text: //returns the first and last items in the string
  function firstLast(str){
    return str.substring(0,1) + str.substring(str.length-1,str.length);
  }
  
  //returns every other item in a string, starting with the first position
  function everyOtherOdd(str){
    var temp = "";
    for(var i=0; i< str.length; i++){
      if(i%2===0){
        temp+=str[i];
      }
    }
    return temp;
  }
  
  //returns every other item in a string, starting with the second position
  function everyOtherEven(str){
    var temp = "";
    for(var i=0; i< str.length; i++){
      if(i%2===1){
        temp+=str[i];
      }
    }
    return temp;
  }
  
  //checks if a single letter is a vowel
  function isVowel(str){
    var vowelLower = str.toLowerCase();
    var vowelList = ["a", "e", "i", "o", "u"];
    for(var i=0; i<vowelList.length; i++){
      if(vowelList[i]==vowelLower){
        return true;
      }
    }
    return false;
  }
  
  //returns all vowels in a string
  function vowels(str){
    var vowelsLower = str.toLowerCase();
    var temp = "";
    for(var i=0; i<vowelsLower.length; i++){
      if(isVowel(vowelsLower[i]) === true){
        temp += vowelsLower[i];
      }
    }
    return temp;
  }
  
  //returns all consonants in a string
  function consonants(str){
    var consoLower = str.toLowerCase();
    var temp = "";
    for(var i=0; i<consoLower.length; i++){
      if(isVowel(consoLower[i]) === false){
        temp += consoLower[i];
      }
    }
    return temp;
  }
  
  //turns a string into a list
  function makeList(str, separator){
    var tempList = [];
    var tempWord = "";
    for(var i=0; i<str.length; i++){
      if(str[i]== separator){
        appendItem(tempList, tempWord);
        tempWord = "";
      } else {
        tempWord += str[i];
      }
    }
    appendItem(tempList, tempWord);
    return tempList;
  }
  
  //turns a list into a string
  function join(list, combiner){
    var temp = "";
    for(var i=0; i<list.length; i++){
      temp+= (list[i] + combiner);
    }
    return temp;
  }
  
  //returns every other word starting with the first one
  function everyOtherWordOdd(str){
    var tempList = makeList(str, " ");
    var newList = [];
    for(var i=0; i<tempList.length; i++){
      if(i%2 === 0){
        appendItem(newList, tempList[i]);
      }
    }
    return join(newList, " ");
  }
  //returns every other word starting with the second one
  function everyOtherWordEven(str){
    var tempList = makeList(str, " ");
    var newList = [];
    for(var i=0; i<tempList.length; i++){
      if(i%2 == 1){
        appendItem(newList, tempList[i]);
      }
    }
    return join(newList, " ");
  }
  
  //returns a string with all instances of a letter or symbol removed
  function remove(str, remover){
    var temp = "";
    for(var i=0; i<str.length; i++){
      if(str[i]!= remover){
        temp += str[i];
      }
    }
    return temp;
  }
  
  //returns a single word converted to Pig Latin
  function pigLatin(str){
    var firstLetter = str.substring(0,1).toLowerCase();
    var secondLetter = str.substring(1,2).toLowerCase();
    if(isVowel(firstLetter)){
      return str + "ay";
    } else if(firstLetter == "t" && secondLetter == "h"){
      if(str.substring(2,3)=="e"){
        return "the";
      }
      return str.substring(2, str.length) + "th" + "ay";
    } else if(firstLetter == "s" && secondLetter == "t"){
      return str.substring(2, str.length) + "st" + "ay";
    } else if(firstLetter == "b" && secondLetter == "r"){
      return str.substring(2, str.length) + "br" + "ay";
    } else if(firstLetter == "c" && secondLetter == "h"){
      return str.substring(2, str.length) + "ch" + "ay";
    } else {
      var remainingWord = str.substring(1,str.length);
      return remainingWord + firstLetter + "ay";
    }
  }
  
  //takes a string with words separated by spaces and returns it in Pig Latin
  function pigLatinStory(str){
    var tempList = makeList(str, " ");
    for(var i=0; i<tempList.length; i++){
      if(tempList[i].length > 2){
        tempList[i] = pigLatin(tempList[i]);
      }
    }
    return join(tempList, " ");
  }