Getting old & having fun with Fr. Hogan This year has seen another changing of the guard here at Cannonball and we’re proud to say we’re puttering on still, despite attempts by the new season of Girls, Chem homework, lack of Music Camp study sessions and a general impending sense of academic doom to knock us off our path. The whole
notion of Year Twelve has been strange enough; while we knew it was coming someday, we still haven’t got quite used to being the oldest dudes here, and how ridiculously small those Year Sevens keep getting. But things change and people move on, so we’re looking forward to those long-awaited 2013 jumpers and dealing with the strangeness of getting old. Like our year levels and the evermarching beat of time, the world of
your favourite student-run magazine is a bit different this year, too – we’re not as clever or funny
into the spirit of things! Joining these features is your regularly scheduled programming of biting social commentary from Tom Haskell and Emily Peacock, Olivia Savvas pretending to be a seer and some kids getting creative, among a myriad of other
features to sate your journalistic hunger/distract you from the timeless struggle of week 11 nothingness. While we’re slowly coming to terms with being the big kids around town, we hope you enjoy this issue as much as a cheeky year 7 getting a free custard tart from the tuckshop at the end of lunch. Until next time, (maybe) (keep your hopes up) (you never know) (we might just publish more than one issue..!) Katherine Turnbull on behalf of the Cannonball team
as our predecessors (call that incentive to look up some past issues on www.issuu.com/cannonball), humanity survived the Mayan Apocalypse but look to a close contender in the Year 12 Exams, and we have a new Rector. To celebrate the latter of these factors, we welcome you to Cannonball Issue #7
– New Rector Collector’s Edition. We’re rejoicing in all things Hogan with the ultimate collection of quotes, an exclusive interview, the unveiling of an official portrait and this photograph on the opposite page – we’re really getting Cover Artist: Mary Angley
Contributors: Alex Salkicevic Caithlin O’Loghlen Emily Peacock Esther Fong James Watson Jean-Marie Nguyen Mary Angley Mark Pace Matt Steen Olivia Savvas Rachael McCarthy Tom Cicchianni-Jones Tom Haskell
Disclaimer: The ideas and opinions expressed in Cannonball are those of the authors alone and not necessarily representative of those of the publication or of Saint Ignatius’ College as a whole. Consent has been obtained from all teachers and students mentioned within to print the respective articles.
THANKS TO: Fr. Hogan, Fr. Davoren and Mr. Coffey for their ongoing support Mrs. Reilly and the Bookroom staff for printing
Mr Millar Dreams a Dream A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE – by Esther Fong When Mr Millar began as head of music at St Ignatius College, he had a dream. Father O’Kelly, the current Headmaster of the College, even promised him his dream - a brand new, spunky, state-of-the-art music complex. That was 2007. Fast forward six years and we have a bunch of eager music students sitting in disbelief as Mr Millar enthusiastically shares news that the plans for a new music department are finally coming true. Some very important people in the Vatican approved the final plans for the centre on Wednesday Week 6, and immediately, on Friday of that same week, the clearing of the site began. Mr Millar assures me that the entire music complex will be completed by Christmas 2013 – ready for use at the beginning of 2014! (Yay!) For the music students in my grade, this would be the ultimate Christmas present, but considering the delayed construction of the Campion Library, will it actually happen? I certainly hope so! The current music department was built in 1996, and was originally intended to be a temporary centre to last for a couple (A COUPLE) of years whilst the Bellarmine building was being rebuilt. Despite Mr Millar’s previous discussions with Father O’Kelly, the pressing needs of a new chapel and library obviously took priority over the music facility’s construction. BUT, the long wait is over and our Head of Music is certainly prepared. He has been patiently waiting for action over the last few years, and has previously visited Marryatville, Loreto and Wilderness’ music centres to broaden his ideas. Mr Millar expressed that the current aspects of the music centre he strives to improve include larger rehearsal rooms, sufficient storage rooms for instruments, (as opposed to the current corridor) staff offices that are closer together and a location that is generally closer to the rest of the school facilities. Mr Millar would also prefer a few multi-purpose classrooms, as only two music classes are ever scheduled at one time; better equipped classrooms are preferable to a quantity of standard ones. This could mean the possibility of classrooms with desks or electric keyboards circling a rehearsal space, or even computers installed with Sibelius and other music software off to one side of a practise area. Another exciting feature of the new department is a performance theatre, described by Mr Millar, “as an ideal performance space, with built in seating and good acoustics”. This would be positioned on one end of the building, and also used frequently for drama performances and rehearsals. Mr Millar plans for each room in the facility to have considerably finer acoustics, meaning sound will blend, be warmer and more flattering. There is even the possibility of a recording booth being designed to fit on one side of a large rehearsal room. (Did you hear that CJ? Jesse Richter?) Mr Millar looks forward to a “valuable, proper purposeful building”, specifically for music staff and students. The new complex is to be constructed where the transportable (and stinky) Licona classroom was once situated, to the left of the Bellarmine building. The department will be
completely separate from the Bellarmine classrooms, due to distracting noise, however, a connecting corridor or bridge will link the department to either the second or third floor of the Bellarmine classrooms. Its location has been skilfully selected to make movement to and from instrumental lessons more efficient. A closer location also means greater convenience for students moving musical equipment or instruments into the Kranewitter Hall, Chapel and Dennett Centre for school events, especially on rainy days. Also, to Josh Belperio’s utter disappointment, Mr Millar has confirmed that there will not be a large statue of the former Music Captain situated in the entrance of the new complex.
So, if you’re a music student (or Tom Haskell) - what’s your dream feature for the new music department? “I would appreciate flooring that didn’t creak violently, as it is an inconvenience when I am 20 minutes late and attempting to sneak past Mr Chirnside taking the roll for concert band in the mornings”. – Me "The features of my dream department would include a pool, an IMAX cinema, a bowling alley, a travel agency and a shoe shop. Oh, you said dream 'music' department... Well, I guess a new fridge would be nice."– Caithlin O'Loghlen “My dream feature for the new music department is a top of the range recording studio with world class recording equipment, room for a whole entire stage band to record in and only the best speakers, amplifiers, instruments as well as the pinnacle music recording and making software available on five 27" Apple iMacs”. - CJ "I would really like the new school music/drama department to have a stage and a small theatre so that we could hold more events at school in a better, permanent venue" – Nick Munday “I think we should have a shrine to Mr Griffiths or a cotton candy machine. Maybe both!” – Tom Haskell
Pop Some Tags Could you go a month buying only second -hand? Words and art by Mary Angley. ‘Buy Nothing New Month’ is an Australian initiative that describes itself as “a global movement for collective, conscientious consumption.” Technically, it takes place in October, but I need to write an article now, so we’ll ignore that fact and do it in May. The idea of ‘Buy Nothing New Month’ is simple. Just don’t buy anything new. This of course excludes things like food and hygiene products. This is ideal as it means you won’t have to go hunting down by Fifth Creek every recess and lunchtime for your food. It also means you won’t be left friendless due to refusal to buy deodorant. There are lots of ways to go about buying nothing new. You can swap things, you can make things, you can rent things, you can borrow things, (please don’t steal things,) but for the sake of keeping to my pop-culturereference title, we’re going to talk about thrift shopping. Challenging yourself to buy nothing new for a month is a nifty way of getting yourself to analyse the way you shop and make some changes for the better. There are many benefits to reducing the amount of new items you buy. Let’s talk about the fun ones: Firstly, buying second hand is super cheap - Macklemore did not lie to you. “As a student, my lifestyle consists of doing nothing that costs unnecessary spending of money, and living off of 2
minute noodles and dumplings,” says style guru, Mark Pace. “Firstly, by shopping at op-shops like Vinnies’ I save A LOT of money. I’ve saved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, making my student life 100 times better. Secondly, the variety of clothes is amazing! Quite often something pops up you didn't even know existed, it might not be 99 cents, but it'd be outrageous haha. (sic) When I first started op shopping I found a sleeveless Ralph Lauren jacket for 15 dollars, the identical jacket is sold brand new for $600. That's 1/40th of the price I would have paid at a retailer.” The affordability of clothes in second hand stores is excellent as it leaves hipsters with more money for tea, non-prescription glasses, fixed gear bicycles and tickets to the gigs of obscure bands. Which brings me to my second point… Everyone will think you are the coolest. While stock will vary from day to day and store to store, there’s usually plenty of stuff that can be used as status symbols. “Just a quick tip-” advises Pace, “if you're thinking of going op shopping, try op shops near wealthier areas, like Norwood. The clothes donated tend to be good brands in good condition coming from businessmen and their wives.” However, there are also some major benefits that buying second hand brings to society. When you buy an item second hand, there is usually no negative impact on the environment. None. (Unless you use aforementioned item as a tool to cut down a tree.) Add into this
mix that buying an item second hand means that it isn’t going into landfill and you have got yourself a whole lot of good karma. Finally, the money is going to charity. How great is that? Instead of your money going to the good folks at Ralph Lauren or Cotton On, it’s going to an organization dedicated to helping people who need it. In conclusion, thrift shopping is affordable, it’s cool, Mark Pace does it, it’s environmentally friendly and it’s good for the community. So, maybe it’s time we stopped rapping about it and started doing it.
Literarily-minded? Artistically-minded? Technologically-minded? Absent-minded? It’s almost guaranteed that
WE WANT YOU! If you want us, too, email the Cannonball team at to.cannonball@gmail.com
Margaret and David at the Movies Caithlin O’Loghlen and Alex Salkicevic get detailed about some films
Silver Linings Playbook – reviewed by Caithlin O’Loghlen Silver Linings is one of the best films to begin 2013 with vigour, energy, thoughtfulness and humour. It is story of two mentally troubled people, Pat and Tiffany (Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) who are coping with their own troubles, whilst trying to help each other. Pat’s parents (played by Robert De Niro and Australia’s Jackie Weaver) and his friend from rehab (Chris Tucker) all play crucial parts within Pat’s life, while he is struggling to find and get back his ex-wife. While Silver Linings is a romantic comedy, is dives much deeper than many Argo – reviewed by Alex Salkicevic Winner of numerous Academy Awards including best picture, Argo is a biopic about an exfiltration specialist and his rescuing of six Americans during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Ben Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA agent forced to plan an escape for the hostages. In the late 70s, there was great tension between
films of its genre. The relationship between two mentally ill adults is not easy to portray, but Cooper and Lawrence skillfully create their own troubled characters, working seamlessly together in Pat and Tiffany’s love-hate relationship. As well as this excellent character development, this film is also fantastic for it’s extended metaphors, motifs and powerful themes. A wonderfully hilarious, yet questioning film about the consequences of mental instability, love and loss. I’m giving it 4 and a half stars. America and Iran. America accepted the Shah, a man that ran Iran terribly and cruelly, into their country. This created a massive uproar within Iran and their vengeance was to take hostage of all the Americans situated at the American Embassy. Amazingly, 6 Americans manage to escape the clutches of the Iranians but without a home, they are forced to seek refuge at the Canadian Embassy.
With the possibility of being discovered and killed, America gets wind of the situation and asks their specialist, Tony Mendez, to think of a plan in smuggling the Americans to safety. He comes up with a terrible and risky proposal, to fake a B grade sci-fi film giving all the hostages fictional roles for the movie. The idea is that Mendez would go over as a Canadian producer, scouting locations for his film and in this process, sneak out the Americans back to home soil. It is very astounding that this movie is a true story because it is so unbelievable. It seems like such a ridiculous premise but it makes the film all the more interesting that it is true. Personally I am not a fan of Ben Affleck, it may be him in general or just the face; yet something doesn’t feel right to me. I’m guessing Bennifer has a lot to do with it, the combination of Ben and Jennifer Garner doesn’t sit well with me. Yet I really enjoyed Argo, I thought it was fantastic. The
overall direction of the film, the engaging and unbelievably clever story, the witty catchphrase which I am not at liberty to disclose due to profanity; all made the film really enjoyable. Add to this a great and very recognisable supporting cast including Bryan Cranston; yeah anything with Walter White is going to be good. Not to mention a producer in George Clooney because apparently he hasn’t been successful enough and is now commissioning great films. Overall though, Argo is a wonderful film and is justified of the awards it has received. You may not be a fan of Affleck’s, I don’t blame you, but this movie is too good not to watch based on your preconceptions of him. So go ‘legally’ download it, buy the movie, watch it on iTunes, whatever people do these days and give poor Ben a break, Pearl Harbor was a long time ago.
Les Miserables – reviewed by Caithlin O’Loghlen Les Miserables, or ‘Les Miz’, shortened by anyone who can’t pronounce the French language properly, is a groundbreaking film of its era. Released in December 2012, this film takes a new twist on the ‘genre’ of musicals. Director, Tom Hooper, director of ‘The King’s Speech’, provides a new spin on the well-known musical. Keeping within tradition, the majority of the film is told through song - a turn off to some, but an interesting and compelling technique for others. Live singing also became a new, different but very popular addition to the film, as the orchestra was recorded according to the character’s lines, rather than the other way around. While the cinematography of the film is visually stunning, representing the repressed French population of the 1800’s in the ‘very grimy’ Paris, the characters play
a vital and stunning part to the film. Les Miserables main characters Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), Javert (Russell Crowe), Fantine (Anne Hathaway), Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), Marius (Eddie Redmayne), Eponine (Samantha Barks) and the Thenardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter) play their characters exceptionally well, delivering emotion, passion and the occasional bit of humour. Seyfried and Crowe provide exceptional new vocal talent, as seasoned vocalists Jackman, Hathaway, Redmayne and Barks set a benchmark for musical films to follow. This uplifting, powerful rendition of Les Miserables is one to be cherished for years to come, an excellent film to be enjoyed by all. I’m giving it four stars.
Sitting Down with the Master Have you ever wondered how the Rector feels about issues from the serious to the ephemeral? Matthew Steen volunteers as tribute to help us find out.
Serious Issues MS: We live in exciting times. This year has seen the first ever election of a Jesuit as Pope, and the election of the College’s first Australian Rector since 2007. Do the challenges that you face as Rector of this College mirror those faced by Pope Francis as the new leader of the Catholic Church? FH: Does one compare minnows with whales? An important point to note is that the Society is not ruled by chapter. Appointments are made by those in authority, for example, the Provincial. It is not a question of an election. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI resigned due to his old age, and Pope Francis is not much younger than Benedict was at the time of his Papal Inauguration. In light of this, it is not inconceivable that Pope Francis could resign relatively shortly. Do you see yourself as being ready to fill his shoes, or indeed hat, when the time comes? While it is not inconceivable that the new Pope may resign, I rather think that it will not be in the short time. Pope Francis gives every impression that he is enjoying rude health and has a significant number of years ahead of him. While it is true that every male
Catholic is eligible for election, that last time a non-Cardinal was elected was Urban VI in 1378. He was an Archbishop and his term of office was an unmitigated disaster. It led directly to the Great Schism which was ultimately resolved by the 15th century resignation mentioned in your first question. Are there any areas in which Pope Francis’ approach, as a Jesuit, is likely to differ from that of his predecessor? Should the spiritual leader of the Western World be allowed to have a sense of humour? A sense of humour would surely be a very valuable asset for a spiritual leader faced with the monumental problems which will face the new Pope. A commenta tor has mentioned that Francis’ predecess or as a Pope who was also a religious, the 19th century
monk Gregory XVI had a disposition which could be described as ‘cold’. He certainly seems not to have developed a sense of humour which could well have exacerbated his difficulties. Ephemera What are your pet peeves, and what will you do as Rector to eradicate them from the College? Even if I were to admit to ‘pet peeves’, they would have little to do with College. I would confess, however, to feeling mild annoyance at the heavy reliance on bottled water, carried in all circumstances as though one were in danger of complete desiccation in an instant. Do you miss teaching the classes that you did before becoming Rector, or do you see Year 12 Latin and Religion as a comfortable retirement after years of drudgery in Year 11 English Studies? While Dr Johnson defined a dictionary compiler as ‘a harmless drudge’, I did
not view my involvement with Year 11 English as drudgery, unless in the sense it was used by George Herbert when he wrote of making drudgery ‘divine’. Latin 11 and 12, together with Religion constitute a pedagogical challenge. Who is your favourite popular musician of recent decades, and what significance have they had in your life? ‘Musician’?, ‘they”? I fear no musician I respect would combine ‘popular’ and ‘recent decades’. How do you feel about the use of the word ‘they’ to refer to a person of unknown gender, as I did in the previous question? Should popular usage govern what is deemed correct? The duplicated response in question form might give a clue as to my attitude towards ‘they’. While usage must be given high priority, one must look to who are the users.
Brigette Jones or Bridget Jones? The former. Chips: Crinkle Cut or Classic? I would champion ‘chips’ over ‘fries’ but the categories above elude me. Star Wars or Star Trek? ‘A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. . .’ sludge!
Quotations from the Master Compiled by Matthew Steen
Beginning the Lesson "Come in. Don't smile, just come in." "We don't stretch in public. That can be done in the privacy of your closet." "Stop talking. Turn around. Get to work. And get rid of that wretched water." "The eye is to focus on the written word. Don’t think." "Don't worship electric light; it’s idolatry." “What do you want, a gold star or something?”
Advice on Vocabulary "Every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to flee like a person being persecuted by a ghost from the word 'me'." "You are only allowed one "juxtaposition" per essay." "'Angst' is German. Let's keep German out of it." "If you can spell the capital of Madagascar, you deserve my praise." "Coy? Oh, that’s a word I wouldn't use in polite circles. And it's been done to death." "Strewth! Oh, that was a bit poor of me."
Autobiographical Quotations and Personal Views "I'm sui generis - I'm unique!" "No, I didn't simply spring into existence. I was dragged through the school of hard knocks." "I had a pressing engagement which involved a knife." Pupil: "Would you describe yourself as a wowser?" Hogan: "Absolutely dyed in the wool. Unfortunately I was given a bottle of gin in the previous class. But what is given to a monk is given to the monastery. No, I won't give it to Father McLain. I will give it to Father Kelly. He doesn't like gin." "Did I ever wear a silk turban? Yes."
"I'm more of a supporter of Napoleon the second. He quietly died, as a child." – On French rulers "Oh yes, Mr Kerensky. Excellent chap. Although he ended up in Queensland. How terrible, to have the whole of Russia in your hands and end up there." – On Russian rulers Pupil: “What advertisements are for a third world country?!” Master: “Oh, I would suggest… grass skirts, perhaps?”
Firm positions "I take a firm position on all issues." "I don't have a strong view on the matter. I draw the line at Coke Zero." "Four X. You don't know your beer!" "Well, I prefer brandy to bathtub-gin." “You cannot correct your mother’s pronunciation, it’s dreadfully rude.” “One of the glories of the English language is its complete disregard for spelling.” "Hermits? There's nothing wrong with hermits. They don’t tend to worry much about their formal dress." “We don’t want hilarious jokes. We want mildly amusing jokes.” "Goal? You are playing a game. Penalty!" "Don't parody the master."
Daniel Day-Lewis or the Rector? You be the judge.
to.cannonball@gmail.com
Astronauts are Still Cool By Emily Peacock What did you dream of being when you grew up? A rock star? Vet? Astronaut? Secret Agent? Police officer? A child’s imagination is limitless and it seems that as we age we lose that creative realm of possibility. As teenagers and young adults the majority of us have no idea of what we want or where we want to go in life. If you were to take a survey of your group of friends or even the entire college, how many people do you think could tell you exactly want they want to do after they leave the school?
Cool Job: Astronaut Why we wanted it… Fighting
aliens
and
moon
walking-
ummmm hello! Why we should still want it… What’s that expression? Reach for the stars? Why not achieve it? Crazy science, maths and still moon walking! Plus space
What we think is constantly influenced by our peers, media, society and everyone else; and with all the additional spare time where we sit and twiddle our thumbs, when are we supposed to contemplate what we wish to do with the rest of our lives after we leave this safe haven that we call school. But why is it that we no longer think the same way we did when we were five, believing we were invincible and could change the world? It seems as if we limit ourselves by what we think is realistic, or achievable with a certain amount of effort. At which point do we place a glass roof over our heads (which Mr Harben so rightly taught me recently is when you are able to see something but a
suits will always be in fashion!!!
barrier is stopping you) and stop ourselves from reaching for the stars. And why not reach for the stars? Why can’t we think and live out our dreams as five year olds? Let’s stop limiting ourselves by what we believe is achievable or acceptable and have the guts to change the world and become that rock star, vet, astronaut or whatever your heart may desire. Let’s think like kids because apparently they know what they want to be when they grow up.
Can we stop pretending that... A SHOCKING EXPOSE BY THOMAS HASKELL There are an awful lot of popular opinions in today’s society that just seem to be perpetuating themselves. No-one really knows how they started but most people seem to take them on without argument. Well, I am here to help enlighten you, reader, with three popular opinions which no one really deserves to have: Nickelback sucks This one is of particular importance to me because, like most of society nowadays, I hated Nickelback for no other reason than the fact that everyone else said they sucked. See, the thing with Nickelback is that they’re terrible; I’m not disputing that, but whether or not they suck is a huge call to make. You know what sucks? Breaking Dawn Part 2 (I mean they have this massive fight scene at the end and everyone gets decapitated and it is really cool but then it turns out to be like a dream or something. Honestly, go home and google “Dallas Bobby Ewing Dream” and it was figuratively literally like that. I thought the first Twilight film was good though!). So is Nickelback as terrible as the latest – and fortunately final – Twilight film? Of course not! And I challenge anyone to listen to “Photograph” or “How You Remind Me” and not get tingles down your spine. I mean, it’s not as if the Foo Fighters are much different and look at how many people worship them! Justin Bieber Sucks There is a bit of a trend emerging here. It seems, from my very astute observations, that people are deflecting their own deplorable taste in music by finding cheap and easy scapegoats. Nickelback is an interesting one seeing as they are the EXACT same band as the Foo Fighters, but one that is a little less interesting and therefore harder to defend is the one and only Justin Bieber. About three years ago I had listened to Baby just to see what all the fuss was about. Being an opinionated and quite cynical 15 year old I
protested at this young man’s girlishly high voice, “what hasn’t he gone through puberty or something” (oh the irony). However I recently watched one of his performances for some awards show and I am unashamed to admit that it was fantastic! It seems that Justin Bieber is in what I would describe as Justin Timberlake’s N Sync stage. I’m not sure if he likes the music that he writes/sings, but I can assure you that as he becomes older and much more independent, he will be writing some semi-decent stuff. For example, according to Wikipedia, “His third studio album...marks a musical departure from teen pop” Why would Wikipedia lie to me? #write4bieber The 90s were the greatest thing ever In 2000, I was five years old. I don’t remember much about being five except for maybe watching Star Wars and playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64, but that is about it. It seems that everyone has this longing to go back to a simpler time, when everything smelt like teen spirit and the classics such as CatDog and Hey! Arnold! were in their prime. Then there was all the videogames! Goldeneye 64, Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros. Man they were great. You know what wasn’t great? The Gulf War and the oil spill it caused. Not to mention Titanic winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1997 and becoming the highest grossing film of the decade. Oh, and the number one song of 1991 wasn’t Smells Like Teen Spirit, it was Ice Ice Baby. So the music wasn’t that much better than today’s was. The thing is, though, that we have better things nowadays (with the exception of the new Simpsons). We have iPods instead of Sony Walkmans; we have online multiplayer instead of split-screen; we have Avatar instead of Titanic; we have Gangnam Style instead of the Macarena; and we have One Direction instead of ‘N Sync. …Actually you know what, the 90s were pretty great...
Introducing…
Cannonball Creative This year we’ve added a place here where YOU decide what we publish! We’re looking for poetry, pictures, short stories, long stories…anything you’ve been getting up to that you’d like to see in our pages! This issue we’re seeing some kids get creative in explorations of fantasy, reality and somewhere in between, with a couple of short stories and a bit of surf/skate culture photography. If you’ve got a little something something, send it to us at to.cannonball@gmail.com
How The Horn Came To Be (Part One) the first instalment of a short story by James Watson There was once a time when the Namori, the Gods, did not walk upon the earth. They preferred to reside in their halls of gold in the nether realm; Namor, and watch the earth from above. Long ago the Namori created the world and all that lived in it, and most of them took joy and pleasure in watching their creations live, breed and prosper. They called the earth Namar. Each of the Namori had their own names and purposes. There was Poer; the God of lightening, the sky and the king of all the Namori. Byldann; the God of craftsmen and building. Uder; the God of the seas. There were indeed, many Namori, far too many to list. Kalo, the Goddess of beauty and lust was the most beautiful of all the Namori. All the Gods loved her and were kind to her. Her sister; Kala was younger than Kalo but soon grew to be as beautiful as her. Kalo saw this and perceived it as a threat to her title as the most beautiful; so she decided to cast her down to the earth. For many years Kalo searched for a way to expel her. She experimented with potions and magical tools until one day she found the gateway to Namar; a small, silver pool on the edge of Namor. She lured Kala to the pool and pushed her in. When Kala emerged she found that she was no longer in Namor but on a far continent of Namar men called the uncharted land that she had only seen from above. Kala was the first of the Namori to walk upon Namar, and for many years she drifted; exploring and experiencing the world. She travelled all the lands and eventually came across the kingdom of Aegor. Soon knowledge of Kala’s beauty became widespread and the king of Aegor; Peodin of house Brieden, came to see if the tales were true. When his eyes met hers they fell instantly in love with oneanother and within a month they were betrothed.
Meanwhile Zoros; the Namori of fire watched Namar hungrily, for he desired to own it and control all living things in it. He chose to consult Kalo on her way of casting Kala down. He learnt her method and applied it. Zoros dived into the pool and came into the world. Once there, he assumed the form of a large, serpent-like, white dragon with piercing, red, fiery eyes. Zoros then travelled to a land in the east called Sedd. Sedd was a mountainous Dwarf kingdom. He seduced the Dwarves to worship him as the only Namori. The dwarves were great craftsmen, so Zoros had them erect a grand, tall, white tower. He called it Bar’rd and placed a flaming beacon, as bright as the sun, atop the tower. Once he based himself in Bar’rd the mountains of Sedd became darker and started attracting evil. The first to come to Zoros were outcasts from society; evil and power-crazed men. He shared some of the secrets of fire with them and called them his Pyromancers; they dressed in shining red and white robes with long capes. They rode Wargs; huge and demonic wolves from across the sea. Zoros then sent the Pyromancers to seduce the neighbouring kings around Sedd to join him. One by one the Kings of Namar fell to the white dragon as well as several nomadic Centaur tribes being corrupted by Zoros. Only one kingdom was uncorrupted; Aegor. Peodin managed to resist the Pyromancers because the goddess, Kala, like Zoros was a Namori and thus she knew how to disarm the pyromancers’ spells. Zoros, finding that he could not corrupt Peodin decided to take Aegor by force. He gathered his army; All the dwarves of Sedd, the Centaurs and all the corrupted Men of Namar marched to Aegor in an effort to catch Peodin by surprise. But, Peodin was not without help; the Namori; Horum, God of music, had been watching the events in Sedd and decided to warn Kala. He travelled to the silver pool and went to Namar. Once there he spoke with Kala; he explained that the white dragon was on his way with a massive host, burning and destroying all in their path. Once Kala learnt this she and Horum went to Peodin and told him all they knew. The three of them then decided that, because no mortal could, Horum and Kala would travel to Namor while Peodin readied his army. Horum and Kala travelled back to Namor via the silver pool and, once back in Namor they summoned a council of all the Namori.
…to be continued…
The Rush. Tom Cicchianni-Jones takes us around the place on a journey from the skate park to the coast and back.
CJ’s work can be found at tommycjphotography.tumblr.com
Snowflake A short story by Rachael McCarthy
It’s cold. I feel like an iceberg… I hate this place, I hate this room; dark curtains draped over the elaborate windows, shutting out any light that could seep through. I’m sitting on a chair, the chair that belongs to the mahogany desk that sits so solemnly beside the bookshelf. I’m sitting on this chair, trying to understand what I have done wrong, what I have done to deserve this great sadness that has been thrust upon me. I wish I could go far away, far enough that I wouldn’t have to be lonely, that I could be content, just like the people in the fairytales I read. I’m trapped in this room, I don’t know why, its been like this for as long as I’ve known, I don’t know how to get out, I’m hopeless, all I can do is read. I read about love and hate, I read about art and culture, I read about the world, the world that I can’t get back to. I doubt I will ever be able to experience any other feelings then sadness… Meanwhile “Tap, tap, tap” Ah Akiko must be here already! “Mayu hurry up we have a test today, remember?” Ah we do! I completely forgot, “Yea, I’m coming!” I shout as I’m rushing to my white shirt and my red-checkered skirt that happens to be my uniform, pulling it on and doing my jet-black hair in a messy ponytail, not forgetting the snowflake clip that I treasure so dearly. Now running down the wooden staircase with my bag and shoes on, and onto the tatami mats that belong to the hallway. I glance over to where mum is in the kitchen making breakfast, “Mum, Akiko’s here, I’m going now.” I say as I run down the hallway to the door, “But what about breakfast Mayu?” woops, “I don’t have anytime for it, sorry!” I proclaim, opening the door to a cold winters day, snow building up on the maple trees that line the street. It reminds me of that day… The day when my big sister had the accident… “Come on Mayu or else the food will get cold!” Sister shouts while I make a bunny out of the building up snow on the sidewalk. “Saki, Saki wait!” I cry, dropping the bunny on the icy ground. “Waaaahhh! I dropped the b- bu- bunny! Aaaahhh!” I taste the salty tears that are spilling from my eyes. Sister turns around, her long deep brown hair spinning with her. “Oh Mayu don’t cry.” She whispers as she gets a hold of me in a tight hug. “It’s ok Mayu, we can make another one.” Sister is very kind, wiping the last of my tears from my face. “Come on, I’ll get you a present to say sorry, it was my fault after all, that you dropped your snow bunny.” Saki gets up and holds my hand. “Un,” I nod, “But it wasn’t your fault, Saki” We walk the cold streets to the convenience store, the snow building up on the maple trees, where sister buys me a sparkly clip.
“Here Mayu, it’s a snowflake clip, it will protect you.” She puts the clip in my hair, “So please cheer up?” I start to smile, my special treasure. “Thank you Saki.” We start to hold hands while walking home. All I can remember from this point on is the booming sound of the car that had lost control on the icy roads. “Scccrreeeeccccchhhh!” A thundering sound, coming from a car that was about to crush me, when I felt the hands of the person that I loved so dearly, pulling me, replacing herself with me. My sister whom I treasured was hit and put into a coma to which she is still in today, but I still have hope, hope that she will awaken… Meanwhile I don’t know whether it is night or day, I don’t even know if there is such thing in this wretched place, for I can’t open the curtains that shut out the light. I haven’t tried; maybe I’m fearful. If only I could remember my name, I’m sure I have one, the people in the books I read do. I get up from the cold chair, taking small depressive steps towards the bookshelf, wondering if I ever had a life before I turned up in this dull room. Deciding to sort out the books, a thing that I have never decided upon. I start with the atlas, one of my favorites. As I reach for it I bump the bookshelf. A blur, hundreds of books tumble down like an avalanche, but before I know it I am shrouded in darkness so deep… Random colours light up the unfathomable darkness, swirling and locking themselves into place to form an image. There is a little girl in the distance, jet-black hair in a little bob. It seems to be a winter’s day. The girl turns around and notices something, she starts to run, closer and closer she gets until I can see the fine architecture of her face and a sparkly snowflake clip pinned neatly into her hair. She is saying something but I cannot hear her. I look at the snowflake clip yet again; strangely I feel the need to protect that girl. “Hope.” She utters, her dark eyes bearing into mine, I can finally understand what she is saying. “Hope, Saki please!” Tears now streaming down her face. “All you need is h-hope!” Saki… Saki… who is this Saki she is speaking of? I take one last glimpse of her before the colours start to fade, the snowflake clip shining ever so brightly… It’s dark, all but for a dim light in the distance, nevertheless all I can think is hope, hope that I will return to the world that I treasure so dearly. I have now realized that the one thing that I have been lacking for all this time is something so simple as hope.
This issue of Cannonball magazine is dedicated to the memory of Richard Griffiths (a.k.a. Uncle Vernon) 1947 - 2013