My 500 Words

Louise Hess taught Junior Honors English for many years. She encouraged thoughtful discussion of literary ideas in works including the Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, and The Crucible. Throughout each term she would assign readings and homework as she taught us to hone critical thinking skills and develop ways to express them artfully and persuasively. Mrs. Hess encouraged rational and reasoned debate that evaluated serious classical themes. When it came time for grading, Mrs. Hess would evaluate our progress through an end-of-term essay that began “I deserve a ______ because . . ..” I always wrote that I deserved an A. Once I suggested that I deserved an A because of the competitive disadvantage any other grade would cause to my collegiate aspirations. To my surprise some of my classmates would argue for lower grades. I could never understand that strategy. If Mrs. Hess planned to award a lower grade she would do so regardless of the request in that final essay. This past week...

Whenever an election result turns on a handful of votes or ends in a tie, stories abound about the importance of the individual ballot and the regret that those who failed to vote must feel if their candidate barely came up short. While it is true that only a few votes could have made the difference in the outcome, the act of voting carries its own importance regardless of the outcome. Yes, even if the candidate you had selected loses the election, your vote maintains value and should not be considered wasted.  When votes are counted one candidate usually wins and the other candidates lose because we cast most votes for individual seats. Those who ultimately made up the most votes for one candidate normally feel that their vote counted and was worth the effort because “they” won. For those who opted for a different candidate, whose tally simply came up short, they tend to feel like their vote didn’t matter, that they didn’t have a voice.  But their vote and their vo...