Pathways 2024

O M I S E S

Pathways

TheAnnualArt and Literature

Magazine

Volume 42 2023-24

Commack High School

Scholar Lane, Commack NY 11725

Editor in Chief…………………………………………Sarah Goodman

Co-Editor…………………………………….…………Avery Lundergan

Art Editor…………………………………………………Nathan Clarke

Literary Editor…………………………………………...Liza Zelkin

Treasurer……………………………………Samantha Wagenberg

Secretary………………………………………Antonella Pignataro

Page Designer...................................Rebecca Morrison

Advisor…………………………………………………………...…Mr. Raeihle

Front Cover Art…………………………………………………. Ellie Park

Art - Literary Magazine Contributors

Bianca Awerman

Matthew Boyce

Nathan Clarke

Delia Davidoff

Dylan Diaz

Sophia Emanuel

Luka Friis

Sarah Goodman

Avery Lundergan

Elyse Man

Melody Mattia

Estelle Michel

Rebecca Morrison

Brianna Murphy

Kayla Ng

Ellie Park

Sarah Park

Antonella Pignataro

Dillon Raffa

Samantha Wagenburg

Izabella Wilmer

Liza Zelkin

Editor’s Note (Editor-in-Chief)

The value of an assurance varies by person. As one might make a lighthearted joke of a promise, it might mean much more to the one receiving it and vice versa. Promises can build and destroy relationships, they may linger on a person or be cleansed of the mind mere moments after they were made. When fulfilled, promises foster trust and closer connections. Though we bear good intentions when making promises, sometimes there are three common nuisances that lay in the back of our minds. Miscommunication, misinterpretation, and misunderstanding. How do we be rid of them?— by working on the skills and habits necessary to build healthy communication, and this includes understanding the value of promises we make as well as the wording by which we make them.

Editor’s Note (Editor-in-Chief)- Cont’d.

I am almost certain there has not been a single person in this school who has never broken a promise. We all promise something, whether inconsequential or momentous, or perhaps we hold promise within ourselves. There may be a variety of reasons why a promise is broken— forgetfulness, misintention, inability, etc. Not all of the time is it our fault either. Regardless, the making and breaking of a promise is a daily occurrence, and one very often taken for granted. This is why “Promises” was chosen to be the theme of this year’s edition. We began this year’s edition with the hope of providing a breadth of art and writing with which people relate. We hope this promise was fulfilled. In appreciation of the beauty and sincerity of a promise, we bring you the 2023-2024 edition of Pathways Literary and Art Magazine.

Sarah Goodman, Editor-in-Chief, Pathways 2023-2024

As Co-Editor of the 2023-2024 edition of Pathways Literary and Art Magazine, I would like to thank everyone who’s contributed to this magazine, whether you’ve helped design the pages or spent time creating art and writing for this year’s issue. Each person who’s made a contribution, no matter the size, has helped make this possible for the students who find joy in sharing their creative works with their peers.

The theme of this year’s edition of Pathways was “Promises”. We’ve all made promises, to ourselves and to others. We’ve all broken them too, whether or not we like to admit it. Promises are a powerful thing; they can nurture a relationship and build trust. But they can also break them down and can hurt when not given the nourishment and care they require in order to be kept. Promises can change people’s mindsets, and this is why it’s so important to keep them. We began this year with a promise to ourselves and to our peers that we would do justice to the beautiful pieces of art and literature produced by the 9th grade students of CHS, and I hope we’ve done just that.

Working in this club with my fellow members of Pathways is an experience I will remember for the rest of my high school career. During the making of this magazine, I’ve met many new people whom I share interests with and have made so many fond memories with. I hope you enjoy viewing the magazine just as much as we’ve enjoyed designing it. I promise you it will be worth it.

Avery Lundergan, Co-Editor, Pathways 2023-2024

The Flowers Will Bloom Again

Each wintertime I watch

With helpless anticipation As the lilypad flowers wither

There is nothing I can do Save collecting her fallen petals: This is the way of nature

Each springtime I stand With knowing anticipation On the dirt-laced banks of the river

In Mother’s whisper

Carried one promise “The flowers will bloom again.”

Sarah Goodman

Avery Lundergan

Failed Promises

Nathan Clarke

I Promised You the Light

Sarah Goodman

I promised you the light

The one that belittled storms

The one that's strength had once been of a knight

I promised you the light

The one that weakened with each tick

The one that faded more each night

I promised you the light I promised you the act of fading

I promised you, it’s eternally bright I promised you the light

Rebecca Morrison

Burning Bridges

Estelle Michel

All things must go

Promises have semblance to balloons, they grow larger and larger then they pop. The only proof that they were there is your shattered heart and the fragments of a once whole balloon.

Samantha Wagenberg

Nathan Clarke

Hopeful Poem

I am hopeful

Because

I don’t want to write a poem.

I want to weave a story.

I yearn to reach up into the sky

And pull Sun’s unspoken words

From their encapsulation, These words Of

Stringy hair

And sticky lips, Melted ice cream

And calloused fingers.

I itch to skate across oceans

On skis woven from Ocean’s whispers,

These whispers Of

The deep ocean blue, Forever stretching in all directions, Brilliant coral, Glowing in the dark, Seaweed, Drifting lazily

Bianca Awerman

Past skittering schools of fish

And my hands shall weave a story from their smiles.

I am hopeful Because

I don’t want to write a poem.

I’m going to weave a story That will tell the tall tales

That no one else even dreamed of.

I am hopeful Because

In the corners of the world, There are still stories

Waiting to be discovered .

Promises

What is a promise? A vow A pledge A truth A commitment A sign of integrity

What is a promise?

Something to be honored

Something to be respected

Something to be cherished

Something to be admired

Something to be take seriously

What is a promise?

Devotion to honesty

Trust in principles

Faithfulness to stability

Strength of character

My word

Sophia Emanuel

The Promise of Resilience

I am dropped headfirst into uncharted waters I feel the heat getting to me

I remain unbroken even as it rises to my boiling point Even as it threatens to change me My brethren crack under the stress I harden

And as they leave, suited for softness I will remain.

The hard-boiled egg.

Sarah Goodman

String You Along

Sarah Park

“Empty Promise”

You told me forever, You said you wouldn’t go. Yet now I sit and think, Why did you say so?

So you tell them all now After making your vow Nobody is surprised, While on the bus I simply cry I know you had to leave, It’s the truth I can’t believe After five long years, You’re now in the clear.

Liza Zelkin

Secrecies

It eats at me

From my stomach, eating 'till I am hollowed

I fear to open my mouth I fear it will fall out before me

I fear the implications

So I let my stomach turn And let it gnaw me apart I'd rather this fate than break what I have sworn

Sarah Goodman

A Promise of Progress

Nathan Clarke

False Promises

Some people will say that a promise is more than just a word or something you say, But this is only true when the person saying it really cares. We can ask ourselves, are they just saying it to stop the pestering?

Are they just saying it to shield a lie?

But we don’t ask. Although we know, we don’t ask.

So if we know, why are we still at ease when someone says they promise?

And why does it hurt so much when it’s broken?

Rebecca Morrison

Promises

Promises

Theycanbedarkorlight

Promises

Canbeveryopaque

Promises

Liza Zelkin

I Promise Freedom

What'sinthedarkcomestolight

Promises

Becarefulwhatyoumake DillonRaffa

Dylan Diaz Upon Sun’s Journey

Upon Sun's journey

Over the skyline, Never shall there be a breach In what we have swore.

And so as she peeks Nervous eyes Over the horizon, She shall see our hands Still intertwined In everlasting vow.

Bianca Awerman

Aphrodite promised Paris Helen

Prince Paris was deceived, for Paris believed himself promised Beauty

Aphrodite had composed a war

Aphrodite promised Paris Helen

Yet Helen had not promised herself

Helen had been married to the King Menelaus

No enticement could shake this

No love, no lust, no wealth

Agamemnon promised Menelaus’ vengeance

Gathered great men, Odysseus, Aristos

Achaiōn

Warboats sailed forth to Troy

Hearts of steel, wrath of lion

Promise Goddess Sarah Goodman

Agamemnon promised Menelaus’ vengeance

Gathered great men, on soft grasses they writhed

These great men who killed

These great men who died

Aphrodite promised Paris Helen

Beauty stricken ill with an unsound mind

Had she given herself to Aphrodite’s manipulations?

Had she grieved her husband? For him had she pined?

Aphrodite promised Paris Helen

She had promised nothing else

No Patroclus for Achilles

No Hector for Andromache

No comedy, no tragedy

This Promise Goddess promised a woman to a man

And a woman who lost herself

Visions From a Past Life

“The promise of a man is the most sincere thing he give.” Said a man who was obviously lying. Now the fact that one promise can hold so much weight is, if nothing else, astounding. However. That doesn't negate the fact that while people like that still exist, they are so few and far between that it doesn’t matter if they do, it all ends up in the gutter. The reputation of man hasn't been upholded since the depths of the year two-thousand and seventy eight. While promising, the recent developments in Siberia aren't enough to help them. Even though they admittedly were not of total fault, the situation as a whole left a bad taste in the mouths of tens. Of thousands. Of millions. Being on this astoundedly inferior planet has destroyed and rattled my superior comprehension, and the utter fact that I am sanctioned here for 16 million more years when the whole thing went down in 60 is a joke. I expect to be duly punished for this heinous blunder but truly the fault lies elsewhere. The Haj Mah’lah is shutting the whole thing down next century if we dont bring it back by then. But I don't see how another hundred years, or even thousand can help the pitiful case of this wretched waste of a planet. All that's left is to watch it burn. Slowly and painfully. All our work and conservations decimated, their backups burned too, and the backups of the backups… still stored in a safe and secure location. But forbidden from eyes meet nonetheless. When 88234667 and I took this position, we had not anticipated the sheer self destructiveness of the native power. We naively swore, to their faces, that in ten years time their planet would have significant improvements. But without cooperation downfall was inevitable. We did what we could. This is 334543, out for what is perhaps the final time.

Nathan Clarke

The Promise of Our Generation

We live in the land of promises. Promises of prosperity and equality, of safety and opportunity. We are promised all of these things; we are promised none of them. Though we push ourselves past our limits in pursuit of these promises, we are promised none of them. How could we promise anything with the knowledge of nothing?

We know one thing; we are promised one thing. Through a shutdown of the world to a disease for which we had no guidebook to aid, Through political turmoil in our homeland and in foreign nations, Through movements in which we took a stance… Fighting for the equality, for the safety, for the freedom we were promised,

It has all given light to our one true promise, our birthright.

In spite of the hardships of today, we are ensured the promise of tomorrow.

Sarah Goodman

I Promise to be There Until the End of the Road.

Liza Zelkin

Estelle Michel Promising Prodigy

A Fool's Promise

A fool’s promise is not empty words

A fool’s promise is carefully spun Woven into a web of subtle deceit

A fool’s promise is not bare bones It is plump, ripe, hearty meat

A fool’s promise is very nearly true art

A fool’s promise bears the confidence of a decree

A fool’s promise is not so because it comes from you No, I fear this time the fool is me

Sarah Goodman

All things must go

Promises grow as do vines on trees as do people, as do flowers and trees

Thoughts grow too so do all living things

The things I have stated are not all similar though one thing is true between them all one day the growth stops. They all will die at one point it's the nature of life promises are a part of it.

Life’s Growth

Samantha Wagenberg

Isabella Wilmer

What comes of a promise?

What do the words “I promise” truly mean will it be something you break or something you keep ? will you still be trusted If it's something you can't fulfill ? What will be the consequences?

Will it be a mistake to break a promise that you shouldn't have made? Making a promise, what does it imply? Are you trapped saying something you didn’t mean? What is essential?

Is it harmful, helpful, or maybe in between? Now you're trapped in this impossible choice

You need to keep this promise before it's too late To make it. you must understand, you must fulfill it or no longer will your trust remain

Be careful

Don’t get trapped with this promise you made You can’t revoke it, soon it will be too late

Samantha Wagenberg

Promises of the Past

Sarah Goodman

It used to be quite simple

There were simple rules along the palace walls

We did what we were told

We never strayed away

We posed for portraits

We were told they were for the people of the future

Little did we know

They were meant for us

For our children too look upon

There were paintings on the ceiling

Upon the walls with the rules

We were told to follow these rules

Look upon the paintings

Smile for the portraits

For that is the only way to keep this monarchy going

We were promised things would be perfect

“The future generation” they said

“It will be perfect” they said “It will be the same or even better than yours” they said This was their promise

There are no more kings and queens with power here

Sami Wagenburg

I Promise We Will Stay Together Forever

Walls Up

You told me you didn’t know, I said I’d give you time. I put myself on the line You blew my hope up, Like some old land mine. I now put my walls back up, Even after you promised you cared Because I can’t trust you now I can no longer bear it.

Liza Zelkin

Elyse Man

Make yourself a promise.

Do not wait for tomorrow's sun, do listen to today's rain.

Do not wait for tomorrow's summer, do enjoy today's winter. Do not wait for tomorrow's happiness, do learn from today's sorrow. And, most of all, do not let the pursuit of tomorrow taint what could be the joy of today.

Make yourself a promise, a promise not to wait, but a promise to enjoy life as it comes.

Isabella Wilmer

Of a Promise

My promises hold fast And reign though I am gone

Sarah Goodman

PROMISE

The Promise of Communication

Samantha Wagenberg

Our Promises Grow, Too

“I promise we’ll live in a huge castle together forever and we’ll have a hundred cats and we’ll never ever have to do anything without each other ever!”

“I promise I’ll come over after school if my mom says okay!”

“I promise I’ll help you with that essay, really.”

“I promise I won’t tell them about what you did…”

“I promise I won’t ever forget you…”

“I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life with you, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do we part.”

“I promise I’ll have that appeal approved by next quarter!”

“I promise when we’re too old to take care of ourselves anymore, I’ll come to live in the same nursing home as you; we’ll hide from the nurses and tease the men!”

Sarah Goodman

Cross My Heart And Hope To Die

Avery Lundergan

Matthew Boyce Trust Lost

A Promise to My Bubba

I made a promise to my Bubba Of Love and Walks and Treats everyday Of Mornings and Nights Of Winters and Summers’ play I made a promise to my Rescue Staring into soulful eyes And as I write I look again, know Bubba, this is my reprise

Sarah Goodman

Antonella Pignataro

To Cherish the Earth

Sarah Goodman

Isabella Wilmer A Promise

Luka Friis

Broken Promise

Melody Mattia

Brianna Murphy Promises

A Hand You Can Hold

A hand you can hold is one that will stay

A promise as clear as day One you can have to squeeze And to assure you plans will go with ease

A hand you can hold is one to which you can depend

A trust you hope to never end One that you will owe your respect A friendship linked between two hands is one that you should always protect.

Delia Davidoff

Antonella Pignataro

Reflection in The Rain

good as rain. They dry up one day then come back later to haunt you.

-Liza Zelkin

Lock and Key

Kayla Ng

Just my luck, I locked my lock. Where's my key? It promised it would always be there for me. Now I’m on a chain, what shall I do? Nowhere to go, no key to call to. They promised to be there, no longer mine since it left me hanging alone, when I only have another lock, now forced to be a part of me until I find a new key. For now there is no key to save us, its promise has died along with my trust for the once mine key.

Samantha Wagenberg

The Machine of Promises

Promises are a machine

Something that could break without one of its gears

Gears that could allow it to funcion

Trust, Truth, and Care

Without them a promise are spoken words Not something that needs thought That needs emotion

Just statements given, no notion

Although trust is somethings that on can’t just feel If truth and care were not parts of the machine It never was and it wanted to be

Rebecca Morrison

The Fool is You

You once told me I could not change That this silly dream of mine was way out of my range

You may deny it, but you once told me I could not change

But now that dream is more than in my range And in the end, the fool is you

Antonella Pignataro

Pathways 2023-24

We would like to extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your incredible contributions to our art and literary magazine. The successful launch of this, our 42nd issue, would not have been possible without your dedication, creativity, and hard work.

Your unique artistic visions and literary talents have come together to create a magazine that truly reflects the diversity and richness of our collective imagination. Each piece, whether a work of art or a written composition, has added a unique thread to the vibrant tapestry that we are proud to present to our readers.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment and for trusting us with your creations. Your passion and talent shine through every page, making this edition not only a success but also a source of inspiration for all who read it.

- Pathways 2024

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Mr. Justin Varughese, President

Mr. Steven Hartman, Vice President

Dr. William Hender, Trustee

Ms. Susan Hermer, Trustee

Mr. Gus Hueber, Trustee

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

Dr. Jordan F. Cox

ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESSAND OPERATIONS

Mrs. LauraA. Newman

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM,

INSTRUCTIONANDASSESSMENT

Mr. Timothy Russo

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES

Mr. Scott Oshrin

COMMACK HIGH SCHOOLADMINISTRATION

Mrs. Carrie Lipenholtz, Principal

Mr. Matthew P. Keltos, Vice Principal

Mrs.AndreaAllen,Assistant Principal

Mr. Eric P. Biagi,Assistant Principal

Mr. Toby Elmore, Director of StudentAffairs