Perspectives 2024-2025

INTRODUCTION From the OriginalAdvisor In 1002 the Wl'iitfield

liad fewer of ever5rthinH,

community

had far

always

been integral

to Whitfield

ethos.

in that

atmosphere

tl-iat a motley

Itwas

creating

an art and literature Our first

and publishing deal of faitl'i,

magazine

issue was put togetlier

- and very nearly courage,

and persistence

hrimble

by our current

standards,

became

an institution

atWlutfield.

The magazine

was

academies, went

there

silently

a

to

activities

and sports

classrooms.

inctuding students,

and thathas

1992-2004

is

a

tl'ian we enjoy now. In fact, we

A wonderful

thing

forward-looking,

a dozen

students

shidents budget,

approached

More than

a

me about

knowledge

of layout,

desi,gn,

operation took many hours, a Hood resultwas proud

remarkably becarise

meager

to athletics,

a

and

the Secret Voice

tlieater,

of the cornmu-iity

was a then

had tl'ien

and teachers.

and

that

a

of beauty,

b ecame

a vehicle

rmcelebrated:

and excellence.

thatwe

student-centered

for

a

fostering

courage,

tlie time

to learn

new

and literature

integral

to being

a

ma,gazine

would

no better

than

faculty

members

over the years,

C,redit for the

who had the awards

its

put in are as be

priblication

a

at the traditional have

print taken

up

that

a

iS

valued Larry

Hays,

Faculty

Spring 2025 Fjrst Contributjon

Sjnce 2005

J

TABLE

PERSPECTIVES VOL.XXX11N0.2

2024-2025 Bradley,

Editor-in-Chief

Dylan Weiss '28

Caspian

Editor

Grant

Cagle, Aiko

'26

Assitant

Editor

Diana Hunigan

'25

FacultyAdvisor

Curtis

Erlinger

Eggebrecht,

Ashley

Ehimare,

Isi '28

Erlinger,

Curtis

Isabel Aymerich '25 Akio

Cagle '26

TomAs Casado '27 Harper Charnond '29 Meena Dang '3o Nora Daniels '3i Lizzy Forbes '3o Alexander French '29 Doni

Grooms

Maggie

Harkins

'26

Lee Kirkpatrick

'29

Sarah Kunz

'28

'28

Lilia Long '27

Staff Ellie Mayer '27 Erin Messias '27 Isra Muzaffar '27 Toplier

Payne '28

Tessa Politte '27

Sketch

Maggie

'26

Maura

'28

Flowers Untitled

Kourbatova,

Sophia '28

Doberman

Mella,

Zoe '25

Pruett,

Lizzie '26

Joop Untitled, Untitled

Shocklee,

The Last Shot Untitled

'28

Tillman,

Tarnir

Tolch, Amelia Toolan,

Togther

'30

in Basketball Untitled

Maeve '26

Wang, Olivia

'29

Fairytale,

What

Weiss, Dylan

'28

Sonder,

Nature's

Worsena, Zanzie,

The World

Derek '29 Lilly

Death

We Live In

That Auhimn

'28

is Beauty?

Breeze

Grace Yates '28 Artists

of the Month

Kunz,

Sarah '28

Dylan Weiss '28 Maura Harkins

Pushing

'28

Muzaffar,

Isra '27

Norfolk,

Mikki

Politte,

Tessa '27

Tredway,

LL

Untitled

'26

Messias, Erin '27

Layout CoverArt

Sea Spray, Waterfall

Lydia '29 Edan '30

Rufkahr

Cole Stevenson '27 OliviaWang '29 KaylaWard '25

Acryllic

Shoghi,

Molly

'28

up Alone

Ellie '27

Maaz '30

Starkey

I'm Scared of ending

Mayer,

Siddiqi,

Emme

Introduction

Hana '27

'26 '28

What if, Jar, Shoe New York Asters, Purple Ink

- Faculty

Pruett Sinanovic

Meditation

'27

Nina

Lizzie Emina

Kitchen

Fall Haiku

Harkins,

Inazu,

of Sinwava

The Technogarchs

- Faculty

- Faculty

Harkins,

Hill,

Vs. Nighhnares

Temple

Elle '27

Hays, Larry

General

Dreams

'30

Rosie '26

Chomper

Polo, See

'26

Davidson,

Evitts,

Untitled

'30

The Intergalactic

Kaitlin

Dang, Meena

Nina Hill '27

The Bird in the... The Blood...

'27

Bosanquent, Cochran,

Submissions

OP CONTENTS

'28

KAt '28

Up Dasies, Tears Over Fears

Cicadas Under Memory,

Concrete,

Untitled

Spray... The Ghost The Girl Space Light

Shower

3 37

Cicadas

Under

Concrete

Erin Messias, Class of 2027 necemberxrtjstof thewonth Can't Waking

you imagine

vampirically

Climbing

with Only

purpose

Placed

scream

through

dirt

siblings,

they

and yearn

To feel some

and grime

day by day

yet uncaring

for your

year slumber

unknown

slab walked

to protect, cries

Maybe They

a hundred

to hit something

A conglomerate

You sing melodic

the life of a cicada

from

ofyour your

corpse

lovers,

your

colleagues

call for you too

for others instinct

in the same sea of rot

of togetherness

But are left in the dark,

alone

Flowers Nina Hill C,lass of 2027

The same as you A sense of abandonment Yet just They

a few feet away, others

see the warm

Unbeknownst They

stretch

to their

family

crystal

Deaf

to the cries

Maybe

wings

make

the ground it through

trees like

a newborn

buried

alive

in graves

while

yours

stay veiled

from

suffering

fate has been There

LL

sun, and cling

their

Your Your

seeps into

mute

of soot in soil

mouths

is suffocated

sealed

in granite

and cement

is nothing

more

to be done

we are all just

cicadas

under

concrete

J

Nature's

Sonder DylanWeiss,

DylanWeiss,

Class of 2028

Tuesday March 4, 2025

Sunlight

That holds

upon

A place, whose

words

fears, are spoken

by the

mOOn.

with

time,

from

The earth's largest In front

mystery,

of our misty

Spun with

sky's soft tears.

A pasture

anger, downpour

fills the road to

before

silent,

halting

cries

except the words

they know of

riptide.

of flowers growth

up with

flowers

the other's

with

meaning

to go,

deepest secrets confide,

hide in the mysterious

roots

but weeds are sour and kill the good with

A destination Where

make a sound.

weeds take lives of both.

Growing

The world

And

they could

they sit for hours

flee.

Waves the only sound,

ground

the true ones price WaS paid

dew supplying

eyes,

-n, zoz5

casts rays

the dewey

' before

Built

Class of 2028

'ThesdayFebruary

There is an abyss of blue, my deepest

Death

Now

the flowers

inscribed

with

brute.

lay in nature's

tomb

names of who they fell to.

flow.

The place you can vanquish, with

no attention,

you're

hit with

waves of

anguish.

Pushing Sarah

Up Dasies Kunz

C,lass of 2028

L

J

The Bird in the Moonlight Caspian Bradley, C,lass of 2027 Why

is this town

Every

step I take thumps, the inside.

I know

The day this town

as though

walking

mere hours

before

along

by the bird

the dark,

one, I would've

risked

a few handfuls

the world.

scary about

Halloween.

That's what

they all thought.

It started

a scream.

with

Or...

cobbly

I thought

I knew,

silenced

the other

children

and parents

'It

come off!"

started

she yelled,

children.

flicking

and sobbing

was forcing

this curse upon

The girl with

the bunny

her eyes and mouth squirmed,

children

all of them

tearing

melting

into place...

their

and mutilated

until

they were barely

I looked

down

at my own garments,

feathers

on my arms pricking

were warping

the structure

fear. I wanted

this...

from

from

was rotting

it clearly.

to look

started

I turned

with

and finished

me. The other

children

Trick

or treat..."

I murmur,

smffing.

her voice

muddied

and sputtering

friends.

said the moth,

"Trick.

It's always been a trick."

hissed the deer, his hooves

'Trick

or treat'. A simple

no? There's nothing

fateful

night,

sobbing

anymore,

welling

excitement

of the home

My bones twisted,

is actually

all, it's my fault this all happened,

and quantity,

watching

me. Her eyes are

have come to say hello...

shattering,

remaining.

Why

so quiet?

crushing

bubbling

with

inside

the blood

clicking

nefarious

it's spoken

of the curse. The home

and I soon learned

had one question is this town

ring to it when

and anticipation

I had a

compass.

The deer, the

stuck in her throat.

on the cobbles.

about

it. And

here. The bunny without their

yet, as it had back on that vanishes

life, the home

mangled

figures,

from

with

the window,

no light.

shrieks

the

The others

of delight

rising

in

why. from

some unseen

isn't it? As I drifted

force. It hurt

off to my calm,

like hell, but I didn't

quiet

release from

scream.

After

this place, I only

A girl

shriek

that

spffled

from

Doberman mask.

for freedom

from

as their

costumes

as her skull

Blood

its grasp. Soon, there

Acrylic

fused with

Ellie

pleading

shifted,

as everyone

horrifically

no longer

of the room

start to riot,

phrase,

has a deadly

rain.

terrified

at her bunny

watching

'trick'

volume

sweets. Nothing

our only

in desperation,

becoming

and ripping

into my flesh, blood

with

their

flesh,

whatever

evil

formed

smiley

molding

around

Mayer

C,lassof 2027

to her mask,

me twisted,

into their

skin, deformed

and cute.

as the beak began to fuse to my skin, the paper up like morbid

of my own feet, and I grew three

so I simply

behind

died and become

days of non-stop

pain-stricken,

desperate

in circles,

costumes

recognizable melting

I see the first girl in one of the windows,

I hear footsteps

"Trick."

at her.

screaming

and clawing

by my mother

if I could've

the moon

as she clawed

on the floor,

once-cheery

the street once more.

pain.

"Hello,

them...

mask was writhing

and shrieked,

handmade

A bloodcurdnng,

as we all turned

whining

and ears and garments,

This town

I remember

so so much...

off, the light

had screamed.

One after another,

the inside.

soon to be filled

she dug into her cheeks as she tore at the mask,

were more masks

recovering

they thought.

the streetlights

scratches

night,

that's what

me, whom

worft

birds,

in the bottom,

behind

with

window

I loved

It was a chilly

the block,

from

streets in my costume,

of candy

Down

rotting

years ago on Halloween.

in the moonlight.

I had set off on my journey.

pillowcase,

with

is hollow,

this spot. I was here twelve

was cursed

I remember

the ground

around

filled

snake, the moth...

so quiet?

from

I look

toes, clawed

tears. My sloppily-made

shoes

at each end. I did not cry, I did not

smiled.

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(Next

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=JI

J

I'm Scared

of Ending

Sophia

Kourbatova

Class of 2028

Up Alone

The Memory Isra

Muzaffar

Class of 2027

12-

The Spray

of Light Isra

Muzaffar

C,lass of 2027

J

OliviaWang C,lassof 2029 Fairytale

What is Beauty?

Raised

by fairies

The question

Taught

inside

books

swered.

a princess

Is it the golden

I cast myself

In wait for happily

ever after

waiting

Untitled Lizzie

I've been

for

Handsome,

kind,

Amazingly

brave on your

Just as I picture

The delicate

touch

of petals

in

.

storybook

black.

A heart

may be hushed,

crowded

with

bow of the waves,

Or the silver

glow of the tranquil

ogles at the charming,

But scarcely

Lovely

appear

only for the

hears the kind.

fades; tenderness

Not everything Does beauty

I thought

I would

someone

who

isrt't a frog

finally

But you ended

up being

kiss

Or does it thrive

beneath

the

the apple

me just after the pro-

logue

People

do not see the beauty

of

ones

Personality I began pondering

all over again

A woman

can be pretty

but rotten

Wondering

it's my time

A woman

can be different

but

woman

draws

Fairytales

when

show you what's

pages, Never

on the

kind The pretty

beyond

the eyes, Not the heart.

is what

remains.

that catches the

eye

Touches

surface?

yet

light.

eye to see?

Poisoning

L

A face may glow like gold, yet

The world

The fierceful

horse

Pruett

Class of 2026

beam of the sun,

moon?

upright,

in my

unan-

transform

spring, You look like the prince

that lingers,

the heart.

TheWorldWe

Live

DerekWorsena Class of 2029

Iq

In

Space Tessa

Politte

Class of 2027 OctoberArtjst of the Month

Whot

if

Maggie

Harkins,

C,lass of 2026

Tell me, O'flower,

But in what...

O'Flower

In What

of Truth

will What

if,

What

if,

WHAT

he no longer

O'Flower,

IF!

if he finds

of lies,

me?

Why

have you forsaken

With

petals

of lies

That

scorch

my soul

What

if he hurts

me agait?

What

if he mocks

my pain

again?

But tell me then,

My Petals

O'Flower,

My Petals

O'Flower

of truth,

Thine

Petals

sent me petals

What

if,

Thou

What

if,

Lies that never

WHAT

In reality,

IF!

What

if he is kind

for once

What

if he makes

me

smile

once?

Were

meant

be mine

mine

to soothe

My nightmares if he takes away my pain

of lies

would

but only

me

for

Yet all you've Is damage With

the nightmares

of Him..

The Ghost

done

me more

the lies of your

Isra petals,

The bane of my existence, False Change.

IQ

in my dreams

The Petals you sent for

once

What

be

my pain?

O'Flower What

Such a dream,

Muzaffar

Class of 2027 ffovemberArtjst of the Month

14's impw+azr+ WAtn

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in

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7'Xz3rass is soR-

C,lass of 2028 Birds 5/W in +At 4rtts

Monster Jar

/ Kill +At bi(d51 (;bt+ +Ae 4-rags dr:rwn,

Maggie

rAis is a, +4rary

Harkins

UnrtaJ,

Class

of 2026

yd

1//5/0/7 ouive

/ will ntver set i+ 4wrr, / um

do wAMaier

7'Xis is all

Dreams Meena

IQ

i+ lads

Atrt

o.. dra)-sn

Vs. Nighmares

Dang

Class of 2030

The Girl Mikki

Norfolk,

Class of 2028

7anuaryArtjst of the Month the Mother

hummed

she was a noisy yet always

but it cradled the Father

tune

and whistling

of any kind

remained silent,

in a world

like her.

so much

so she prayed.

God, or the Muslim

that wanted

in the grave

for

watched

they enjoyed

she prayed

smiled

"if

actions

as Their

weren't

People

hearts

these words

begged.

criminals,

nor

the People

perpetrators.

nor

People

are the last breaths

it falls

from

need to pay to breathe.

once more.

freedom,

or simply

on the steps of Congress.

the Deaths,

Blood

and the money

pool

and when

began to dim,

at their

the Mother

hiunrned

the Father

became

them.

louder quieter

except

to cover to live

her fear

longer

as the Men

and silence

the goal.

she listened

as people

made

survival

surrendered

long before,

leave

and may our

feet no more." her eyes once more,

but the world

for the one thing

she no longer

it's held

didn't

change.

that did,

listened.

Polo

and the Girl..listened. she listened

in a school

she opened

they glistened, consumed

let the

and if i Die on the way to

my body rose from

let

tree. let

be free like my soul may be when

yet

of guilt

i breathe,

be free, free

the autumn

they were here to help.

as the Dollars

hoping

be free like the speech we once spoke

by the moon

the reminder

God at all.

to be heard.

be true. let the People

into air we didn't murders,

hoping

to. she prayed,

like the leaf when

hole of fear into the People's

no

pray to the Christian

God, or anyone's

to herself,

these words

how their

a permanent

they

now.

this,

to His People

that she felt she could

she didn't

to be listened

gave him great comfort

spoke

hear.

and likedhearingthenothingness.

silence

but

and all the girls

silent

the Men

the Men

as the Man he hated her

longer

his words.

drilled

she even listened about how much

she listened

her now.

always

he lived

beautiful

person

hated hurnrning

and any sound

hewas

a devastatingly

illegal

to the fear of

Kaitlin Cochran Class of 2026

shackles, unknowing

Ip

that the shackles

were

created

of fear.

31

'Ai

New

York

Maura Lizzie'iPruett

Asters

Harkins

Class of 2028 7anuary Contest Wjnner

The Technogarchs Ashley Eggebrecht Faculty

That

0 Muse Let me conjure

them

Olympians

from

their

High

above

the plight

Their

thunderbolt

Keep

us worshiping

With

blood-sacrifices

break

free from

At the cost of starving

thousands

silicone

mountain

That

of mortal

men

Their

succulent

That

division

algorithms

They

dining

prostrate

at their

alters

full

Delicious While

Did

Light

Shower

KatTredway C,lass of 2028 pebruaryiqrtxstof thewonth

IQ

lose our children lotus would

gravity

to

flowers be sowed

to our devices

We love

it more

than freedom

to our dopamine

receptors

halls,

feast on the fruit

Goblets

we would

Slaves

Hits In their

men would

of omniscience

of ambrosia

indifference

below

you know

a dumb

While

blue with

Harvest

our deepest

And

wreckage

seas of boneless,

Stained

sell them

Prometheus

Prometheus,

eagle's

talons

would

Chained

spark

Did

your

oracles

Into

the ears of Zeus?

lead to this?

whisper

their

truths

fingers

desires

in exchange

While

The first

chubby

cobalt

to his alter

for our souls

is ripped

of progress

open

by endless

',2

a. A '

Kitchen

Meditation

C,urtis

Erlinger

Faculty

a

rgkrii --i

Sketch Isi Ehimare Class of 2028 Contest Wjnner

December

lq

: j a i

The Last Shot Edan Shoghi, Class of 2030 I wake up in the morning

and go to the court

I put up shots and none of them

go in, for my mind

I want

to be great but there are trials

After

putting

up 100 shots, I call it quits while

slows while

I think.

I don't

think

I can do this anymore

I look

at the hoop

and down

has broken

everything

around

on my shoes

I quit I can't do this anymore I ask myself

how I could

give all my strength

I push and push myself

until

As I fall to the ground

I ask why I still do this

I answer

myself

and fail

I can not walk

to say I can do this out of all of them

Untitled Grant Bosanquet, Class of 2030 Maybe

o maybe

you're

sucked

Why

are you on screens when

Look

o look

at the beautiful

Can't you see the beautiful

See, Kaitlin

lq

Cochran,

Class of 2026

Maybe

into screens you could

trees bees

you can find the queen

be admiring

leaves

me

Untitled

Erin Messias, Class of 2027

At night I put on war paint I spread it lovingly across my face Covering every bump and scar Healing my worn hide For me to thrive is to reveal your lies So I rub this act of rebellion into my skin I trim my claws and shine my fangs Highlighting the monster You want me to be

Fall Haiku

Elle Evitts, Class of 2027 October Contest Winner

Fall Fall makes me feel cold I need to wear a jacket I miss the summer

The Blood of Mortals and Gods Caspian Bradley Class of 2027

November Contest Winner

� �

.;!;�..... Ji( •

�;,..,.,.,_

'

�

......

� �

""' <" Sea Spray

Lydia Shocklee Class of 2029

G2..

March Contest Winner

Joop Zoe Mella Class of 2025

221

Togther in Baskethall Amelia Tolch, Class of 2030 On the court bouncing With

where

balls from

each dribble,

As players

gather

dreams

take flight,

left to right. hear the sound,

all around.

Shoot the three,

and watch

it soar,

Swish through

nets, the crowd

will

roar!

Pass the rock, make that play.

Fast breaks lead to an alley-oop Defense your

tight,

don't let them

feet, and hustle

more.

The clock is ticking,

tension

With

display.

score, slide high.

shot, we reach for the sky.

every

In the paint,

we collide,

Chasing

wins with I hear the sound

every stride.

When

the final buzzer

Basketball

unites

Untitled Maaz Siddiqi, Class of 2030

us all!

rings the call,

of the ball

Then bomb The ball goes high in the air Then goes to the bears Out in the woods We have lost our ball from But we will

the blood

get it back

Untitled

Just have to find the bear So won't

you come to the woods

that ball with

lq

us

and find

Hana

Inazu

Class of 2027

Untitled Maeve

Toolan

Class of 2026

lq

Temple Rosie

of Sinawava Davidson

C,lass of 2026

,.

aa

J

Untitled Waterfall Lydia

Shocklee

Class of 2029

Iq

TamirTillman C,lass of 2026

Tears Over Fears Sarah

Kunz

C,lass of 2028 March Artjst of the month

Intergalactic Aiko

12

Chomper: The Licky Jar Cagle,

(,lass

of 2026

31

ellH!IF)t

ThatAutumn

Purple

Breeze

Lilly

Zanzie

Class

of 2028

Maura (,overArt,

li

Ink Harkins

Class of 2028 February Contest Wjnner

HISTORY Whitfield's

art and literature

magazine,

the Secret Vojce, was founded

in fall of 1992, giving students the opportunity to express themselves in a new and creative English

way. The original

department,

faculty

conaborated

sponsor,

with

Dr. Hays, a mainstay

a small but dedicated

group

in the of students

determined to amplify the community's creative voices. For nearly 3o years, the Secret Vojce showcased

the artistic

talents

The Secret Vojce was rebranded

of Whitfield

students.

as Perspectjves

chance to offer both

online

and physical

embraced

a broader

range

of artistic

diversity

of talentwithin

formats.

mediums

in 2021,

embracing

With this change, to celebrate

the

the magazine

the incredible

our community.

However, in 2024, Perspectjveswas almost discontinued. Itwas the continued efforts of the new leaders and faculty sponsor thatled to another rebranding,

giving

traditional

and artsy style. This renewed

publication,

the magazine

reigniting

an updated

theme,

vision

blending

breathed

The Secret Vojce's

newlife

into the

its mission.

Finally, in 2025, Perspect'ivesintroduced a new method of showcasing art, creating

zines, a miniature

consistency allowing

tip

in publications.

artists

to showcase

magazine

halfway

through

These zines complementthe their

work

more

often.

the year to have more main

publication,

WHITFIELDSCHOOL 775 SOUr// HASOjVRD.