The Shape of Things to Come

Sitting in an intro philosophy class my sophomore year at Union University, I was asked a question: Would it be ethical to sacrifice a person (or a few people) in order to find the cure for cancer? Well, yes, of course it would, I said. We’re talking about cancer, right? I was nineteen and, apparently, omniscient—or so I thought at the time. The certainty of an arrogant college student is a certainty like no other.

Winds of Change

The Wizard of Oz. That’s my earliest memory of the power of a tornado. From the time I saw that witch riding a bicycle in the air with that house spinning out of control, the power of a tornado had me under its thumb. As a five-year-old, I had no idea how close I would come to that dominance that struck so much fear in me as a child. West Tennessee, and Jackson in particular, is no stranger to tornadoes. As much as we think tornadoes are an indiscriminate act of nature, they’re not.

Becoming a Neighbor: An Ode to Midtown

Megan was a fact nut, the kind of girl who was interested in the details in everything she studied. She once committed a semester to checking out a certain number of design books at the library just to keep herself inspired in her trade and always learning. So it shouldn’t have surprised me when began research on her new historic duplex on Arlington and affectionately referred to it by the name the metal sign read outside: The Merriweather House.

EssaysKatie HowertonJune 22, 2016Jackson TN, Tennessee, Midtown Jackson, LANA, Lambuth Area Neighborhood Association, Katie Howerton, Megan Kersey, Arlington Avenue, history, home, house, architecture, neighbors, neighborhoods, Lambuth Boulevard, West Grand Avenue, Jordan Howerton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Aaron Brakhane, Emmy Brakhane, Westmoreland Avenue, Courtney Vandiver, Jacob Vandiver, Lisa Garner, Joe Garner, Alice Hardin, Aaron Hardin, Bethany Lutz, Kyle Lutz, Division Avenue, Heather Hornbeak, Jesse Hornbeak, Hether Pflasterer, Russ Pflasterer, Wisdom Street, Courtney Searcy, Whitney Williams, Rebecca Edgren, Anna Worley, Taylor Worley, Lee Wilson, Beth Wilson, Westwood Avenue, Westwood, Westwood Gardens, Highland Avenue, Tigrett Middle School, Danielle Glodjo, Tyler Glodjo, Diva Den, Amanda Bennett, Julia Marshall, Ally Currie, City House, City Fellowship Baptist Church, Kelsey, Melanie Taylor, Nar'Asha Randall, Natalie Pflasterer, Nyree Smith, Hillary Howse, Russell, Ellis Drive, Waverly Drive, Sunset Avenue, Forest Avenue, Campbell Street, memories

A Safe HUB for the Summer

When I moved to Jackson to attend Union University, I had no connections to the community. I didn’t know anyone who lived here and planned to escape Jackson as soon as I got my degree. A few weeks into my freshman year, one of my professors gave his class two options: we could write a ten-page research paper, or we could volunteer for a couple hours a week throughout the semester at an after-school program called the HUB Club.

Bringing Unity to the Community

Every April in Jackson, people from all over the area gather together by volunteering to contribute to the annual event “Month of Miracles.” Month of Miracles is a program started by Mayor Jerry Gist to give volunteers the opportunity to be connected to a service project that meets with their individual passions and interests. There are opportunities to help by painting, gardening, photography, and cleaning to just name a few.