What are possible snares in school and how to avoid them? Last week, sophomore’s from English II interviewed two figures in their life to get relevant answers to this pressing high school question.
The first person interviewed was St. Augustine. The Sophomores were able to ‘interview’ the Saint through his book The Confessions, which they read during the first nine weeks. St. Augustine brings up many issues, or snares, which he battled with during his time in school such as peer-pressure, lust, lies, misguided ambition, worldly attractions, and fleeing from God. The sophomores chose one of Augustine’s snares and found answers to how he was harmed by it and how to avoid it through the Saint’s own writings.
The students then interviewed a parent or adult role model about the same topic and presented their findings in an article. They learned some basic journalism criteria in order to put their thoughts together and compare the two interviewees.
Several student article examples are presented here below. The students did a very good job with the assignment and have a bright year ahead!
Snares of School Student Example
A smart, popular student who is top of his class hates school and wonders how good something full of snares and traps is for him. Many years later, a young smart girl struggles with her schoolwork, getting caught in one of these snares. Both students are from completely different time periods, yet the traps are both relevant currently.
Augustine was born in 354 AD on November 13 and was top of his class in school. Even with his amazing grades and dedication to it, he hated it. He knew that it was full of traps; one that he got caught in was popularity. He had lied into popularity. “The less honest I was, the more famous I should be… I was a leader in the school of rhetoric and I enjoyed this high station” (page 40 Augustine, Confessions). He claimed he was arrogant and full of himself during this time. It wasn’t until he read a book by Cicero that his mindset differed. “I had come to a book of Cicero …I changed the direction of my mind, altered my prayers… and gave me a new purpose and ambition”(pages 40-41 Augustine, Confessions). He was disgusted by himself after this, and he wanted to be a better person, so he turned to God. He became much wiser and recognized his faults and the trap he fell into.
(Name of adult) was born in Jennings, Louisiana. She was a straight A student and is the oldest of the kids in her family. She was usually amazing at getting things done, but one time she waited until the last minute to complete a project. “I would have to stay up all night trying to finish it …then I would make a bad grade on it because I didn’t have the right materials and I failed the project” (Interview). She had completed the writing portion of the project but did not have a poster to glue it to. Her teacher was very strict and failed her because of it. “I had made all A’s up till that point!” (Interview). When asked how to avoid this, she said to do it a few days beforehand. “[Prepare] for bad things to happen …don’t wait until the last minute!”(Interview). Doing this would lessen stress and keep you prepared for the unexpected.
Snares in School Student Example
What is a snare? Most importantly, why is it so hard to break free? Saint Augustine knew these traps well and fell into them quite often. From swollen arrogance to malignant companionship, he always seemed to get tricked at the worst of times. But he is not the only one who has fallen into these acts, everyone seems to be victims of snares.
Saint Augustine, being a follower, seemed to take the image of his companions quite often, even if it was not the best choice. “The less honest I was, the more famous I would be” (Augustine). He was so worried about being accepted that he did not realize the snares that he had gotten himself into, which was extreme arrogance. Augustine also really loved the feeling of being the smartest one in the room and it consumed his thoughts. “My conceit was repelled by their simplicity, and I had not the mind to penetrate into their depths” (Augustine). He had the mindset of being too intelligent for scripture and God. He was so consumed by self-importance that God was no longer on his mind, only the thought of his colleagues.
Snares are not only in Augustine, but they are also in everyone. (Interviewee) struggled with procrastination throughout her high school years at Sam Houston. She regrets this extremely, “Not learning enough about a certain topic because I kept putting it off” (Interview). She missed out on learning experiences that could have helped her become smarter and more mature. But in the present day, she is a very organized and self-disciplined person, getting multiple things done in very short amounts of time. “Now I feel like I’m more of a productive person” (Interview). Having a set schedule as an adult helped her get out the tricks that were put onto her in her teen years.
Student Example Article
Is surrendering to the inevitable, peer pressure, something you struggle with? It is a challenge many teenagers tend to face when and it only gets worse with age. We may start off with something as innocent as being influenced in sitting with another group of kids at the lunch table and slowing turning into being offered a type of drug. Everyone has a conscience, but whether it is guilty or not is one’s own problem. Often, we do not think of the future consequences of our actions, resulting in a series of punishments, depending on how grave the act is in the first place. All negative consequences could potentially be avoided, but unfortunately, the need of acceptance trumps that of moral values within some people.
St. Augustine, known for being one of the best and intellectual philosophers of our faith, started off on the rough side of life. One of the worst acts a Catholic person can commit is when he/she clearly knows what they are doing is wrong, does not care about it, and proceeds to receive the Eucharist. In the wise words of Augustine, “he carried out an act worth of the acts of death”, meaning to have received the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin. His friends were a big contribution to this grave problem. St. Augustine would often not participate in the act when the friends were committing it, but he is in the wrong by association. They seemed to always make fun of newcomers. In the exact words of Augustine, “Yet I was much in their company and much ashamed of the sense of shame that kept me from being like them”. In the beginning Augustine claims, “”…I was in love with love and from the very depth of my need hated myself for not more keenly feeling the need”. This meant he was he is hungry for the food that is incorruptible and can’t have; and he is wrong about the wrong kind of love, a poisonous love.
For my interview it felt only fitting that I use someone who is the biggest example of Christ in my life, my father. Many know that coming to love Christ and know him, most likely did start with a positive beginning. My father was the typical “party boy” and player of his time. With maturity, many consequences, and the help of God, he managed to overcome these temptations to sin. My dad says, “I began to always hangout with the older kids at school, and they were always up to no good.” Like Augustine, he knew he probably shouldn’t be with them. The consequences that came for him when falling into this trap, played a big part in his conversion; “My parents started to get very upset because I would always be partying and lying where I was going, so they lost trust in me”. Consequences do not always have to be negative, and one of those “good consequences” was that he learned, “Avoid the people that you know will do you more harm than encourage the great purpose God has for you”. By the Grace of God, he realized change had to happen in his life in, order to be the person God called him to be.
October 14, 2021-Think of Your Community During Homecoming Week: Officer Sarah Stubbs
This year’s Senior Retreat theme was Survibin’. It’s what we’ve been doing this past year. Whether in the trenches or the clouds, we’ve yearned for and wondered where that Mighty Wind will carry us. Born from the discussions at a Reflection Day with Freshmen, the theme carried through Monday and Tuesday’s prayerful and playful activities. Though a different format for different times, camaraderie abounded, bringing together a resilient class. Near the Retreat’s conclusion, a string of words cinched us together, “This was a childhood dream.” Keep survive-in, vibe-in, and dream-in, you irrepressible Class of 2021.
Our Junior Class Retreat was a day of community and focus on our Catholic faith. We began with mass at the Cathedral, where Father Jeff Starkovich celebrated and gave a moving homily that challenged students to pattern themselves after Christ in loving others more than love of self. Junior Allie McCall especially was moved by the mass experience and had the following to say, “Junior retreat was very eye opening. I learned a lot about myself and God.” Students then were brought to Dry Creek Baptist Camp to break open the theme and begin their day of activities which ranged from shelter building to sharing our struggles with one another to patterning our lives after those who embody holiness.