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Final 2014
Q U A R T E R L Y
Creative Arts And Writing Club Present: Issue No. 4 of The West Hollow Quarterly
“R ar” Advisors: !
Mrs. Elisa Brosnan
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Mrs. Kim Sarrosick
Congratulations Class Of 2014! Art Work By: Casey Chung-Grade 8
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Walt Whitman Birthplace Association's 2014 Young Poets Contest Winner!
Love Road
People say life is a roller coaster. But when I spend time with you, it is like driving on a newly paved road. The bumps disappear. Life is good. Although there are potholes, they are rare. I want to stay on this road with you until the end of my life. Eventually, roads end. But this road is a figure eight. Not straight, but with turns. Not knowing what is around the corner. I will not regret any time I spend with you.
This Poem by Paul Bruno, Grade 7, was one of 71 winners selected from over 4,000 entries.
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Rain By Stevie Paige Martin Grade 7 Looking out the window I sit inside Gazing at the clouds That roll across the sky And as I watch I start to hear The steady plop Of the rain It falls in buckets As the sky opens up And it makes quite a raucous As from the sky it drops I hear the thunder clash As lightning strikes the ground Like two gods waiting to rehash An old argument they’ve found
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Life By Janna Zilkha Grade 7
Life goes by as fast as a rollercoaster, So get on and enjoy the ride. Don’t be afraid to take chances, Just like an ocean at low tide. Don’t let the world tease you. Take it on first hand. Let life be your muse, Just like a singer in a band. It’s ok to take risks. So go ahead, be free. Just remember to be you, And I will be the best me.
And then the noise starts fading As the clouds begin to part Behind them the sun is waiting For its shining to start It shines down on the world Basking in its light And then the sun goes down And bids the world goodnight ART WORK BY: MATT RUBENFELD -GRADE 7
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West Hollow Inducts New Members to NJHS By Haylie Serlin-Grade 7
Recently, many 7th and 8th graders were inducted into NJHS, the National Junior Honor Society. There was an induction ceremony held in the auditorium on May 13th. During the ceremony, the orchestra played for an audience of the inductees and their families. Students were required to dress up, as this was a special occasion. The president of NJHS made a speech. Then new members were called up in alphabetical order to receive a pin and a certificate. Afterwards, there was a small celebration in the cafeteria where cake was served.
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WOLVIE CARTOON BY CASEY CHUNG-Grade 8
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Shi$, My Dear
An excerpt from a novel in progress by Melissa Schwab-‐ Grade 8 “Hey, she’s waking up!” “Go get more rags!” Why is everyone so loud, gosh, I’m trying to sleep here. “Mmph, it’s Saturday. Be quiet. Let me sleep.” Wow these light are bright, ugh. Isn’t it Saturday? Barely squinHng to see who turned the lights on, I managed to get a quick glance of the pure whiteness around me. Where’s my bed… and why am I strapped to a chair? “Where is Lucifer?” “Ten minutes out,” a man said walking over toward me. “Here hon, just a bit longer,” he cooed, pressing a damp rag to my nose and mouth. “Lights out, New Blood.” Black van. Strange men. Rags. “Hurry up! Let’s go!” ShouAng, so much shouAng. Everything is so clouded… White teeth, sharp white teeth. Nice smile, cute face, amber eyes, cat… eyes. Quiet apologies. Fading, fading… Lights out. I snapped awake as soon as my head jerked to the le$. Someone behind kicked the new chair I was in and yanked off a burlap bag covering my head. “Oh good, she’s finally awake. I’ve been waiHng quite a long Hme for you.” A tall lean man stepped out from behind me, inspecHng my every feature in this liSle chair. “Who are you?” I managed to get out before yawning. As I went to clear my eyes, my hands tugged on the zip Hes connecHng me to this rather uncomfortable chair. “Mind explaining why I am here?” “You’re not freaking out and screaming like the other New Bloods. Hmph.” “Sorry to rain on your parade, but I could care less actually. And I’m preSy Hred. And stop calling me ‘New Blood’ or whatever. It’s Andrea.” “Oh I know, I wouldn’t have kidnapped you for no reason,” he smiled, showing some preSy creepy sharp teeth. Then he plopped down in front of me, a liSle too close for comfort. “So… this whole kidnapping thing…?” I inquired. “Ah, liSle one, you’ll find out soon enough. Come with me,” he gestured toward the door. “Kinda trapped here, bud,” I sassed, rolling my eyes just for the right amount of aZtude. He was almost out the door when I stopped him. “Help. Please?” He walked over muSering something about incapable humans and their dependence while undoing my restraints “Happy? You’re free. Let’s go. And don’t bolt. Trust me, we are a lot faster than you,” he sneered. Who is ‘we’ exactly? He laughed, pushing against a guarded door. “She’s with me, we’ve got a new one,” he grinned evilly. Want more? Read here 6
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STUDIO In ART Field trip 2014 By Caroline Johnson-Grade 8
At the beginning of May, the Studio in Art classes took field trips. In Mrs. Brosnan’s Studio Art classes, we took a journey to a house in the middle of the woods as the sharp smell of rain tickled our noses. But it was not any house. It was a house belonging to world-renowned artist Dan Welden, a print maker. His house, which he built, is adorned with all the things an artist could ever want, like kitchen tiles with paintings by famous artists such as Chuck Close and Picasso. Since May 8th was a rainy day, we had to do something that even Weldon had never done before -- create a print inside using synthetic UV light. First, the class walked around the house. Students took in all the objects, capturing them onto the pallet. The pallets were then submerged in water, and students brushed off the excess ink in the water until the true design came through. To keep the design, the pallet would have to baked again for approximately three to five minutes. After baking the pallet we carried it to Welden; he rolled ink onto our designs to make them more noticeable. Once everything was ready we waited for the moment of truth: our designs were placed onto a sheet and rolled through a press which ultimately captured the print on the sheet, creating the finished product. This field trip was truly an experience which we‘ll never forget, for it taught us how art doesn't have to have a defined shape. We were able to portray feelings on the print. ISSUE NO. 4
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No Problem ' for Ariana Grande ' ’s New Hit By Sara Chu and Paige Elberg GRADE 7
Ariana Grande’s new hit single “Problem”was the fastest to reach number one on iTunes in only 30 minutes. No song has ever reached number one on iTunes that quickly! It was also top ten and #1 in over 50 countries, and landed a spot on BillBoard ' s top 100. Performed by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea, "Problem" sold 438,000 copies in its 1st week and was a bigger hit than Grande ' s song “The Way.” Big Sean takes a small part in the song too with his famous line “I' ve got one less problem without ya!” The song features an upbeat vibe with trumpets playing. It reminds people of other songs on the charts by Jason Derulo and Macklemore. "Problem" was released by Republic Records on April 28th. The music video was shot the day after the song ' s release and will reportedly come out on May 30th. Ariana Grande has performed the song on "The Ellen Show" and "Dancing With The Stars," and at awards shows including "The Radio Disney Music Awards," "Billboard Music Awards," and the "I-Heart Radio Awards." As fans of Ariana Grande, we believe her loving personality, enthusiasm, and dedication have worked together to make her one of today ' s most amazing artists. She has new songs on her upcoming album as well, which will be released this summer.
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How Team Success Helped Me! By Joe Vela-Grade 7
Have problems in your math or ELA class? Well, then Team Success may be just what you need.
My name is Joe Vela. I began Team Success in the middle of 7th grade because I was struggling with the material I was learning in math class.
Team Success students meet with the teachers – Mr. Haitz, Mrs. Handelman, and Mrs. Porter-- once a week during non-core and lunch periods.
Some benefits of being in Team Success include...
· Support in core subjects
· Increasing confidence
· The opportunity to make new friends
· Brainstorming test-taking tips and practicing them
· Review for state and final exams
We are hoping that in the school year of 2014-15, we will have a dedicated “Team Success” classroom in the school building!
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“Bella’s New Life” Short Story By Sanam Muhayya, Grade 7 17-year-old Bella Hasther was just like any other super rich kid who always got what she wanted. All she ever knew were the luxury apartments and fancy stores in New York City, and maids and butlers always waiting at her service. She never thought or really cared about how most of the other kids her age lived. But when her father lost most of his money in the stock market, she had to get used to her new lifestyle. Immediately after her dad lost his high-paying job, Bella and her family went from upscale to working class. They downgraded to a regular house, a regular car, and almost the same life as everyone else was living. After realizing that they needed more than one income, the family decided that Bella’s father, mother, and Bella herself had to get a job. After weeks of looking for somewhere that she would actually enjoy working, Bella found a job in a clothing store at the nearby mall. At first she absolutely hated it. The fact that she had to go to work right after school everyday, the fact that people bossed her around and told her what to do, and especially the fact that she had to earn the money she received made Bella miserable. Nobody treated her the way she expected to be treated and she did not know how to deal with it. One day, Bella noticed a group of girls from her school shopping at the store. She never thought that they would recognize her, but they did. After introducing themselves to each other, the girls immediately clicked. From then on, they became very close friends with Bella, and she didn't feel alone at all anymore. School was not as boring as it was when Bella had no friends, and work became better whenever her friends visited her. Things became better for Bella. 10
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Math Olympiads by Jiachen Lee, Grade 7 Do you like to solve “thinking type math problems”? If you do, Math Olympiads is the place for you. The team advisor is Mrs. Handelman. About 35 students from grades 6-8 participate in this activity. It’s a fun place to work on problems with your friends and learn from other people. There are five contests, one per month from November through March. At each contest, there are 5 questions to answer. Some of the questions really require you to work your brain! Some techniques used to solve these problems include making a diagram, working backwards, breaking the problem down, and much more. This club helps to improve your problem solving skills and discover new techniques to help solve problems. In this club, you can also learn about many interesting places that math can be found such as on the calendar and many interesting math games to play with your friends. Some of the Math Olympiads participated in the Long Island Math Fair, writing math research papers and presenting them at Suffolk Community College and Hofstra University. It’s a lot of work, but it pays off. Students also participated in the Suffolk County Math Tournament where many people in West Hollow placed. One of the West Hollow teams even came in First Place in the county. This club is a great way to practice your math and problem solving skills. The Club will begin again in September. Hope to see you there!
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Not All Revenge is Sweet… Short story by Jiachen Lee, Grade 7 He lets a balloon go, and as it vanishes, he thinks of her. He thinks about the time with that special balloon; he remembers it so clearly. The balloon blends into the sky with its smooth, light blue color and it vanishes so soon. He remembers her bright eyes looking at him for another balloon. His little sister’s face is so clear in his mind, yet she seems so far away -- running towards him but not advancing any closer. He suddenly feels a light punch. “Ouch!” he thinks. He opens his eyes and sees his friend staring. He looks around and remembers that he was going to buy bread before he saw the poor man trying to sell balloons. He quickly gets up from the small bench at the side of the street and brushes the dust off his pants. He says a quick “hi” to his friend and, embarrassed, he runs away. His sister was lost but the memory of her was still burning in his mind. He remembered her last day when a man with a red car killed her….it started out as a clear, perfect day. The clouds were fluffy. They seemed to floated effortlessly in the sky. Birds were dancing as they opened their wings to fly. He remembered holding her small, warm hands in his palm. They were in the village, walking through the crowded streets that were framed with so many stores that the air was full of excitement. He remembered her small hand pointing at the candy shop across the street. He slowly waited for the signal for when they could cross the street. She ran ahead of him, filled with joy. He tagged along behind her, walking slowly. Suddenly, a big red truck with shining mirrors sped past the red light. He stood still in shock. She was still skipping with excitement, not seeing the truck. A few seconds later, she was on the ground. Her white dress was stained red and her golden curls fell across her face. Thomas didn’t even turn around to see her. It’s been a year now, and he has never gone back to the village. He found out the person’s name was Thomas. He hated the color red of the shining truck, and the way Thomas slouched. He hated the black of Thomas’s clothes, but he longed to see his sister’s golden curls again. Without her, he had nothing to look forward to. He had cared for her after he ran away from their parents. He was 16 years older than she was, and she was what motivated him. Now with her gone, he had nothing to do, so he decided to take revenge. He had planned revenge. He planned so carefully that every little piece had to be done right. He planned revenge for the twenty-seventh day of July, a year after his sister’s death. On the day of his planned revenge, he walked out into the crisp air; the warmth of the summer sun draped over him. He walked to her gravestone to tell her about it, but when he got there, something stopped him. It felt like fear, but it also felt like betrayal. He suddenly remembered when he had thrown his sister’s toy out in the garbage just for the fun of it. He had expected her to get angry at him, but she just walked away with tears in her eyes. It wasn’t until weeks later when he decided to ask her that he realized she didn’t believe in pay-backs or revenge. She believed that only made things worse. Now, she was all he cared about. After the months of planning, he wasn’t going to put his plan for revenge into effect. 12
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Not All Revenge is Sweet… Short story by Jiachen Lee, Grade 7.......... cont. He walked through the street, holding his briefcase. It was a cold day. The sky was dark, but it wasn’t raining. He clung to his jacket to keep himself warm. He looked at his watch and started to speed up, hoping to find the coffee shop where he would discuss business plans. He stopped at the side of the street and saw the candy shop across the street. The store was still there. The brilliant colors lit his eyes. The street had a lot of cars just like before. He saw a red car stop when the lights turned red. He started walking and a tear ran down his cheek. He quickly brushed off the tear and continued walking. He crossed the street and stood in front of the candy shop. He was already running late, but he still decided to go to the candy shop. He pushed the heavy doors open and walked into the sweet smell of chocolate. He smiled at the sight of gummy bears. That was his sister’s favorite candy. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks. Without realizing it, he bought a pack of gummy bears. He placed his hand in the bag and felt the squishy candy. He slowly took one out and through his tears, placed them in his mouth. The savory taste only reminded him of his sister. He slowly pulled out another one; this time, it was a red one. He took it out and closed his fists around it, clenching his fists so tight, they hurt. He tossed the gummy bear on the ground with all his force and placed his footpurus on it. He slowly ultrices lifted up ullamcorper, his foot and thought gummy bear was Vivamus pulvinar, ultricies dolorthe diam euismod clinging to his foot. He thought of red and hatred boiled up inside him. Then he thought nisl, vel consectetuer eros mi sit amet lorem. about the gummy bear clinging to his feet. He bent down, not even thinking twice about his suit, took the gummy bear. It was after all, his sister’s favorite flavor. He placed the —and Quisque Massa gummy bear in his mouth. He didn’t care anymore that it was on the floor. He’ll never like the red of Thomas’s truck or red in general, but he did like the red of that gummy bear. He slowly walked to the coffee shop, and the whole way, he thought about his sister. After all, he wouldn’t have been able to make it to the CEO position without her.. She had helped him realize what life was all about, and her death just made him more motivated to get the position. One day, as he promised had her, he would own their own candy shop.
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ART WORK BY: REBECCA FARBER GRADE 7 ISSUE NO. 4
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Writers and Illustrators Staff: Mrs. Brosnan and Mrs. Sarrosick would like to thank all their CAWC Members for a very productive and great year!
Paul Bruno grade 7 Sara Chu grade 7 Casey Chung grade 8 Paige Elberg grade 7 Rebecca Farber grade 7 Caroline Johnson grade 8 Jiachen Lee grade 7 Stevie Paige Martin grade 7 Sanam Muhayya grade 7 Matthew Rubenfeld grade 7 Melissa Schwab grade 8 Haylie Serlin grade 7 Joseph Vela grade 7 Janna Zilkha grade 7