Kids Issues 2019: Super intelligence

Posted on by Xpress Contributor
SUPER SPEED: Fourth-grader Alexis Gunter of Sand Hill-Venable Elementary School painted this dynamic superhero, who announces: “I will save the city from danger with my super speed!” This work and others by fourth-grade students at the school were created in the style of Roy Lichtenstein's pop art comic strips, notes art teacher Elise Reed.

Editor’s note: This essay and artwork are part of a series of posts from Part I of Xpress’  annual Kids Issues, which features the creativity of local K-12 students. This year, we asked kids and teens to submit art and writing around the question: “What would you do if you had superpowers for a day?”

What would you do if you could have any superpower? If I could have any superpower, it would be Super Intelligence. This is the ability to know everything, even the secrets of the universe that the average human mind couldn’t even comprehend. This would help our community — and the world — because we would know the cures to all sicknesses, like cancer. We could identify how to stop global warming and healthier ways to live without harming everything. We could know how to save endangered species or even how to bring back extinct ones. Our world would be so much more knowledgeable and be able to educate students so much more about ways of life and how to succeed.

These powers are only for 24 hours, so I guess you would have to work fast. Except you would know everything, right? Possibly even how to build a time machine, and make those 24 hours a lot longer. Then you would be able to help correct and restore everything. We would even know the perfect war strategy to help us win and never have to fight again. These are just the little things. Just imagine how astonishing it would be to do so much more. Too bad this is just an essay and not real.

— Laurena Stephens
Eighth grade
Enka Middle School

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.