Acknowledgements

Thank you to the literary magazine crew:

Patrick Beale-DelVecchio

Charlotte Braman

Olivia Coletta

Molly Crotteau

Tivas Gupta

Alexandra Hunt

Maddie Kyhl

Kenny Larson

Grace Phillip

Olivia Rodriguez

Aisling Sullivan

Mackenzie Weatherly

Noelle Wojciechowski

Hats for Naomi by Bella Kiely

I think back to the time when I was in second grade. The time when the whole second grade held a party for my best friend, Naomi. Not the happy birthday kind of party, but a special kind of party just for her. At my school Franklin Fine Arts my friends: Naomi, Madison, Molly, Sarah and I did daily practice together during recess. We all dreamed of becoming rock stars when we grew up, so to become one we all had to practice daily. Our wish was to actually meet Hannah Montana. It never occurred to us that by the time we were out of college the famous superstar Hannah Montana would not be the only one who was really famous. Out of all of us, Naomi was the one who took being a singer most seriously. She was also the president of our club, so naturally she had to be able to help us if we were confused. In the middle of a monday at school, Naomi’s mom came to take her home. For the rest of the week, Naomi was absent. Our singer club fell apart, and we didn’t practice during recess. It just wasn’t the same without Naomi. But, after some time I started to get curious. Some days Naomi came to school, but other days she didn’t. Could she possibly be not going to school because she didn’t want to? No, she wasn’t that kind of person. Maybe she was skipping school, because she was needed somewhere else. I imagined Naomi wearing a black spy suit, and dark shades. She would be shaking hands with an important spy,

possibly someone hired by the president. The important spy would be saying: “We need you to do this for us, please Agent Naomi.” I imagined Naomi saying: “I accept this mission”. And then flying off in her own private plane. Then, one day Naomi came to school wearing a pink and gold glitter hat over her hair. Her hair looked kind of different. It looked too long and it was curly. At recess, I didn’t see her. But, I didn’t bother looking for her either. I was too busy thinking about her hair. When we were in lining up to go inside after recess, Naomi whispered to me: “It’s not really my hair, it’s only a wig and Wisdom pulled it off.” I didn’t know what she meant by a wig. But, I did know who Wisdom was. She was a girl in our class who had a problem with her knees, and because of that people bullied her. They teased her about how she couldn’t run well, and I had always felt bad for her. Naomi looked pretty upset though. When we got into our classroom, our teacher told us to sit on the rug. Again, I didn’t see Naomi. Our teacher, Ms. Buress explained to us that Naomi had a sickness called cancer. That was why she missed most school days. She was so sick she had to go to the hospital. She was under chemotherapy treatments that made her hair fall out. That was why her hair was so long and curly, it was a wig. I was shocked. Medicine so strong that your hair actually fell off your head. I felt so sorry for Naomi, and so angry at Wisdom. How could Wisdom do that? There could have been people around watching. The next week, I brought a notice home from school telling the whole second grade to wear a hat to school the next day. The second grade

was going to celebrate Naomi with a party. The teachers arranged this party because they wanted to show Naomi how proud they were that she had been brave enough to go through all of the surgery and treatments. The party was held in the peace garden which was built right outside the school. Many parents came to help set up the party. At the party there were cupcakes and chips. All of the boys ran around on the wood patio at the back of the garden playing tag. The girls walked quietly along in pairs eating cupcakes and chips. It turned out to be a wonderful day after all. At the time, I didn’t understand the sickness my friend had but all I cared about was having her as a friend. My friend Naomi sadly died of cancer at the age of nine. Even though she is gone, I still keep the memory of that day when we held a party just for her. I will forever hold the memory of Naomi and I walking together, laughing, and eating cupcakes.

13 Words

By, Tryn Starshak

Word number one: Hedgehog

A hedgehog named Vi Pine sat in a pile of leaves, waiting for her sister Ella.

Word number two: Star

She saw a shooting star that looked purple from where she was sitting.

Word number three: Ineffable

Ineffable, ineffable, ineffable, Vi was saying her favorite word over and over again.

Word number four: Writing

“Ella, Ella! Come out and play with me!” Vi yelled, but Ella was inside their expensive mansion writing a

story.

Word number five: Polka-dots

All of a sudden, she saw a giant that had polka-dots on it. “AAAHHH!!” She screamed, when she turned

on her flashlight but it was only Liam the jock laughing about how loud Vi yelped.

Word number six: Crème Brule

Vi was pooped so she went inside her cozy hedgehog home to have some crème brulee. She got so

tired that she didn’t even finish it.

Word number seven: Blue

She went into her blue room and fell asleep like a flash of lightning.

Word number eight: Bubble Gum

She thought she heard the sound of someone chewing bubble gum in

her dream.

Word number nine: Awake

She found herself awake at 1:14 AM and heard something stomping closer and closer………..

Word number ten: Danger

Vi knew her town was in danger. She said, “I’d better grab my marshmallow slingshot.”

Word number eleven: Groundhog

She peeked out of her window. “AAAAHHHH!” Vi said.

There was a ginormous groundhog outside of her window. She bolted

downstairs and out the door, marshmallow slingshot at hand.

Word number twelve: Killed

The groundhog was right in front of her door. Vi yelled, “Back off! I’m not

afraid of you! Her mom taught her how to kill a groundhog when she was

very young. She slingshot a marshmallow in-between the groundhog’s eyes.

The next second the groundhog was killed.

Word number thirteen: Trophy

“Vi, I am so proud of you!” Ella exclaimed because of her bravery. Later, at the Town Hall, Mayor

Prickles awarded Vi a trophy for her heroism.

13 Words

By: Lydia Constantine

Word number one: Hedgehog

A Hedgehog was walking casually down the paved, wet

street.

Word number two: Cat

The Hedgehog saw a glance of a small cat on the sidewalk.

Word number three: Dog

The cat then tripped over the surprised jet black dog.

Word number four: Sushi

The dog was eating a piece of California roll sushi at that

moment.

Word number five: Tennis

After that moment in time they all went to an exciting tennis

match.

Word number six: Taco

During the halftime of the tennis match they all saw a break

dancing taco!

Word number seven: Mustache

After the weird arrival they surprisingly got picked up by a

flying black mustache!

Word number eight: Turquoise

They looked over the tall buildings and then mysteriously

dropped at high speed into a turquoise limousine.

Word number nine: Neon Yellow

The pretty turquoise limousine had neon yellow sparkles all

over it, plus they were beautiful!

Word number ten: Cross Country

The limousine magically drove them to a cross country meet

and a blood red carpet rolled out when they all got there.

Word number eleven: Basketballs

The first thing they saw was a bunch of basketballs hopping

to the finish line of the cross country meet.

Word number twelve: Rose

The basketballs all then offered the shocked and surprised cat

a beautiful light red rose.

Word number thirteen: Lebron James

Then Lebron James appeared and shot the basketballs one by

one into a lava pit and the Hedgehog was screaming in a

circle hoping not to be mistaken as a basketball and the rest

of the animals like the cat and the dog just sat there and just

stared at the screaming hedgehog in the moment of so called

chaos for the poor little hedgehog.

Acceptance  by  Noelle  Wojciechowski  A8b    Acceptance  is  a  very  complicated  word.  You  are  always  told  to  be  accepting,  but  what  does  

it  mean?  To  me,  it  means  that  you  do  not  notice  the  differences  in  others,  but  embrace  the  

similarities.  Acceptance  is  a  very  powerful  word  because  it  brings  out  everyone’s  true  

identity,  it  also  means  accepting  that  sometimes,  people  are  not  capable  of  going  outside  

their  comfort  zones  to  accept  you,  and  if  you  accept  yourself  for  who  you  are,  you  will  find  

strength  in  yourself.    

 

Acceptance  allows  people  to  be  themselves  regardless  of  their  differences.  Peer  or  

community  acceptance  allows  you  to  flourish  and  focus  on  what  you  can  do  rather  than  

what  you  can’t  do.  A  current  social  issue  that  relates  to  acceptance  is  discriminating  against  

people  with  disabilities.  When  people  are  blessed  with  a  healthy  body  and  mind,  it  is  easy  to  

overlook  the  fact  that  not  everyone  has  it  so  easy.  In  society,  when  a  person  with  disabilities  

enters  the  room,  they  are  immediately  singled  out.  People  think  that  persons  with  

disabilities  are  not  smart,  or  not  aware  of  what  goes  on  around  them.  If  everyone  could  just  

be  accepting,  then  they  would  become  friends  with  the  disabled,  and  everyone  could  get  

along  better.    

 

This  relates  to  Goal  4,  Sacred  Heart  community  commits  themselves  to  the  building  of  

community  as  a  Christian  value,  because  building  a  community  requires  acceptance.  One  

must  appreciate  the  differences  between  their  peers,  not  run  away  from  them.  Differences  

and  acceptance  of  differences  builds  a  strong  community.    

 

Acceptance  means  accepting  that  some  people  will  not  accept  you  for  who  you  are.  It  is  a  

truth  in  our  society  that  some  people  cannot  embrace  the  differences  in  others.  People  with  

disabilities  are  forced  to  accept  that  people  sometimes  will  not  understand  their  challenges.  

If  they  see  that  people  are  laughing  at  them,  they  tell  themselves  that  the  person  does  not  

have  an  open  mind,  and  will  never  be  able  to  understand  what  they  are  going  through.  This  

way  of  thinking  makes  it  easier  for  the  persons  with  disabilities  cope  with  teasing  and  

bullying.  This  relates  to  Goal  4  because  when  you  are  building  a  community,  you  have  to  

face  the  hardships  such  as  teasing,  and  realize  that  not  everyone  is  kind  enough  to  be  

accepting.  This  situation  or  experience  can  make  you  stronger.  Goal  4  means  that  it  is  

everyone’s  responsibility  to  promote  acceptance.    

 

Acceptance  means  accepting  yourself.  Persons  with  disabilities  learn  to  accept  themselves  

by  seeing  what  they  are  able  to  do  and  gaining  confidence.  They  know  that  they  cannot  

change  their  situation,  but  they  can  change  their  attitude  towards  it.  They  use  their  

experiences  to  educate  others,  and  they  share  with  each  other  how  they  change  their  own  

attitudes  and  the  attitudes  of  others.  An  example  of  accepting  yourself  that  relates  to  Goal  4  

is  that  when  you  want  to  be  a  leader  in  the  community,  you  need  confidence.  If  you  are  

confident  in  yourself,  others  will  follow  you.  Confidence  makes  you  stand  out  regardless  of  a  

disability.    

 

People  with  disabilities  are  faced  with  these  challenges  every  day,  but  when  the  accept  

themselves,  accept  the  fact  that  some  people  do  not  understand,  and  when  they  are  

accepted,  they  bring  out  their  true  personalities.  Community  and  self-­‐acceptance  is  

important  everywhere,  not  just  at  school.  

 

Art

By Hannah

Art is an awesome subject. I have an amazing time there.

In art we do projects or paintings. One of the projects was

cubism. Cubism is distorted artwork the picture makes no

sense. My favorite project is zentangle. Zentangle is where you

doodle patterns. Then you can color them. My other favorite is

free drawing. I love to free draw because you draw whatever

you want. Drawing whatever you want us cool because

sometime you don’t want to do a project so free drawing is fun.

Art is a super subject in my opinion nothing can top this one.

 

Bud  Not  Buddy    By:  Harper  Massengill        Something  that  always  makes  me  feel  stronger  is  

when  I  think  about  my  cousin  John  because  he  

always  made  me  feel  better  when  I  was  upset.    

 

Sometimes  when  I  think  about  my  cat  Beezus  who  

died  I  start  to  feel  horrible  and  then  I  think  about  

how  much  John  made  me  laugh  and  how  silly  he  got  

when  he  lost  hangman  to  me.    

 

Another  example  is  when  I  need  encouragement  

in  a  basketball  game  I  think  about  John  talking  to  

me  and  giving  me  amazing  advice  that  always  

makes  me  feel  stronger.  That  is  who  I  always  think  

about  when  I  need  help.  

Dream Variations

By: Eleanor Massengill

To feel the rain on my skin

As I twist and twirl in a blanket of stars

To feel the sun’s glow on my cheeks as I lay on the field, staring at the clouds

Till I die, I want to live in this peace

That is my dream

To let the night drench me in darkness

Let it wrap me up in its arms and keep me safe

To let the lost souls of those before us join hands with those who will come soon

Till I die, I want to live in this peace

That is my dream

To grasp my dreams and set them free into reality

To let my nightmares pass into the depths of my mind where they won’t discourage me

Till I die, I want to live in this peace

That is my dream

Dreams  Variations  

To  be  with  my  grandpa  once  death  is  done  

To  make  memories  and  be  happy  

Till  the  angels  are  gone  

Then  we’ll  be  together  once  again  

That  is  my  dream  

To  be  with  my  grandpa  once  death  is  done  

To  forget  about  life  and  forget  about  worries  

Till  the  angels  are  gone  

Then  we’ll  be  together  once  again  

That  is  my  dream  

-­‐  Charlotte  Ryan  

We reached the last step after about 12 flights of stairs. My legs were screaming withpain. It quickly faded to the depths of my mind when I saw what Kyle brought me up for. I walkedin awe towards the giant window. It had a view of a mountain that was crawling with nature. Ithad trees so tall it looked like they reached the heavens. The sun was setting so I could seefireflies dancing in the trees and the sun’s fading glow shone on the waterfall that was crashinginto an unknown place.

“It’s phenomenal” I said to Kyle.He turned to face me and he said “I know.”We stood there, staring at each other. I turned away quickly. His eyes flickered to my

arm. He took a step forward and he grabbed it.“What are you doing?” I asked suspiciously.“Your arm, it has The Mark on it” he murmured.“What’s The Mark?” I asked. He didn’t answer. He yanked me by the wrist. A door that I

didn’t notice before opened when Kyle muttered a few words. “Where are we going?” Idemanded.

“You’ll know once we get there” Kyle answered.He walked through the door. It lead down a dark hallway with layers of dust and cobwebs.

We were in there for a while, walking in silence. My wrist hurt from his hands yanking it so hard.Suddenly, we turned a corner and there was a large opening where the fading sunlight flooded in.The opening lead to a path that weaved around the mountain. We trudged up the mountain forabout five minutes until Kyle lead me off the path to a rock. He sat down and I followed. Hegrabbed my arm and held it in his lap. He brushed his finger on the bottom side of my arm until itlanded right where the elbow and forearm connect. He gestured to my birthmark shaped like aflame.

“This is The Mark. Only people who were born with special yet dangerous powers have it.They are called Mistakes.” Kyle explained.

“This is just a birthmark” I protested.“No, it is not. Do you ever recall something that you can’t explain?” he asked.“I remember when I was six, I wanted to make my brussel sprouts disappear so I ran my

hand just above them and they just disappeared,” I laughed “but that was ten years ago, so I maybe remembering it wrong.”

“Another quality Mistakes have is that they never forget anything. I remember I had a oldersister named Sallie. She was a Mistake too. She came to Silverstudd when she was sixteen.During the training, the head of Silverstudd, which happened to be Michael’s father, found outSallie was a Mistake and that night she disappeared. I have never heard from her again” Kevinsaid, looking out into space. I swear I saw tears prickling into his eyes. Kyle turned back to meand took a deep breath “the point is, don’t tell anyone not even Evelynne and especially notMichael. He is dangerous, very dangerous.” With that, he got up and walked down the path toSilverstudd HQ. Then, three figures popped out of the foliage. They walked towards me, eachwearing a wicked grin. I recognize one of the boys from Prince School who asked Michael if wewould ever get to see our parents again. He had blonde hair with brown eyes that were the colorof root beer. The other two I did not recognize. One was a girl that was quite ugly. She had shortbrown hair that went up to her jaw. I think I saw traces of grime and dirt on her face and in her

hair. The other boy walked up to me and grabbed me by the collar.“Are you a Mistake?” he said in my face. I felt his revolting breath against my cheek.“No” I lied.“Let me see your arm” the girl sneered. I was ready to punch her. Adrenaline surging

through my body. The girl grabbed my arm and started to pull my sleeve up. I pulled back my fistand slammed it into her jaw. She groaned and let go of my sleeve. Then the boy came up to meand jammed his fist into my nose. I moaned as the blood trickled down my face and onto mysleeve. I turned around quickly and dashed towards Silverstudd HQ, not even paying attention tothe pain that buzzed through my brain.

This is an excerpt from Eleanor’s Fairytale.

Fall By: Gellila Asmamaw

The sun had set and the sky was dark,

my little dog Oscar had let out a bark.

The trees had shriveled and the leaves were brown,

For if you looked closely, you could see

they were down.

Surely I had known, that the winter

season was near,

I had seen a subtle rabbit hopping in fear.

Snowflakes had fallen, and the stars lit the sky,

And as the moon shone bright, I let out a sigh.

the radiant sun began to rise,

A beautiful sight befell my eyes.

The glowing mocking jays let out their call,

For now the trees stood proud and tall.

For just a moment, the Earth was calm,

And as the snowflakes stopped, one fell in my palm

My heart rejoiced for a new season was here,

And slowly, as my mind relaxed, I began to shed tears.

By Gellila

One Halloween night

When little children are full of fright

Haunted houses with flying witches

To scary zombies with ugly stitches

Mummies coming from the ground,

Spiders making eerie sounds

Trick-or-treating isn’t safe

Because there are monsters who like to

shave!!

I used to be with God in the sky,

but now I am with my parents on the ground.

I used to be a baby,

but now I am a young lady.

I used to be a chatterbox,

but now I am a singer.

I used to be an ocean,

but now I am a tsunami.

I used to be a drop of paint,

but now I am a painted wall.

I used to be a puzzle piece,

but now I am a complete puzzle.

I used to be earbuds,

but now I am a pair of headphones.

I used to be a letter,

but now I am a word.

I used to be at home,

but now I am at school.

I Used To Be….

By: Scarlet Zell

I used to be the moon

But now I am the sun

I used to be a twinkle

But now I am a star

I used to be the universe

But now I am a galaxy

I used to be a planet

But now I am a wisp of gas

i used to be...

I used to be a leaf.But now I am a tree.

I used to be a piece of grass.But now I am a meadow.

I used to be a puddle.But now I am the sea.

I used to be a flower.But now I am a garden.

I used to be the wind.But now I am a tornado.

I used to be a work in progress.But now I am complete.

I used to be a thought.But now I am reality.

I used to be Mars.But now I am the Solar System.

I used to be the stars.But now I am the Universe.

­Genevieve Hesse

She’s different, but she’s the same.

She’s different because she learns differently.

She’s different because she talks differently.

She’s different because she gets made fun of.

She’s different because she doesn’t care.

She’s different, but she’s the same.

-Eleanor Buchanan A7

The Young Athlete

The young athlete is a younger sister.

The young athlete believes sports are the greatest thing in life.

Bump, set spike; pass, dribble score; flip, turn, fall.

Every sport is different.

The young athlete is stressed.

She has high expectations.

Her grades are very important.

Sometimes she just needs to relax and go outside.

The wind blows through her blondish-brown hair.

Her blue eyes sparkle in the sun.

The young athlete doesn’t always do what’s right, she makes mistakes.

Sometimes, the young athlete forgets that family is more important than sports.

The athlete’s friends get mad at her for doing so many sports.

The young athlete does not have much free time.

The young athlete reaches out to anyone she can.

The young athlete can make friends easily.

It is one of her many strengths.

The young athlete has many dreams.

Most seem impossible to others, but to her, they are attainable.

Nothing is impossible for her.

The young athlete is determined to be the best that she can possibly be.

-Ashley Brady A7

Fall

By: Kenny Larson (6th Grade)

As I walk along an old nature path,

I use an old branch as a staff.

I look around and see many trees.

I can tell Fall is coming, judging by their leaves.

They are a crisp orange, with a dash of yellow.

Everything is calm, everything is mellow.

The birds are singing a lovely song.

It feels like nothing here could ever go wrong.

But I must come back to my home town.

Where nature is hidden, and the leaves are brown.

But something there is special too.

Just look for it, me and you.

MarniCaroline Creamer

I get to the parkThere are my friends, I let out a barkI leap over to themThey run, I chaseTrying to catch up, I raceFor they are much bigger dogs then ISo close to the groundI feel the new grass touch my faceFlowers, just starting to sproutI realize two of my masters are goneDid they get on the bus without saying goodbye again?I pout, I want to shout, I want to let my anger out, But I don’tI am a dog, and I know itI am a dog and my mind only focuses on one thingIt is very important, very specialIt is called LOVE

By: Lily W. Good

It was November 5th and it was a horrible day! Here’s the story of why…

I came into the classroom and gasped. Ms.

Reinhardt was missing!!! I asked Mrs. Carlucci if she

knew where Ms. Reinhardt was. Sadly, she didn’t. I

told myself I could find her. I could solve the great

MISSING REINHARDT MYSTERY!

I decided that she was in Florida for her

birthday. I knew I needed proof. So I gathered my

friends and told them about her being in Florida for

her birthday. They all agreed that it was very

possible and they agreed we needed proof. It was

for sure. The mystery would be solved.

We decided to split up and look for any sort of

clues in the classroom or something Ms. Reinhardt

had said. The groups were: Lily and Lulu, Franny and

Pamela, and Sara and Harper. Sara remembered

Ms. Reinhardt talking about hanging out in the sun

all day. Lulu remembered she had sunscreen poking

out of her bag. I remembered seeing the sunglasses

in her bag.

We left school and the next day Ms. Reinhardt

was back! We told her about our suspicions and she

laughed and told us how she had been in Hawaii for

her birthday. We all smiled and thought, "Well, we

were close.” And then the rest of the day was as

normal as could be.

Mistake By: Sara

I went to my house to play with my hair,

I made a mistake and played with a bear.

The bear was big, brown and mean,

It was the biggest thing I’ve ever seen.

My Color Poem

Turquoise is the color

of a bright,

shimmering fish in the

ocean.

Blue is the color of the ocean with the shining sun on its face.

Yellow is the color of the honey comb in a beehive.

Orange is the color of the bright sunrise on the beach.

-By Annika Swanson

My Trip to Paris

By: Pamela Cameron

I went to France, and out of all the places, Paris was

my favorite. I went to all of the most famous places in

Paris. One of the famous places that I went to was when I

saw the Mona Lisa and people were crowding all around

her and they were taking pictures. While that was

happening, I almost lost my mom! After I saw that, I

wanted to see the Eifel Tower, and when I got to the very

top, Paris seemed like a doll house! At night, my Dad saw

a crepe cart and he asked me if I wanted a crepe and I

said “sure” and my first nutella crepe was delicious! I

hope to go back to Paris because I had a great a great

experience!

Night By: Bridget Wyman

Night

Dark, Eluding

Terrifying, Darkening, Spreading

With night come shadows

Gloom

Peregrine Falcon

I soar in the sky,

Roaming in the peace.

The sunset behind me,

I’m on my way.

But when I come down,

Like a hornet stinging one.

I am struck with

Those humanly rays.

A shocking current,

Runs through my body like a race.

As I fall, as I fall.

Though I try to get up,

And fly to my home far away.

I now found that

This was my last day.

I close my eyes,

To take a rest.

Though I do not know

It’s Death behind that mask.

As I go up high,

I look down at thee,

“Thank you all, for now I am free.” - Annika Swanson

Biking  For  Life  by  Katie  Iannelli    I  was  eight  years  old.  Eager  Yearning.  I  was  ready.  This  is  the  story  of  how  I  learned  how  to  ride  a  bike.    I  always  wanted  to  know  how  to  ride  a  bicycle.  It  was  the  summer  before  third  grade  and  I  didn’t  know  how  to  ride  a  bike.  At  the  same  time,I  was  scared  to  death.  When  I  rode  with  training  wheels  at  four  and  five,  my  dad  would  always  get  my  neck  stuck  in  the  helmet  and  I  would  cry  my  head  off.  Now  I  was  scared  I  would  do  it  again  so  I  refused  to  wear  a  helmet  when  I  rode.  My  mom  said  I  couldn’t  ride  until  I  used  a  helmet  so  I  just  didn’t  ride.  That  was  until  I  was  invited  to  a  biking  party.    I  was  shocked.  In  fact,  I  had  mixed  emotions  for  a  full  day.  I  knew  I  was  going  to  have  to  turn  down  this  one.  It  seemed  that  one  party  motivated  me  enough  to  say,  “Dad,  will  you  teach  me  how  to  ride  a  bike?”    My  dad  eagerly  agreed  and  took  me  to  get  a  bigger  bike.  I  chose  a  really  cool  white  and  pink  one  with  an  awesome  helmet  just  my  size.  I  was  psyched.  My  dad  drove  me  over  to  Jahn,  the  public  school  around  the  corner  from  my  house.  They  have  a  huge  black  top  where  I  could  bike  all  I  wanted.  My  dad  ran  across  the  street  and  bought  some  Gatorade.  I  snapped  my  helmet  on  with  ease  and  threw  my  leg  over  one  side  of  the  bike.I  started  wobbling  and  fell  over.  WITH  the  bike  on  top  of  me.  I  was  already  frustrated.  I  gave  my  dad  a  glare  as  he  helped  me  to  my  feet.  He  told  me  some  of  the  most  inspiring  things  while  I  was  trying.  He  told  me,  “Sometimes  things  are  hard  in  life,  but  you  have  to  remember  not  to  give  up.  You  can  do  it  little  Kit-­‐Kat”.    I  thought  he  was  right.  I  put  a  band-­‐aid  across  the  scrape.  I  stood  up  and  tried  again.  This  time  I  stayed  on.  I  took  a  deep  breath  and  asked  my  dad  if  he  could  help  me  get  going.  So  he  pushed  me  from  the  back  and  ran  along  right  behind  me  while  I  turned  the  pedals.  I  thought  he  was  holding  on  to  the  bike  but  really  I  was  going  by  myself.  I  needed  to  make  a  turn  so  my  dad  helped  me  glide  around  the  basketball  hoop.  Sadly,  he  let  me  go  too  early  and  I  crashed  into  the  metal  trash  can.  Earlier  I  would  have  burst  into  tears  ,  but  now  I  knew  I  could  do  it.  This  time  I  got  up  and  started  myself.  Soon  enough  I  was  doing  figure  eights.    When  we  felt  our  mission  was  accomplished  we  walked  home.  When  I  walked  into  the  house,  my  mom  heard  how  great  I  did  and  she  let  me  have  an  extra  dessert.  That  was  a  great  day!    What  I  learned  that  day  was  yes,  how  to  ride  a  bike  but  also  to  keep  trying.  Now  year,  every  other  Saturday  in  the  summer  my  sister,  my  brother  and  I  all  go  around  and  bike.  My  dad  helps  my  siblings  learn  and  I  fly  around.  This  year  my  dad  and  I  are  going  to  get  a  new  and  better  bike.  Now  I  love  to  bike.  In  fact,  now  I  bike  for  life!  

Jack Matters

The Catholic boy, Jack lives in a decent neighborhoodJack lives near an ice cream shopJack lives in a big orange houseJack has 2 sistersJack wants Bridget to be respectfulJack wants Katie to stop bugging himJack’s parents are lawyersJack’s parents won’t let him go to law schoolJack is uncomfortable with talking in publicJack would like to give kids authorityJack doesn’t like to feel powerlessJack wants to make a differenceJack is tired of being pressuredJack wants people to understand his interestsJack can’t stand what doesn’t make senseJack’s side hurts when he exercises a lotJack can’t figure out how to snap

Jack W., H7

School & Summer

6 months of school

and

6 months of summer

that sounds super cool,

what could be funner?

Go to school in September, October, November

Stay at school all through the month of December.

January, February, still learning your math.

March, April, May, summer’s now on your path.

June, July, and August, what could be more fun

than enjoying the beach and being out in the sun?

Now don’t you agree that it is quite a bummer

That we don’t have both 6 months of school and of summer?

Zoe T., A6

Everybody is different

but one thing is the same

all of us can like the same game

Our gender is no object in what we like to do

you can play volleyball, even if you are a dude

Girls are good at what they do

And boys are too

Some boys just glance

but just give the girls a chance

We are all equal

Ellie W. and Virgina H, A6

That short, athletic, Jewish girl

The short, athletic, Jewish girl wants people to stand up for injustice in the world.

She wants people to stand up for what they believe is right.

That short, athletic, Jewish girl wants people to do what is right even though it may cause friendships

to be broken.

That short, athletic, Jewish girl wants everyone to remember everyone, no matter how tall, short, how

big or small and what ethnicity, is created equal.

That short, athletic, Jewish girl wants to be accepted.

She wants everyone to be accepted.

That short, athletic, Jewish girl doesn’t want people to be discriminated because of their religion.

She wants and believes everyone is equal.

The End.

Liza K., A7

Apple Seed

Apple seed, apple seed

way down in the West

I always get D’s on my test.

I’m not rich like a treasure chest.

I do not have a friend, not even a best.

I’m just an apple seed

way down in the West.

Allison Keeler

It’s Raining By: Lulu Muscarello

It’s raining

It’s pouring

My umbrella is getting soaked

It’s raining outside

And there is nothing to do

It’s raining

It’s pouring

Dolphin

By: Charlotte Ryan

As I splash through the water

I see fish fly by me and boat motors skipping by too

I come above the water to feel the sun against my slippery skin

But as fast as a mouse I am back under once again

Monkey

By: Charlotte Ryan

As I grab a new vine each time

I close my eyes and feel the breeze through my fur

But soon I feel danger in the air and grab the next tree

As I glance down at the jungle floor I see jaguar not too far

Tiger

By: Charlotte Ryan

As I thrust though the branches of new trees

I hear an elk, not too far in front of me

I hear the elk stop I know this is time to strike

I get down and prance out of hiding

It is a struggle but I will win the battle

The 13 Words

By: Elena Nevins

Word Number One: animals

There once was a kingdom of animals.

Word Number Two: plants

Surrounding and keeping the kingdom safe is a dome of plants.

Word Number Three: cat

The queen of this magic kingdom is a lanky gray cat. That cat queen

wore beautiful crown that is set with shimmering gems.

Word Number Four: throne

She has a gold throne with a velvet seat and back.

Word Number Five: binder

Right next to her throne she keeps a large dark maroonish-brown

binder. In the binder she keeps all the names of her subjects living in

her kingdom.

Word Number Six: monkey

Her pet monkey squeaks and squawks as he changes the names in the

maroonish-brown binder as needed.

Word Number Seven: sweater

The monkey always wore a warm, lime green, cashmere sweater.

Word Number Eight: water bottle

The monkey also loves drinking grape juice from a water bottle.

Word Number Nine: parakeet

The monkey had a parakeet named Peep.

Word Number Ten: red squirrel

nnnjkjjseThe parakeet lives on a tree that has a lot of red squirrels living

on it too.

Word Number Eleven: kiwis

In the tree next to the parakeet’s tree was filled with singing kiwis who

liked kiwi.

Word Number Twelve: great dane

The massive Great Dane protects Peeps red squirrel filled tree.

Word Number 13: gray hound

The Great Danes best friend a grey hound guarded the kiwi tree.

The City Boy

The city boy dreams to be cool. He dreams to be fresh. He wants to be a hipster. He dresses like the

rappers. He wastes his money on clothes. He does not think twice. He imitates those who he thinks is

cool. He will risk things to be cool. He will act and dresses like a gangster. He yells the names of nice

department brands like Gucci or Polo. He yells things rappers have said to be cool. He poses by graffiti

and takes pictures. He blasts music and chooses to get a bad 90’s car to be cool. And all he wants to be is

cool.

The  Day  I  Got  a  Dog  By:  Lily  Fencl    My  siblings  and  I  were  playing  outside,  when  Chris  got  a  text  that  said  “Come  inside  

right  away!”  I  think  the  text  was  from  my  mother.  We  dashed  in  side.  My  parents  

were  in  piano  room.  I  asked  my  dad  “Whose  dog  are  you  babysitting?  My  dad  said,  “I  

am  not  babysitting  a  dog,  the  dog  is  ours.”  I  screamed  really  loud!  

 

I  asked  “Did  you  name  him  yet?”  My  dad  said,  “Yes,  I  named  him  Goose.”  It  is  a  

combination  of  his  parents’  names,  Gunta  and  Doose.  I  think  that  his  parents’  names  

are  funny  because  there  is  a  TV  show  called  Shake  It  Up  that  has  characters  named  

that.  A  lot  of  my  friends  came  over  to  see  my  family’s  new  dog.  Goose  was  scared  at  

first.  Goose  looked  around  the  house.  He  is  very  playful  and  jumpy  and  loves  to  play  

catch,  I  could  hold  then  but  not  now  because  he  is  too  big.  He  was  very  small  then,  

he  is  a  big  dog  now.  Goose  is  very  sweet  and  I  love  him.  

Tivas Gupta H6b The Gates of Thebes

It was hot outside the shaded city of Thebes. That was the first thing

Adrian noticed as he lay on a finely carved wooden raft under the bright Greek

sun. He lazily floated down the river leading away from the city. Adrian’s dark

hair was in a braid that fell over his shoulder. His tunic, laced with gold thread,

slipped over his the big frame of his body and into the dirty water, soiling it.

Adrian was a chubby boy with dark hair that covered his green eyes. He stared

into the vivid blue sky, gladly not thinking about the raiders from distant countries

who invaded Thebes every week, taking what they pleased. He turned his mind

away from thoughts about the city’s riches which had dwindled away until they

became next to nothing. He forgot about his father, Acaeus, struggling in his old

age. He didn’t really care about his father’s business anyway.

Adrian rolled his head to one side and looked towards Thebes in the

distance. Squinting, he saw a man approaching and immediately recognized the

thin shape his father. Adrian looked back at the sky, not caring what the King had

to say. He just wanted to be left alone.

Acaeus was dressed more modestly then Adrian. His long white hair went

down to the waist of his lean body. When he was younger he was considered the

best king Thebes has ever had. Now he was rarely taken seriously in the city.

“Son! The city council is holding a meeting,” Acaeus called out. “You know

the council members won’t listen to me alone about the wall. If you were there,

they might pay more attention.”

Adrian’s father had been talking for years about the wall. He believed that

if the city built a wall, Thebes would be much easier to defend against the

raiders. Thebes could then prosper in peace and all would be well. This was the

one thing Acaeus wanted to accomplish before he died; but the some members

of the council had fought against the King, arguing that the city was too poor to

waste time and materials on a wall. The council was currently deadlocked.

Acaeus could force the construction of the wall with support of one council

member because the council vote was tied. He had always wanted Adrian to be

that vote. Adrian thought that the idea of a wall was no more than a fairy tale.

Adrian looked up. “Sorry father. My lack of faith that a wall will protect

Thebes will prevent me from attending the council meeting on your side. Besides,

I am busy.”

Acaeus roared, “You waste your days floating on this river. You gamble

away what little money the city has. Thebes is wasting away because of you!”

Adrian looked at the King with surprise. His father never spoke that

strongly. Adrian put his feet on the bank of the shore and pushed off into deeper

waters. Acaeus continued, “I will die soon. The city will become a barren

wasteland because you do not know how to perform your duties as king. The city

will burn because of you!”

Acaeus sighed. He loved his son and had expected so much of him, but

seemed to be having these conversations with Adrian more and more often.

Dejected, he returned to the city with his slaves trailing. The king had a council to

attend.

An hour later, Acaeus walked back down the marble steps of the main

house in the center of Thebes. The council had once again remained tied in the

vote. Those who had opposed the King’s idea agreed that a wall would work, but

they argued that the city did not have the time or materials to build a wall. Their

newest plan insisted that the city use its resources to focus on fighting the

raiders. Acaeus refused to risk the civilians’ lives with warfare against the far

more powerful raiders. If the council did not make a decision in thirty days the

Thebes constitution stated that the both proposals would have to be dropped and

nothing could happen for a year. This deadline was ten days away. The king

needed his son’s support, but even though Adrian was a member of the council,

he never had attended a meeting. The king needed to somehow change his

son’s mind or the city was doomed. He could only do that if the gods were on his

side.

The King realized that his only hope was in the gods. He traveled to the

center of Thebes to pray at the temple of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.

Walking through the grand stone entrance, he made his way to the center of the

temple.

Sitting down on a small wooden stool he looked toward the heavens and

prayed to Athena, “O Goddess of Wisdom,” he cried. “Please help my son Adrian

see past his foolish ways so that he may protect one of your patron cities,

Thebes”. A tear rolled down Acaeus wrinkled cheek. “May you send him a vision

so he can abandon his childish behavior and grow to be the greatest king Thebes

has ever seen, and so that his name will be sung in generations to come.” With a

deep sigh the King rose to his feet and walked slowly back to the palace.

Athena listened to the king’s prayer with interest. Indeed, Thebes was one

of her favorite cities. Because the king was a just and noble man she decided to

help Acaeus. Adrian needed a vision, that was for certain. But how would she

present it to him? She couldn’t affect the mortal too much as Zeus, the highest of

the gods, might punish her. Then an idea came to her.

The Goddess flew up to the sky with her pure white robes fluttering behind

her. Her piercing gray eyes looked for the gleaming house of Morpheus located

in the clouds near Mount Olympus, the home of the major gods. Morpheus was

the god of dreams. Morpheus answered. He was a minor god though a powerful

one. She remembered his golden blond curls that sat on top of his head and his

bright round face. She needed him to create an elaborate dream for her plan to

work. She flew to the door and knocked. Morpheus answered. His face lit up in

surprise for a few moments before bowing and ushering her inside. He pulled up

a chair and a basin for her to wash her hands before putting ambrosia and

nectar, the food of the gods, on a golden platter in front of the goddess.

“Lord Athena,” Morpheus said while sitting down. “I am honored by your

presence, but why do you come?”

Athena responded, “Morpheus, do you know the city of Thebes?”

Morpheus replied, “Well of course! But what does that have to do with

your visit here?”

Athena answered, “I come here to ask you to put a prince of Thebes,

Adrian, in a deep and powerful sleep. In a dream, I would like you to have him

experience the troubles of the city from a citizen’s point of view and then show

him the solution to the problems of Thebes. In this case I think it is a wall.”

Morpheus looked a little fearful as he replied, “I can do what you ask

Athena. But will the god Zeus permit it? He becomes angry when an immortal

interferes with the lives of mortals too much.”

Athena was already walking to the door. She said over her shoulder, “ I

doubt the Lord Zeus will care. Besides, I can reason with him if he does. I am his

daughter after all!” The Goddess of Wisdom left the house and flew back down to

Mount Olympus.

Adrian meanwhile was walking through the center of the city with his

slaves. A couple citizens whispered behind him. Many gave him dirty looks.

Civilians rather hated Adrian because he never helped the city with its troubles,

even though he was a prince. He didn’t care about what the people of Thebes

thought of him. A family was crying beside a half-burnt home, most likely

destroyed by the raiders. Adrian just kept walking. He was too busy to worry

about ordinary civilians problems.

Suddenly something hit the back of his head hard. He turned to see what

the source was but his head spun and his vision turned fuzzy and he could see

nothing. Darkness shrouded his eyes before he collapsed.

Adrian slowly woke up. He was still dizzy but he could now see clearly. He

was in the same place where he had fallen. He quickly stood and looked behind

him to see if his attacker was still there, but all he could see was the empty

street. He called for his slaves, but they were gone.

“How could they leave me here in the street!” roared Adrian. “They shall

be punished tenfold for their incompetence when I return to the palace.”

He began to walk in the direction of his home. Then he noticed how funny

he felt. And cold. He noticed how the wind hit his body with intensity. He looked

down and gasped. He was in rags, beggar’s clothes! His attackers had most

likely switched his elaborate, embroidered clothes with these rags for a cruel

joke. They probably planned to sell the clothes for a fair sum of money.

Turning a corner he walked into a bustling market. “Surely someone will

recognize me here,” Adrian thought. He approached a small stand selling

assorted cuts of meat.

“Can you help me?” asked Adrian in his kindest voice. “I need some

clothes and food.”

The man behind the counter of the meat market looked over Adrian and

scowled. “Why young man!” he said. “Your clothes are perfectly fine! And why

should I feed scum like you anyway? You’re nobody!”

Adrian reeled back in shock. “Me, nobody? I am the Prince of Thebes!

You shall pay for your ignorance with your life!”

The man behind the counter laughed. “Get you and your little fantasies out

of here before I call a policeman.”

An officer saw the commotion and walked over to the meat market. He

looked at Adrian and asked the butcher “Is there a problem here?”

Adrian cried, “Officer! You must recognize me! I am the prince of Thebes.

Can you take me back to the palace?”

The officer looked at Adrian and then at the storekeeper. He started

laughing and said to the butcher, “Don’t worry. I will take care of the little brat. To

think he would be Prince of Thebes. Ha!” The officer turned toward Adrian and

said scornfully, “King Acaeus has never had a son. Now you need to be taught a

lesson for lying.”

The officer brought back his hand to hit Adrian across the face. Adrian

flinched. He had never been hit or touched, really. His father never hit him and no

one in Thebes dared to lay a hand on him.

The officer swung his arm and gave Adrian a strong slap across the face.

Adrian cried out in pain. The officer’s nails had cut through Adrian’s skin and

blood gushed down his cheek. Adrian started crying. The constant stinging and

burning of his cheek seared into Adrian’s mind. He would never forget this

feeling. He had seen the raiders beat the civilians of Thebes before but he had

never felt any sympathy for the citizens. Now he would do anything to make this

pain stop.

The officer smiled at him. “You think that hurt? That is only the beginning.

You need to learn not to lie.” He swung his arm back again but stopped cold. The

officer slowly let go of Adrian’s collar. Adrian looked at the officer’s face. It was

frozen in complete, utter horror. It stayed that way for a second before he cried,

“Raiders!”

The officer kicked Adrian against a wall. Adrian felt something snap inside

of him and he groaned. The officer began to run but a man dressed in exotic

clothes and holding a torch pushed the officer to the ground. The officer fell on

the cold stone hard. When he looked up, Adrian saw that the officer’s nose was

covered in blood.

Adrian had never really seen a raider before up close. Their skin was tan

like Adrian’s but it was stretched tightly over their faces. Long dark hair fell in a

braid down their backs, jewels and gold lacing the hair in a pattern. They wore

strange colorful clothes that were tied into intricate knots. Their eyes were dark

and menacing. The raider spoke to the officer in a foreign accent, in a language

Adrian had never heard before. After kicking the officer and stripping him of his

purse and valuables, the raider picked up his torch and looked at the houses and

buildings around him. He saw a wood structure and smiled. He set his torch to

the straw roof and within minutes a raging fire engulfed the entire house. Adrian

was shaking and cold fear filled his body. The raider slowly turned around. His

evil dark eyes bore into the prince. Adrian let out a scream and his vision turned

black.

Suddenly the room was filled with a bright sunshine. He slowly lifted up his

head. To his surprise, no bones hurt and his skin was unscathed.

“This is impossible!” he murmured. Bones could never heal that quickly,

and a gash like that would surely leave scars on his face.

Suddenly, to his left a sweet soft voice called, “Adrian?” He turned to the

voice, but nobody was there. Instead of seeing a wall or door Adrian eyes fell on

the most beautiful scene he had ever come across.

Thebes was spread out in front of him. He took it in as though he was a

bird flying through the vast blue sky. The streets were bustling with civilians.

Markets were scattered around streets full of citizens and visitors from other

countries. There was not a burnt house in sight. No raiders were in the city.

Adrian wondered how Thebes could prosper like this. Then he slowly looked to

the outer edge of Thebes.

There was a wall.

Limestone bricks glistened in the sun as if they were made of gold. Strong

and compact, the wall rose thirty feet high towards the heavens. Warriors

guarded seven gates with nobles and beggars alike rushing in and out.

“This is how Thebes should be.” Adrian said aloud. He slowly realized he

was in a dream, gifted by the gods, to show him how Thebes could be. Slowly his

vision faded with his heart full of joy.

The Prince woke up in his own bed. He saw his father’s face looking down

at him, surrounded by slaves. When the King saw the prince was awake,

Acaeus’ face lit up. “Adrian, my son, is awake and well!” He hugged Adrian tightly

and Adrian didn’t fight back. A slave who was escorting the prince when he

collapsed ran to him and cried , “Oh my lord! You were walking fine but then you

just collapsed! You were asleep for hours. Please forgive me.”

Adrian laughed. “It is alright. I was asleep for hours? What a dream I had!”

Adrian recalled his pain as a civilian and the beauty he had encountered when he

saw a prospering Thebes.

Adrian’s father said softly, “Rest here Adrian. I have to work to do.

Recover and then I will come back to see you.”

Adrian stood up slowly and said, “No father. I have a council to attend.” He

looked at Acaeus and then proudly said, “With you.”

Adrian walked slowly to the window overlooking Thebes. He saw the

potential beauty Thebes had when it was safe, and how to give peace to Thebes.

He turned to his father to speak.

“Thebes needs to build a wall.”

Ten years later the walls of Thebes stood strong and the city turned back

the raiders who returned to their countries. Peace returned to the city. The wall

had seven gates, just as Adrian had seen in his dream. The city became famous

and to this day Thebes is known as Seven Gated Thebes.

Nick Earley H8a

The Red Planet

“We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and

do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard…”

President John F. Kennedy ignited the space age in the United States during the

‘60s with this renowned speech at Rice University in 1962. And in that decade the

country was united with a single cause: beat the Soviets to the Moon. It was the endeavor

of hundreds of scientists and engineers, Germans and Americans, which led to one of the

most triumphant moments in U.S. history.

“Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

And an introverted boy from Wapakoneta, Ohio, driven by a dream to venture

space, would accomplish Kennedy’s goal, delivering the message back to Earth with an

awe-inspiring quote:

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

In that moment there were no budgetary concerns due to the Apollo program, no

division in American society, but unity in the most unknown frontier man has ever

explored, space.

Over 30 years have passed since the last man walked on the face of the Moon and

NASA has done little to reignite the interest in the cosmos since the Mercury, Gemini,

and Apollo programs. In order to inspire the generations to come, a mission is desperately

needed to inspire society that man’s presence in the universe is key to our understanding

of how life originated and to answer possibly the most intriguing question of all: are we

alone? Do other intelligent life forms exist in our galaxy?

For hundreds of years, mankind has looked to the heavens to ponder this question.

And in those skies they have observed our closest neighbor in the solar system, a

planetary body that has been dubbed the “Red Planet” due to the noticeable appearance of

its atmosphere, reflecting a reddish tint back to our observing eyes, resembling the color

of blood. Because of this apparent hue of the planet, astronomers have called this Mars,

the Roman god of war. The world was astonished by such an intriguing place and began

to question the little information that was known. Could this planet harbor life, as we

know it? Science-fiction writers loved the possibility, and Mars became a pop-culture hit.

The War of The Worlds written by H.G. Wells, a famed novel, played on the fictional

idea of extra-terrestrial beings from Mars invading Earth and destroying humanity. Even

Ray Bradbury, the cultural challenger at the time, decided to incorporate cultural issues

into a Mars-like setting that contained real life “Martians” in order to deliver a message

to society in The Martian Chronicles. The Red Planet terrified and captivated the young

and old, inspiring those generations to explore it further to quench their curiosity.

Mariner 4, the first Mars mission, was launched in 1965 to capture images of the

Mars landscape as it flew over its atmosphere. To the dismay of public it was revealed

that no complex cities such as the ones on Earth were present and that great lakes of

water seemed to not exist.

Viking 1 and 2 followed the Mariner mission and were sent directly to the

Martian landscape. The rovers’ missions were to search for organic compounds and

discover if microorganisms were indeed present on the planet. Although becoming the

first manmade vehicles to land on another planet besides our own, the two rovers failed to

find any evidence supporting extra-terrestrial life, stunning the world. Society became

disinterested in the Red Planet and in space altogether, and the curiosity that fueled the

scientific endeavors disappeared almost entirely from the Mars program.

Yet in 1984 the Mars craze would once again be kindled not by an inspiring

Kennedy-esque speech, but by a meteorite projected from the planet. ALH84001,

discovered by geologists in Antarctica, revealed fascinating structures when placed under

an electron microscope. It almost appeared as if a microbial fossil was present in the

micrograph.

Micrograph of ALH84001

And instantly the hunger for scientific knowledge in the universe was refueled.

Mars was not lost to society.

Missions to the planet were restarted and humanity was interested once again in

Mars. NASA began to coin the term “follow the water,” a brief slogan for the underlying

goal for the Mars program, decide whether conditions on Mars are or ever was habitable.

The Spirit and Opportunity rovers were sent to the planet to search for evidence of life as

well as the rover Phoenix. The rovers all pointed to evidence that water was once present

on the planet and that life could have existed on Mars in the distant past. Scientists have

ended up declaring that the Martian atmosphere is too thin for intelligent life forms to

exist on the surface, for if liquid water was to be exposed to the surface, it would freeze

immediately. Dangerous amounts of solar radiation are also capable of piercing the

atmosphere almost entirely, proving to be costly for any cellular structures on the planet.

Despite the risks of sending mankind to the planet, scientists continue to enrich

their curiosity by exploring the possibilities and consequences of a manned mission to the

planet. The newest rover on Mars currently, Curiosity, happens to be the pinnacle of any

engineering feat that has been sent to another planet. The rover, fittingly named after the

characteristic that proves to be the backbone of science, has multiple complex

instruments crammed into the largest man-made vehicle placed on another planet,

approximately the size of a Mini-Cooper. Curiosity, which was sent to Gale Crater in

August of 2012, was placed on the planet to further our knowledge on the question on

whether Mars was a habitable place. The mission, sent to a specific point in the crater

which was dubbed Bradbury Landing in respect of the late writer, is to gather more

information in order to feed the same curiosity that powers the scientific inquiry, and to

explore options on whether a manned mission is possible in the near future.

While working on the Apollo program, Wernher von Braun, the most renowned

rocket scientist in the history of space exploration, explained in a short and concise

statement, “It [the rocket] will free man from his remaining chains, the chains of gravity

which still tie him to this planet. It will open him to the gates of heaven.”

Von Braun’s statement completely embodies the goal of space exploration around

the world today, from the European Space Agency (ESA) to the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA). Man is imprisoned to the Earth, where gravity is the

shackle that holds his arms down. Yet when strength, power, and vision are all combined

into one goal, these shackles of gravity begin to break when we travel at approximately

11 km/s, the escape velocity of Earth. Man had that goal in 1969 when the crew of

Apollo 11 became the first men in history to reach the surface of the Moon. However, the

vision that proves to be the most fundamental element of the key to unlock the chains of

gravity seems to be lost in contemporary circumstances. Since Eugene Cernan of Apollo

17 last left the surface of the Moon, mankind has ceased to deliver the vision needed in

order to allow flesh and bone to reach beyond the landmarks already been put into place

by those before us. We have failed to leap over the hurdle that divides what has been

done versus what hasn’t been done before.

Perhaps a Kennedy is needed to inspire the generations to come that Mars must be

explored by man in order to break free of the chains of gravity on Earth to discover the

lighter shackles on the Red Planet. Because space is the closest place mankind can reach

without entering the “gates of heaven.”

Through Mars, the drive to human self-fulfillment will inspire not only the space-

driven geeks at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory commanding such a manned mission, but

the millions around the globe thirsty for the inspiration needed to lift them to a level they

have never experienced before. A mission would drive the multitude of citizens around

the world to believe that nothing is impossible when one begins to dream. That with one

dream, other dreams will follow, and that these will be the ones that will go on to

improve society, lower unemployment rates in our country and others around the world,

defend basic human rights being threatened in modern circumstances, and drive countries

towards world peace. One mission can inspire millions to create another mission, and

with that mission, space-driven or not, it can improve lives stricken down in

communities, marginalized in society today.

It is those chains that must be broken, and can only be broken through a dream

that one must develop. The dream is possible, for the mathematical equations that can

drive such a mission are real; Von Braun himself delved into such equations in a fictional

story he wrote called Project Mars: A Technical Tale. Robert Zubrin, an engineer for

NASA in the past, elaborated in his book The Case for Mars on the realism and effects if

one could reach the planet and possibly build a community on the Red Planet. And even

the ESA is simulating the effects on the psychological impediments on man during such a

mission that can take up to 6 months, called the Mars500 simulation. Such a simulation

places a few willing volunteers into a module for approximately the duration of a real

mission to the planet, and scientists then can measure the tolls it can take on a human’s

mind to travel to Mars.

The strength and power required to reach past the known to the unknown are

possible. What is needed is a vision, a vision that can combine such complex physical

equations developed by the geniuses of MIT and Caltech with the simple aspiration that

can be dreamed of by a five-year-old child.

On the eve of the Mariner 4 flyby of the planet Mars, Ray Bradbury decided to

once again deliver a message to society through a poem he had written.

“If Only We had Taller Been”

Ray Bradbury

The fence we walked between the years

Did balance us serene;

It was a place half in the sky where

In the green of leaf and promising of peach

We’d reach our hand to touch and almost touch

that lie,

That blue that was not really blue.

If we could reach and touch, we said,

‘Twould teach us, somehow, never to be dead.

We ached, we almost touched that stuff;

Our reach was never quite enough.

So, Thomas, we are doomed to die.

O, Tom, as I have often said,

How sad we’re both so short in bed.

If only we had taller been,

And touched God’s cuff, His hem,

We would not have to sleep away and go with them

Who’ve gone before,

A billion give or take a million boys or more

Who, short as we, stood tall as they could stand

And hoped by stretching thus to keep their land,

Their home, their hearth, their flesh and soul.

But they, like us, were standing in a hole.

O, Thomas, will a Race one day stand really tall

Across the Void, across the Universe and all?

And, measure out with rocket fire,

At last put Adam’s finger forth

As on the Sistine Ceiling,

And God’s great hand come down the other way

To measure Man and find him Good,

And Gift him with Forever’s Day?

I work for that.

Short man. Large dream. I send my rockets forth

between my ears,

Hoping an inch of Will is worth a pound of years.

Aching to hear a voice cry back along the universal Mall:

We’ve reached Alpha Centauri!

We’re tall, O God, we’re tall!

It was Bradbury’s genius to explore the issues of society and to portray them to

the world. He had done it in Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and in that

moment through a poem that touched the lives of many everywhere. Man was the tallest

in 1969 that it had ever been in history. They had looked to the sky and seen a lunar

surface rise from the clouds to gleam in the dark night, and they had declared it was

possible to leave our planet and land on that celestial object unbeknownst to human

beings. Man had reached his arms into the sky and declared that nothing can impede such

a vision, thus led to von Braun and his “Operation Paperclip” German gang that led the

drive to the Moon in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. That was in 1969.

Today it is 2012, and man has done little to reach their arms into the sky and dream.

Instead he frets about the budgetary concerns and whether it is within financial reason to

plan a mission to Mars and travel beyond what is known to a new height that only God,

Himself, has explored before. The universe remains to and must be investigated by man.

The questions of the cosmos that continue to exist cannot be answered by themselves, but

instead by a man, a man with a dream that can one day proclaim to the heavens while on

the surface of Mars, “We’re tall, O God, we’re tall!”

Works Cited

1. "ESA - Mars500." ESA - Mars500. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars500/index.html>. 2. "Mars Exploration Program: Missions." Mars Exploration Program: Missions. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/>. 3. "Mars, Facts and Information about the Planet Mars." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html>. 4. Shirber, Michael. "The Continuing Controversy of the Mars Meteorite." The Continuing Controversy of the Mars Meteorite. N.p., 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/3653/the-continuing-controversy-of-the-mars-meteorite->. 5. Von, Braun Wernher, and Henry J. White. Project Mars: A Technical Tale. Burlington, Ont.: Apogee Science Fiction, 2006. Print. 6. Zubrin, Robert, and Richard Wagner. The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must. New York: Free, 1996. Print.  

The White Boy

The white boy-

Not born in the cold, hard grip,

Of the cement city streets,

Born in the city- but not the true city,

Where white people think they are dope,

He was born were the people don’t appreciate a brother in need,

A brother living on the streets,

They instead pass a brother with pockets full of green,

Their heads hung low and their lips closed,

They are not willing to help ,

To help a brother put food on the table.

The Rhythm of Drums It was a very hot August day when I woke up. I

gazed out the window watching the sun dance on the leaves. I sniffed the air. The smell of pancakes and butter filled the air. I put on my slippers and walked into the kitchen at my grandma’s house.

“There is my little eight - year - old .”My grandma said turning her head my way. “Morning Grandma.” I replied.

I turned my head to the small table with a platter of pancakes. I sat down on the cushioned chair.

Then I put five pancakes on my plate and poured on some syrup.

After I finished I went to go put on my dress. The dress was a dark turquoise. There was beads

everywhere on the dress. After I slipped it on we went out to the car.

The road was very dusty as our car drove down the long and winding road. I was looking out the

side window when the car came to a stop. My stomach grumbled. The lock on the door clicked open. I slowly opened the car door and got out. Once we walked into the circle of benches and

bleachers I was sick to my stomach. My Grandma told me that there would be an opening dance and then a men’s dance. Next up would be the ladies.

From there it was free style. I waited for the powwow to begin. Finally it began. I walked slowly around the circle with a jump in my step. Then the drums picked up the beat. My heart raced like the drums. I slowly but surely started to

do a small ritual dance that I learned. I moved from side to side. Then I twirled. After a while I

began to enjoy doing the dance. By then the drums pounded the last beat. While the men danced I noticed a pattern. All of the men stomped their

feet at the exact same time. When the time came for the ladies to dance I was very hot. That did not

stop me from performing. I felt so excited when the drums started pounding

away.. I slowly moved from side to side then a twirl. Then I started doing The Butterfly Dance.

Where your feet barely touched the ground when you twirled. I stomped my feet in time to the

drums. I jumped up and down. Twirled in the air. I just danced and danced to the rhythm of the

drums. Since then I have performed many times. I have gotten on youtube and in the newspaper. I even

danced at my Grandma’s wedding. Ever since then I have loved being in the spotlight.

I want to dedicate this to my grandma Carol. She has helped me so much in life.

Your beloved Granddaughter,

Addyson

Volleyball

By: Eva Moravec

There are so many reasons why I love volleyball. First of all, I

love to play because I love hitting volleyballs. Another reason I

like volleyball is that the games feel long when I’m to play

because I feel so excited and happy when I’m on the court. A

third reason I enjoy playing volleyball because I have so much

fun seeing my teammates and I grow better and grow as a

teammate with my friends. Finally, I love playing volleyball

because I love to be around my friends and I have so much fun

learning how to play and playing. These are just a few reasons

why I have fun playing volleyball.

By: Cameron Shutt

Why Does Snow Fall A Folktale By: Eleanor Massengill

My name is Frosty. I am a snow fairy. In three days I will turn sixteen, and I will be able to

take my snowflake and fall down onto Earth. It all started when... “Frosty, darling, wake up. It is time to train for Winter” my mother said. I groggily got up and stumbled to my closet. I picked out a white skirt and a pale blue shirt for training. “We are going to borrow your older brother’s snowflake for practice” my mother explained.

“Ok” I replied, not really caring. I followed my mother down to the breakfast table. “Hello honey” my father said. “Hi. What’s for breakfast?” I asked. “Bacon and eggs” he replied. My mother burns everything she cooks, so Dad is the chef

of the house. I swallowed my breakfast in practically one bite and ran out the door with my mom.

With my snowflake in hand, I took a deep breath, and jumped on my snowflake. I whizzed up into the air. I heard my mother shouting:

“Put your weight to the left to turn!” I leaned to the left and I turned. I smiled so big as if I had won the Snow Queen Pageant.

I leaned to the right and I turned. “Tilt the snowflake towards the ground” Mother shouted. I tilted it and I went flying down. “Well done. Two more days of practice and you will be ready” she said. I smiled and ran

back to the house. “Happy Birthday Frosty!” my family said in unison. I was so sore from three days of

training, but I managed a smile. “We have to leave to get your very own snowflake” Father said. “Ugh” I whined, but I got up anyway. “Wow, I don’t know which one to get. The snowflakes are so beautiful” I said when we

got DSW Snowflakes. It stands for Designer Snowflake Warehouse. “Just pick one Frosty. We don’t have all day” my older brother, Jack, complained. “That one” I said, pointing at a snowflake with hearts. It sparkled like a diamond tiara. “Alright. It is a little expensive, but it is your birthday” Dad said. “Thank you Dad” I replied as I hugged him. He smiled, grabbed the snowflake, and

walked over to the cashier. He came back soon after with the snowflake in hand. “C’mon,” Mother said “ we don’t want to be late for The Fall.” The Fall is when we fall to the ground of the Earth on our snowflakes. We ran to the car

and drove to the Ice Palace. “Nervous?” Dad asked. “A little” I lied. I was freaking out. Dad chuckled in reply. By the time we reached the Ice Palace it felt like a stampede of buffalo was running

through my stomach, instead of the usual butterflies. I looked around and I saw friends from my school. I also saw little kids waving goodbye

to their parents before they went to a center where they would wait for their parents return from The Fall.

Luckily, everyone in my family was over the age of sixteen so I wouldn’t miss them. I remember waiting all of December for my parents return. The next cloud over Falls in January, and the other Falls in February. It is best to Fall in December because you don’t have to drench yourself in rain to make slush like the January and February Fallers. I walked over to The Edge

where in five minutes I would have to jump over into the endless sky. I peered over it and saw small clouds that weren’t inhabited by other Snow Fairies.

“Frosty, follow us. We have to stay close if we want to find each other at the bottom” Mother said.

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I followed them to a space at The Edge. Suddenly, a loud voice came out of the speakers surrounding The Edge. “Fallers, this is your King Frostini. Get to your places because when I say ‘go’ you will

jump of The Edge and Fall. On your mark. Get set. Go!” Everyone around me jumped. I didn’t have time to think. I just jumped on my snowflake

and Fell. It felt like I was a baby bird who just took it’s first flight. It felt amazing. In no time at all we landed on the hard ground. I just Fell and I couldn’t wait until next year to do it again.

That is why snow falls.

Why Do Bats Hide In The Day

Long before any human roamed the earth, there were hundreds ofbeasts and birds flying, running, and jumping in forest and bays.There was peace in the world. All was well... until the birds and thebeasts broke out into war. The birds threw sticks that were inflames. The beasts sent the cats to destroy the bird’s trees. Soon thebeasts and the birds lost many of their warriors they cried for thebats support in the war. The bats elders talked things over anddecided ,for two very good reasons, not to help the birds nor thebeasts. The first reason was that it would be unfair to help one sidebecause the other side would die out. Plus the bats weren’t beast norbird. They were both. When the beasts and the birds heard the batsreply they were outraged but still they fought on. Finally when thewar stopped there was no winner and no loser. The birds and thebeasts decided to just divide the land. However, the birds and thebeasts wanted to punish the bats for not helping with the war.When the birds and the beasts had a meeting they decided to banishthe bats to the darkness so they would never see them again. That is why the bats only come out at night. They are scared to facethe birds and the beasts.

-Addyson Taylor

Snow, snow, come again

When will I see you, when?

The snow finally came

I was so happy my smile was as big the hall of fame

I threw a snowball at a fast pace

Oops! It hit my brother’s face

By: Sara Snowballs passing through the air

Cold wind is blowing around my hair.

The wind was blowing around in a hurry

All I could see was big white flurries.

Frosty the snowman we all sang

Then we heard a big loud bang.

Is it the abominable snowman I said?

If it is he might stomp on my head!

Writing

By: Gellila Asmamaw

Writing is how I can express myself anywhere, anytime whether it’s

through poetry, enhancing stories with descriptive details, or even

brainstorming. Descriptive details help me put what I have in my

imagination to the paper in front of me. Poetry is a way for me to show

my emotions. If I was feeling desolate, then I would write about

something desolate. If I heard something melodious, then I would probably

write about church bells or a mocking jay’s call. Brainstorming for me is an

exciting and fun way to be creative, unique, and different. It’s such an

amazing experience being a writer. I love poetry, descriptive details, and

brainstorming because it shows who I am, the kind of girl who loves to

write.