The Mind's Eye 2021

Mind’s Eye Staff Editor in Chief Evan Quesada ‘21 Assistant Editor Krish Shah ‘22 Poetry Editor Cayden Drost ‘23 Special Projects Presley Villa ‘23, Jacob Sogueco ‘23, Declan Woodman ‘23 Moderator Mrs. Abbott Staff: Braeden Outen ‘22, Mason Moore ‘22, Jacob Carson ‘21, Dante Narduzzo ‘21, Marcus Yancoskie ‘21, Alex Ozonoff ‘21 Layout: Sue Bonaventura

Old Man in Profile, pencil - Evan Quesada ‘21

Mind’s Eye

Contents: Cover Art - Mayan Drawing, pencil and marker - Christian St. Louis ‘24 The Lord’s Love - Xzavier Claudio ‘23 Play Like a Champion Today - Gavin O’Mara ‘23 I Can Do All Things Through God Who Strengthens Me - Jaydon Jackson ‘23 Together We Shall Forgive - Gordon Drew ‘23 Rotary 4 Way Speech Contest - Marcus Yancoskie ‘21 Rotary 4 Way Speech Contest - Alex Ozonoff ‘21 Maurizio’s Famous Tiramisu - Andrew Warner ‘22 The Sacred Dimension - Luke Beerli ‘22 The Disappearance - David McGroary ‘22 Never Forget - Mark MacDaniel ‘22 Two-Faced - Brendan Barnett ‘22 The Island - Mason Moore ‘22 The Woman - Krish Shah ‘22 The Man in the Red Sedan - Justin Simoncek ‘22 The European Expedition - Gabriel Bravo-Cancino ‘22 Breaking the Cycle - Braden Outen ‘22 Las Vegas of the East - Noel Roldan ‘22 Cast Aside Caste - Krish Shah ‘22 Letter to George R. R. Martin - Krish Shah ‘22 Letter to R.J. Palacio - Devin Rodriguez ‘22 The One Exception When Dividing by Zero - Evan Quesada ‘21 An Ode to Piano, Bossa Nova, and Baby Got Back - Alex Ozonoff ‘21 Food For the Holidays - Presley Villa ‘23 Anakin Skywalker: The Slave that Never Escaped - Dante Narduzzo ‘21 The Importance, Impact, and Implications of Elections and the Future of America - Evan Quesada ‘21 Social Injustice in America - Lawrence Lazaro ‘21 Easy to Have and Hard to Break - Declan Woodman ‘23 College Athletics - Kristopher Laing ‘21 Chirping After The Storm - Dylan Ross ‘23 Red - Justin Cummings ‘22 South Sudan - Justin Coppola ‘22 The Endless Battle - Caleb Shea ‘22 Wear a Mask - Matt Rosati ‘22 Holden Poem - Ashton Delmonico ‘22 2

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Letter To Holden - Christian Alino ‘22 Tsunamis and a Paintbrush - Matteo Martone’21 Portia’s Plight - Jacob Sogueco ‘23 Reggae and Carribean Culture - Joe Zuccarini ‘21 Spaceship inspired by the novel Aurora Rising - Matt Capiral ‘23 Movie Poster inspired by Aurora Rising - Photo Editing, Graphic Art - Matt Capiral ‘23 The Heat of Battle - Alexander Labadia ‘23 The Stump - Nick Hunkele ‘23 Something is Lost - Jahshua Toles ‘23 Rabbit Season - Chevy Edirisinghe ‘23 A Night in the Woods - Presley Villa ‘23 The Continuous Battle for our Souls - Daniel Battipaglia, Justin Currie, Logan Hurd ‘24 The Creation Battle of Eynak and Lubtip - Nick Bauer, Felipe Garzon, Richard Martinello ‘24 Principium - Lukas Perrelli, James Mascari, Ryan Seigny, Gavin Keller ‘24 Young Merlin - Tommy Khau ‘21 Angelo-Saxon Boast - Austin Pieck’21 Sinbad’s New Voyage - Nicholas Bracale ‘21 Sinbad’s Island Quest - Ari Kinder ‘21 Sinbad’s Fearless Full Moon - Elijah Blocker ‘21

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Bear and Bunny, pencil - Quan Nguyen ‘22 2020-21 Literary Magazine

Preface:

HOLY CROSS PRAYERS

The 2020-21 edition of Mind’s Eye continues the thirty-plus-year tradition of the production of a literary magazine by Notre Dame students and faculty. This year, with the help of Mrs. Abbott, Mrs. Bonaventura and Mrs. Doherty, over fifty entries, ranging from prayers to essays to handdrawn pictures, are included representing all five classes, from Freshmen to Postgrads, and creating a reflective experience, not only of Notre Dame’s community but also in its ability to promote diverse perspectives and contemplation, truly embodying the idea of our Mind’s Eye.

The Lord’s Love Xzavier Claudio ‘23 To me, Black History Month is a time to reflect, rejoice, and be inspired by the brave men and women who have fought for equality. Lord, we come to you today to ask for guidance as we begin this journey of self-acceptance and selflove. We pray that you put your hand over all of us and help us stay on this path of healing our hearts, minds, and souls. Fill us with strength, love, kindness, compassion, mercy, grace, and forgiveness in every step that we take in this journey. May we love ourselves as much as you love us Lord. May we forgive ourselves with the same mercy and grace that you forgive us with every day of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Editor’s Message: Evan Quesada ‘21

As they posed challenges to all of us, 2020 and Covid-19 presented their own setbacks in the completion of this year’s edition of Mind’s Eye. While editing, writing, and the process of providing feedback would have been typically performed together and in a relatively seamless collaborative environment, most of the work on the magazine was done virtually and over a period of nearly six months. The finished product, however, I believe is reflective of the time, hard work, and dedication of all who participated in the compilation and creation of the works in the magazine. I hope that all who are reading this message share the same pride and joy that I and those who assisted in the completion of this year’s Mind’s Eye felt upon reading the first draft. Mind’s Eye, as its name suggests, provides insight into the minds of our Brotherhood here at Notre Dame. Just as the students who entered their work spent countless hours crafting their words and messages, I hope you too will take away at least one of these unique ideas and open your own Mind’s Eye.

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Play Like a Champion Today Gavin O’Mara ‘23

God who strengthens me

If you’re depressed that’s no joke, but all you need is a little bit of hope so tell yourself

Lord, please assist my team in keeping us injury free,

I can do all things through God who strengthens me

Help us overcome our weaknesses, and build on our strengths,

Today might’ve felt like a shot to the guts, but you can’t give up so tell yourself

Let us build a brotherhood off the field,

I can do all things through God who strengthens me

And great chemistry on the field,

Next time people talk down on you just laugh and say

Never let us exceed the limit between competitiveness and anger,

I can do all things through God who strengthens me

If we get overwhelmed on the field,

Never give up on life because God loves you with all his heart, I promise you he can get you through whatever obstacle is in your way right now, Amen

Allow us to clear our head, Lead us towards victory, Help us through our losses, Push us to play hard,

Together We Shall Forgive Gordon Drew ‘23

While keeping the game plan in mind,

Forgive and forget

Most of all,

Together we shall find peace

Lets “Play Like a Champion Today” Amen

We shall hold no regret We will rest with ease

I Can Do All Things Through God Who Strengthens Me Jaydon Jackson ‘23

Many times we have been hurt

I can do all things through God who strengthens me

Many times we’ve chosen to assert

Few times we have forgiven When instead we should have given permission

Whenever you feel down or get a frown tell yourself

Together we will stand in prayer

I can do all things through God who strengthens me

Eyes closed and hands locked And in the end we will take care

So what your day gets rough, so what your day’s been tough keep telling yourself

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For we will have our heart unlocked

I can do all things through

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Prayer for Loved Ones’ Overall Health Presley Villa ‘23

idea passes the four-way-test. As you all know, the four-way test is composed of four questions.

1: Is it the truth? 2: Is it fair to all concerned?

3: Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

And 4: Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Lord as we send up our hearts we are looking to try and heal our close friends and families from any struggles that they are going through.

We send up our thoughts to safeguard our loved ones in hope that they will experience happiness and not be overcome by stress and sickness. Help our grandparents get through this time of struggle where they might not be able to see their loved ones. Help the young kids as they try to overcome this different style of socializing and learning. Lord, we ask that you look over our mothers and fathers as well for they have needed to make many lifestyle changes in order to help lead their families during this stressful time. We care most about the ones close in our hearts and we thank you for these blessings Lord. Amen

Let’s analyze the first pillar. Is it the truth? In 2014, there was approximately $1.3 trillion of outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. that affected 44 million borrowers. Something must be done about this insane amount of debt, that much is certain, that much… is the truth. It’s also the truth that tuition has gone up. The annual published tuition at public colleges has risen by 36 percent since the 2008 school year.

In Louisiana, published tuition rates at a 4-year public college have doubled over the past 10 years, while in six other states — Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Hawaii — published tuition rates are up more than 60 percent. It’s also the truth that state funding for public education, such as community college, has plummeted since the Recession in 2007. For example, the Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona faced serious financial shortfalls after its state funding was cut by 30%.

Another example, statewide funding in Louisiana for public and community colleges will be cut $550 million state-wide. The current presidential administration plans to cut $8.5 billion from the Department of Education. The relation between funding cuts and hikes in tuition prices is clear.

ROTARY 4 WAY SPEECH CONTEST - WEST HAVEN ROTARY, FIRST PLACE, 2020 Marcus Yancoskie ‘21 Who’s going to college (Raise hand)? Almost all of us? Ok. I’m guessing we all like money? We all want to graduate with maybe an apartment, cool clothes, new phone, nice car? Well, guess what? College is going to bankrupt us before we even get started. The average student debt after graduation is now close to 40,000. Any potential lawyers here? Average debt getting out of law school is 122,000. How about doctors?

210,000 dollars for you.You may say to yourself, college has always been expensive, nothing we can do about it. I said earlier that the average student debt was 40K, but what if I told you that the average student debt in the year 2003, the year most of you were born, was only around $18,000. But there’s a solution on the horizon.

Some states have enacted legislation that will give students better financial footing as they start their new careers. This financial footing is free community college tuition. Let’s see if this

Mind’s Eye

It is true, now more than ever, that people need degrees to get jobs. Without a degree your job opportunities are limited severely. One of the reasons why college is so expensive is because it has a complete monopoly on the gateway to social mobility. Look at it this way: We as Americans have the opportunity to change our social class, through hard work and perseverance, but, typically, we can only do this through college education. If you can’t

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afford college, you won’t make enough money so that your kids can afford college, and if they do go to college, they will be in so much debt that their children will have as limited an opportunity as you did. And even if you, the parent, help your child, you can be up to $35,000 in debt, not making the situation any easier. In short, college is an excellent system for perpetuating class disparities and restricting social mobility for those who can’t afford four-year education. In fact, some schools are moving away from a more equitable system for the poor in America, instituting “fullpay systems”. A “full-pay” system is where a student pays the full price of an institution, with no financial aid or scholarship, usually for a bit more leniency in terms of academic qualifications. A 2011 survey by Inside Higher Ed found that about 35 percent of admissions directors at 4-year institutions, particularly public colleges, had favorable opinions toward the proposed “full-pay” systems. Instead of making college more affordable for the poor, it makes college more accessible for the rich.

made free, this would clearly build goodwill and friendships among the residents of Connecticut, with a more competitive job market leading to more opportunity throughout the state, where people who received their education from a free community college could put their education to good use. Free community college is clearly beneficial to all concerned, but how do we get there? How do we achieve this goal?

As I mentioned earlier, state and federal governments have decreased funding for education significantly. If funding for education was increased on both a federal and state level, free community college education could absolutely be a reality. It is clear that free community college is possible, would be fair, beneficial, and would build goodwill and friendships due to an increased job market and greater economic equality in Connecticut. If more people have access to jobs that require a college education, then the economy will improve. If the economy improves, then taxes will be lowered. Even if there is a short tax raise at the start of the free community college program, the end result will be significantly better than the current economic situation in our state. Connecticut is teetering over bankruptcy, and we must do something drastic in order to save our state’s economy. We must take action, now. As Connecticut’s very own Mark Twain once said: “Necessity is the mother of taking chances.”

The necessity for change is clear. But are we willing to take the chance? Thank you.

So what can be done? I propose a system that is fair to all concerned: free community college. Tuition-free community colleges are a reality in 20 states all over America. In fact, Connecticut currently has debt-free community college, which is the first step towards community college that is entirely, no strings attached, free to those who need it. It is clear that Connecticut must take further steps towards free college education.

They must do this because the job market in Connecticut is simply not competitive enough.

Employment opportunity in Connecticut has lessened significantly. About 35% of Connecticut homeowners move because of job opportunities in other states, according to Patch.com. This lack of economic strength would continue if access to higher education continues to be unreachable for many households. If community college was

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Four-Way Test can be used to evaluate the strengths and shortcomings of its benefits.

ROTARY 4 WAY SPEECH CONTEST - WEST HAVEN ROTARY, SECOND PLACE, 2020 Alex Ozonoff ‘21

The Four-Way Test’s ability to diagnose corruption or malevolence in a subject’s speech, thoughts, and words acts as a moral code applicable to every aspect of life. This test asks of a situation, action, or administration:

How often do you go to the doctor’s office for a physical or checkup? Once a year?

Maybe it’s more? Or, maybe it’s less?

When you get sick, do you want to go to the doctor’s? Or is it just second nature?

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

When we are inconvenienced by illness, our primary response to getting the treatment we require is met with extreme dread.

Walking through the germ-infested hallways past children infested with potentially fatal viruses is enough to make anyone sick to their stomach. However, despite the painful vaccinations and the uncomfortable urine tests, we take for granted the value of access to a physician at any time access is necessary.

When each checkup can cost up to $12,700, depending on the severity of the condition or the gravity of the situation, many Americans who cannot afford food to last throughout the week are unable to match these lofty prices.

3. Will it build good will and better friendships?

4. Is it beneficial to all concerned?

Privatized healthcare hopes to guarantee all of those who work and output sufficient access to hospitals, ambulances, and doctors. On the contrary, when a tenth of the country is denied this right (regardless of their working status), the future of the next American generations looks bleak.

Privatized healthcare promises equal healthcare to those that are willing to pay for it. However, when 12.9% of Americans earn a yearly income lower than that of the bare minimum of annual health insurance costs, how can those considered in “poverty” expect to keep their families safe?

In 2014, upwards of 27.5 million Americans were not accounted for by Medicaid or similar services. This means that one in twelve Americans lack stable health insurance that will compensate them for solutions to problems they may not have been able to control.

Privatized healthcare is praised as the American government’s graciousness for its people. Does the goodwill of the American corporate system and government involve storing a majority of American wealth in the top 1% of the country? When the working class are automatically swept away by the prioritized rich of the country, the government single-handedly threatens its own stability.

This is a serious dilemma. As Americans, you would think that we should be united in solidarity to provide the same privileges to every other American.

We can see that the complete privatization of healthcare, as is executed in our country that promises equal opportunity regardless of condition, is a complete violation of the morals laid down along with the foundation of the United States, itself.

Privatized healthcare boasts benefits for every American citizen in the country. Does every American citizen omit the 27.5 million that are uninsured? As the government revokes healthcare rights from increasing numbers of societal members, the benefits provided by sufficient health insurance become available to

In order to assess the inequities and subsequent discrimination induced through the utilization of privatized healthcare, the Rotary

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a decreasing number of deserving consumers.

successful, while the American healthcare system barely scrapes the top 10 of countries in the world? The system, supported partially by private companies working with government officials, is almost completely funded by the state, with the joint cooperation of the people who will reap the benefits in the future.

This socialization may be one of the many reasons why Australia is considered one of the healthiest countries, as well, according to the Bloomberg Global Health Index.

Thomas Jefferson stated that every American is entitled to “equal opportunity, regardless of previous condition.”

Nevertheless, in the direction our country is turning, this proclamation omits an extremely large portion of the United States: the poor and the unfortunate.

The government is not taking sufficient action to supply all Americans with the necessary resources to tend to their injuries in inevitable circumstances. Especially with the desire to revoke withstanding programs insinuating the move towards universal health care, more and more citizens are losing access to what our Founding Fathers established as “the right to Life.”

[In a nation as large as the United States, a socialized healthcare system accounted for by the government and the people would assist in the development of camaraderie unrivaled by any other competing civilizations.

Along with this camaraderie comes a newlyfound establishment of unity desired by our forefathers for hundreds of years, a sense of unity we have never been able to fully reach.

By guaranteeing privileges to all of our citizens, we will truly become the “leader of the Free World,” assisting everyone involved.]

$412 million dollars were spent on Medicaid in 2012. This may seem like a large sum of money, but when compared to the $731 billion spent on military resources and precautions that same year, it seems imperative that the government account for more than the 64% of Medicaid costs they paid for in 2013.

Fortunately, we live in a society where the rule of the people is respected above all. In order to solve these present issues, along with issues in the people, we, as American citizens, have to express our opinions through our congressional choices. Some may vote to serve their own interests and ultimately expand upon their narcissism. But will you exercise your Godgiven right to vote for what is better not just for you, your family, your community, but for the betterment of society, as a whole? Will you enrich the lives of others to the same degree that you hope to enrich your own?

The ultimate solution for this problem: America should be obligated to support a universal, socialized healthcare system. Along with increased spending from the government, American citizens should pitch in to provide funds for Medicaid. These currently-absent funds may be the difference between the life or death of thousands of injured Americans unable to garner the funds to receive care.

Although some may argue that universal healthcare has flopped completely in countries considered [air quotes] “developed,” the system has also been immensely successful in large populations. Some consider the idea of universal health care preposterous after seeing its lackluster execution in Canada, for example, but when compared to its revolutionary changes in Australia, the pros quickly outweigh the cons.

Thank you.

Why is the Australian healthcare system this

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Maurizio’s Famous Tiramisu Andrew Warner ‘22

10. Add a second layer of espresso-dipped cookies and top with remaining cream

The following recipe appears in Andrew and his mother’s cookbook titled Don’t Crowd the Pan. Andrew and Mrs. Warner published their cookbook and proceeds from its sale benefit Smilow Cancer Center at Yale. This project was Andrew’s Notre Dame Junior year service project.

11. Top with shaved chocolate and chill overnight.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT FICTION GOLD AWARD WINNER, 2020

2 ½ cups espresso coffee 1/3 cup rum + extra for coffee 5 egg yolks 1 lb mascarpone cheese 1 cup sugar (split in half) 5 sleeves of lady finger cookies (Savoiardi cookies) 2tsp vanilla extract Shaved chocolate to decorate the top

The Sacred Dimension Luke Beerli ‘22

1 cup whipping cream

Once, long ago, there was a magical land, where multiple races of animals lived in peace with one another. This land was magical because it contained a Sacred Dimension and six Angelic Elements hidden away due to past historical events of the land. Trouble fell over the land when werewolves were bitten by a poisonous snake causing them to disrupt the land’s harmony. The snake was only a child at the time, but still very deadly. It was called The One. Once it bit its victims, it would have control over their thoughts and actions, leading harmless animals to become terrifying monsters. The One also had control over a very powerful staff, called the Staff of Darkness. He wanted to use it to take over the Sacred Dimension and turn it into another Dimension of pure evil. Not only did The One have control over the Staff of Darkness, but he also had three of the six Angelic Elementals, and they were looking for a fourth. The One brought the werewolves to the deep parts of a dark and evil land called

1. To the hot espresso add 8Tbs of rum and 3Tbs of sugar; let cool.

2. Whisk egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, vanilla and 1/3 cup of rum until smooth and place over a double boiler.

3. Warm the mixture slowly while whistling until it reaches 150 degrees.

4. Cover and chill until cool.

5. B eat the whipping cream with a ½ cup of sugar to form stiff peaks.

6. F old the mascarpone cheese into the whipping cream.

7. Then fold in the cooled egg mixture until well incorporated.

8. Dip the lady finger cookies into the cooled espresso and create a layer in a 9x11" pan.

9. Spread half of the cream mixture over the lady finger cookies.

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The Forsaken Dimension. He commanded them to build an army so large that nobody would even think of standing up to him.

venture out beyond Eastbourne and explore. On one of their many adventures, they found an ax.

They returned to Eastbourne with the ax but did not know that the ax they had possession over was magical, and had great powers.

Long before the Primal Humans, there was another race; they were Angels. These Angels had supernatural powers and control over all of the elements through the use of their magical weapons, The Angelic Elementals. One day, The One came to try and conquer the Angels through dimension travel. He had brought his entire army; The One had brought his most feared troops into battle with him, they; we’re known as the Final Regiment. Every werewolf was covered head to toe in armor so thick that the Angelic Elementals were no match.

Only one Angel and six Angelic Elementals survived the bloody and horrific events of what was known as the Angelic Werewolf Wars. The six Angelic Elementals that survived each controlled a different element. The six Elementals were The Sword of Fire, The Battle Axe of Ice, The War Hammer of Earth, The Spear of Water, The Crossbow of Lightning, and The Staff of Light. The Staff of Light was the sister staff to its brother, The Staff of Darkness.

While living in Eastbourne, Evangeline took great interest in the four friends. She started to get to know them and was especially interested in the adventures they had already experienced. They told her that they had such fun setting off for a new adventure every year and returning after three months. One day, they mentioned to the angel that they had found an ax in an ice cave. It had a golden handle and engravings that didn’t mean anything to them.

Evangeline lept off of her feet and exclaimed excitedly, “Take me to the ax!”

The four boys did as they were told. They showed her the ax and she became really excited.

Jackson, the eldest of the four asked, “What is so special about an old ax?”

The Angel, Evangeline, hid the weapons in six completely different habitats that matched the powers of the weapons. Then Evangeline assumed the form of a human and took refuge in the town of Eastbourne. Eastbourne was a village that was located in The Sacred Dimension in which a race of humans lived.

These humans were called Primal Humans because they were the first humans to live in The Sacred Dimension. This dimension was peaceful, filled with happiness, and was not familiar with war. In Eastbourne, there was a group of four friends, they were considered teenagers and they were all very strong, adventurous, and smart. Their names were Jackson, Peter, Ben, and Derek. They liked to

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She told them the story about the Angelic Werewolf Wars, and when she finished the boys were in awe. Evangeline hesitated but decided to ask the boys if they wanted to start off on a quest the next day. A dangerous quest, a quest that could potentially end The One’s reign of terror. The boys eagerly agreed and started packing their things and returned to Evangeline. She briefed them on the quest and they decided to call themselves The Company of Angelic Elements. The next morning swiftly arrived and The Company of Angelic Elementals set off on their quest to defeat The One. Evangeline knew that The One had three out

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of the six elementals; The Sword of Fire, The War Hammer of Earth, and The Crossbow of Lightning. Evangeline also knew that the only way to defeat The One was with all six Angelic Elementals. The Company set out for The Spear of Water, in order to combat the Sword of Fire.

It was a long journey, the Company walked for miles, they took short breaks every six hours for food and rest. The Company was exhausted, but they kept pushing, knowing that if they succeeded, a horrible evil would be vanquished.

“There is one weapon left to collect,” Evangeline said, “The Staff of Light, it is the only combatant that can match The Staff of Darkness’ power.”

The Company continued its journey, walking through swamps and valleys in order to make it to their final destination. They continued their 6-hour rest pattern, every day becoming more and more routine. After two weeks of traveling on foot, they finally made it to the location of the Staff of Light. It was at the top of a mountain named, The Desolate Peak. They began their ascent up the mountain, scaling large boulders since there were no steps. Finally making it to the top, they saw a shrine that was made out of marble, and they saw The Staff of Light which is wedged between two boulders.

Evangeline stepped forward and grabbed the staff as she was the only one who could handle its power because she was immortal.

“Stop!” said Evangeline, “we have made it to the first location.” the boys were confused.

They asked, “Are you sure this is the right location, we are on the beaches of The Calmest Basin.”

“Don’t let the name fool you,” Evangeline replied. “The Spear is at the bottom of the lake,” Evangeline said, “I placed a guardian to protect it in case The One tried to come and steal the weapon.”

Evangeline strapped the staff to her back and told the boys, “It’s time to go home, we can’t stick around knowing that The One and his armies will be here soon.

The boys were nervous but confident because they had Evangeline with them. One by one they dove into the water and as a group swam to the bottom. The found the spear just sitting at the bottom of the basin next to a massive skeleton that was 50 feet long and 10 feet wide.

“Going so soon?” The One asked.

Evangeline looked back and saw The One standing there with his armies. There were hundreds if not thousands of werewolves all from different ranks and armies. Evangeline recognized most of the armies, she picked out The Final Regiment, The Death Corps, The Forgotten Battalion, and The Hellfire Legion.

The Company of Angelic Elementals was highly outnumbered and didn’t have too many weapons. Besides the Angelic Elementals, they had a few swords, spears, and axes, but they would never be able to defeat the armies of the Forsaken Dimension. They were surrounded

“What is that?” Ben asked.

“That was the guardian,” Evangeline replied, “it was a water dragon, but it seems to have died from old age.”

The company recovered the spear from the lake, they now possessed two of the six weapons.

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from all sides and didn’t know what to do.

They came on this quest for a reason, so they decided to stand and fight unto whatever end.

behind him as he walked as if they were trying to draw me in. When I went inside my friends looked at me as if I was crazy and asked me why I would go into the middle of the street at night alone. I explained the man standing outside, but was told that there was nobody out there and that I was talking to myself.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT - FICTION SILVER AWARD, 2020

We woke up the next morning with the plan to go canoeing through a back river. As we traveled down the river we saw a man bent over with blood on his hands moaning in pain as he crawled around on the sand. Matt and I pulled over to help the man while our friends, Denise and Lily went ahead to find medical help. The man’s name was John Newman and told me he had a medical bag in his tent just a little way into the woods. As I walked through the woods I saw the bright light again come from the shore with screams and laughter of something unearthly. I ran back looking for John and Matt but as I ran the woods got thicker and thicker until I ran back to the lake house where Matt was waiting for me. I asked him, “How could the house be here? We have been traveling down the river for hours and where is John.” Matt told me that Denise, a short brunette with fair skin, and Lily, a short athletic girl, took John to Lake Placid Health Center.

Nothing was the same in the house, The moose over the fireplace was on the ground with GET OUT written in blood on it, the windows were boarded up, and the electricity didn’t work. I turned around to ask Matt a question when I was grabbed from behind and dragged to the basement. When I came to, I saw Matt, Denise, and Lily’s half-eaten and bloody faces staring at me with John decomposing in the background.

The Disappearance David McGroary ‘22 It was a cool, summer night. My friends and I were finishing off our summer vacation at a lake house we rented on Lake Placid. Matt, a good friend of mine, came along with me on this trip. He was a tall lanky kid with long blonde hair. As he switched on the television, we were receiving local news reports from Connecticut, that there was another missing person report. It’s not uncommon for people to go missing around Connecticut anymore ever since the year of 1876. Ever since the disappearance of Charles Roberts Ingersoll.

It was October 15, 1876, there was a cool breeze in the air, our mayor at the time, Charles Roberts Ingersoll, was walking home from the local courthouse when he felt a spine-tingling chill run up and down his back. He thought nothing of it. Mr. Ingersoll never made it home that night. For a year local townspeople began to disappear without a trace, just like the Mayor they were never seen again. The weird thing is that the disappearances happen every ten years and everyone acts like it doesn’t, as if it is an urban legend. The adults don’t believe in it. They say Mr. Ingersoll was a suicide victim.

Back at the lake house, my friends and I prepare to go to bed for the night when bright piercing lights come from outside the window. I went outside to check what it was and I saw a tall man hidden in the dark standing in the street, I couldn’t make out his face. He was just standing there not moving a muscle. I asked if he needed help, he turned around and started walking down the street. The lights flickered and darted

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I was able to break free from the ropes by cutting them with a pocket knife I found on the ground. After escaping the lake house, it began to collapse in on itself and made a sinkhole. I called a cab to take me to the hospital after experiencing the trauma I just endured. The hospital checked me into a

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room with John Newman. I go to the front desk saying there was a mistake, that John was dead. They told me to go back to my room and they will clean everything out. Walking down the hall, the bright lights appeared again and I ran for the door. I tried running across the street and ran into a tree in the park.

My heart began beating faster and faster. I felt the sweat pouring down my face like the Biblical Flood, and my body began to twitch effortlessly, “William Murphy.”

My body must have looked as if a switch put the life back into it. All my hard work paid off, and I had won. I walked up to receive my award, with what was most likely the stupidest grin possible on my face. This was the greatest moment of my life; there was no way I could ever forget what happened that day.

The next day I woke up in the hospital and was told by my Doctor, John Newman, that I was in a coma for two weeks after suffering a hit to the head while playing flag football. All my friends were there supporting me and I asked them about Lake Placid and the canoeing and helping John. They told me that we had plans to go to Lake Placid and go canoeing and John told me he was my main doctor. I was told that I was able to hear and know what was going on around me and that I applied that to my dreams. As they left for the night I got up to walk around and as I went to the window I saw a tall man hiding in the shadows with flickering lights following him.

That night I ate dinner, then I went straight to my “lab.” This lab consisted of a few puny robots, some chemicals, and a tool kit given to me by my Grandfather. I began mixing and documenting multiple reactions when suddenly I took a breath, and I breathed in a foul odor. This odor could only be compared to that of a repulsive pile of gym socks, mixed with garlic breath in an overpopulated room. I was taken aback by it, but that was before I saw its source. I looked down at my test tube in utter shock, whatever was festering inside of it wanted to escape. I moved toward it slowly when gas began to flow out of it. Suddenly, it began to vigorously shake, then it spilled. It went all over the carpet in my room. What happened next was something I could never have imagined happening.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT - SILVER FICTION AWARD, 2020 Never Forget Mark MacDaniel ‘22 I had been waiting for this moment all year.

I could not think of a time where I wanted something more in my entire life. I sat at the edge of the chair and took a deep breath, the fresh aroma of bacon pizza waiting for after the ceremony filling my nostrils. My right leg began to bounce faster and faster as the moment approached. A sweat bead formed on the side of my face and slowly began to run down my cheek. It was time, the moment had come. Mr. Richardson, my principal, opened the envelope and began to read.

The abomination shook more rapidly, then toppled over, directly onto my rug. It did not take a 20/10 vision to be able to see what began to transpire. A gaping cavity started to develop in my floor, this cavity did not lead to the first floor of my house, but into perpetual darkness. I stared into it for what seemed like an eternity but was only a few seconds. As I began to step back, I felt my legs being swept out from under me, I began to be pulled in. I found myself clawing into what was left of my carpet, screaming to my parents to no avail, when I was sucked in.

“Now, on to our science award… The Valley Hill High School Science Award goes to…”

I traveled through the unending darkness for

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a very long minute. When I stopped moving, I found myself in a dark operating room. I tried to scream but I couldn’t. All I can remember was that robot-like creatures began to operate on my head, but I felt nothing. These robots seemed to be made of steel; they walked as a human would. They spoke loudly yet monotonously.

They had five digits on their hand, but only had one hand each, as the other side of their body had three buttons on it. One button was green, one was yellow, and one was red.

and my eardrums felt as if they were being punctured by drum sticks. I lost consciousness for maybe a minute, but when I woke up, I saw something that gave me a familiar feeling.

There was a gaping cavity in the sky that looked exactly like the one in my room, just bigger.

People were screaming in terror as the ground began to shake. I was thrown back into a desk, which left blood trickling down my head. 20 seconds later, I began to see objects popping through the hole in the sky.

Even in my delusional state, I realized that whatever I was seeing looked exactly like something I had seen before, the robots.

From what I could tell no part of my brain was removed, but they were doing something to me, and I knew it. A robot snapped his fingers, and I blinked. When I opened my eyes, I was in my bed, and I felt oddly unfulfilled.

It did not take a “Spidey-Sense” to feel that something was wrong. I knew that this was not a dream, because when I looked over to my lab, everything was where it had been, but there was no cavity in the carpet. All that was left on my carpet was a small dot, maybe a centimeter wide, it was the same color as the cavity. I stayed away from it.

Buildings began to blow up, some houses were engulfed in flames, and the robots were heading swiftly for my school. One broke down the entrance door and began breaking anything in his path. Within a minute, they were in my classroom.

“Stay away from me,” I screeched.

“You made it extremely easy for us,” the biggest one said, “We have been trying to get to your dimension for millennia, taking the scientific knowledge from your brain allowed us to figure out exactly what to use to open a portal.”

I went to school on Monday trying to forget about the entire extravaganza, though this was impossible. I did not tell anyone about the incident. But, I was extremely paranoid, so I am sure they figured something was wrong. I went to Science class that day ready to make everyone look like idiots. But, something strange happened, I knew nothing. For me, this was like forgetting how to breathe. Science was my life, and now I could not even answer simple questions. I began to think maybe those robots needed something that I had, but what would my scientific knowledge have to do with that?

“You could never be anything, you robots have no business here, and you never will!”

That definitely made him a little mad, he began to slowly walk toward me, with his one arm outstretched. I ran along the backside of the classroom around his reach, but I tripped on a chair, and he grabbed my shirt. He pulled me toward him and hit me square in the nose. I heard a crack as I felt my nose transform into an oddly shaped blob of mush. I shook the terrible pain off and stood up, ready to fight. I hit him on his left side, only to damage my hand.

It seemed though, at that very second, I heard a noise. This noise was like none other I had heard before. It sounded as if the world’s longest chalkboard was being scratched, along with a metal fork being scraped across a sink.

The few hairs on my arms began to stand up,

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I began to realize that there was no way I could beat this guy if I kept with my same strategy.

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So, my new plan was throwing anything I could find at him. I threw a globe, a chair, then a picture frame, to basically no avail. I picked up a hardcover copy of The Grapes of Wrath, and as he turned to hit me, exposing his right side, I threw it. I braced for a gruesome hit when suddenly I heard a buzzing noise. It seemed as if I hit the red button with the book, and he was on his knees. The buzzing noise continued, and suddenly he blew up. I was sent back 15 feet, and I lay there unconscious.

make my pupils look bright. Many other things made me “stand out” from the rest. All I have ever wanted in life was to be accepted. Growing up in an orphanage is hard for a normal kid, but for me, it was even worse. I was picked on all the time and even beat up. No one cared about me, and I had no one to talk to. I was alone.

But, my luck changed on my twelfth birthday. A mysterious man walked inside the orphanage that morning and spoke to me. The first thing he said was, “happy birthday.” His voice sounded deep and unforgiving, but that was the first kind thing anyone had ever said to me, so I trusted him immediately. The mysterious man said that he could help me change the way I look. He gave me a knife. The handle was golden, studded with shimmering rubies.

The six-inch blade was silver, shining in the morning sun, drafting through the windows.

I woke up in a laboratory with some bandages around my head. Some people and the President of the United States were in front of me. They seemed to ask in unison, “Son, do you remember what you used to open the wormhole, We think we can reverse the reaction and close it, as long as we know the original chemicals.”

“All you have to do,” he said, “is kill one person every year, and you will transform into another man.”

Immediately, I felt at peace. There was no way I could forget that night, the night I won my award. I quickly rattled off the chemicals to the people in the room. They may have taken my scientific knowledge from me, but they could not take the greatest day of my life away. After I gave them their information, they told me to lay back down. I fell asleep right there in the lab.

I thought to myself, “this is ridiculous, and I will never kill anyone!” I was wrong.

I hid the knife under my mattress and left it there. I had almost forgotten about it, when one day, weeks after the strange encounter, the nun running our orphanage sprinted up the stairs to the “boy’s sleepin’ room,” as the kids called it, and told all of us to be quiet and hide. There was a robbery! But what was there to steal?

Suddenly, I heard gunshots from downstairs and the screams of the children eating dinner. I knew I could not just hide and let the intruders hurt people, so I went to my bed and grabbed my knife. The rest of the boys stood off to the side, looking at me in horror. I knew it wasn’t right to hurt people, but I had to save the other children.

When I woke up, everything was relatively back to its ordinary form. I saved the world. This still does not beat the science award, though.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT FICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020 Two-Faced Brendan Barnett ‘22

Abandoned, afraid, and alone. When I was born, my parents abandoned me. They took one look and decided they were better off without me. I was not what some would call “a charmer.”

Light red scars covered my body, from what, no one knows. My retinas are black, so dark they

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Knife in hand, I quickly tip-toed down the flight of stairs and into the dining room. I crouched behind the oversized table and snuck around it, holding my knife with a murderous 16

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grip. I heard the shouts of two men, both of which sounded angry. As I approached the end of the table, I dared a peek above it, and saw them, two men armed with pistols.

One of them pointed his handgun at the nun, who was emptying her small purse.

The other was aiming his gun at the children who were all on their knees frozen in fear.

a sound. Then suddenly, the shaking stopped.

I collapsed to the ground and blacked out.

I awoke slowly and groggily looked around me. I was in a bed, in what seemed like a large room. I could hear talking and laughter from somewhere below me. When I was finally able to sit up, I noticed that there were many beds around me. Then it hit me, I was in the orphanage! I quickly got up and ran downstairs. I needed to get out of here before in getting in trouble. As I approached the door, a kind, raspy voice called out to me, “Do not be afraid child, for I have taken you in, and you will be safe here.” I turned around and saw the nun that ran the orphanage; the same nun who kicked me out last night.

She went on to tell me that she saw me when she was taking out the garbage, but there was something weird about how she said garbage.

“But… why would you help me?” I asked. She responded kindly, “because you needed it.”

I was done being stealthy. I tightened my grip on my dagger and sprinted with rage at the man threatening the children. He turned around at the noise, surprised. I stuck my knife in his chest and kicked out his legs. He screamed and fell to the ground, dead. I glanced at the knife in my hand and saw the man’s blood covering it.

The other burglar saw what I did to his partner and bolted out of the open door. I quickly slammed it shut and locked it behind him After he left, I looked at my knife, it seemed as if the blood was disappearing, or seeping into the knife! I was feeling an odd tingling feeling on my hand that held the knife. The nun and the other children were all staring at me in horror. I watched as the nun’s eyes drifted from me, to my knife, and then to the dead body on the floor. In a surprisingly calm, but rage-filled voice, she said to me, “get out!”. I didn’t understand why she was mad, but I turned and walked out the door.

I was so confused that I went upstairs to sit in the corner to think about what happened. I put my head into my hands and stared at the ground as if the old wooden floor would give me some answers. Some of the other boys walked over to me and invited me to play with them. I was shocked and eagerly accepted their invitation! We played hide and seek, and I decided to hide in the bathroom. When I walked in, I saw my reflection in the mirror. I saw not a monster, but a beautiful face, with sharp, defined, scar-free features and with baby blue eyes. I stared at the mirror for so long that the other boys gave up looking for me.

As I stepped into the cold, unforgiving night, I realized that I was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and I would not last long in this cold. I was going to try to head back inside and try to reason with the nun when I felt the tingling sensation on my fingers getting stronger. It began to spread up my arm and then to my chest. Soon it felt like my whole body was vibrating at an increasing speed. I began to glow like the streetlamps beside me, and the vibrating turned into shaking. I began to heat up. Now I was shaking so hard it hurt. I was so hot, it felt like my flesh was melting. I thought I was dying; I screamed for help, but could not make

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I came out of the bathroom to see the nun waiting for me. She asked me to sit down and to have “a little chat.” She had some papers out and began asking me questions about my life. I made up a little sob-story about how my parents died in a car crash, how I was living on the streets for most of my life, and all that I ever wanted was a family. The kind old lady said she would be able to help me, and the 17

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next day, she did. A man appeared at the door and asked if he could adopt me! The nun did background checks and saw that everything was great. I liked him, but his voice sounded deep, unforgiving, and strangely familiar, but no one had ever wanted me before, so I trusted him.

that were left were the First mate, Riley Sepeaux, Kristofer Maar and his sister Saskia, Captain Cardinal, and Riley’s hunting dog Spek. Cardinal’s pet parrot Squawky was left as well but he had flown off into a tree and refused to come down. That was the team of people that were left to survive alone on an island, a group of people that can’t even get their pet bird to come down from a tree.

I hopped into his car, waved bye to my new friends and the nun, who was smiling ear-toear. The man who adopted me said that he was going to take me to his house right away to see his family. When we got to his house, it was not what I thought it would be. The car stopped outside an alleyway, deep into the city. We walked side by side until we reached the end of the alley and were met by a brick wall. Instead of pulling house keys, he pulled out a knife. It was the same knife that I had! Then it hit me, the man who “adopted” me was the mysterious man the gave me the dagger in the first place! He must have changed his face by killing someone else! I was terrified. I knew that I was going to die here. He grabbed me by the shirt and slowly dragged the blade across my cheek. I closed my eyes and braced for the pain of the blade going through my chest next, but instead, he dropped me on the ground. I watched in horror as the blood on the blade began to fade, and the man walked away laughing.

The island wasn’t very large. Anyone could walk its length in a day. The Neptunes remains were placed on the southern beach of the Island. The new shelter that they had built from salvaged pieces of the Neptune was a quick walk north past the tree line. This structure was aptly named the Bird’s Nest. This was due to the fact it was built on the side of a large tree and as a pun for the captain’s name. It was an odd structure. The base of the tree was used as a staircase upwards on account of its deformed shape and the side coming off the tree was lopsided. Half of the building didn’t have a roof and some parts didn’t even have any walls. But still, Riley was impressed with what the others were able to create. He didn’t work on the Nest with the others, but rather it was his job to scout out the island. Riley was a cartographer by trade so it made the most sense.

I looked down into the puddle that my tears of betrayal had formed and saw my reflection. It was me, the real, hideous me.

I looked into my ghastly eyes; I was lost there. Abandoned, afraid, and alone.

In his exploration, he found many things and learned much about the island’s make up. He knew that storms would pass over the island every month or so. In these storms, the south beach would flood up to the tree line so they dug a moat around Birds Nest to keep it from getting destroyed. If you keep walking north, past Bird’s Nest and deeper into the jungle you will increase your elevation. The center of the island is one large mountain, at the top of which you can see all possible surroundings. Continuing north will bring you down a large cliff face and into a flat long plain of sand. It’s here where there are many crabs and pockets of water that trap fish inside. The

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT FICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020 The Island Mason Moore ‘22 It has been 6 months since The Neptune crashed on the island. Only now they were starting to run out of rations. The only people

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mangroves also grow fresh fruits further back by the cliffside. Riley named this location Le Plage de Nourriture. The Beach of Food, in his native tongue of french. His crewmates, being dutch, had trouble pronouncing this name so they created the shorthand of Plagener.

No matter its name, you didn’t want to be caught here during a storm or high tide.

of the structure. Saskia turned her head down to meet Riley.

“Hi!” She responded, “What’s up?”

“Where is everybody?” Riley asked his dog, Spek, running to him.

“Oh they went to Plagener I think,” She said.

“Hopefully they come back in time for the storm,” Riley said, walking up into the Bird’s Nest. He found a small cushion and leaned it against one of the built walls and let Spek curl up against him. He was tired after wandering around for the day and let himself drift off to sleep.

Riley awoke to both the sound of thunder and Saskia shaking him.

“Riley Riley!!” She shouted in his face. Riley being stunned just sat there, “Riley! The others aren’t back yet!” The rain was pouring down on their faces making it a little hard to see. It took a second for what Saskia said to register in his head. But when it did he jumped up and shouted to Spek to follow. He ran down the stairs of the home and north up the hill of the jungle. His vision was heavily obscured by the lack of light, heavy underbrush, and pouring rain. He could hear Saskia and Spek running with him. Once they arrived at the edge of the cliff Riley attempted to scan the area for their friends. Although they couldn’t see them they could hear the gruff voice of Cardinal. It sounded as if he was in pain. Riley started to descend down the hill. Once he arrived at the bottom of the cliff he hopped into the almost four feet deep water that flooded the Plagener.

He dove in and swam to where he could hear the captain and soon found out why he was in pain. Cardinal clung to the top of a rock pillar with one arm, the other hung lifelessly from his side, a large visible bite in the side.

Riley could tell that his arm was barely able to stay on his body. This nauseated him so much

Cottage, colored pencil - Nicholas Hemmings ‘22

The east of the island consisted mainly of thick jungle. This was where the most dangerous land predators lived. These being ocelots and snakes. This wasn’t a problem for the crew as they tended to avoid the east. Instead, they wandered west into the open hilltop. Here they could find small underbrush and trees to use for materials and the only herd of sheep on the island. Even after six months, the sheep weren’t comfortable around the crew.

Riley moved down the side of the hill to the front end of Bird’s Nest. Above the canopy, he could see dark clouds approaching. They would have to sit in for the next few days as the rain hit the island. The storms here were violent, that’s the whole reason they were stuck on this island. As he approached the base he could see Saskia working on building the walls for one of the platforms.

“Hey!” Riley shouted from the bottom

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that he threw up in the water around him.

scowling as he did so. The room was ominously silent, save for the click-clump of the detective’s footsteps, and the mild buzzing of the harsh fluorescent lights. His dark, contempt filled, eyes scoured the ten by ten room, which was barren save for two metal chairs and a desk. A well-dressed man wearing a suit and tie sat handcuffed to the desk, looking smug and content. Only his eyes ruined the facade, scanning the room for some manner of escape.

He glanced at the detective, with an expression of mild amusement. As the detective approached, his scowl deepened, and he glared with hatred filled eyes at the man. The detective viciously shoved the chair back and sat down, across from the man. “I’ll ask this once,” the detective said, clearly struggling to keep the rage out of his voice. “Where is the woman?” “Why I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the man said, clearly entertained at the detective’s aggravation.

The detective abruptly stood up knocking the chair over, and slammed his fists into the desk, so hard that it could be heard by the other cops outside. “I’m warning you…” he growled at the man, “Don’t play with me.” The man merely sneered. Frustrated, the detective turned around and limped out of the room. As he limped by his coworker’s desks, they began to gossip to one another. Glancing around, the police chief muttered to one of the rookie cops, “Poor guy hasn’t been the same since Afghanistan.” The detective glanced at him briefly, then hobbled out of the building. “Wonder who he was yelling at anyway,” the rookie stated curiously. The chief looked around briefly and checked inside the interrogation room. “Weird it’s empty,” he said perplexed. The rookie shrugged nonchalantly.

“Hey! Good for nothing! Ya gonna help me or vomit?” He shouted through the chaos of the storm. At least, even in great pain, Cardinal could still be a jerk.

“Where is Kristofer?!” Riley said over the thunder.

“Gone! He fought off that beast that took my arm! Haven’t seen ‘em since then but I wasn’t about to go back out there with that thing in the water!” He replied.

Riley wasn’t particularly shocked by this, Cardinal didn’t care much for any of his crew. Riley got his arm around Cardinal and pulled him from the rock, using the water as a tool to counteract his weight. Riley tried to lug his body back to the cliffside where Saskia was waiting to help him carry their captain back to the Birds Nest. Hopefully, she’ll take the news of her brother well.

All was going relatively well until the dark shape of a fin appeared above the waterline.

Riley hoped that the captain would just remain calm but he didn’t. Freaking out the captain dove from Rileys hold and into the water, which forced Riley under. In the panic, Cardinal kicked Riley in the head causing him to fall further into the water. Riley could feel Cardinal struggling above him and the shark circling them both. Then without any warning, Riley felt a deep and searing pain in the side. Only after a few more kicks by his captain did the world go dark for Riley.

The Woman

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT FICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020

Michelle’s wrists chaffed and her legs cramped uncomfortably in the pitch black, minuscule space. She twisted and turned, attempting to get a comfortable position, but failing nonetheless.

The Woman Krish Shah ‘22 The detective limped into the poorly lit room,

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Her lips moved soundlessly, as she cursed God for her particular predicament. It had been roughly five days since she had been taken, five miserable, sleep, and food-deprived, days. Her auburn hair was twisted awkwardly against the ground. She felt almost seasick, but at the same time not really. She heard a constant motor running, stopping at spaced apart intervals. It was only when the motor stopped, and her head stopped spinning, did she finally drift into sleep. Speaking of, the vehicle screeched to a halt. Michelle breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately for her, her captors had other plans. The trunk whirred open, the bright, harsh light of the sun beating down on Michelle’s eyelids. She screamed softly, as the light burned her retinas into oblivion.

When her vision finally refocused, she saw a somewhat rundown building. “That’s funny,” she thought to herself, “That kind of looks like my apartment.” That was the last thought she had, before her captor swung a brutal right hook at her jaw, knocking her out instantly.

and utter anarchy. The commander stood in the middle of the field, hosing down some of their enemies with bullets. A frag grenade bounced next to her, and the pin went out with a faint clicking noise. David desperately flew towards his wife and pushed her. The grenade went off with a BOOM, that left David with his ears screaming, and his leg full of shrapnel. Michelle lay inches from him.Years later David would replay this moment over and over again.

The Police Precinct Present Day “We have a lead,” the police chief announced, thrilled. “That’s great,” said the rookie, “On the missing Jane Doe?” The police chief gave him an affirmative nod. “She was spotted being carried in unconscious at a building off of Gotham Street.” “Did you say Gotham Street?”

The rookie asked quizzically. “Yeah, why?” The chief answered. “Chief that’s her last known address.” “Doesn’t The Detective also live there?” Another rookie asked, confused. The chief wore an expression of utter bewilderment on his face. “This goddamn case keeps getting weirder and weirder,” he muttered. He then cleared his voice, and said in a commanding tone, “Regardless of all of that, let’s move out people. There’s a woman’s life at stake.” All of the cops headed out the door. Before leaving, the chief said, to no one in particular, “Radio the detective what the woman’s location is.

You all know how invested in this case he is.”

Afghanistan 2009 “Commander we need to prepare,” David, “The Detective” Michaelson said frantically.

“Calm down David,” the commander said, without an ounce of concern. “The Taliban are miles away.” “Michelle please,” David said desperately. Michelle shot a look at him. “Just because I’m your wife doesn’t mean you can talk that way to me.” “Now relax.” BOOM. The entire base shook like it was struck by a lightning bolt. David shot a withering look at the commander and bolted to the bases’ walls. Hundreds of Taliban members stood, hidden by barricades. Occasionally, they would pop out, and let loose a sea of bullets.

Unfortunately for the US soldiers, they were caught completely unaware, and many were only armed with pistols. Explosions boomed, bullets flew through the air like rain, complete

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The Apartment The detective paced in his apartment. Then, all of a sudden his radio went off. “Michaelson, the Jane Doe is being held in an apartment building at 205 Gotham Street.” “Heat scans show that only apartment numbers 101 and 201 are occupied.” “I’m in 101,” the detective radioed back. “Michaelson this is the chief,” he said in a commanding tone, “Under no circumstances are you to go upstairs...” “Yeah,

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yeah, yeah,” the detective replied, dismissively.

He switched off his radio, grabbed his handgun and bound up the stairs as fast as his limp allowed him too. He slammed his shoulder into the door frame of 201, smashing the rickety old frame to the ground. The woman, bound to a chair looked up in fear, paralyzed as though she were poisoned. “Y-You?” She stuttered nervously. “Don’t worry I’m with the police,” the detective said soothingly. The woman’s eyes shone with fear and were as round as stones. “Michelle, you don’t recognize me?” The detective asked dejectedly. Before she could respond, a well-dressed man leaped out of the shadows, pointing his gun squarely at the detective. “Freeze detective,” the captor said.

“Don’t worry Michelle, I’ll save you.” The woman finally gained her voice. She yelled frustrated, “Save me from whom,YOU kidnapped me?”

“What?” The detective was bewildered. “No, no, he kidnapped you,” the detective said pointing at the man in the corner. The well-dressed man winked and disappeared. “What?” The detectives head swam. At that instant, the police burst in, and arrested him, and freed the woman.

red sedan. When he thought about getting his degree in business, he thought it would be all about money and a corner office with a great view, but instead, he had to start at the bottom in a small cramped cubicle in a large, windowless room with many others just like his.

The lack of natural light and human interaction made him feel like a hibernating bear that just slept through an entire winter only for him it was just a day. It reminded him of prison or a mental hospital. He had loved the idea of being a businessman when he was a kid but now realized it might not be all that he thought. He hated wearing a collared shirt, tie, and a jacket every day and people walking around telling you to stay on task even when he was on task.

It reminded him of school, which is something he so badly wanted to leave in his past. It was cloudy, and the wind was picking up, and a slight rain started to fall like sand in an hourglass, soft, but steady. As he started the engine, the radio came on, and there was a breaking news report about an escaped inmate from the local mental institution. Joe did not give the message a second thought, and he changed the station.

Years later, the chief would discover what had happened. Being crippled and watching his wife die, had slowly driven the detective mad. He thought that his wife, long deceased, had been kidnapped and that he had to save her. What had actually happened, is that some twisted second personality of the detective had kidnapped his neighbor, a different woman named Michelle.

Everything that happened after that was a combination of hallucinations and PTSD.

After ten minutes of driving, Joe started to get very tired. He pulled off at a small coffee shop to get something to wake him up a little. As he walked in the amazing smell of freshly ground coffee crept its way into his nose and almost instantly made him perk up.

As he walked up to the front counter, the barista looked at him with a puzzled look as his face. In the background, a TV was playing live updates about the missing mental patient.

“Can you believe that?” Joe asked the barista, “I thought they had those wackos tied up in straight jackets and locked away in cells, how the hell did he get outta that?”. The barista still looked confused and was now starting to look worried. He handed him a coffee without saying a word. “How much?” Joe asked. “Three dollars,” the barista said. Joe gave him the money and walked out. It had been a long time since Joe had any coffee. He was delighted to

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT FICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020 The Man in the Red Sedan Justin Simoncek ‘22 It was dark by the time Joe was leaving the office for the day. Where had the day gone he thought to himself as he got to his car, a small Mind’s Eye

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have it now. Without it, he was a bit crazy.

around and drove back the other way to avoid the police. He had to find an alternate route home now that stayed off main roads.

Sirens wailed as he sped through the center of town. Officer Paul Beasley was annoyed he had to go back to work. He had just gotten off for the day and was about to sit down for dinner when he heard the news and was called into work. He arrived at the station and as he walked in the chief pulled him aside and briefed him quickly on the situation at hand. Paul would be leading the search for the escapee. He entered the conference where the rest of the officers were. He scanned the room and guessed there were fifty other cops waiting to hear their assignments. They all quieted down as he and the chief entered.

Only five minutes after Paul had called in the lead the station reported they received a call from a civilian that saw a red sedan turn around near a police checkpoint. They didn’t get their plates, though. Paul turned on his lights and sirens and started to drive towards the checkpoint. He knew the suspect would be sticking to the backroads tonight.

Joe was trying to think of a way to get home, but for some reason, he could not remember anything about the roads around here. He couldn’t remember what had happened to him yesterday or even this morning. One thing he did know for sure was his arms were a bit stiff like they had been kept in one position all day. He dismissed these abnormalities as just exhaustion from typing all day at the office even though he didn’t know what he would have been typing. He then asked Siri for help getting home.

Ten short minutes later, Paul was back in his car. He and twenty other cars were going out to drive the streets all around town to look for the perpetrator’s car, which he stole, described as a red sedan license plate number TB-112446.

Some officers stayed back at the station to monitor cameras around town looking out for the car. The remainder of the town’s officers went door to door in the neighborhoods surrounding the asylum to ask the residents if they had seen anything suspicious. Paul decided to stop and get a cup of coffee. He pulled into the coffee store. “Missing inmate still on the loose as police scramble to begin searching…” said a news anchor on the TV in the coffee shop “we have just received word that the suspect is driving a red sedan with license plate TB-112446”. “We had a guy just come by not even twenty minutes ago driving one of those” the barista told Paul “looked like a real wacko too.” “Thanks for letting me know,” Paul said as he wrote down the address and approximate time of the sighting in his notebook. He called in the lead to the station. Paul grabbed his coffee, paid and left.

Paul and his team were searching all the streets in a two-mile radius of the checkpoint for the suspected car. As he was driving, he saw a yard that was all torn up by a car. He pulled into the driveway. He got out of his car and walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A little old lady answered the door. Paul asked, “did you see who drove through the front of your yard?”. “Well there was a large truck parked on the other side of the road most of the day, and the small red car came through in a hurry and tore through the yard. I watched it happen as I was sitting on my front porch,” she replied.

“How long ago did this happen?” he asked. “Oh, not even five minutes before you showed up,” she answered. He thanked her and left. He sped off with his lights and sirens on. He knew this road went for another five miles without any intersection with any other streets. He called the station to organize a roadblock there.

Joe hit traffic on the main road to his house. He saw blue and red lights of cops. He suspected they were checking for cars that matched the description of the escapee. Joe turned Mind’s Eye

Joe was driving along a road he did not 23

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The European Expedition Gabriel Bravo-Cancino ‘22

recognize and noticed that there weren’t any intersecting streets. He thought it was bizarre.

He started to get worried, not about the road but the faint sound of sirens behind him.

At the end of every school year, the same question is always asked. What will be made of the summer? Children spend their last day of school waiting for the long day to be over so they can begin enjoying their relaxing vacation. They eagerly talk to their peers about their plans and hopes and their relief at the thought of ending the monotone school year.

Teachers attempt to calm their ecstatic students by giving them the quelling news that the day has yet to end. My end of the school year was different, however. Instead of having the enigma of summer’s events cloud my mind, my family had planned out our summer months before.

Paul was going nearly eighty miles per hour and thought he would be closing the gap. The residential neighborhood had slowly turned into lots of cornfields. A perfect place for someone to run, he thought to himself.

The other officers had set up a roadblock with trucks and road spikes. They had over twenty officers there and multiple people from the mental hospital to detain the escapee.

Joe was starting to get worried; the sirens were getting closer and closer. He slowed his speed to be under the speed limit. He then also saw lights in front of him. “Damn it! Did those cops put a checkpoint on every damn road in the county!” Joe said, frustrated.

Usually, I would get home on the last day of school to packed bags ready to depart on the perennial visit to my grandparents’ house in Colombia. There my brother and I would spend two months playing fast-paced soccer, swimming in the cool pools, eating delicious food, and spending time with our beloved family. This year was different though. Our summer was going to be more special than usual. Around April, my parents gave my brother and me tremendous news. Over the dinner table, my parents told my brother and me that this year we would go on an adventure to Europe. My face lit up in excitement as my brother dropped his fork in disbelief. Our eagerness for this adventure overwhelmed us as we expressed our happiness about our plans. The proceeding months before the beginning of summer were filled with planning the trip and all of the fine details.

Paul saw a car about a quarter-mile down the road. He sped up and soon saw it was a red sedan. “We have stopped the suspected car with matching plates,” a voice crackled over the radio. Paul slowed down as he reached the car in front of him and saw the plate was 024-CHT. Joe had been stopped and saw the cop behind him slow down, and instead of stopping it pulled around him, and the officer got out and pulled his gun. Joe noticed many other cops got out of the shadows and were aiming their weapons at a car just up ahead. He was so preoccupied with looking at the car behind him he hadn’t noticed the car in front of him that had stopped.

He looked at his glove compartment and was relieved they weren’t coming for him that night.

One of the main planning points of the trip were the countries that we were going to visit. We knew there were going to be at least two, but we had not decided on which ones. My mom wanted to visit France and experience both the city and the countryside of France’s idolized culture. My step-father wanted to go to Italy to tour Rome’s historic monuments, as well as to

“We have apprehended the suspect,” Paul said into his radio.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT NONFICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020

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set in Manchester, a city that is home to the greatest football team in the world, Manchester United. There we took a tour of the Theatre of Dreams known as Old Trafford. The tour included access to the most iconic features of the stadium as well as the locker rooms where some of the most talented players to ever play the game would prepare for matches; the press conference room where managers from both teams would speak to interviewers about the match, and finally the manager’s box where the manager and substitutes would watch the ongoing match. Once our time in England had concluded, we were going to board a plane from London to Milan. indulge in Italy’s most famous delicacies. My brother and I were keen on visiting England so we could live the life of royalty and hear all of the British accents. We ultimately came to the conclusion that we were going to divide the trip into three countries: a half of a week in France, another half of a week in England, then two weeks in Italy. So we packed our bags, and a week after school had ended, we boarded our plane to begin our dream vacation to Europe, beginning with France.

Once our plane landed in Milan we were not able to experience the city much; our train to Florence left the station less than an hour later.

The train ride took two hours, but that time flew by quickly with our anticipation for what else was going to happen on the already amazing trip. Once the train stopped in Florence, we spent the day exploring the city and all of its historic value. We did not plan anything specific in Florence which made it even more enjoyable.

We explored busy marketplaces, historic piazzas, and all of the beautiful cathedrals. Once Florence was fully explored we rented a car and drove through Tuscany visiting all of the little towns on our way to Rome. My favorite of these being Orvietto, a small town made mostly of vineyards. There we stayed at an enchanting agro touristic vineyard. We ate the most amazing food I’ve ever tasted, swam in the most beautiful pool looking over the valley of grapevines below, and enjoyed the ambiance of the vineyard itself. A drive that would usually take one day took us three days, just so we could experience all of the Tuscan cultures.

Our time in France was spent primarily in Paris, doing day tours visiting the illustrious landmarks, and eating all of the exquisite food. One day was dedicated to touring the iconic palace of Versailles; another, filled with a tour of the Louvre and a beautiful night time cruise down the Seine River. One of our last days was made up of a tour of the famous Moët and Chandon champagne headquarters in Reims. From France, we boarded a bullet train through the English Channel to King’s Cross Station in London.

Upon our arrival in London, we toured King’s Cross station and saw all of the magical Harry Potter attractions they had to offer. Our days in London were spent walking around the city visiting the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace. One day was exclusively

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In Rome, we had a very clear plan as to how our days would be spent. One day, we toured the Colosseum and the Roman Forums, admiring all of the ancient structures and learning about

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their long history. My brother obliged us to take a tour of the Catacombs so we chose one of them and explored it. This one was located below St. Sebastian’s Cathedral. The cold and chilling atmosphere consumed us as we walked through the dim corridors. The tour guide told us all about this catacomb and the history of the people who were buried in it. It stretched for three miles and had three levels, and above the catacomb, there was the tomb of St. Sebastian himself. The last two days were dedicated to the Vatican. We toured the museum seeing all of the artifacts and beautiful artwork there was on display. There were so many priceless pieces of history that it took us the whole day just to view everything in the museum, especially the world-renowned Sistine Chapel. While everyone was mesmerized by the Creation of Adam, I looked around at all of the other aspects of the Chapel. The architecture and style of artwork used to decorate the chapel were magnificent.

The next and final day of our trip was spent yet again at the Vatican. This time we walked around St. Peter’s Basilica, attending mass and looking around the Basilica in pure awe. After that day we had to say goodbye to Europe and fly back home to the United States, a trip that lasted three weeks, leaving memories for me and my family that would last for years.

away from our purpose in this life. Some of us, however, are able to break this cycle and tread on our own path. As we continue to live like everyone else, we can easily lose ourselves and become puppets in this world.

As a high school student, I have found myself constantly trying to please everyone but myself.

I tried to write the best essay, score the highest grade, be an extremely generous person, and be mister athletic. All of this in the hope that I can be liked by everyone. Believe me, it sounds nice to be able to say and hear all of that, but it just is not who I am. It is neither my purpose nor my dream. I would not discover what I truly cared about until much later.

Every time I unlocked my iPhone and logged onto one of my social media accounts, I was giving in to this “manufactured reality”. I wished that my life was as cheery and successful as my friends and others online; beautiful vacations, Friday-night football games, teenage romance, and winning awards. Every time I saw one of these posts, my heart would beat out of my chest, my breathing would accelerate, and my brain would only focus on one question, “What am I doing with my life? Why aren’t I having the best time of my life?” The answer was right in front of me the entire time, but I could not see it. I was too focused on everyone else’s success and happiness, that I was not investing enough time into my own. That is what mattered most; me. I sat down and thought to myself, “What excites me most? What am I most passionate about?” That is the moment when my life changed. That is the moment when I began investing time in myself and my future.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT NONFICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020 Breaking the Cycle Braden Outen ‘22 It is hard growing up in the 21st-century.

Our Earth, the world around us, is constantly evolving, yet we all tend to remain the same or follow it like how a dog follows its owner.

For the majority of us who sit quietly and watch the world pass us by, we are wasting our lives. For the majority of us who constantly follow the 21st-century trends, we are steering

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One day, in my freshman year of high school, I came across an online article about Tesla and how the company was working to revolutionize the world. I believe that was the precise moment when my love for science, technology, engineering, and math (S/T/E/M) emerged. I was beyond intrigued by the way 26

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technology was built, especially the way that computers, chemicals, and robotics could be used to create such amazing things. The thought of building robots, designing electric cars, and developing an app inspired me. The feeling was similar to a bright flame lighting up inside of me. I began to submerge myself in the world of STEM, to the point where I would refer myself to as a scientist and as an engineer.

I read books and articles, watched many videos and movies, and sought out a plethora of advice from my teachers. Not only was it extremely gratifying to learn and talk about this subject, but it changed my perspective on the future, including my own, and who I was.

ambitious and extremely daunting for a 15-yearold high school student, but these are the things I love to do. This is my purpose. Pretty soon I will be changing the world, one step at a time. Elon Musk, my superhero, once stated, “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” Being who I am today is extremely important to my personal growth, growth of my mind, and of my future. No matter what obstacles, good or bad, that may stump me, it is only temporary. I must continue to push and to persevere, only to show the world and myself what my purpose in life is.

The only way I was able to discover my purpose was to focus on myself and not on the world.

Every time I enter my biology class, I become inspired by the microscopes and goggles.

CONNECTICUT WRITING PROJECT NONFICTION HONORABLE MENTION, 2020

Every time I enter my English class, I become inspired by the myriad of books, all speaking to me. Every time I enter my Algebra class, I become inspired by the formulas and equations on the board. Every time I enter my engineering class, I become motivated by inspirational posters, robots, and computers surrounding me. Each of these classrooms inspires me to grow, learn, explore, and most importantly, to chase my dreams. With all the knowledge I’ve gained from these classes, plus on my own, I have already decided what I want to do in the future -- I want to change the world. In order to achieve these goals one day, I have yielded to a self routine and plan.

Las Vegas of the East Noel Roldan ‘22 Did you know that there is a place in Asia that is a replica of Las Vegas? Macau is a city located on the southeast coast of China known as the “Las Vegas of the East.” This past summer, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit and get to see this city, which is known for its vibrant atmosphere and breathtaking landscapes.

While in Hong Kong, my family took a day trip to Macau to explore the historic town and admire the glitz and glamor of the Vegas-style hotels along the Cotai Strip. As we enter the ferry terminal, my attention was caught by a giant red mean-looking traveling machine that was parked on the harborside. I was thrilled when my dad told us that it was the Turbojet ferry that will take us to our destination. I can smell the salty water as we enter the station, and the combination of the hot sun and rain made the outside very humid. The terminal was filled with buzzing excitement from people waiting to board the TurboJet ferry. After purchasing our tickets and going

Now, my daily routine has become: wake up at 4 am, shower and eat, read for 20 minutes, explore new topics or continue mastering the previous ones, and meditate during sunrise.

What is so beautiful about this? Waking up at 4 am and meditating while facing the sunrise gives me the energy and motivation I need to power through my day. Also, it allows me to be productive and happy. By the time I get ready for school at 7 am, I have already achieved so much. Sure, this all does appear to be beyond

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through immigration, we finally boarded the huge speed boat, and it felt as if I was entering an airplane. Seating is airplane-style in that you choose a window or aisle, and the seats are more extensive, more comfortable, and have more legroom compared to an economy class plane ticket. The interior design is pretty sleek, and it is surrounded by large windows that spanned across the cabin to give travelers an unobstructed view of the spectacular Hong Kong skyline, the islands along the South China Sea, the Macau Tower, and bright lights from the casinos that illuminate the city. The highspeed ferry ride took an hour, and it was one of the most thrilling rides of my life. The ferry flies through the water, and the whooshing sound as the water splashes against the window was soothing to my ears. Along the trip, I caught a glimpse of numerous fishing boats and large cargo vessels. It was indeed an awesome and out of this world experience.

of-the-art facility that is home to several exotic animals exclusive to the Chinese region and a sanctuary for the feeding and nurturing of the pandas on the other side of the city far from the glitzy casinos. As we approached the entrance of the panda sanctuary, an overpowering foul scent coming from the pandas greeted us. It was a robust waxy scent mark that pandas produce underneath their short tail. Three giant pandas welcomed us. Their fluffy black and white fur and the black patches around their eyes make me want to hug them. Seeing a live panda made me agree with my sister that they are one of the cutest animals in the world.

I felt entertained just by watching them eat bamboo and play amongst each other. It was a charming and enjoyable sight to behold. We wanted to stay longer, but several attractions were awaiting us, so we headed to our van after almost an hour of total “pandemonium.”

Our stomachs started to rumble, and we all wanted a bite to eat. Senado Square is the perfect spot to satisfy our cravings for traditional Macanese comfort foods. The place was teeming with people. It was packed with tourists and locals alike who come to appreciate the history behind the magnificent architecture surrounding the area. My senses were thrilled as we explored the vicinity.

The different colored colonial facades were a pleasure to my eyes, and the clomping sound of my steps as I walked through the mosaictiled pavement was a melody to my ears. The sweet and savory smell of baked pastries, pork buns, and freshly cooked jerkies were heavenly.

It was almost a challenge to pick a place to eat as the sight of the food displayed in the stalls were all enticing. There were small alleys that stemmed out in all directions and various shops where you will find everything from souvenirs, food, clothing, and beyond lined up the aisles.

Perhaps the highlight of this famous spot is the iconic Ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral. The front baroque facade and the majestic stone stairs

When we arrived at the shores of Macau, we followed the bright red signs that led us outside the terminal, where a kind gentleman welcomed us and offered to give us a private tour of the famous Macau attractions. We visited several tourist spots that Macau is known for, which includes the Panda Pavilion, the famous Senado Square, Lady Buddha, and the Venetian Resort and Casino. We rode in a black van with black leather interiors and plush second-row leather captain’s chairs. The feel and the smell of quality leather made me think that the truck was brand new. The seats have adjustable seating, and there was a dual-zone automatic climate control, which made for a pleasant and relaxing day’s journey. Being in the car made me forget what it was like outside the hot and humid weather. The cabin was so comfortable that my sister and I dozed off in between our stops.

The first stop on our Macau adventure was the Giant Panda Pavilion. My sister is very fond of pandas, and it turned out that there is a state-

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are the only remains left of this church, which was built in 1580. There were various stone carvings within the facade, which symbolizes biblical images that were from European and Asian influences. It was indeed a captivating scene that will forever be etched in my memory.

cuisines from Europe, Asia, America surrounded the area. Name it, and they probably have it.

The different aromas originating from the food court filled the air, and it was irresistible.

After dinner, we continued to stroll around the canal and admired the intricate paintings on the ceiling, which mimicked the real Venetian skyline. It looked as if we were outdoors enjoying an actual Venetian setting. The painted sky, water stream, and the calming voices of the gondola rowers made me feel like I was in Italy. The mall area was so grand that every turn leads us to a new path, and we find new things to look at along the way. I was in awe and can’t believe the extravagance surrounding the resort. It was exquisite and luxurious!

As the gentle rocking of the van put me in a deep sleep, I was awakened by the sound of tourists crossing the street to get a glimpse of the giant buddha standing almost 190 feet above the bay. We just arrived at the Lady Buddha Statue, which overlooks the city of Macau on the shoreline. The statue was made of a unique bronze that is standing on a dome shape base, which looks like a lotus flower. Its height staggered over everything as if it serves as the guardian of the sin city. I can feel the calmness as I approach the statue, and the gentle breeze of air that danced through my hair felt refreshing. We took a few shots of the scenic attraction and admired the surrounding view before heading to our final destination.

Macau is a beautiful city with an old-world charm. It may be known as the “Vegas of the East,” but the city has much more to offer than the glitz and glamour of gambling. The city is rich in history, and the culture is diverse. It is one of the best destinations in Asia and undoubtedly a one of a kind vacation that I will never forget!

The climax of our Macau adventure was the Venetian Resort and Casino. As we walked through the grand entrance of the hotel, the sweet, fruity, and floral scent generating from the shops within the hotel tickled our noses. I looked up, and the oversized chandeliers that were hung from the ceilings were breathtaking.

The foyer was decorated with giant vases filled with pink and lilac orchids that were in full bloom. It was a total feast for the eyes. We strolled through the canal and listened to the mesmerizing voices of the gondoliers serenading the tourists. The resort was grandeur in size, and it took forever for us to find a place to eat.

There were several restaurants to choose from, but we cannot decide which type of cuisine to pick. We continued to roam through the shops until we stumbled upon the food court. It was densely populated, and it looked nothing like the food court we see at the malls. It was massive!

About 50 different food stalls offering various

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PULITZER CENTER NATIONAL POETRY CONTEST FINALIST, 2020 Cast Aside Caste Krish Shah ‘22 With lines from, “Caste in America,” by Phillip Martin.

Dalits are those who tend to the sewers and garbage, A noble position, to act as a parent who cleans up after their children, Why are they treated worse than starving artists?

They’re needed like a diabetic needs insulin, But everyone treats them horribly, not just the heartless,

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[Martin] was amazed to hear [Dalits] referred to as untouchable,

I’m in now, America. But, tell me, Mr. Martin isn’t your character Daenerys, from A Song of Ice and Fire, a good example of what I face.

So was I, and I wondered was I so gullible,

That when I would hear my parents describe their homeland as good but with problems,

Now, there are obviously major differences between her and me. For starters, I am not the daughter of the former mad king forced to go into an imposed exile across the narrow sea, constantly running from the current king’s assassins. Our similarities lie in what we consider home. For Daenerys, home is the “house with the red door.” This house isn’t in the seven kingdoms from where she was exiled, rather it’s in the free cities, where she is currently living. How peculiar, that she considers a place from her exile, to be where she feels comfortable, to be in her “element.” Now replace “house with the red door” with America, and Daenerys with me. I feel most comfortable in America, but should I? Is it right for me to feel so attached to a place where I am not from, to feel the swell of pride in my heart when the “Star-Spangled Banner” plays over the TV? Or is it wrong and insensitive to my heritage, to my parents, to my family? However, when I say I’m American, why is the pride suddenly replaced with a woozy, nauseous feeling, and my heart pounds faster than a runaway train?

Likewise, why does Daenerys choose to stay in the free cities, when she has amassed enough troops to take back her throne?

I couldn’t understand the severity of the problem, like alcoholism, Or maybe it’s because I’m Vishnu, And don’t have such issues, But it’s time to cast aside caste, Remove the revolting, wretched, system which enslaves Dalits from birth, That garners them undeserved mirth, India, you have the world’s largest democracy, Remove this hypocrisy, Give the people a voice and change your society, It’s hard to prioritize such issues when people are hungry, But I’d rather my belly be empty; than be considered an untouchable.

LETTER TO GEORGE R. R. MARTIN LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE - STATE FIANALIST, 2020 - Krish Shah ‘22 Dear George Martin,

I used to attempt to explain what languages I speak. Saying that I speak Gujrati just left my audience looking confused. Now, I’ve given up and just say I speak “Indian.”

However, my proficiency in speaking is okay at best. This left me with the nick-name of “ABCD” (American born confused Dhesi) in my family. It would be alright if my English was great or excellent. However, I stutter and struggle to pronounce some basic words especially when I was younger. This leaves me confused, split, between my love of my “motherland” that is India, and the country that

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The answer, I believe, lies in our parental figures.

Daenerys has no parents, and the closest thing to a parental figure she does have is her older brother Viserys. And to Viserys, their home is Westeros, the land from which they were exiled. Likewise, my parents moved from India to America. However, a significant distinction is that they moved out of their own free will.

However, they still love India, and are very much still “Indians,” regardless of how long they’ve lived here. Same with Viserys. Even

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though he’s lived in the Free Cities longer than Westeros, he longs for his version of home.

But what does this say about Daenerys and me? For Daenerys, she comes to understand that she is not her brother, nor her father, and realizes that before she embarks on her final conquest, she wants her home to be adequately ruled. She becomes stronger, hardened in fire through her trials and tribulations in the Free Cities. She eventually comes to rule the lands that she called home, while still making plans to take back the throne that was taken from her. To me, this symbolizes her accepting that she can be both a queen of the Free Cities and of Westeros, which in turn shows that she has accepted her heritage while being her own person. But, Daenerys is not without her flaws. She is naive, rash, and a bit self-absorbed.

She feels compassion for her allies and what she deems as “innocents” but has no mercy for her enemies. Also, her story in the books hasn’t been concluded, so the opportunity for her character to spiral into madness remains.

exactly make friends easily. I felt like every little blemish or imperfection of mine was pointed out and used against me. This truly made me feel like an outlier and someone who didn’t belong. So yes, I was picked on, and you and Auggie truly know how it feels.

While this book is intended for young readers, the message it portrays should be absorbed by people of all ages. I believe this novel is a great discussion starter about courage, the need for kindness in the world, and the fact that bravery can take many forms. I find it very touching that Jack continued to be best friends with Auggie even after Julian turned the whole school against him. In addition, kindness is truly shown when all the kids who have actively shunned or passively ignored Auggie stand up for him against some seventh-graders who are looking for trouble. His peers finally accepted him as one of their own, as a kid with a heart, a brain, and a great sense of humor.

Before reading this novel, my idea of trying to fit in was following the behavior of my peers. However, being different is pretty great.

Honestly, normal is the last thing I want to be.

I want to stand out from the crowd. It’s more than okay to be that introverted, quiet kid who’s a bit shy. I have learned to be proud of who I am despite anyone else’s opinion. I will continue to be that ambivert, who seeks happiness for myself as well as others. I believe we should all remember who we were before the world told us who we should be. Because no matter how much you want to deny the fact that you have changed, it won’t change you as a person.

Regardless, your books have helped me realize that accepting multiple identities is possible, and for that, I am eternally grateful. But as for my own acceptance of my heritage and my unique personal identity, well only time will tell.

Sincerely, Krish Shah LETTER TO R.J. PALACIO - LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE - STATE SEMI FINALIST, 2020 - Devin Rodriguez ‘22

I believe Wonder has benefited my individuality.

Auggie has taught me it is more than acceptable to embrace who you are, and to just be you. It’s obvious that there will always be people around you to pick on you or mess with you.Yet, I’m happy to say that I’m grateful for those people because they help me to continue to be me every single day.

Dear R.J. Palacio, I have never had a facial deformity. I have never been severely bullied. But when I read Wonder, I understood Auggie, and I understood his struggle to fit in with the rest of the kids. During middle school, I didn’t

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There were also many attributes that I aspire to obtain every day such as kindness, courage, and wonder. When you really think about it, it’s sort of insane to come across a middle school book with writing powerful enough to make both adults and young readers see the world differently. The impact this novel has made upon me is sort of difficult to comprehend. In a way, I feel as though it has helped shape me as a person. One valuable piece of advice that will always continue to stick with me is the fact that it’s not enough to be friendly; you have to be a friend.

before ourselves, being willing to do anything and everything for that individual? Love.

In a physical, quantitative, and qualitative sense, love cannot be divided. Put a wall or a thousand miles between a mother and her child and each will love the other just as if they were together.

Love can’t be overcome simply through physical barriers. This bond shared by two individuals is stronger than any interruption society or the world can place between them, time being the epitome of these challenges. For a number of years while I was growing up, my dad traveled weekly for his job, leaving on Sunday and returning late Thursday night. I’d often hear my mom say the phrase, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” on Sunday afternoons prior to my dad’s departure. I found solace in this idea during those long weeks, but have also come to understand and appreciate the gravity of the concept today. I valued the time with my whole family every weekend more so than before. My dad’s return on Thursday nights became somewhat of a celebration, compared to his previous daily return. Our understanding, as humans, that we appreciate someone or something to a greater degree after a prolonged absence rationally makes sense.

However, I struggled with the idea that we “miss” that person or thing to a lesser degree after a shorter period of time, say a typical eight-hour day. Anything has the potential to happen to anyone at any given moment, but as the duration of separation from that loved one extends, our awareness of their absence also grows, thus their reception upon their arrival is so much more cherished. Historically, although never truly successful, many attempts have been made to prevent love between individuals, however, a verbal command, or even a will, does not determine attraction like love does. In a similar sense, the love of those fighting endured through their continued fight for equality.

I would like to thank you for writing this incredibly impactful novel. I hope that you will continue to make works of literature just like it.

Best Wishes, Devin Rodriguez The One Exception When Dividing

by Zero Evan Quesada ‘21 A divisor of zero in mathematics typically denotes a nonexistent value, or, in many cases, an error along the way in the process of solving. No value can be divided by zero because no number can be multiplied by zero and result in any number but zero. If a function includes x in the divisor, as the value of the denominator approaches zero, the limit of the y-value approaches infinity, since the divisor will grow infinitely smaller, yet still never reaching zero itself. However, if reasoned outside of math and science, the possibilities of dividing by zero begin to expand.

To divide by zero may also be interpreted as asking what can be divided by nothing.

In this sense, it can then be rephrased to pose the question, what can be divided, or separated, by nothing? So, in simpler terms, what cannot be divided? What do we call it when we subconsciously place someone else Mind’s Eye

More theoretically, love cannot be divided in both in quality and in quantity, meaning there is no limit to the number of individuals you 32

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can love and the capacity in which you are able to do so. Love, while it does encompass a bond with a certain measure of intimacy, also relies on an unconditional commitment. While preference or intimacy may vary between relationships, as some parents are more close to one child than others, this unconditional commitment doesn’t vary from person to person, as parents’ devotion from child to child doesn’t vary. Love is not an expendable quality in the sense that you can’t run out of it. Love for one person does not detract from the love available to another, meaning that the number of people able to be loved is not limited, and, once again, that love is not divisible.

Love is limitless, just as a function that includes dividing by zero has a limit of infinity. Love is capable from all places, people, passions, in all capacities, but is most importantly indivisible.

sockets. My arms fell to my sides, as I could do nothing but sob and allow the emotions to embrace me after months of being held captive inside my internal bottle of feelings.

Attempting to continue to the next iteration of the sequence of Gymnopedies, the now tear-glazed keys caused my fingers to slip and slide uncontrollably, causing me to bawl even harder. With my hands starting to quiver vigorously, all I could do was slump my head down and, to the cacophonous clang of the twenty keys upon which my head slammed, let my emotions flow out of my body.

While I did not want to spend my Saturday night with my face covered in a mixture of tears and mucus, I knew that piano acted as the metaphorical bottle-opener to the cork of the wine bottle withholding my emotions from perception.

Granted, piano is not the only means of triggering my emotions. For example, watching Inside Out induced a sobbing session in the movie theater when I was twelve-years-old and celebrating Christmas with my family sparked a feeling of irreplicable euphoria that filled the room like a bright light. Nevertheless, piano has consistently brought every conceivable emotion to my surface of perception, truly “bringing me to life” and acting as a way to decompress, cope, and reflect upon the hardships and, on a positive note, joys that I face at any point in time.

An Ode to Piano, Bossa Nova, and Baby Got Back Alex Ozonoff ‘21 As my fingers glazed over the ivory-coated keys beheld in front of me, I could feel my internal waterworks begin to open like a dam ready to crack. Gymnopedie No. 2, by Erik Satie. The first, second, third tears began to roll down my cheeks as the emotions I had withheld for months began to seep out, oozing out of my body after having been sealed with a metaphorical padlock, whose combination not even I knew. My Adam’s Apple bulged out of my neck as I endeavored to even finish the piece, feeling my fingers starting to quiver uncontrollably.Yet, after struggling for what felt like an eternal, incessant four minutes, I reached the end. A simple C-major chord. That… was it. A simple C-major chord. The first chord we learn when we start piano. A simple C-major chord.

Music is a universal language: whether it be listening to bossa nova and jazz while eating dinner with family, dancing to Chopin waltzes while counting one, two, three, one, two, three repeatedly, or even surprising a karaoke audience with an exclusive rendition of Baby Got Back, music acts as a common interest and source of congregation. As a pianist, expressing my emotions through eighth notes, chords, and syncopation allows me to communicate with any listener, regardless of the language barriers standing between us. The joy of making music has made me experience a sort of emotional

It broke me.

Waterfalls fell over my face as if my brain grew hands to ring out the sponges behind my eye Mind’s Eye

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Renaissance, a period of contemplation and subsequent personal achievement, that has allowed me to get in touch with my emotions to a further extent. Music, indeed, has helped me “feel alive,” especially during an unprecedented and tumultuous time where everyday feels like a repeat of the last.

received many shares on social media and messages asking how people can help. The people who were not able to be there in person donated via Venmo. With donations alone, we raised over two hundred dollars. My mother, sister, and I took that money and went shopping for non-perishable food items at Target. With all of that money donated, we were able to fill the trunk of a Ford Expedition!

Even before we had held the actual food drive, a whole trunk’s worth of food was donated! Then, the next day we held the actual food drive. With the support of my brother and my whole family, we all set up for the collection. I was outside from ten a.m. until two p.m., and thanks to the amazing generosity of the community, I was able to exceed my goal of filling up the back of a pickup truck and was able to do that in addition to filling the back of an Expedition. Then, after the food drive, I went and transferred all of the food from the cars to the pantry. We had successfully restocked the St. George food pantry to ensure that everyone could enjoy a great holiday season.

In college, during my search for a career, or in old age, wherever I may be, I will continue to speak with anyone who listens to the language of music. I will continue to express my emotions through euphonious harmonies and simplistic melodies. Music will always be a part of me.

Food For the Holidays Presley Villa ‘22 My name is Presley Villa and for my sophomore year service project, I organized a food drive for the St. George food pantry in Guilford, CT. With the pandemic taking a toll on us all, there was very limited in-person mass. For the St. George food pantry, the in-person masses are the main source of collecting food for the pantry. When I was pondering how I could benefit my community through my service project, this idea came to mind after attending CCD at St. George. During the class, the head of the conformation program, Claire Nichols, was talking about how they feed between forty and sixty families every week.

This really had an impact on me because, at St. George, they have a very good community and hearing about the number of families that needed help motivated me to go and organize a large food drive to help the pantry. So, when I reached out to the parish about what food they needed, they expressed that they were in desperate need of any and all non-perishable food items. After hearing this I was set on my goal to fill the back of a pickup truck with food to restock the pantry.

I felt so happy to be able to participate in this project. This experience was moving and helped me realize the blessings that I have received and helped me see the struggles that others are going through.

By being able to complete this project, I was able to take the blessings I have: great community and a supportive family, and was able to help those struggling with food insecurity and provide them an otherwise inaccessible luxury for this holiday season. Working on this project also made me more enthusiastic about volunteering and bettering my community because, throughout this event, I really got to connect with my community and make a difference in people’s lives, all of which are the way of the Lord. I feel that I was doing God’s work by organizing this event and helping those that needed it the most in this trying time. I hope to continue to do events like this, connect and better my community, and further my relationship with God.

After, I talked with the church and my family and we set a date. After that flyers were posted all over social media and shared throughout to make sure we could have the best turnout possible. Once we posted the flyer I was overwhelmed with the amount of the support from the community. I Mind’s Eye

Anakin Skywalker: The Slave that Never Escaped Dante Narduzzo ‘21

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Anakin Skywalker is the chosen one; the one to bring balance to the force. Anakin’s character arch is one where the growth of his character comes at the expense of his life and his friends’ lives. At the end, he learns that no matter what he does, he is a slave. He was born into slavery on his home planet, only to be bought out of slavery by the Jedi, a religious cult where he was forced to follow their teachings and drop all attachments. He fails to his own fears that are amplified by the emperor, who manifestes Anakin’s fears despite trying to prevent the things he fears becoming reality. His wife, Padame, dies in childbirth along with eventually all of his friends die, some by his own hands.

passion, and sorrow for their loved ones and self-destruct and take their lovers with them.

To elaborate, after Anakin truly dies, and Darth Vader is manifested, Darth Vader reaches out through the force and chokes Padme, thinking Padme betrayed Anakin by bringing Obi-Wan to Mustafar to kill him. Padme lives and is in labor, but shortly after giving birth, she dies of a “broken heart.” This scenario is similar to that of Romeo, who upon discovering his love “poisoned and dead”, drinks a bottle of poison, killing himself. When Juliet awakes and discovers that Romeo has killed himself, she stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger.

Anakin starts life as a slave, claimed to be “liberated” by the Jedi, only to be brought into a cult and forced to answer to another master, who is then a general in the clone wars on the front lines. This resultes in Anakin witnessing the horrors of death, destruction, discrimination, slavery, and all things wrong in the galaxy. He sees the horrors of his past and is shown what his future entails. He is deceived by his best friend and the council for a mission. He loses his apprentice because she is betrayed by the council. He loses hope in what he stands for and is caught in mass turmoil. The events that he sufferes could have led to PTSD, which would explain his mental snap and the galactic genocide he leads. He is a man who started with nothing. He doesn’t even own his freedom and he never did. No matter how strong a Jedi, no matter how great a general he became, he is always serving someone else.

The Importance, Impact, and Implications of Elections and the Future of America Evan Quesada ‘21 As Americans, we’re constantly reminded of our history whether it be through our schools named after past presidents, national holidays commemorating influential events and figures, or even our day to day lives and responsibilities. While often overlooked, the documents penned nearly two and a half centuries ago, marking the founding of our nation, bear a significant influence on our daily lives. In addition to providing Americans their fundamental rights, the Constitution also outlines the role of our government, and in doing so, explains the process with which our nation’s leaders and representatives are to be elected. Every four years, Americans gather in their communities to elect the next class of representatives to the national government.

This practice, provided via the Constitution, has remained in place through the history of our nation and through each presidency, beginning with the unanimous election of Washington. The idea of such an agreement: of all electors voting for the same candidate sounds unattainable in today’s political climate.

After mounting tension between opposing

His story is one with he tragic hero, where the hero with a heart of love and passion is corrupted and falls in front of our eyes, having no idea of what he is losing. His story is actually quite similar to Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet.

Both Anakin and Romeo manifeste their own fears about their forbidden relationships with their lovers: Padme is to Anakin as Juliet is to Romeo. They both succumb to their own rage,

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Trump entered office, he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, began work on his promised southern border wall, and began enacting programs under the doctrine of “America First,” prioritizing Americans, but often to the detriment of prospective immigrants and refugees. Each of these decisions were drastic and, as expected, upset many who disagreed.

As occurs with nearly every presidency, unexpected events transpire and the president’s response and reaction is judged and gauged by the public on its merit and his ability to remain composed and effective in leading the country.

These events, including acts of violence and the spread and events in the wake of Covid-19 to name a few, all put the President under close scrutiny. Following the death of George Floyd, numerous riots and demonstrations protesting Floyd’s unlawful and tragic death resulted. Floyd’s death catapulted the Black Lives Matter movement back into the spotlight once again as many were outraged due to another murder of an African American. Government policy regarding the Covid-19, its containment, and the vaccination process led to additional debate, while simultaneously, the economy suffered as a result of the limitations imposed on business due to the virus. On one hand, many feared for their lives and the lives of others in light of the recent seeming upward trend in incidents of police brutality, while others remained confident and trustworthy in the police and law enforcement as it is. While most were concerned about the spread and effects of Covid-19, some subscribed to the belief that in order to preserve trade and freedom, few restrictions should be in place, while many others believed in strict limitations to ensure the safety of all. The effects of each of these circumstances amounted to even more conflict and dissatisfaction with the government, and, as an extension, President Trump.

Scream, colored pencil, Nicholas Ribiero ‘22

ideologies, the 2020 presidential election was set to be both controversial and divisive.

Today, a sense of unity throughout the nation is missing. The Trump presidency and the events that transpired throughout it brought much controversy, many of these events serving to further divide the nation. Beginning in 2015, Trump, lacking in formal political experience, was characterized as unfit for the presidency, as well as unprofessional due to comments made in the past, as well as in the early stages of his campaign. These comments, combined with the reporting of the media, established a version of him that was racist, sexist, and xenophobic, already creating a division between Trump’s supporters, eager to disprove these labels, and his those of his opponents, eager to promote them and prevent him from being elected. In the end, Trump was, in-fact, elected and became the 45th President of the United States in January of 2017. His election, however, only marked the beginning of a number of controversial decisions and theories that would arise during the following four years.

Accusations of collusion with Russia and theories that Russians interfered with the election spread and further blemished Trump’s image and credibility in the news. Shortly after

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In times of trouble and seeming despair, people will naturally look to their leader for guidance,

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encouragement, and a resolution, however, with the nation already being as divided as it is between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and other groups and factions, it was impossible to appease everyone with a response. Both the polarization of the country, in the sense that many not only disagree on policy, but contradictory and often extreme views, as well as the strong divide between views meant that disagreements were common and often created stark contrasts.

Despite whatever convictions one may hold, or whatever connections one may have to these circumstances, change of some sort is necessary. The same can be said for the long-debated issues of the regulation of the economy, immigration policy, and reducing the crime and poverty rates. In doing this, and removing one’s self from their position and coming to a common understanding, real change and a feasible solution may be possible for the future. These issues all exposed many failures, and while they incited uproar further division, they demonstrated the dissatisfaction and flaws in policy, which to an extent fell on Trump’s shoulders.

past history in politics, as well as his seeming wavering between positions and other past comments. Both candidates, agreed by most to be less-than-optimal, had their fair share of past controversy with Trump being criticized for his past behavior and policy, and Biden also being criticized for his past performance in politics, past comments, and motor skills.

The 2020 election proved to be just as close, divisive, and dramatic as the debates over policy and candidacy had been in the prior months.

Going against the common trend, the challenger defeated the incumbent with Biden winning with 306 electoral votes and Trump with 232. Despite the winner being clear on election night, Trump denied his loss and insisted upon there being voter fraud for the following weeks. A lawsuit was filed, attempting to prove this theory, and while Biden later took office on January 20, 2021, Trump and his supporters continued to pedal the theory of voter fraud and the ‘theft’ of the election, eventually amounting to the riot and storming of the Capitol Building, justified by the belief that the democratic process had been corrupted, on January 6th. The events of this day led to President Trump’s second impeachment, making him the first President to be impeached twice, however later acquitted for the second time as well. This event, once again, displaying a flaw in the government’s security, and once again inciting even further division and conflict amongst Americans, can be vastly agreed upon to be egregious and improper.

Elections afford Americans the opportunity to voice their approval or disapproval of those whom they previously elected to office. In anticipation of doing so, similar debates over Trump’s actions, and those which he promised in the future, mounted as the 2020 selection approached. In accordance with the tension that could be felt throughout the country between opposite viewpoints and ideologies, those in support of President Trump and his re-election often clashed with those opposing it, either opposing him and his policy, or in support of his challenger, Joe Biden. Many criticized Trump’s, again, unprofessionalism and subjective poor handling of Covid-19 and other policies, while others praised him for his initial effect on the economy and other policies. Biden also experienced criticism of his

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America’s current state is undoubtedly imperfect and leaves much to be desired, however, if we are to improve as one country and move forward in the future, compromises and acceptances must be made that allow progress and unity to take place once again. We, as a country, have strayed far from the golden age that we experienced in the early 1920s. We owe it to the future generations to leave them with a functioning, productive, safe, and equal nation. If we remain divided and in such a polarized state,

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little will be accomplished and improved upon just as little progress has been made in recent years.

The tragedies and events like those aforementioned, while appalling and unfortunate, are often what is required for these topics to be brought back into the spotlight and debated once more, however, a permanent solution is unquestionably preferable.

If Americans can put aside their differences and labels and untrench themselves from their views and come to a common understanding of what is dangerous to each other and the future of our country, then we may just be able to progress and move forward with our communities becoming more united, generous, accepting, prosperous, and arguably most importantly, the optimal environment to raise and educate the next generation. I think that all could agree that the policies regarding the previously mentioned issues could be improved and a state where the economy can thrive, immigrants are welcomed, disease is uncommon, and the crime and poverty rates are reduced is optimal.

America was once regarded as the greatest country and as possessing these characteristics as well as the ability to better one’s self and family safely and successfully. While it’s an overly optimistic outcome and much easier in theory than in practice to attain this condition again, if all could concur and work towards achieving this better state, while setting aside differences and unite in support behind the President with the good of our country in mind instead of a political agenda, America would have much brighter future. The 2020 election demonstrated the necessity for change and improvement in not only the government, but everyone’s lives. Those in office must use their best judgement and put the nation first, but any change on a national level starts locally within each community and person. While in the past, tragic events have been the catalyst for periods of unity, it’s imperative that we come together once more with a common interest in the betterment of ourselves and our nation instead of waiting for another devastating event to do this for us.

Time after time, murder after murder, people see on television the horrible incidents that have occurred between unarmed Black men and the police. The systematic oppression of Black people in America has sparked an uproar that has not gone unnoticed. People have to stop being racist towards Black people in America; character should be judged by actions not appearance.

It feels like everyday on tv a new shooting occurs, as if the protests and the police haven’t seen the news at all. According to Statista.com, “The rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans was much higher than that for any other ethnicity, standing at 31 fatal shootings per million of the population as of August 2020.” What this shows is that Black people, specifically, are being murdered at a higher rate than that of any other ethnicity. It also provides insight into how Black people may have to react differently in any encounter with police, just because we may seem “threatening” based on our color.

The study found that Black people were killed at a rate higher than their proportion to the national population. Matthew Miller, a Professor of Health Sciences and Epidemiology, explains this statistic, “Although Black people represented 12 percent of the population in the states we studied, they made up 25 percent of the deaths in police shootings.” By comparison, Miller says, “White people represented 62 percent of the population—and made up 54 percent of the deaths in encounters with police.”

What this shows is that proportionally, Black people are killed at a greater rate. If there were as many Black people in America as there are white, the number of deaths at the hands of the police would greatly increase according to the data provided.

What people want the entire country, mostly white America, to realize is that Black lives do matter, and they need to stop taking them so unremorsefully.

There is no shortage of stories that illustrate this blatant racism and police brutality towards Black people. Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot seven times in the back at point blank range while his kids were in the car. George Floyd suffocated by having a white cop’s knee against his

Social Injustice in America Lawrence Lazaro ‘21

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neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Breonna Taylor was shot several times in her own home.

We see the same narrative and the same story far too often. It is evident right in front of our faces. These people are gone and had families and people who loved them, but they were killed by blatant evil and racism. Once people stop denying that this is racist, then we can move on to change the situation. Breonna Taylor’s murderers were just recently charged for firing shots into the apartment, but they were not charged for her murder, so they will not serve as harsh a sentence. Her family is reportedly, “mad as hell,” that her murders wouldn’t be charged.

is coming up and the time for change is now.

The year is ending but the time for change is now. America has been racist for hundreds of years but the time for change is now.

I am a Black man, so in this world I am not able or awarded the same privileges that a white man may have, so it creates a different circumstance for me. If I were to put myself in a white person’s perspective, I may say more white people are shot by cops than black people, to which I would respond saying that there is a significantly larger population of white people in America than Black people. I have witnessed racism myself. After being cut off, a white man and his girlfriend proceeded to call the man that cut him off the word with the hard R. The underlying and blatant racism in this country is toxic and it has been going on for too long. Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick, and hundreds of other famous people have decided to use their platforms, and some even risk their jobs, for standing against social injustice.This is a widespread movement that needs to be supported not just by Black people, but by everyone.

Narratives: Easy to Have and Hard to Break Declan Woodman ‘23 Are media narratives helpful or hurtful? People’s perceptions are shaped by media coverage and how someone’s reputation can be fairly or unfairly defined by how traditional and social media outlets choose to portray them.

This article will explore two examples, one positive and one negative. In both cases, the narrative is so strong that regardless of facts or new evidence the narrative is difficult to shake. To better understand the power the media wields, let’s examine if the narrative surrounding Tom Brady is based solely on facts and what it tells us about our society’s values.

All in all, people need to stop denying the fact that this is straight up racism in America; it has been racist since its creation and it will stay racist unless white America decides to change its outlook. Silence is just as guiltridden as the act and this what a lot of people have trouble understanding. This oppression has been going on for way too long in America the time for change is now.Voting

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Tom Brady: Cheat or G.O.A.T.?

Brady was the quarterback at the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1999 and was selected as the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady is an NFL quarterback who was drafted by and played for the New England Patriots until 2019. He has won seven 39

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super bowls, five Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP awards, and has been selected to the pro bowl fourteen times. However, there is a shroud of doubt surrounding how all these accolades were achieved. The Patriots were accused of cheating multiple times during Tom Brady’s time there, the most notable of these scandals being Deflategate.

decision. This was three federal judges who work at the Court of Appeals, the level just below the Supreme Court. The important note here was that he was not only convicted by the NFL for deflating footballs, but then tried to cover up his actions by destroying his cell phone. Brady’s destruction of his cell phone was what Judge Barrington Parker, one of the three judges from the Court of Appeals, was hung up on. He was quoted in the Boston Herald saying, “This went from air in a football to affecting an investigation. Brady’s explanation of this made no sense whatsoever” (McGovern).

Judge Parker also stated: “Why couldn’t the commissioner suspend Brady for that conduct alone?” (CBS Sports). The media portrayed this as a very harsh punishment. Brady was forced to serve this four game suspension.

The NFL launched an investigation into the Patriots’ organization following accusations that the team was cheating by deflating footballs to help the quarterback’s performance. The findings of the investigation were detailed in a 243-page document titled ‘The Wells Report’, which stated that three Patriots’ employees participated in cheating: “Jim McNally (the Officials Locker Room attendant for the Patriots), John Jastremski (an equipment assistant for the Patriots), and Tom Brady (quarterback for the Patriots). … Jastremski would request for McNally to deflate the game balls to the air pressure requested by Tom Brady. McNally would agree to do this in exchange for “cash, autographs, and shoes”.”

Although Brady was caught and punished for cheating, and on top of that tried to cover it up, the majority of media coverage tends to focus on his Super Bowl wins, with barely a mention of his unethical behavior. Many media figures, including respected NFL experts, routinely refer to Brady as the GOAT or “Greatest of All Time”. Super Bowl winning quarterback/analyst, Joe Theismann: “I think Tom is the greatest ever” (Foxbusiness). Fans on radio talk shows and message boards say Brady is the best quarterback, without ever acknowledging that some or all of his success is tainted by the “Deflategate” scandal. Tom Brady’s jersey sales for his new NFL team, Tampa Bay, were the number one selling jersey for the opening week of NFL’s 2020 season.

So is winning more important than honesty and ethics? Is this a reflection of Brady’s media coverage or our society’s values? You can decide whether Tom Brady is a cheat or the greatest quarterback of all time.

The investigation team had requested Tom Brady provide them with his cell phone, allowing them to determine if Brady communicated with McNally and Jastremski, and if so, learn what those communications were about. Hours before the deposition, Brady destroyed his phone and explained it by saying that he routinely destroys his cell phones. The reader can determine if an innocent person would destroy their cell phone if they had nothing to hide.

After ‘The Wells Report’ was released, the NFL suspended Brady for four games.

Brady appealed, and a Federal judge overturned the suspension. The NFL appealed this decision at the U.S. Court of Appeals. A panel of three Federal judges reviewed the evidence and upheld the four-game suspension. This was not just Goddell, a businessman, making the

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After the 2017 Super Bowl, the focus was on the commissioner, Roger Goddell, getting booed for suspending Brady because Brady was in the Super Bowl and ended up winning. But the focus

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was not on why Brady was suspended. If one argued that Goddell had it in for Brady, it would make no sense from a business perspective, because Goddell does better when the league does better as he is the commissioner. There is no reason for the NFL to diminish or hurt the image of its biggest star and selling point.

Goddell has every reason to like Brady. Goddell was simply forced into punishing Brady because the cheating was so blatant and the NFL needed to set an example for everyone else.

the reasons you might fall on your sword is because of: “shame over a dishonest act” (thoughtco.com). The samurai warrior who broke the code due to a dishonest act would not hire a trendy New York PR agency to salvage his image and find a way to demonize the person who delivered justice, in this case, NFL commissioner, Roger Goddell. Goddell is now regularly booed in his public appearances such as during the annual NFL Draft.

Goddell has not been accused of any cheating or wrongdoing, so one can draw their own conclusion as to how he has been villainized for issuing punishment that was upheld by one of the highest courts in the country.

This was not the first nor the last time the Patriots would be caught cheating. In 2007, the Patriots were caught videotaping another NFL team, the New York Jets, from an unauthorized spot on the field. The NFL fined head coach Bill Belichick 500,000 dollars and the team 250,000 dollars. The Patriots were docked their first round draft pick in 2008.

Kershaw: Choker or Champ?

The above example illustrates the power of the positive narrative surrounding Tom Brady despite legitimate questions about his character. It is interesting to compare the Brady case to that of Clayton Kershaw, who has struggled mightily to shake off the label that he does not perform well under pressure.

The Patriots were punished in 2020 for taping the Bengals sideline during a game in the 2019 NFL season against the Browns.

The Patriots’ film crew was allowed access to the game because they claimed to be filming a documentary on an advance scout of the Patriots. Instead, the TV crew was using their access to steal signals in order to be more prepared for their game next week against the 1 win, 11 loss Bengals. In NFL rules, it is illegal to film another team from the press box. The Patriots were fined 1.1 million dollars, a third round draft pick, and Patriots’ TV crews weren’t permitted to shoot games during the 2020 season.

Clayton Kershaw was the golden boy of baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him seventh out of the fifteen hundred players drafted in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Clayton was a multisport athlete at Highland Park High School, playing both baseball and football. After a couple years in the minor leagues, Clayton burst into the Major Leagues with a bang. He posted a 2.79 Earned Run Average (E.R.A.) over 171 innings.

An E.R.A. is a statistical measure of how well a pitcher pitched over the course of a six-month baseball season. Starting pitchers are expected to pitch 200 innings in a season, and the best in the game have near two or slightly below two E.R.A.s. This means that 2.79 is a good E.R.A. for any pitcher, but especially for one who just had their first full season. Starting in 2011, Clayton made seven consecutive National League allstar teams, and won the NL MVP Award in 2014. The MVP award is given to the best two

A key point is that whether Brady participated in these other acts of cheating or not, he was benefitting. If the team did better because they already knew all of the other team’s disguised signs, then Brady did better.

In ancient Japan samurai warriors lived by a code called Seppuku, also known as Harakiri.

A warrior who violated this code would kill himself by falling on his sword. One of

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Major League Baseball players each year, one from the American League and one from the National, and can be given to a player at any position. He has also received three NL Cy Young Award.

innings in the postseason, and generally pitchers pitch around 200.0 innings each year so he has basically a full season of postseason pitching.

There are three reasons why Clayton Kershaw’s playoff performances have not matched those of his regular season ones:

After his second selection to the all-star team, there was no longer a doubt as to whether Clayton was the real deal or not. So, when the Dodgers began consistently making the playoffs starting in 2013, expectations were on his shoulders. Kershaw did have a good start in one of his first playoff appearances in the 2013 NLDS, but it was all wiped away by two horrendous performances. The first of the two was in 2013 NLCS Game 6, in which he gave up seven runs, and the second was in 2014 NLDS Game 1, where he gave up eight runs.

These were some early signs that Clayton can’t handle the pressure of the big game. After these two games, a narrative began to form that Clayton can’t pitch well when it matters. This narrative grew when Clayton pitched poorly against the Chicago Cubs in Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS, giving up four runs in five innings. Another instance in which Kershaw was unfairly deemed as a “choker” was in Game 1 of the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox where he gave up five runs through four innings. There was possible cheating going on that year in the Red Sox organization so it is disputable as to whether or not that should count as a blemish on his postseason reputation. Even though he had good starts, such as his two run six and two thirds innings outing in Game 2 of the 2009 NLDS, they were overshadowed by many because of how poor his other outings were. An example of this was when he got hammered for two home runs in his second inning of relief against the Washington Nationals in Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS. This just threw more fuel to the fire for the narrative that Clayton Kershaw is a choker.

1. At least two of those starts happened when there was cheating/possible cheating going on.

In Game 5 of the 2017 World Series against the Astros, Kershaw allowed six runs through 4 and 2/3 innings. While that performance sealed the asterisk on Kershaw’s “choker” in the postseason reputation, it was not fair because that was one of the years that the Houston Astros, the Major League Baseball team that Kershaw faced in that World Series game, were guilty of sign-stealing. Since this was a home game for the Astros, they were almost certainly doing this. The Astros’ sign-stealing games work when they have control over where to place the camera so they can steal signs from the catcher. For those who haven’t watched baseball in a while, signstealing means that someone is taking the catcher’s signs and relaying them to the hitters so they know what type of pitch is coming. When a player is on second base, it is fine to try and guess what the sign the catcher is giving means and relay that to the first or third base coach. What is not fine is positioning a camera so to study the signs of the other team and determine what different finger sequences the catcher puts down mean in order to figure out exactly which pitch is coming. If the Game 5 start in the 2017 World Series against the Astros is omitted, his World Series E.R.A. drops from 5.03 to 3.75.

2. Mismanagement and overuse by Kershaw’s manager. In big relief situations, such as when the Dodgers needed one out from Kershaw in the seventh inning of the 2019 Game 5 NLDS against the Nationals, he produced. But, Dave Roberts, manager of the Dodgers, did not trust other members of the bullpen such as Kenta Maeda in the eighth inning. So, Kershaw went back out in the eighth and proceeded to give up back-to-back home runs to Nationals third baseman, Anthony Rendon,

His critics always cite his postseason E.R.A. being almost two runs higher than his regular season E.R.A. as proof that Clayton can’t pitch in the big game. His E.R.A. jumps from a career 2.43 in the regular season to a 4.19 in the postseason. Clayton Kershaw has pitched 189.0

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and Nationals left fielder, Juan Soto. While these contributed to the Kershaw “choker” in the postseason narrative, it is unfair because Kershaw should not have had to pitch in the eighth when other pitchers were available.

He is not a reliever, he is a starting pitcher.

model, and the epitome of accomplishment in athletics. It is almost as if our society values winning more than honesty and fair play. Who we choose as our heroes is a reflection on all of us, and one hopes that we consider facts as well as a person’s character before we ask our children to put someone’s poster on their wall.

3. Despite cheating and mismanagement, he’s had many strong playoff performances such as earning his team two wins in the World Series to carry them to their first World Series victory since 1988.

College Athletics - Kristopher Laing ‘21 Being a college athlete is tough. There is so much time and energy sacrificed into performing at one of the highest levels of athletics. These kids put their bodies on the line for the entertainment of other people, and are not given a fraction of the benefits. This deal of receiving a scholarship and giving one’s services for 4-5 years may seem reasonable, but it is more one-sided than it seems. College athletes who play on the Division I level should be given compensation for playing their respective sports and there are many reasons why they should be.

Up until the 2020 postseason, Kershaw was seen in the eyes of many baseball fans and experts as a “choker”. But, in this 2020 postseason, Kershaw rewrote the script. In his first playoff start of 2020, he threw eight innings of shutout ball with thirteen strikeouts leading the Dodgers to a victory. In Game 2 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, he pitched six innings and gave up three runs. According to MLB.com, this is considered a quality start. In addition, he struck out six batters and got his team the win. On baseball’s biggest stage, the World Series, Kershaw pitched two games against the Tampa Bay Rays. He tossed eleven and two thirds innings with a combined E.R.A. of 2.31 leading the Dodgers to victory in both games he pitched in. Kershaw’s contributions were critical to the Dodgers winning their first World Series since 1988. His 2020 postseason E.R.A. was 2.93. Clayton’s 2020 playoffs display should have quieted his persistent critics.

In 2019 alone, the NCAA made $867.9 million solely from television and marketing while they collectively make over 1 billion dollars every single year. (Kerr, 1) The NCAA makes an unworldly amount of money off of student athletes every single year, and they give them chump change in return. They do not receive equal benefits as the average student athlete on scholarship is given about $18,400 in grant money. (Kerr, 1) Granted, this does not mean that all of the expenses are paid for, as some schools require the students to pay for the rest of the annual tuition cost. The money given on scholarships is not sufficient for many student athletes. Full athletic scholarships are only given for four sports. Athletes who play other sports have to pay for the rest of their tuition. Collegiate athletes who play on the Division I level are expected to act as professionals, yet are given a fraction of the money a professional athlete would make. This cost may vary depending on a sport, but the fact that a collegiate athlete has a lifestyle that requires constant dedication, discipline, and

These two cases illustrate how the media and general public create a narrative based on cherry-picked facts, ignoring evidence that contradicts the preferred story. Once a narrative has been formed, such as Clayton Kershaw’s choking or Tom Brady’s greatness, it appears to be almost impossible to change the general perception. Kershaw carried his team to a World Series victory, yet some continue to argue that he is a choker. Tom Brady was convicted and punished for cheating, then attempting to cover it up, yet he is held up in our culture as a role

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focus, many would imagine that they would be compensated for the effort they put in.

and determination to continuously grind out sessions to workout, study and eat. They do what I do, but on another level. They should at least be given a larger percentage of the money.

Division I athletes are not given the full benefit of the doubt in the common public. The regular man most likely would not understand what it takes to produce and prepare for the lifestyle a Division I athlete would have to endure. People make claims saying that these athletes are “spoiled” and “entitled” but this is simply not true. If we really dig deep on the daily schedule these athletes have to endure, a readily made conclusion may be reached. Imagine getting up every day at 5AM, lifting for two hours, showering, and getting ready for class at 9 AM. When class is over, you eat, study and get ready for your practice at 2 PM. Practices normally last for 3 hours, so you get out at 5 PM excluding extra practice. If you seek to get an extra workout in, then you stay for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. In some cases, some athletes will have a night class they would need to stay up for. When your day concludes, you will finish at around 8PM to 10PM. These athletes probably need some benefits for the work they put in day in and day out. These athletes probably need tutors to assist them with schoolwork due to not having the time and mental fortitude to complete their tasks. This, as you can imagine, is a very stressful schedule filled with constant studying, preparation, and focus. They probably need the money to get food because their excruciating schedule does not allow for them to work a paying job. Also, these scholarships most of the time do not fulfill the full tuition the student requires to go there, so an athlete would still need to pay the expenses. In reality, these athletes need to perform, and if they don’t have the production they were sought out for, then they will be replaced just as fast as they came in. It only makes sense that they are given the best shot to succeed. As an athlete myself, I understand the work it takes to get to the point where they’re at right now.

It takes a remarkable amount of time, sacrifice

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It is beginning to become a norm for athletes, both former and active professionals in the sports web, to fight for collegiate athletes receiving compensation. On September 30, 2019, California governor, Gavin Newson, passed a bill stating that collegiate athletes are to be given compensation, access to endorsement deals, and the right to have an agent represent them.

Newson believes that Collegiate athletes have more value than the NCAA gives them. People can see how undervalued these athletes are and the passing of this bill is a key example of that claim. Michael Wilbon, an ESPN sports writer and commentator, has expressed his thoughts on collegiate athletes getting compensation.

This is what he said on the subject, “That $11 billion deal between the NCAA and CBS/ Turner Sports for March Madness between 2011 and 2024. We’re talking $11 billion for three weekends of television per year. On top of that, there’s a new four-year deal with ESPN that pays the BCS $500 million…how could anybody stand on principle and argue against paying the people who make the events possible in the first place?” Wilbon, in this quote, makes an intriguing point on the subject. If the athletes, who are a key component to the success of the entertainment are not given a respectable piece of the pie, then where is the money going?

Everyone in the program with responsibilities is getting paid more than the workhorses of the same program. If the common society heard about these statistics, then this would be a bigger problem than it is now.

There are many people who are against student athletes getting paid. Many believe that scholarships are enough and athletes should not be paid additionally. However, Division I athletes who don’t receive full scholarships statistically create more revenue than a

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scholarship provides. If this is a known fact, then it should be clear that Division I athletes should be given more than the grant money provided, especially if they don’t have a full scholarship. Another claim is that the NCAA does not have the funds to equally pay every athlete in college sports, which is true. However, athletes who play Division I, the level that is borderline pro-status, should be given most of the funds because they generate most of the profit that the NCAA receives. Division II and III can be considered to be high level competition, but they simply don’t pull the numbers the Division I athletic programs do.

production went from the stage to the screen.

They started off with zoom rehearsals where they learned the show and the music.

Coming closer to the filming date they started in-person rehearsals. They would go twelve at a time and be twelve feet apart on the auditorium floor. When it came time to film the videographer, Ryan Smith, from RPO Theatrics Videography, worked with the tech and stage crew to move the lights all throughout the school to light up the socially distanced masked actors. It took about five days to shoot the musical and the days were 9:00am-5:00pm. Overall it was certainly an exciting and different drama club experience during this unpredictable time.

College athletes have been undervalued for decades and it still occurs today. Many want to believe that the system is not flawed, but there is plenty of evidence that shows that proves that claim. For the NCAA to receive billions of dollars a year and not give the athletes, the sole reason they are so profitable, a sufficient percentage of that is a slap in their face. They give up their bodies, time, and mental fortitude to be expected to perform in front of millions every year. The respect and demands of athletes need to be reciprocated by the NCAA.

Wonderland High will be available to screen, on demand, from April 1st to April 30th.

Wonderland High Presley Villa ‘23

Chirping After The Storm Dylan Ross ‘23

This year Notre Dame Drama Club will present Wonderland High as the annual school musical but in an entirely new way. With the ongoing pandemic the drama club productions were up in the air. The intended musical for this year was supposed to be Godspell but due to having to change the production style the show was also changed. The usual fall play was already moved to the spring and they were unsure how they could put on a winter musical safely. Due to unpredictable covid numbers the drama club leaders and moderators decided on the best way to stay safe and keep the kids together performing, so the

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Studying is like a storm Starting off light and growing more frightening as time goes on Rain coming down making one’s clothing heavy Running through the streets gaining weight as the droplets of water fill up one’s shirt As soon as they reach shelter, reflection hits Sadness fills the eyes and it is silent All to be heard is the splashing of puddles being formed on the cold concrete The next day the storm clears

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Flying swallows and cardinals

South Sudan Justin Coppola ‘22

Happiness is restored

400,000 people have died,

Chirping fills the mind with gratefulness

The question that we ask is why?

The test becomes like a hummingbird

Raping, pillaging and scaring the women of South Sudan,

Bright sun in the sky

Quick and easy

All they can do is just watch and stand.

Continuously killing the innocent,

Red Justin Cummings ‘22

The men of Sudan have lost their senses.

Destroying their minds, keeping their necks sore,

With lines from “Ruthless Cartel Violence Drives a Wave of Mexican Asylum Seekers.

This Family Lost a Son and Fled,” by Rebecca Plevin, a Pulitzer Center reporting project

They won’t put up with it anymore.

The woman has nowhere to work, So no way to avoid these jerks.

More than just a war,

The color of the blood from the dead corpse The color of the truck that picks up the bodies in the morning The color of the murdered boy’s shoes The color of the gang member’s bandana The color that is supposed to represent our independence The color of our fear The color of the sign pointing to America The color of our dream of freedom from fear The color of the border patrols flashlight asking us our intentions The color of our lies to get in The color of our new apartment The color of the building where we make minimum wage The color of our new found hope The color of the flashing lights outside our window of the immigration agents The color of the pain pounding in my head The color of the paint in our holding cell The color of the bus bringing us back to uncertainty The color of our renewed fear. Red

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It’sIts rotten people to the core.

One more second and the trigger might go, And off this earth, these women will go.

The Endless Battle Caleb Shea ‘22 With words from, “The Danger Downstream.”

It was hurricane season.

2019, wettest years on record.

Grand Isle, one of the largest shrimp suppliers.

Battles between local shrimpers and Vietnamese refugees brewing.

Dean Blanchard was only a squat man, holding a boxer’s nose, the soft talking Cajun carried the voice of a lifetime smoker.

Local shrimpers opened fire with automatic weapons on Blanchard.

He always shot back.

Then came 2010, the beginning of the political battles.

4.9 million barrels of oil into Blanchards fishing grounds.

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appearing on national news.

Because when you speak with no mask awhile

Dean Blanchard SeaFood was worth 15 percent more before the spill.

The situation can turn quite scary.

He always shot back.

And so, if you are good in quarantine

Then a new threat appeared.

Soon we can go back to our old routine

“When the dead zone comes, it just kills everything.”

The massive oxygen deprived swath of water,

Holden Poem Ashton Delmonico ‘22

Fed by polluted freshwater from states along the Mississippi River.

I am afraid of time,

Water infused with nitrogen, phosphate, and other fertilizers from farms across the midwest,

I fail out of school ‘cause I think I’m tough.

I am afraid of growing up

Searching for its next victim.

I wish to see what adulthood brings,

Polluting clean, freshwater, encouraging algae to suck oxygen out of the water and slowly suffocate all marine life.

Time brings pain

But learn I want none of those things I miss my old girlfriend Jane.

He always shot back.

Of all the people in the world,

Wear a Mask Matt Rosati ‘22

I may not be the smartest.

Of all the voices in the world,

With lines from Not Wearing Masks to Protect Against Coronavirus Is a ‘Big Mistake,’ Top Chinese Scientist Says By Jon Cohen

Mine is definitely the smallest.

I wish to be heard, But can’t afford to take action.

Stay inside during this sickly season But in these times you may need to supply

I make all the mistakes,

Do not rush, think with a little reason

Which leads me to defeat.

An important tool that I wish you’d apply

I am afraid to destroy what is neat,

A mask, to protect you and whom you love

When a white car drives by I could never release.

I refuse to take advice,

Forget this and it’d be a big mistake

Yet I still hate my life.

Your health is something not to make light of

I am afraid of time,

It will save those around you the headache

I am afraid of growing up.

While you search and shop through the aisles Keep six feet apart and do stay wary

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Letter To Holden Christian Alino ‘22

letting Him down. I like almost anybody in the Bible better than the Disciples.” Your talking bad about everyone Holden you can’t think you’re in the right here doesn’t something in your brain tell you that you might be wrong or are jumping to a conclusion too quickly. Holden, I don’t want this letter to seem as if I’m bashing you on your faults but I’m just trying to help you out here man so you can see others point of view and be able to reflect on yourself. It’s not just me, there are others in the school who are worried about you as well Holden and we want you to be well off in your future so we will do what’s necessary to make that happen. I grew up in a fairly good household Holden and was taught accordingly to the Christian faith, I’m aware of what you think of your childhood and how “lousy” it was, “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it if you want to know the truth.” HOLDEN! Listen to me, you’re 16 years old, and I’m 16 years old, we don’t know everything about the world and what’s best for ourselves yet but slowly well figure these things out and that’s why we have friends and family to help figure these things out with. I need you to reevaluate yourself Holden and truly ask yourself what it is you want to do with your life and where you want to be in life, your goals, your hopes and dreams for the future. Once you’ve done that write me back or give me a call and we can discuss things, man, like old times. Well, Holden if you read this far then you really want to change for the better and I’m excited to see where things can go. Believe it or not I just got my permit, so I’m doing some test driving around the neighborhood, come and join me sometime.

Dear Holden, I’m sincerely worried about you and your future.

We’ve had many classes together and it’s easy to tell when someone’s not doing well in school.

I’ve talked with your sister Phoebe and even she has told me that you have been distant and seemed “off”. Holden, I’ve been keeping tabs on your life because I want what is best for you and I want to see you happy. Holden, failing out of school and getting into fights is not the person I know.You can talk to me Holden, I’m here for you. I know you like to bottle up your thoughts and allow your mind to judge others and shut people down or out, but I’m someone you can talk to and someone who will listen to you what you have to say without judging you for your mistakes. Holden, if you’re struggling with depression or anxiety I’m here for you and so is your family, but if you don’t say anything how can we possibly get you the help you need. Holden, you have to get yourself together and turn your life around, you can’t look at life as pointless and everyone a phony, “You never saw so many phonies in all your life, everybody smoking their ears off and talking about the play so that everybody could hear and know how sharp they were.” You need to start looking for the good in people rather than automatically going for the bad so you can give yourself a reason to shove them out of your life. Another thing we need to talk about is your faith man, don’t you believe in God and the wonders he can do for you. Jesus had people help him share the word of God but you look at the people who helped him as idiots and people who got in the way when they were key factors in the growth of our religion, “I like Jesus and all, but I don’t care too much for most of the other stuff in the Bible. Take the Disciples, for instance. They annoy the hell out of me if you want to know the truth. They were all right after Jesus was dead and all, but while He was alive, they were about as much use to Him as a hole in the head. All they did was keep Mind’s Eye

Sincerely, Christan

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Tsunamis and a Paintbrush Matteo Martone’21

large wave to come. This is the second wave, the first has swallowed his friend and dog from the shore. The first wave is described to be three

Water can come in almost any form. It can be liquid, solid, or gas. Each of these states

stories tall, but the way this wave is described, it isn’t just tall but towers over him

has different meanings and powers they can take.

Liquid flows and is smooth with the current,

covering his entire view of the sky above. There is so much power and destruction from this

solids are strong and rigid, gas is secretive and relaxing. We need water every day to survive, but

wave, that it is being compared to a deadly cliff, almost as if you are standing at the bottom of it

it is still one of the most dangerous elements on Earth. Too much or too little of it is deadly.

and it seems endless like it is touching the sun. The fear in this situation is so

There is a perfect amount of balance needed for human life. In nature, there are examples of this

overwhelming that he can not move, even though moments ago relaxing waves brushed up

everywhere for life to exist. Deserts are too dry, rainforests are too wet, ice is too cold, and steam

against his feet on the beach. “The waves that had approached me were as unthreatening as waves can be—a gentle washing of the sandy beach... In the next instant, the wave had

is too hot. Abundance is everything, water can become a true reflection of us, just like a mirror.

swallowed him” (Murakami 362). In this quote, the Seventh Man describes the beach and waves as gentle, but moments later it was just death and fear. “It just barely missed me, but in my place it swallowed everything that mattered most to me and swept it off to another world. I took years to find it again to recover from the experience—precious years that can never be

In the short story “The Seventh Man”, written

by Haruki Murakami, water is used to represent pain and peace as they correlate together simultaneously.

In “The Seventh Man”, water is used to represent pain through a large tsunami striking fear and death into the main character. At one point in the story, The Seventh Man is

replaced”(Murakami 356). Here is a moment that the main character’s life is about to

standing behind the dyke for cover from the

completely change. Something so drastic affects him that he has to move away from the scene of the accident and completely change the way he lives for 40 years. Fear strikes him just as powerful, “—something like the touch of a reptile’s skin—had sent a chill down my spine. My fear was totally groundless—and totally real” (Murakami 361). He has become suspended in time and put into a shock where he becomes physically and mentally unable to function.

Yet in all this darkness, light always seems to reflect and shine through in the end.

In “The Seventh Man”, water is

Wave, colored pencil, Ashton Delmonico ‘22 Mind’s Eye

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used to represent peace through the artwork of a flowing

Portia’s Plight Jacob Sogueco ‘23

paintbrush onto a canvas. Early in the story, K. was described as one who was so talented with a

Self-harm, is a trope used time and time again to show a character’s nerve and bravery. From shows like Euphoria to sacred texts such as The Bible characters have cut, burnt, and pierced themselves to assert dominance, prove points, and scare others. In Julius Caesar, we see a senator’s wife Portia stab herself in the thigh to prove that she is tough enough to take part in her husband’s scheme. But what drives these characters to perform such violent acts to prove a point? What oppresses them to the point of self-harm? The society they live in. For Portia’s case the Roman society both causes her to rise up and take charge, then fall back down, and ultimately become her demise.

paintbrush he could make them full of life. He would turn scenes from blackness to life like he had the ability to sculpt the Earth at his fingertips. At first, I did not think this this until the seventh man returned to his home 40 years later. “ I found myself steeped in warm memories. The deep feelings of the boy K. were there in his pictures—the way his eyes were opened on the world” (Murakami 367). Going through these pictures he saw a reflection, the memories came back to him with great intensity like a mirror of the past. It completely changed

Ancient Rome is a pretty oppressive and unjust society when it comes to women.

Women usually were expected to neither be seen nor heard. So in order to be listened to women had to go to extreme lengths. If a woman wanted to prove herself she had to make an extreme sacrifice; if a woman had a question she had to scream to get an answer.

A great example of this is in the beginning of Act II. Portia takes note of her husband Brutus who had been holding secret meetings inside their household in the dead of night and acting very strangely. She says, “When I asked you what the matter was, you stared upon me with ungentle looks. I urged you further; then you scratched her head and too impatiently stamped your foot” (Shakespeare, Act II Scene I, lines 260-265). Portia was ignored here and soon asked the question again only this time screaming to which she finally got an answer.

his perception of how he thought K. felt. Originally, he thought K. felt only hatred, but knows now it is a gentle smile and appreciation he is receiving after an eternal parting. Soon, he went to visit the place of his best friend’s death, “ Looking at this scene, it was impossible to imagine that a great typhoon had once raged here, that a massive wave had swallowed my best friend in all the world...It began to seem as if the whole thing were an illusion that I had dreamed up in vivid detail. And then I realized that the deep darkness inside me had vanished.” (Murakami 369). It was not moving away that cured the pain for him, but revisiting the sight of the incident

This strong oppression led to Portia’s eventual rise and growth into a strong female character.

She knew she had to do something drastic to make him view her as an equal. She then proceeded to stab herself in the thigh and yell this, “I made strong proof of my constancy, giving myself a voluntary wound here in the

and realizing the true beauty of the ocean through K. His nightmares were gone and life renewed.

The wave was his salvation.

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Reggae and Carribean Culture Joe Zuccarini ‘21

thigh. Can I bear that with patience and not my husband’s secrets” (Shakespeare, Act II Scene I, lines 320-325)? Though this act is basically in vain as Brutus still lies to her both Brutus’ and the readers’ views on Portia are changed. Portia proves herself to be a strong, logically-thinking, woman, a character often never seen in classical literature.

Carribean cultures’ harsh and oppressive history has formulated their literature into a storytelling and unifying body of work. Carribean Islands have faced oppression for numerous reasons, but the majority faced colonization problems from powerful and established countries. One of the best examples of this struggle was between Jamaica and Britain.

After originally being colonized by Spain, Britain re-colonized the small island as a source for income through various methods of exploitation, keeping it under control until 1962.

Jamaican art and literature was used as a source of unification under one common goal for the people: helping inspire their independence.

As Act II comes to a close Portia begins to buckle and fall back into the boxes and stereotypes that the society placed her in. She begins to question the integrity of herself as a woman and unravel mentally. The scene opens with her in the household panicking and yelling.

Though she doesn’t directly know of the plot against Caesar she knows that something bad is going to happen. She tells a servant, Lucius, to run to the Capitol without any directions, then yells at him failing to leave on time though he doesn’t know what to do. She ends this scene with a monologue saying, “ Ay me, how a weak thing the heart of a woman is!” (Shakespeare, Act II Scene IV, lines 45-50). After the assasination all the men including her husband drop her and leave her all alone. Left to go mad alone she kills herself by swallowing hot coals.

One of the main forms of art used for the purpose of expression was Reggae music.

Reggae was used not only as a Rastafarian religious avenue, but people used the music to come together and communicate. Bob Marley, a notable Reggae singer, used his songs as a way to communicate numerous messages with other Jamaicans. Among these messages, in his song, Rastaman Chant, he sings, “If them want to win the revolution/Must win it, with rasta!/ Can’t win no other way.” This not only hints at the distaste of British power possessed by Jamaicans, but it also expresses their potential to unite and fight together. Marley notes in these lines that the people need to join together under the Rastafarian religion and fight as one or they won’t win. This demonstrates how Carribean art and literature is used as a means for unification.

In conclusion, the setting/society of Ancient Rome was sexist, patriarchal, oppressive, and both helped and hurt Portia. She was able to both grow and triumph then lose and get left for dead because of the society she lived in. Along with this setting Julius Caesar was written during Shakespeare’s time. A time still plagued by sexism and double standards. Life imitates art and at the time women were seen as unreliable and weak. Those that stood up for women’s rights were viewed as “crazy” and “mental.” So it is no surprise that Shakespeare wanted to prove that a woman could not be strong without having a “logical” downfall.

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Carribean history also influenced aspects of storytelling/passing of information in much of it’s art and literature. Reggae, again, is a prime example of this with it’s meaningful and illustrious lyrics. As oppression and inequality ran rampant, artists filled songs with much of the Rastafarian’s religious beliefs and traditions.

They did this for expression and communication during these tried times. Bob Marley alluded 51

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The Heat of Battle Alexander Labadia ‘23

to his religious beliefs throughout his singing career, helping pass down the Rastafarian ways.

In Rastaman Chant he wrote, “Did I hear the words of the higher man say/Babylon your throne gone down, gone down.” These lines touch on two major pieces of Rastafarian religion. The lines mention the falling of a Babylon, an ancient city referenced in many major religions. Not only does the line help keep the story alive, but it alludes to one of the most important traditions in the Rasta culture: smoking marijuana during religious events. When the song talks about the ‘higher man’ it means it metaphorically, in order to touch upon the act of smoking. This is how Carribean culture and history shaped their art and literature into a storytelling representation.

I peer above the moss covered log I’ve huddled against, knowing that one second too long means certain death. The humidity under the sprawling, green, canvas of leaves and branches on this scorching hot day is enough to drive a man mad. I keenly listen for enemy footsteps as a single bead of sweat trickles down my forehead, plopping down on my tongue.

Suddenly, bam! I’m shot right in the back of the head. I peel the rubber dart off the back of my head and chuckle to myself, “Who knew nerf battles with your friends could be so intense?”

The Stump Nick Hunkele ‘23 There was once a young boy named Paul who was walking in the woods. It was a peaceful morning and the birds were singing as Paul approached a stump. Now he was warned by his parents to be home by lunch and to not get into trouble. But he could tell that this was a special stump, with almost a glow around it. As Paul went to put his hand on the stump it went right through and he fell inside! He then met a young frog who showed him a vine that he could use to get out of the magical land he was in. Paul returned home and never went to that stump again.

Artwork inspired by the novel Aurora Rising Matt Capiral ‘23 Spaceship, pencil on paper

Something is Lost Jahshua Toles ‘23 Movie Poster Photo Editing, Graphic Art

It was 11 PM on a foggy night. Luke and his sister Sofia were walking through the woods. There were owls hooting all around the two while they were walking.

“You couldn’t have just waited till tomorrow?” Sofia irritatedly asked.

“No, do you know how expensive these things are? I can’t afford another one.”

Luke had lost his phone when they went

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camping yesterday. They walked over to the area where they camped. Sofia called Luke’s phone and heard the ringtone.

The phone started ringing. They looked where the sound was coming from and saw a dark figure standing there.

sea, Iruthaweda, put water on the world to help sustain life. However, their creation was still empty, so the goddess of life, Ekjarbagera, created animals and primitive people to walk the earth and fish to swim in the oceans. However, she would need to split her power to give each one their own soul to be truly alive. After she was done creating all of the life and giving them their souls, she fell to the Earth. Her body was absorbed into the ground, and plant life started to grow out of the soil where she fell, and soon it spread across the world. The god of knowledge, Dakhugbier, favored humans. He gave them the gift of knowledge, which allowed humans to make and use tools, create cities, develop languages, form their own cultures, and create civilizations. This strengthened the souls of humans and made them more powerful.

Rabbit Season Chevy Edirisinghe ‘23 One summer morning I was nibbling a carrot gazing at the trees around me. Then I heard a man coming with his nerf blaster. It was rabbit season and I was wary of people like this. I hid behind a tree and waited as the hunter quietly sneaked by me. I ran up to him, boxed his ears and pulled his hat down on his face. The man chased me as I raced towards my hole and jumped in. He kept going and smacked a tree.

He then gave up on me and I chuckled to myself.

However, Osdibar did not partake in the creation of the world; instead, he stayed back while the other gods used most of their power to create the world. He plotted to defeat the other gods and take over the living world; however, Dakhugbier was the only god not to use enough power to stand up to Osdibar. When Dakhugbier gave the humans the gift of knowledge and strengthened their souls, it allowed Osdibar to corrupt them and take their souls so he could slowly gain power, Ekjarbagera’s power.

A Night in the Woods Presley Villa ‘23 It was a gloomy night in the woods. As I run up my tree into my favorite watching hole I pull out an acorn and start munching. I see in the distance a group of witches with a little human.

I think that that little human is in trouble. As I rush to the rescue. I see a huge acorn. It is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. I try and stay focused on the rescue mission but my mind is on that acorn. I decide to stray from the mission and go devour that luscious acorn.

In the creation of the living world, it took each god a full day to contribute. However, on the sixth day of the beginning of the living world, Osdibar started to put thoughts and concepts into people’s minds that would lead them to do evil things and corrupt their souls. This would allow him to take their power once they had died by taking their souls to his realm, which would prevent the people from obtaining eternal life with the other four gods in their domains.

The Continuous Battle for our Souls Daniel Battipaglia, Justin Currie, Logan Hurd ‘24 Before the world existed, there were five gods and goddesses with their own realms; however, there was no one but them to inhabit their worlds. Because of this, they decided to create the Earth and living beings to inhabit it.

The god of the land and earth, Agorinij, made the ground to walk on, and the goddess of the

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this, he will be able to take their realms and then rule over the world of the living without anyone being able to stop him. This event will bring the end of the world; it will last five days, each of the battles for the other realms will each last one day, and on the fifth day, he will have taken full control of the living world.

Elkick. “Dill, you shall be the god of the planets!

You shall create the ground that other, weaker, forms of life can live upon.You shall call these life forms plants!” Dill rushed over to where Lubtip was being kept, and layed down a rocky and nutritious substance called soil. On top of the soil, Dill put down seeds, which would one day grow into large, life-filled organisms called plants. Eynak was very pleased. “This shall make it even more difficult for Lubtip to escape!”

At the beginning of each year, on the day that the living world was created, people will gather in the center of their cities to pray. They will face to the east where the sun will be rising, which signifies life, the gift from the gods. They will then pledge their souls to the gods and vow to not let themselves become corrupted by Osdibar.

After 7 days, Eynak turned to Elkick and said “You shall create another layer on my Earth! It shall be open and vast! This will be called sky!

Elkick created the sky. It was clear, fresh, and vast. “This shall bring life to my plants!” said Elkick. Eynak was extremely pleased. After 7 days, Elkick and the other gods realized that the plants were turning brown. “Eynak! What do we do,” exclaimed Elkick. “I shall create another god to deal with this,” remarked Eynak. Eynak brought numerous materials from all of the universe and he created Bill. Bill stared at the plants and began to think. After a while, Bill said “I’ll make a new substance for plants to gain nutrition from!” Bill made a transparent and fluid liquid called water. “The plants will consume this water to gain life!,” he exclaimed. After this incredible creation he was known as Bill, the water god. The gods were all very pleased at their Earth so far.

The Creation Battle of Eynak and Lubtip Nick Bauer, Felipe Garzon, Richard Martinello ‘24 In the vast emptiness of space, there was nothing, but suddenly a gigantic figure appeared.

He was named Enyak, and as he entered the universe he screamed, “Hello!!” As he screamed he looked around and became sorrowful because he realized he was alone. When he realized this he began to think: “What if I create others?” He began creating objects, which turned to stars, asteroids, and planets. He was pleased, until he realized that the stars, asteroids, and planets had no life in them. “How am I meant to be satisfied with this junk?!” Angrily, he started to use the objects he had made to create something else and until he realized that it had life. In his amazement, he called out, “you will be called Lubtip!” He was pleased, until he realized that in his anger, he had created an evil creature. Lubtip lunged at Eynak with malicious intent, so Eynak cast him down to the center of one of the planets. He imprisoned him, and called this area the Underworld.

After 7 days, the gods realized that they had missed some spots, and that there were holes leading to the underworld. Fearful, Eynak yelled “go and cover up the holes!” Bill, Dill, and Elcick rushed over when all of a sudden, lava shot out of one of the holes, and covered the surrounding land. “This is Lubtip!” exclaimed Eynak, when a huge amount of molten rocks hurled over at them. They quickly filled up the hole and realized that Lubtip had tried to escape through the hole in the ground.

“We shall be careful of this in the future! We will remember these holes as volcanoes!”

The gods looked back at their creation and

After 7 days, unsatisfied with his failure, he thought to himself, “I will try this once more.”

He used the energy that was given off by the stars to create more gods, named Dill and

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saw that everything was in a blaze of red. The plants had been lit due to Lubtip’s fire and lava. Bill acted quickly and flooded the Earth.

creation of the Earth. It happened on every January 1st, the day the Earth was completed.

The last ceremony for the humans didn’t have a date. Every time a volcano erupted, they would gather to celebrate and mourn the people who were hurt or killed by Lubtip trying to escape. They would gather together, sing a solemn song, and have a great fire to symbolize what had happened. They would raise their hands up to the gods so that the gods could remember the people that died. Even today, humans believe that Lubtip still interferes with the Earth. He influences them to do bad things, causes natural disasters such as volcanoes, and always tries to escape his imprisonment.

The water put out the heated substance, but now the plants have too many nutrients from this godly water. Seeing this Eynak made a new god named Ysk.Ysk assessed the situation and before their planet was filled with plants, he made new types of creatures. He created bugs, small plant-eater creatures. He released the bugs into the world, and watched as they ate the excess vegetation. Eynak was pleased, so then he instructed Ysk to make more. “I enjoy your creations, so you shall make more kinds of animals! Fill my Earth with life and creatures!”

So Ysk created more. After 7 weeks of work, the gods were tired. “We need something to take care of our Earth while we rest! We shall make 1 final god, to create beings like us, with reason and a mind!” Enyak created and appointed Trah.

Trah created humans in the image of the gods.

He made people to be strong, and wise, but not nearly as strong and wise as the gods. He sent them down to Earth, where they multiplied and filled the Earth. For 6 days, the gods rested.

These days would be celebrated by the humans as “The Days of Rest.” These days were used by humans to work hard and take care of the Earth. On the 7th day, the gods had a ceremony, called “The Day of the Earth.” This day was used to celebrate the creation of the Earth.

On Earth, the humans played music, danced, had a great feast, and celebrated the creation of their beloved home. During the dance, the humans would dance in ways that would reflect the story of the creation of their Earth.

The dance was called “The dance of creation.”

During the feast, the humans would prepare vegetables, bread, and many other foods from plants. After preparing the food, they would burn half of it, so that the smoke would rise up to the gods so that the gods would know that they were grateful. The ceremony would happen in a garden, or a forest, to honor the

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Principium Lukas Perrelli, James Mascari, Ryan Seigny, Gavin Keller ‘24 Many years ago, the god Factorem used his creative mind and power to develop a perfect, hospitable paradise. He would create this land to express what life would be like in his image.

Around him lie all the materials necessary for this perfect world—Factorem vow not to rest until his world has been created. Factorem lay awake, prepared for what was to come.

Upon the first day, Factorem swam to the deepest depths of the ocean. He gathered sand, rock, and gravel. He harnessed all three to create his ideal landscape. He sculpted the lands to build the tallest mountains, dug the deepest canyons, and tunneled an endless labyrinth of caves. He created seven wonderful natural structures, later to become the seven wonders of the world. He separated the land into segments so his world may be covered. Factorem looked upon his lands, pleased with what he had created.

Upon the second day, Factorem created clouds.

Noticing that the ocean water was full of salt and was therefore not very thirst-quenching, he made a system to fix this.

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By sucking up the water into these fluffy, sponge-like clouds in the sky, he could get rid of all the salt from the primordial waters.

As these clouds became heavy, they let loose the water from the sky, giving fresh water to all. This freshwater soon started to build up in lakes and rivers. Factorem looked out to the sea and beyond the clouds, delighted.

The way he did this was by creating males and females. Factorem wanted relationships also; after all, he based humans on his image.

He gave humans independence and the ability to think and choose. He gave humans a voice and ways to communicate with each other, which gave them a way to express their emotions. Factorem looked among the humans, pleased with what he had done.

Upon the third day, Factorem created animals.

Factorem wanted creatures to roam his creation. On the land, Factorem sculpted animals of all sizes, wild and domestic. In the seven seas, Factorem created beings with the ability to breathe underwater. In the air, Factorem created winged creatures able to soar high above the clouds. Factorem looked upon the animals, satisfied with his creation.

Upon the sixth day, Factorem created day and night. Factorem, becoming tired of eternal darkness in the sky, made the sun and moon.

He reached into the deepest of volcanoes and pulled out a fiery rock that would illuminate the world during the daytime. He then reached into the deepest of the oceans and pulled out a shiny stone that would illuminate the world during the nighttime. In the darkness, the moon shined as a beacon of light. He made a cycle of time; the sun was in the sky and when it was devoid of it.

Every 12 hours, Factorem would use his divine winds to push the sun back into the sky before pushing it away for 12 hours. Which created the cycle of day and night. Factorem looked into the sun, blinded by its glorious rays of light, satisfied.

Upon the fourth day, Factorem came across an issue regarding the necessities of the animals.

The animals began to grow weak and started to look like they were dying. Factorem needed to create a source of energy for the animals.

He found a single seed and multiplied it millions of times, spreading them all across the world.

This created grass almost all across the world.

However, Factorem was not satisfied with this yet. He wanted to create ecosystems for many different animals. He took a large handful of grass and compressed it between his godly hands, creating bark. He then began growing new plants, and as these plants grew, he molded them to fit the land around him.

For the giant redwood forests, he put a large amount of bark on the plants he created. For the rare cacti in the deserts, he took tiny, sharp pebbles and stuck them on the sides of the plants, crafting the plants properly-suited to the animals living there. By the end of the day, Factorem had created seven distinct ecosystems. Factorem looked upon the lush landscape that the animals now enjoy; he stood, pleased with what he had created.

Upon the seventh day, Factorem was tired. He was worked down to the bone by creating the perfect world. From the cosmos, Factorem stared down at the blue planet. After all that he had made, Factorem named the planet earth. Factorem then entered a long period of rest, pleased with what he had created.

After many seven weeks of rest, Factorem came down from the cosmos to check on his human creations. He instructed the humans to build a shrine for him made out of natural materials like clay and stone in order to represent the materials used to create life. Factorem then instructed the humans to walk in circles around the shrine chanting his name seven times.

Factorem then asked the humans to kneel and pray for seven minutes. The humans then taught the next generations about Factorem’s teachings and how their world was created.

Upon the fifth day, Factorem created humans.

He wanted humans to recreate and be happy.

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Young Merlin Tommy Khau ‘21

face something so powerful and would defy each and every one of his master’s calls/commands, but eventually, he faced reality. The chimera overwhelmed Merlin’s power and pushed him back. Merlin screeched out for help as his life was in danger and his master came in to immobilize the chimera, even for a moment.

Merlin was able to regain his composure and finished off the chimera while his master kept it down. The master regained back his place as Merlin’s master and was recognized by Merlin.

The two bonded almost as if they were brothers even though they were five hundred years apart? The pair were given their next mission, to exterminate another chimera. However, this one was different. Whoever was assigned this mission never came back. They were presumably dead. Merlin at the time was still immature due to his lack of experience as a wizard.

The two went off to search for the chimera and boom... they found not one chimera, not two, not three, but four chimeras waiting in the room. This meant the demise of the pair, there was no possible way for them to fight four chimeras with a standard wizard and an apprentice wizard. Like usual, Merlin’s master devised a plan on how to take them down, as efficiently as possible. The pair managed to take down two of the four chimeras in the room and Merlin began getting carried away, nearly getting himself killed by one of the chimeras.

However, his master stepped in and took the slash across his body. He was in half and Merlin was left traumatized. In the state of confusion and frustration, Merlin bursted out in a beam of light like a star would, and the remaining two chimeras were no more. He won, but at what cost? He lost his master, an older brother he never had, a person he wished he had bonded with longer than before. Ever since that tragic day, Merlin would never let his immaturity show as long as it does not put anyone in harm.

Over four hundred years old, Merlin now has his own apprentice, and that is King Arthur.

ERRY The Perry Family motto is “Pray, hope, and don’t worry”,

as said by St. Padre Pio. They are a Catholic family who trusts in God’s plan. They never give up and know that if things get tough, things will turn out better in the end. They stick together and support each other. They eat dinner together at the table. They are vocal with their problems and talk things out as a family when something is bothering them.

The Perry Family should always tell the truth and do the right thing. It is important to be trustworthy. They are respectful and considerate of others. They take time to reach out to friends and older family friends who are lonely. They also make time for other people that might need them. They don’t say no if someone asks for help and they serve their community.

The Perry Family protects their pets. It is important for them to treat their animals like family and let them know they love them. Friends depend on them to keep them safe. They have to make time for them. They take care of them if they are sick.

The Perry Family likes to try new things and stay active. They do things outdoors together like taking care of the yard and gardening. They also like to go on hikes in the woods and see nature. They visit friends together. They do things the other person wants to do so they don’t have to do it alone.

Illuminated Manuscript, Conner Perry ‘21

For every great individual, lies a deep, dark past within them. Merlin, a renowned wizard unrivaled by many and master to young King Arthur. Going back more than four hundred years was Merlin at a much younger age. He was probably about twenty to thirty years old at the time. He also had a master that helped craft his art. Merlin was always known to be one of the wisest in the world, but during his younger days, not so much. He was young, naive, and immature. But he was brimming with talent. Talent that appears once every thousand years. His potential had no peer and young Merlin knew that. He always disregarded his master as he considered his own master, a normal wizard at that time, incompetent since he was able to defeat his master one on one.

One day, Merlin and his master were assigned on a mission. A mission to exterminate a chimera. Merlin was so pumped for this moment as he would be given the chance to

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Angelo-Saxon Boast Austin Pieck’21

Sinbad’s New Voyage Nicholas Bracale ‘21

I am Austin Smith Jr, the son of the greatest fire-beater (blacksmith) of the land. I am the wielder of iron and I don’t bend for nobody. I am a hard working, blue collar, tough as nails lad. I rather have loyalty than love because you can still love someone and stab them in the back. My legendary father passes his blessings on me and reminds me to be honest and fair.

My father was the one who made the sword that Arthur had pulled out when he was a baby.

My father then made the notorious excalibur which is Arthur’s prized possession. I have crafted the finest battle-metal (weapons) for King Arthur’s Knights. I have Beheaded the biggest baddest boldest bone bashing beasts of Camelot with my own tools of war. I also have acquired so much coin that I could bathe in it.

I shall craft a bone-breaker (Axe) for the ruler of the realm. I shall continue the long lengthy legendary legacy of my father till it shall end. I shall protect my land from those savage saxons.

I am soon to be invited to King Arthur’s round table for the work I have done for his men. I am pleased, in a fortnight, to go to his Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. I shall joust with the bravest men. I shall eat elbow to elbow with the biggest men. I shall drink and play games with the funniest and best storytellers of the land. The people from the north ask about how they can acquire my sweet sharp spiky spiney serrated stinging swords. I tell them only worthy men can hold my weapons. Craftsmanship is the name of the game. Merlin had told Arthur that he trusts me and will need me in a time of crisis. I have made the Axe for the green knight as well. I shall conclude this boast with my greatest gratitude. If you never get the chance to meet me, at least you got to read about me.

The best to ever wield iron, Austin Pieck Jr.

LED by the desire to associate with other races, and to buy and sell for gain,—for the soul is prone to evil,— Sinbad the Sailor and his crew departed from Baghdad with many precious bales, and set sail from ElBasrah in a large ship on which a company of other merchants embarked in like fashion.

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For many days he had a pleasant journey among the islands, and all went well with them until Sinbad started feeling ill. He was just off the coast of Antarctica where he saw a small island where the weather was -29 degrees. With the year being 2020, he stopped at the nearest COVID-19 testing centers in Antarctica. Sinbad was in disbelief when he found out he tested positive for the virus killing everyone on his ship. He was so sad about killing his entire crew.

He went to the island he discovered so he can self isolate in quarantine and hopefully live from this deadly disease. When he got there, he set up camp right next to a waterfall that was frozen. He found supplies that he can use for a fire so he won’t freeze. During his first night sleeping on the island, Sinbad was woken up by a strange and scary rawr in the distance. The rawr echoed throughout the island leaving Sinbad in an immediate shock. The rawr kept getting louder and louder like the creature was getting closer to by the second. He sees a very large shadow run through directly towards him. The figure looks like a giant goldfish with two arms and two legs. The strange creature has purple a mohawk and a nose ring. The creature stops to take a look at Sinbad, wondering why a main lander has invaded his great island. The more the creature stands there looking at Sinbad the more it gets angry and hungry. Sinbad, realizing he is in a very bad place at the moment, reaches for his bag and pulls out his COVID-19 test paper and yells, “Stop! I have COVID-19! Do not come near me or you will get sick and die!” The creature looks at Sinbad and tells him

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“Come with me. I will take you to our leader.

But maintain a social distance of 6 feet apart.”

Sinbad and the creature walk up to the top of the island to meet with the leader. The leader, 3 foot 4 with a 6 foot long tail, takes a look at Sinbad and says “Who are you and why are you here?” “My name is Sinbad the Sailor, and I have come to this island to self isolate in quarantine because I have tested positive for COVID-19” says Sinbad. The leader looks petrified as nobody around is wearing a mask. Sinbad notices the leader’s fear of him. With that knowledge Sinbad says “Give me everything on this island. I want the riches, leadership, food, water, clothes. I want everything! I am the new leader! If you don’t listen to me I will cough on every one of you and infect you with this terrible disease!” The leader and his people were forced to leave the island in a sad shock. Sinbad is now the new leader of the newly named Island of Corona with all of its riches and well beings. He stayed there in quarantine for two weeks until he felt much better and tested negative for COVID-19

El-Basrah in a large ship on which a company of other merchants embarked in like fashion.

For many days we had a pleasant journey among the islands, and all went well with us until we ran into a huge group of sharks that jumped over the boat to make us distracted on the rest of them that went under the boat and bit through it causing us to sink. Some of our men made it to shore while the others were eaten alive and screaming for help. We are stranded on an island that we’ve never been to and that’s way off the path we were taking to get to the actual island we set sail for.

While exploring the island Sinbad and the rest of the crew ran into 5 huge lions that were following them since they made it to shore.

Sinbad and the crew stopped to a halt and were scared to death, one of the lions said hmmm we haven’t eaten in weeks and these boys sure look mighty tasty. The crew gets absolutely shook at this point because they witness lions talk right before their eyes, while there in shock Sinbad approaches them and gives them a proposal.

Help us get off this Island and we’ll kill 5 sharks one for each of you. The lion’s eyes lit up like 3 year old kids in a candy factory and one of them screeches out loud from pure happiness.

One of the lions didn’t seem pleased though, he asks Sinbad how will you kill the sharks you have no tools and no bait in order to draw them to shore. Sinbad says bring us to your leader and we shall propose an even exchange in order to make sure the task gets done.

The journey from that place, where Sinbad had suffered so much, took him from island unto island towards the city of El-Basrah. As he proceeded, the places where he dropped anchor grew more and more familiar to him, and, as of old, he bought and sold as merchants do. At length Sinbad arrived at the city of ElBasrah, whence, having transacted business there for some days, bartering and selling the jewels he had acquired, Sinbad journeyed to Baghdad. There, in the bosom of his family, and surrounded by my companions, he returned to my former habit of life. These, then, were the experiences of Sinbad’s lost voyage.

The quiet lion in the back steps up and she says I am the leader, how do we know we can trust you. Sinbad says you can’t but you haven’t eaten in weeks and we are in desperate need to get off this island and return to our families.

The lioness says ok you have until nightfall to bring us the sharks and you have to figure out how you’re going to get the supplies you need in order to complete this task. If you manage to complete this task we shall help you get off this island and back to your families. However if you

Sinbad’s Island Quest Ari Kinder ‘21 LED by the desire to associate with other races, and to buy and sell for gain,—for the soul is prone to evil,—I departed from Baghdad with many precious bales, and set sail from

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Sinbad’s Fearless Full Moon Elijah Blocker ‘21

fail to complete what seems like an impossible task we are just going to eat you ourselves.

Sinbad’s crew trembles in fear while Sinbad himself accepts the deal that has been proposed.

LED by the desire to associate with other races, and to buy and sell for gain,—for the soul is prone to evil,—I departed from Baghdad with many precious bales, and set sail from El-Basrah in a large ship on which a company of other merchants embarked in like fashion.

Sinbad turns around and tells the crew we need to hurry and find the supplies we need on the island in order to make a spear and find some small fish in one of these little ponds.

They say ok and set out on their voyage to find the supplies. Sinbad stumbles upon three small trees that fell and he thinks to himself what if a spear is under this. He lifts up the trees and to his surprise 3 spears are sitting right there in perfect condition. He yells out he found the spears and the rest of the crew scream back they have the fish. They all round up together and Sinbad gives them the plan, he said we have 3 spears and multiple fish so we’re going to use one of the spears as the bait with the fish on them and when they jump up the other two stab them and drag them onto the shore.

Nightfall is around the corner but they manage to pull off this impossible task with an hour left before nightfall. They tell the Lioness and her pack to meet them at the shore and behold the 5 sharks are sitting on the shore waiting for the Lions. The lioness was very impressed but she kept her word and showed Sinbad and his crew a boat on the other side of the island and told them they can have it. She wished them a safe trip home and went to go feast on her shark.

For many days we had a pleasant journey among the islands, and all went well with us until we came across a fury but not friendly creature. Look somewhat like a werewolf.

Legends say this creature comes out once a month, maybe every full moon, and terrorizes the villages on the island. The elders of all of the villages say it feeds off fear, gets stronger, and kills whoever is most terrified of the beast.

The stories scared me at first but I realized that the people can’t live with pain, fear, and suffering for much longer. I arrived at the island two days after the last rising of the beast so I stayed in the most populated village until the next full moon to end this terrorism that has been happening for many years. On that night, the moon was bright and full, the streets were empty and silent, and the breeze was subtle and made the trees dance and the leaves soar through the purple sky. As I walked down the dirt road with a wooden rod with a dirty bronze tip that was given to me by the village blacksmith, the breeze stopped and everything was silent. Just silent.

I stood there frozen in the middle of the road and I heard a soft growl and a warm breeze sort of like a breath whiff the back of my neck. The hairs on my neck stood and my heart stopped in fear. I closed my eyes and remembered when I was a young boy my father told me that “fear is just an illusion.” I turned and looked face to face with the creature. The muscular beast was standing on its hind legs, yellow teeth dripping in dark blood, and breathing in my face giving off a foul scent. I stared into the bright purple eyes of this fantastic beast and dropped my spear and said to him, “fear is just an illusion and you’re an

Our journey from that place, where I had suffered so much, took us from island unto island towards the city of El-Basrah. As we proceeded, the places where we cast anchors grew more and more familiar to me, and, as of old, I bought and sold as merchants do. At length we arrived at the city of El-Basrah, whence, having transacted business there for some days, bartering and selling the jewels I had acquired, I journeyed to Baghdad. There, in the bosom of my family, and surrounded by my companions, I returned to my former habit of life. These, then, were the experiences of my lost voyage.

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House Decorating Contest

addition to that illusion.” The beasts breathing pattern became softer and softer and the fur started falling off and the body started becoming frail. Moments later, the once terrifying beast became a little boy who fell to the ground and started crying. The villagers exited their homes and walked over to the boy balled up on the ground with the fur spread out around him. The people then saw his face and gasped in surprise.

First Place:Tie between Presley Villa ‘23 & Justin Pollio ‘21

The next day, the leaders and elders of the village brought me to the center and told me that the boy who was once the beast went missing when the village was first founded and was scared of the bullies in the village so they believed he fled to the woods and participated in a satanic ritual that turned him into the beast. He used his powers as that monster to get back at the bullies and used their fear to get stronger and kill them.

The elders have said I was not the bully but I defeated him with fear because nobody has not been scared of him in many many years. Later the leaders announced to the people that I have been crowned as guardian of the island.

Gingerbread Decorating Contest Jacob Doyle ‘21

Our journey from that place, where I had suffered so much, took us from island unto island towards the city of El-Basrah. As we proceeded, the places where we cast anchor grew more and more familiar to me, and, as of old, I bought and sold as merchants do. At length we arrived at the city of El-Basrah, whence, having transacted business there for some days, bartering and selling the jewels I had acquired, I journeyed to Baghdad. There, in the bosom of my family, and surrounded by my companions, I returned to my former habit of life. These, then, were the experiences of my lost voyage.

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Lego Building Competition

One Pager Assignment

Winning entry - Luke Beerli ‘22

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Trevor Knotwell ‘22

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Mind’s Eye

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2020-21 Literary Magazine

Notre Dame High School One Notre Dame Way • West Haven CT 06516 www.NotreDameHS.com 2020-21