Articles written by April Phelps

What is Helium

About me - April Phelps

I enjoy learning and writing, and I have since I was a teenager. Yet it has taken me twice that long to get my BA in English! I got it though. Education is a lifetime goal for me, no matter the classroom. I have a son that likes music by Fray, Scream, and

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: The rain forest: 1 of 23
Oh mole why won't you go awayYou rub me the wrong wayIn the most conspicuous spotNo air you get sweaty hotYet you still growEven as your benign surface will showA beauty mark to bestow?Some flowers also grow in dank conditionsAcclimatizing coming to fruitionPreferring shade to sunlightAnd even the darkness of nightReaching to... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Parents who blame video games for their child's inadequacies - Do your research: 1 of 9
Remember the good old days when Coleco-Vision first came out? I do, for my brothers and and I would spend hours just sitting in front of the television in the early 1980s. Those were the days! We would fight over whose turn it was though, especially when playing games like Burger Time. We would actually get mad at each other;... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Birth stories: 30 of 220
The birth of a child tops my list as the most magnificent moment of my life. I remember it with detail, too, although it was sixteen years ago. It began on a Friday in the afternoon, as my contractions started kicking in. What a way to begin a weekend, yes? Later that night my contractions were five minutes apart, and my mom ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US News Reflections: School shooting at Northern Illinois University (2/14/08): 1 of 6
Northern Illinois University suffered a traumatic event today. Many news stations and related media sources report that several students were shot by a gunman of 18-20 years old. The gunman Steve Kazmierczak is no longer, and Niu reports there are twenty-two injured students and six fatalities treated mostly at Kishwaukee Hos... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News (Other) Street code of ethics or irresponsibility?: 1 of 5
Street Code of Ethics or Irresponsibility? I cannot believe what I just heard from The Mike and Juliet Show (http://www.mandjshow.com/) this morning. Apparently, there is a street code of ethics in which people do not snitch on other people committing a crime. So if a person witnesses a rape taking place, should he or she jus... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News (Other) Child slavery and trafficking humans for sex: 12 of 25
Reading about the sex trade upset and angered me, not only for the violence but also the victims and the perps are typed like prostitutes even after surviving a traumatic experience like rape or being sold for sexual favors at a very young age. Sounds akin to prostitution right? What's even more alarming is that the sex slave... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Housework as a dominant ideology: 1 of 2
One cultural activity that perpetuates a dominant ideology like a good work ethic is housework. Some of the operating values associated with housework are order, cleanliness, efficiency, industriousness, and integrity, to name a few. Yet the industry resulting from the stay-at-home mom's or dad's housework isn't as immediatel... More..
Arts & Humanities > American Literature Competition for resources in "Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss" by Hope Edelman: 1 of 1
Competition for Resources in Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, A Critique Language manipulates people and people in turn manipulate language everyday to shape their needs. When the language of nurture is missing from a close relationship like mother and daughter or father and son, the immeasurable loss can leave emoti... More..
Hobbies & Games > Yarn & Needle Crafts Creative expression through needlepoint: 1 of 1
Creative expression via needlepoint is rewarding, for both the design and the person come alive while immersed in the momentum of the handiwork. The personal involvement required to complete a needlepoint project gives a feeling of satisfaction, too. For example my face lights up as I needlepoint an intermediate-level design ... More..
Travel > United States A local's guide to Malta, Illinois: 1 of 1
Some people growing up in small towns claim there is little to do by the way of entertainment. If a rural town has a community of about one thousand two hundred, this is correct for the most part because little revenue leaves much to be desired. The revenue that does surface will go towards building up the community through b... More..