THE STORM EDITORIAL STAFF VICTORIA BYRD VIVIENNE TEYKE SARAH BELL KAETLIN RILEY – DESIGNER SPONSOR: HELLEN HARVEY WITH THANKS TO THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND DR. RACHEL SHELLEY PRINCIPAL OF BOOKER HIGH SCHOOL
It’s All Up to You Now (Embracing Our Differences, 2013 selecBon) by Wade Turner FROM THE ARTIST: Nothing lasts forever. Some things last longer than others. Even in our complex society today, some things may need assistance to conBnue. GeneraBon aTer generaBon our world has grown. Whether it is the growth of prosperity or misfortune for humanity and our world, human kind does have the ability to learn and progress. Like a master and his apprenBce, the master will teach everything of his profession. Everything the master has learned for himself or from “his” own master, will now be bestowed to the child so he can grow, learn and present to the next generaBon of the world.
Girl I see a face in the mirror That face I filled with fear She knows what's drawing near Due to the choices she's made she's beginning to fade She misses the girl she used to be So happy and care free Free of pain and agony Her heart is heavy as can be, drowning in the bo[om of the sea filled with worries Lord knows she wants to change But it seems day aTer day is just another rainy day She is done looking for the light in the sky when really it's in her eyes
Demi Mullen Artwork: Jacinda Brooks
It’s Incredible
By Krystal Rios and Aundrea Ojeda
It’s incredible how the sky and earth are meant to be, yet they don’t touch, and how the ocean and land do touch, but aren’t meant to be. It’s incredible how the sun and moon can’t see each other, but people would do anything to see the one they love. It’s incredible how sadness can come to happiness and how depression creeps upon sadness and how depression comes along with loneliness. It’s incredible how death defeats life and how life can never come back. It’s incredible how people can talk about others, but don’t realize they also have flaws. It’s incredible how parents try to understand, but never do. It’s incredible how a four le[er word can mean a lot to someone and how a person can mean the world to another. It’s incredible how that one person you love can become someone you wish you never met. It’s incredible how some people hate and never learn to love, but we forgive them with everything we have. It’s incredible how a person has feelings for someone, but won’t accept it. It’s incredible how age doesn’t ma[er in love. It’s incredible how people can leave without saying goodbye. It’s incredible how annoying it is when people feel like they know everything about you. It’s incredible how people can be mean at first, but then develop empathy. It’s incredible how a look in your eyes can make the world stop. It’s incredible how Bme takes forever, but moments seem infinite. It’s incredible how incredible everything can be, but never impossible. Photo by Jacinda Brooks
As we stand amongst the carnage, I peer out into the abyss, There are only times that I wish, I wish my eyes weren't so open, Open to the cruelty and ignorant bull****, Now, I watch it all burn, I watch all the ignorants learn, The manifest of my laughter becomes sinister, My darkest and most desired dream has come true, I get to spend this time of death and destruction, Here, all alone with no one but you
Artwork: Olivia Janowitz
~Andrew Nichols
TRAPPED By: Vanessa Alexis – Everybody feels trapped at one point of their lives. It was a while ago just last summer when I felt trapped. The day where I traveled long ways to see my dad in prison, was worth it. Reaching to my desFnaFon and walking in the gate you can hear people banging on the walls, the sound of cages geHng locked, and people yelling as if there was no way out but in a liIle small box. It was a disaster and very sad to see. I never decided to look back but walking forward all there was, was a big glass window. I was scared and just wanted to see my father again and tell him it’s Fme to come back home. The feeling when I waited and said to God why do bad things happen to good people. I knew he wouldn’t take my father away from me because he couldn’t be replaced with nothing beIer. Pops finally came out from the other side of the glass window and at that moment I hugged him so Fght and we cried with joyful tears. I believed I wet his t-‐shirt with tears with all my crying but it was a moment I would never forget, and a day I hope never to go back to.
Image by Vivienne Teyke
Andrew Nichols There was once a house on a hill. At night it was a home of party and thrill. It was a house of indulgence, everyone got their fill. The home was rented out, yet no one paid the bill. One hot and foggy night, in the child's bedroom he felt a chill. In his ear, someone whispered "kill".
Picture by Vivienne Teyke
Art be Desire Leon
Would you Would you Lie on your back and watch the stars? Remake the constellaBons Hang Castor and Sirius on a string And hand it over, as a giT To the one with eyes Brighter than your diamond necklace If you could Share your stellar creaBons With someone who can wear your stars Find the holes you took them from And replace the vacant space With those of her own Would you gaze with her? She’s not here At the moment Can you lie there? With empBness at your side Not a hand to hold And stare Maybe find one closer, To wear the necklace Who demands more than it can hold Steals Polaris Leaving empty space behind And lies there with you -‐Tell yourself it’s be[er than nothing-‐ Colder than the empty spot Beside you With plain eyes And no stars to return Or wait for her? Aniella Murphy
Art by Regina Mantero
GIRL I see a face in the mirror That face I filled with fear She knows what's drawing near Due to the choices she's made she's beginning to fade She misses the girl she used to be So happy and care free Free of pain and agony Her heart is heavy as can be, drowning in the bo[om of the sea filled with worries Lord knows she wants to change But it seems day aTer day is just another rainy day She is done looking for the light in the sky when really it's in her eyes
Demi Mullen
The quake that shook my HaiF All that’s leQ is memories from my last visit, The warm sun blazing on the people of Port Au Prince, LiIle kids playing soccer bare footed, and Guys standing on the balcony cracking jokes, But it’s all gone now, No thanks to the earthquake that shook my liIle HaiF, My mind went to shock, wondering if my family is okay, We got the call saying everyone was fine, Then the second call telling us we lost 11 people What the hell! That’s all I could say, One of them was a new born that I never met, How is that fair to family? To all HaiFans who lost someone, The quake is my biggest enemy for taking my liIle HaiF away from me, I miss my cousins and aunt, who all died, My heart goes out to my new born niece, May they all rest in peace! The quake may have took my family, but HaiF will recover from this tragedy, And when it’s all done, we will stand tall with are heads held high The quake may have taken my liIle HaiF, but we will one day rise from the falling ashes! By: Sandy Forestant. Senior
Who are you to judge? Who me? I am that one that you try to judge. We are all the same skin just a different color. Who are you to judge me by the way I talk and walk? Is it because I’m black or From the hood trying to live good? What makes you so different? Cause you out the hood? Trying to play all cool. Or it’s me just being Misunderstood. I say who are you to judge me? Is it because of my skin or where I come from? It’s because of my gheIo talk, or the way I look? Let me break it down to you boo. I am one. Not perfect but I make it just to Get by. I live for me not YOU. So, I say who are you to judge me? I may not be all that cool but I am not Those liIle fools trying to play the blues. Who are you to judge me? We are all the Same skin just different color. By Krystal Davis
Do You? Nani Turner Do you get bu[erflies when you see me? Do you go sky high when I touch you? Do I make your day a thousand Bmes be[er when I smile in your direcBon? Do you fall for me a li[le more every Bme we look at each other? Do you long to make me smile? Do you wonder what I'm doing when you’re not with me? Do you dream about me? Do you think I’m beauBful, even though I don’t? Do you think I’m perfect just the way I am? Do you defend me when you’re friends spew out words of hate? Do you get lost in my eyes when I talk to you? Do you think I’m the highlight of your day? Do you smile when you think of me? Do you think about me at all? Do you love making me laugh? Do you get a special feeling when you hear me laugh? Do you enjoy my company? Do you feel happy when I’m happy? Do you think I’m special? Do you feel yourself falling for me? Do you even want to love me?
Art by Rocio Rodriguez
Art by Haley Ewing Bags of Mostly Water When Winters words come to pass The pen of the breeze jots down icy laments And on the wind cries, carrying its tune for new ears Rain drums along, wanBng to join her but remains hidden in the sky. Her tears fall upon the broken leaves, smiling with sad joy They feel dry to the touch but hold reservoirs of unresolved storms. Grasping for colder air, they wish to transform Trying desperately to rise, Rise above the acts of the summer. Fly away from the puddles of the ash dohng their past. Replenish themselves, spread into the unknown But that cloud is too far out of reach, So take a breath, and take a leap. -‐-‐Alexandra Wujnovich -‐ and -‐ Colle[e MarBnez
Q&A
It is odd I know. To consider our lives while sFll living them. To be so concerned with who or how or what we are, Wrapped up in a materialisFc world, Thinking we have boundless Fme, But maybe we have no Fme at all. Time could just be a too simple answer To a much too complicated quesFon. How else can you define something that does not exist? When we die, maybe life just ends. If everything just keeps going, what will happen when it stops? Will it at all? A circle has no beginning and no end, So could we possibly start or stop? Or maybe we are just chasing a past life, But if we are how can we know if this is life at all? Perhaps we are someone else just in an extensive dream? Or is it that our dreams in this alternate world are simply just that, Alternate? Can a person truly discover who they are Without knowing where they are? You are something somewhere, But how can we be sure that that something is here? Would it be so drasFc if we were instead, There? So if Fme does not exist and neither do we, Then maybe the answer to life is just that, life. Consider a quesFon to maybe be its own answer, Because if there is nothing to quesFon, than there is nothing to answer. If the possibility of life is true Then we have just answered this quesFon with a quesFon. There by holding true to the thought that life is its own answer, Because life is its own quesFon. -‐-‐Alexandra Wujnovich
Joe’s Boat – by Joe Frayer
Street Scene by Sandy Zaneh
Award winning photographers
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