC ZHANG

Jean Craighead George (1919-2012)

Prompt: Read from 74-85 and write about Bando entering Sam’s life. Quote dialogue, and track their meeting from their becoming comfortable with each other, to Bando’s expressing admiration for Sam, to their working together and enjoying the fruits of their labor together. Use quotes, and discuss the human connection in contrast to the many months Sam has ahead of him alone. 250-300 words

Sam and Bando become friends with each other when Bando randomly appears at Sam’s campfire, and as they slowly get to know each other, they share their past and deepen their bond. Sam originally believes that Bando is a bandit, but still shows kindness, “teaching him to live off the land”, (78). Sam is willing to take in an outlaw and help him escape because he wants Bando as a friend, a human that he can connect and live with. While Sam is sheltering Bando, Bando expresses his amazement at Sam’s skills, expressing shock at his abilities to make fire and live in the wild. He is confused by a teenager living all on his own in the forest, with no guardians. And as Bando teaches Sam some of his skills, the two childishly talk about books and relax, watching Frightful fly around. Sam greatly values these little interactions where he has someone to talk to. He forgets his past where his only companion was Frightful, who he couldn’t really talk to, having to communicate without words. He relishes in human interaction and when Bando leaves, he is devastated, even over someone he knew for such a short time, showing his deep care and kindness, and the bond they created over such a short time. “I was so lonely that I kept sewing on my moccasins to keep myself busy” (Pg. 84).  Over the few months that Sam is alone he has to make friends with either rodents or birds, not having anyone to really connect with. 

August 21, 2025


CHRISTOPHER TIAN

Spoiler Alert: do NOT read unless you have already read The Hobbit

After reading “Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire” I had a mixed of emotions consisting primarily of confusion, excitement, and shock. There were so many twists and turns in the chapter that you would think it would end after a climax but Tolkien just put another climax in. It just goes on and on, and I could talk about it all day. What better place to start off than the very beginning when “…Bilbo [stepped] down into the middle of [the company], and [slipped] off the ring”. Everyone was so intrigued on how this not-so-promising hobbit just magically appeared. Everyone was fooled; everyone except for Gandalf who had a thought of it but kept it to himself.

The next part which I loved was when they got captured by the evil wolves just when they thought their worst enemy was hunger. The wolves sent guards to surround the trees that the dwarves and Bilbo were on, “…while all the rest (hundreds and hundreds it seemed) went and sat in a great circle in the glade.” In the circle they discussed how they would wait for the goblins who at the time were their partner in crime would come down at dawn to cut or burn down the trees as goblins were immune to the fire.

Just as it seemed all hope was lost when the goblins came and were burning down the trees waiting for them to either jump down or perish even their leader Gandalf seemed to lose hope. He jumped down his tree but, “Just at that moment the Lord of the Eagles swept down from above, seized him in his talons, and was gone.” Soon the other eagles and they swooped in on the trees getting dwarf after dwarf until all who were left were Dori and Bilbo leaving Bilbo clinging onto Dori for his life while flying through the night sky. 

Now this final scare may seem to be kind of silly as it was so short and harmless, but at the time for me it seemed that they had lost it all. It was when one eagle commanded the others to bring their prisoners to the Great Shelf.” At the time I had believed that the eagles were taking them as prisoners of their own and to explain how they had set fire on the wolves. It just turned out that Gandalf had helped them sometime ago when their Chief Eagle was injured so they were just repaying the favor and only called them prisoners because they were the prisoners of the goblins. Overall, I truly enjoyed this chapter with all the twists and turns and mostly the cliff hangers which always kept me on edge.