Jillian GuglielmoCaptain / Chief Operations Officer
Luna MartinezColony Commander/Diplomacy and Communications Officer
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From the brisk water to the land rising to touch the sky. I called it my home. With the grains of smashed shells up against my feet and hundreds of rocks as far as the eye could see. It was simply just another day, set with the same time, and the same hours drifting along like leaves in the wind. I couldn’t help but feel my cheeks rising to my eyes as white teeth appeared. I was smiling so forever careless. Until I found you, my little discovery making my world increase from my bedroom window. A sharp point electrified my body making my foot ache with pain. Wondering and questioning what hurt me. I found you. A rock. A plain old rock with stripes of rust and an array of brown shades. I didn’t quite understand until my fingers were skimming the cold hard sand lifting you up to find a key embedded in the rock. Whose is it? From a pirate? From the other islands? How long was it there? Is it ancient or an artifact? My brain was faced with the impact of dozens of questions and no answers that I could ever receive. I kept it. I stared at it every day wondering what it was, why I now have it. A day or so after my father offered to take me to someone that might have answers. But I said no, I liked knowing not knowing. I learned a new trait, curiosity it was something my mind craved at like a little girl wanting a lollipop. I loved it. You made me want to explore, create, question, and you gave me imagination. Curiosity is associated with Mars, and is important that we keep in mind imagination, and questions because those will help our future generations on Mars succeed. From the rock to curiosity to soon our home Mars.
Darkness stuffed the tunnel, leaving only the flicker of light, trickling out of the headlamp dangling around my neck. With my hands deep in sludge and my new pants scraping against the grimy, concrete walls, we inched along towards eternal doom. Our adventure continued with the tunnel getting narrower and the mud getting higher. My bear walk turned to a crawl and my bravery slightly diminished. I decided to sing, as I do in most stressful situations. I thought it would give the others some encouragement too. After I finished the first verse of an echoey Twinkle Twinkle, I heard footsteps going back to the little hole of light behind us. When I looked back, I was alone. How annoying. They asked me to crawl through a drain...Then to lead them through it! I decided I would prosper on and keep the adventure going. I learned something in those annoyed few moments of looking back to find lonely darkness. I learned that even when people or situations have you wanting to throw your face into mud, keep patience. Think about the lesson learned and adventure to be salvaged. On Mars it is important to have a patient demeanor because of the high stress situations that will be at hand. Also, it takes time to do things in space, so a calm and patient person sets a necessary mood around people. We are going to build a new world. The details can’t be rushed. Patience is key. |
Michael WangDepartment of Defense
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The plane roared down the runway and when I thought that we couldn’t go any faster, the nose tipped up and then I felt the wobble of being in the air. I was terrified. How could people like this feeling of floating in the atmosphere? The worst part of it was the turbulence. Sometimes the plane would just feel like it was dropping out of the sky like we were turning into a rock from a planet. So, of course, I had the window seat where I could look out and see NOTHING under us. What in the world held this big plane with all the people in it up? I had no idea. Walking to the bathroom was the worst but I got over it and adapted to the weirdness of it all. I had to sort of just pretend I was not walking on anything and go on with what needed to be done. I had no appetite that miserable flight but I ate well once we got off.
Fear needs to be overcome. To go to Mars will need the ability to face fear and get over it. People will need to figure out what they are afraid of and then learn how to understand and control it. There are ways of accomplishing this. You can watch how others manage, visualize and concentrate on what is “normal” at the moment, or distract yourself with entertainment. If nothing works concentrate on your breathing. |
Ashly PryorMedical and Health Officer
Robbie DunnLead Engineer
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I looked up at the incredibly steep roller coaster, the exhilarating flips and loops, and the twists and turns. The thought of riding it petrified me. I wanted to back out then and there, but my brother insisted I do it. I finally gave in and I decided to ride the roller coaster, but as soon as I was sitting on the cart and going up the conveyor belt, the fear hit me like a brick. My hands were sweating and my heart was pounding, but I was determined to keep going. When I finally finished the terrifying roller coaster, I had a feeling of accomplishment, and after that day I knew my determination was the only thing that got me past my fears.
Determination is a particularly important trait for the mission to Mars. When we come across anything that might seem impossible to do, we need strong determination to lead us to achieve it. There are many key qualities for a mission to Mars, but large determination will push everyone beyond the boundaries and into the future. My quest quality is perseverance. I found the perseverance in myself when I was skiing in Oregon. The lift ride up was cold. I can feel the ice under my skis. The beginning is a slightly steep hill. The wind is blowing. I don't think I can do it. The conditions aren't good, and as I'm skiing, one of my skis pops off, halfway down the hill, just low enough to make it impossible to get my skis on. I decide to walk down the hill to put my skis on, but the howling wind almost knocks me over, and getting my skis on wasn't much easier. I get my skis back on and start. The trail was very thin, and the snowboarders doing jumps on the side of the trail made it a terrifying experience. With black diamonds on one side, I only wanted to use the side with all the jumps. John, my instructor, keeps trying to get me closer to the other side, but I stay away. The wind is getting worse, and the ice is building up. As we get to the end, John points out the end ahead. It was a relief. It wasn't easy. South Canyon is a bit steep, and there were icicles dropping from a chairlift. John led us through the end of the trail, then tried to make us feel better about ourselves because of all the ice and wind. I found my perseverance because I persevered to complete the trail. |