Student’s Writings

The students were tasked to craft a story about a coin toss—the simple gamble of Heads or Tails.

 DANNY…dissects the film, “No Country for Old Men,” and the dispassionate way the film’s main antagonist deploys the coin toss to decide life or death.

Death

Anton Chigurh is one of the greatest antagonists in fiction. This is a spoiler-free review, so no, the open-ended fate of Llewelyn Moss’s wife is not a spoiler. We actually have no idea what happened to her.  Anyways, I will be talking about what he exactly represents. Anton Chigurh is a cold and nigh-emotionless psychopath who is the main antagonist of Cormac McCarthy’s “No Country for Old Men.” The popular movie is directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The actor for the main antagonist is Javier Bardem.

Anton Chigurh is a hitman, completely devoid of empathy, remorse, and compassion. When set upon a goal, he stops at nothing to achieve it; he kills anyone in his way, and he has an eerie presence of near invincibility throughout the film. He often seems to be ontologically inevitable, which is very significant, but I’ll get into that later. Psychologists have ranked Chigurh #1 as the most accurate depiction of a psychopath in cinema. Chigurh wields a suppressed Remington shotgun and a captive bolt pistol, often used for painlessly dispatching farm animals.

In Cormac McCarthy’s works, such as “No Country for Old Men” and “Blood Meridian”, he often depicts his antagonist as being the ontological representation of certain concepts. It’s arbitrary and implicit pertaining to what they are exactly. For example, in Blood Meridian, the antagonist Judge Holden could be interpreted as many different things. Judge Holden is a pale, 7-foot-tall man with the visage of an enormous infant. He is highly intelligent and indulges himself in the depths of depravity. He enslaves, scalps, murders, and rapes many people throughout the novel, which include children. He proclaims himself to be immortal and declares himself the suzerain or keeper of the Earth. He declares that war is God, and that anything in creation that exists without his knowledge exists without his consent.

He leads a gang of cowboys in the West during the period of westward expansion in the United States. Some believe him to be the devil, some believe him to be war itself, some think that he embodies the dark truth of Manifest Destiny. In contrast, Anton Chigurh does not relish himself in depravity to this extent. Although he obviously isn’t good.
Chigurh’s cold and unstoppable nature makes him seem more like an entity than a real human being. We’ve only ever seen him bleed a few times, and he seems as if fate itself works in his favor, as he wipes out dozens of people against seemingly impossible odds. His infamous coin tosses, which he offers to a select few of his victims, are what define his character. When faced with someone whom he decides is worthy of a chance, he’ll tell them to call a coin toss. If they win, he lets them go; if they lose, they die.

Much of Chigurh’s dialogue gives the impression that he feels as if he’s the arbiter of fate. Human life means nothing to him, and he’ll kill people who even slightly inconvenience him. Because of this, many interpret him to be the embodiment of death. He represents the inevitable fate of all human beings, operating on a nihilistic code that reduces human life to pure chance. Conversely, Llewelyn Moss, the protagonist, is a brilliant depiction of man vs fate. Overall, Anton is a brilliant character, and it’s extremely entertaining to see him operate. I’m excited to read the book, since it was gifted to me recently. I would highly recommend anyone to watch the movie, since there are a lot of interesting things that happen in the film. The ending is very chilling.

Danny Buck
January 30, 2026

The students were presented with a 1965 video of Bob Dylan’s iconic song, “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and asked to consider its message.

MOHAMED…pens a letter from the songwriter himself.

Back Then is Starting to Look Like Now

Dear leaders of the future,

When I wrote the song, “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, I wasn’t intending for the future to revert back to the past. At my current age of 84, I have seen plenty of change, both good and bad. And I can say with confidence that the United States of America is in big trouble. I’ve seen it all: war, corruption, economic frustration, and even the systemic disillusionment America presents. I thought that there was nothing worse than what I experienced in the 60’s, but there is. And that’s the current administration. Within a year of the President being in office, the damage done could take years to repair. Our global relations with other nations are fading. What they call the issue of immigration is not only hurting countless families but also taking a toll on our economy. It’s a major betrayal to drive out to the very people who build this nation. Democracy is being shattered with the corruption happening in the government. Those in power only look out for themsleves rather than the people of this nation. It’s a tragic world we live in and only the leaders of the future can rebuild the damage that is being done. I urge you all to step up and fight with unity and justice

Do not be comfortable. That only leads to mediocrity.

“First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me”

By: Pastor Martin Niemöller

Don’t overlook the past. Lean from it. Knowledge is power. Whether it’s used for good or bad, depends on the user. Whether you decide to act or not depends on you, but the least you could do is learn. I will leave you with is this: without change, nothing will change.

Best Regards,

Bob Dylan.

Mohamed Cisse

January 23, 2026

The students were presented with a 1965 video of Bob Dylan’s iconic song, “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and asked to consider its message.

 RYLEE…finds the “twenty years of schooling” line to be alarming.

A Song Stuck in My Head 

 A dark room, and an alarm that’s been stuck in my head for as long as I can remember! It’s a pattern that has been embedded in me forever. Yet, I continue this cycle because, once I get out of school, I will be moving on my own schedule. Or maybe that’s just what I tell myself to get through these days. I listened to the song “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan, and one specific lyric that stands out to me is “Twenty years of schooling, and they put you on the day shift.” Which makes me wonder, will I ever break this trying cycle? Waking up and going to school for what feels like the majority of the day and then going straight home is what feels like one of the most repetitive things that one can do. By the time I actually enjoy the concept of life, and my actions stop counting towards how successful my future will be,  could be at retirement age! I suppose if your career ends up being something you enjoy, then it might not feel too bad, but getting to that point can take years. There really is no being certain when the cycle stops, or if it ever will. So I guess my real question is, when will that alarm that I know so clearly in the back of my head stop ringing?

Rylee Breeden 

1/23/26

The students were presented with a 1965 video of Bob Dylan’s iconic song, “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and asked to consider its message.

MADISYN…shares the obvious truth the song made her realize.

Obvious Truth

One of the most famous lines from Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues was “You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.” This line means more than what it says. It gives us a glimpse of what most people had to differentiate; the obvious truth versus the truth that was shoved in their face and forced to believe. 

This is seen in every part of history. Especially today with social media as the main source of information. So many “truths” are shoved down our throats forcing us to repeat the same thing like a broken record. In some cases, if you have an opposing opinion, you are forced to keep it to yourself or you would be shamed online or even threatened. 

Normalization just stacks on top of that because once something bad is normal and everyone does it, it shouldn’t be an issue, right? Well, it still is. It always will be. Just because “everyone” agrees doesn’t make it ok. If everyone could use the brains they have and form their own thoughts and opinions instead of imitating others, they might be able to figure out what they truly believe and why. That’s my obvious truth.

Madisyn Hall

January 28, 2026

The students were presented with a 1965 video of Bob Dylan’s iconic song, “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and asked to consider its message.

 ETHAN…transports himself to the 1960s to truly appreciate  what “Mr. Bob” is saying.

A Song for Me

Imma be real, I could not understand a single thing Mr Bob. Dylan was saying. It just sounded like he was yapping about stuff that was not important to me. That is what I thought until I decided to open my mind, and really understand what Mr. Bob was talking about. 

To really understand what he is trying to say you have to think about the 1960s era and everything that was going on back then. To me, it seems like Mr. Dylan is trying to warn us about following blind rules, and leaders. Lines like,” Don’t follow leaders, watch the parkin meters” encourage independent thought and caution against government and societal control. Mr. Dylan also referenced specific events that happened such as the use of high pressure fire hoses on peaceful protesters during the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama (“Better stay away from those / That carry ’round a fire hose”)

To me the lyrics also touch on the feeling that conventional life is a trap. The line, “Twenty years of schooling and they put you on the day shift,” conveys the idea that following societal norms and getting an education doesn’t necessarily lead to a fulfilling life, a sentiment that resonated with the youth of the time, and some today.

Overall, “Homesick Blues” is an iconic, lyrical assault that serves as a verbal time capsule of the American 1960s counterculture, using surreal imagery and beat poetry to critique authority, expose corruption, and capture the era’s sense of anti-establishment anxiety and social unrest.

Ethan Jobita Jemadar

January 23, 2026

Topic: STUFF. We’re surrounded by stuff in life…and in the TCS classroom. Stuff we barely notice. The students were challenged to focus their creativity on a tangible bit of the room they occupy every day.

RYLEE…looks at, around, and through the school’s front window and relates it to her personal TCS journey.

A View Into Lives

I remember driving past this school for the first time before I even applied. I saw a student turn off the lights, and then the blinds to the window closed. I sorta envisioned myself here at that moment I suppose, only for a second, and then my mom drove off. I would soon return to this school to check out the perimeter. Of course, this time I had already applied. I looked through the window again, and this time I noticed all of the art work that sat there. I was fairly impressed, I must admit. Wrapping my head around that this was really was a school still wasn’t fully there though. Time passed, and I was invited in for a shadow day. When I walked up to the school, I looked through the window once again. This time I noticed the students, students that seemed to be here their whole lives almost. 

I finally made my way into the school and I was greeted by Mr Tom. We talked and whatnot,and then, I was directed to my seat. I find it funny how my current seat is very much similar to where I sat that shadowday. I remember looking through the window on multiple occasions, and I’d see a lot  of people walking by, and a numerous amount of cars driving by. I would eventually see my mom’s car stop in front of the school through the window. To be honest, I was more than happy to go home because, quite frankly, I was nervous, tired, and hungry. That moment was one of the first emotions that window gave me. Some time after, I would go in for an interview, one of my first interviews actually. That night, I  brought my mom back into the school after the interview, and I looked at Mr Tom through the window on my way inside the building. I remotely remember looking at him not as an interviewer, but as a teacher that played a role in my  future.

Once the school year started, it was a bit rough for me going into my 2nd and 3rd week. I remember constantly looking through the window and seeing people walk by with free will. Jealousy took over me sometimes. I felt like school and homework was my whole life and my life would continue to look like this for the next four years. I started to consider doing nothing with my life if it meant working like this every day to get a good paying job. Eventually, I did realize that I had free will too. It just matters how I used it. After that, things started to look better for me. There are still some moments that I could utilize my time better, but when I look through the window now, I see the world with individuals that all have their own life, and I’ve learned to appreciate mine. 

Rylee Breeden

11/14/25