Letter!

LETTER !

Humans A Poem

The Little Sunflower

Featuring: Essays!

Articles!

Film review!

Letter!

“Dreams will never die, but you will”

Short Story: The Great TOTS

Leslie Flores, David León, Gabriel Ruiz, Angélica Sierra.

Index

Index .................................................................................................. 0 Introduction........................................................................................ 1 Poem: Humans the most stupid beings on earth ................................ 3 Short story: The great TOTS ............................................................. 4 Autobiographical short story: Dreams will never die, but you will .. 9 Essay: How to Promote the Tolerance............................................. 21 Essay ................................................................................................ 23 Letter ................................................................................................ 24 Film review ...................................................................................... 25 Article: Music Festivals, Demonic Events! ..................................... 26 Poem: NATURE .............................................................................. 27 Poem: THE LITTLE SUNFLOWER .............................................. 28 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 29

Introduction As social beings, humanity has always felt the desire to express and transmit their thoughts and, in an attempt to allow their descendants to know them, they developed written language. What began as a recreational activity –sometimes necessity– involving drawings inside caves or messy symbols on stone, evolved into an essential part of our educative formation throughout history and nowadays, in a time were not being able to read or write is almost sin, schools make us create this kind of literary works. When you question a student about their opinion on these obligatory writings, they will usually reply by saying they are though and boring, too restrictive, not worth the grade, a waste of time! If you had to do this, I’m sure your opinion would be similar: I’m pretty sure this was not done in past education. Well, how are we supposed to fill five blank pages, no double spacing, size twelve, with words that we need to force out of our hearts? In a language not quite familiar to us, on top of everything! As students, we wish for more freedom to express our ideas, but the teachers have to make sure we write as much words as they ask and that our grammar is decent enough to make a project of this magnitude. Anyway, we have made it this far: probably staying up long nights before the deadline, cursing, trying to look for inspiration that never reached us, sigh. And now the time to share these –shameful– creations has come, such a pity. Right now we might be calling them garbage and unspeakable names, but in fact we cannot deny that someday, even it is far away from today, these works will be useful. Learning foreign languages is an area of vital importance in this world and not a single minute of their study can be detrimental. Some of the writings here may be sincere, some may not.

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Even this little text meant to create a setting around the compilation of teenagevehement texts is tainted a little by our usual hatred and boredom toward school.

But we put all the possible effort on doing them and expect that you like them as much as much as we like good grades. Anyway, quit the criticism and enjoy!

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Poem: Humans the most stupid beings on earth Humans are stupid beings Is the nature of humans Humans pay for nature Nature is life In addition, life cannot be sell Humans pay for stones Humans sell water The human ambition is so big that we sell dogs, cats, birds, etc.

Living beings that are supposed to be priceless Humans believe that sell a human is the worst thing you can do In addition, it is true Life is priceless We are visitors on earth and we are not allowed so sell nature I believe that it is wrong but we cannot change that thinking any more it´s over We destroyed our planet

- Gabriel Ruiz Perez 3

Short story: The great TOTS Once upon a time, there was a teenager that has a big dream he wanted to be a soccer player but he was a really bad player, when he was a child he loses his father so he promises that he would be a professional soccer player. So, when he heard that the Puebla FC team where doing tryouts.

So, a day before the tryouts starts he ask to his mother if he could achieve the challenge. Therefore, his mom tells him.

Mom: - Tots you can be the best in the world if you have in mind that you are the best. You have to try and you´ll succeed, and you can have your dreams.

Tots: - Thank you mom I´m going to follow your tip.

So, when the next day starts Tots start listening to music when suddenly he saw his archenemy. This guy makes Tots life´s impossible he always tell to him that it was a mess in soccer. So, before arrive to the soccer field his archenemy that was called Scrat.

Scrat: - this is a joke? Tots here? This is going to be really easy But Tots prefer to be in silence and act like if he hasn´t listen.

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So, when he was checking in the trainer was walking around and looking who is going to participate but some of the scouters has tell to the trainer that Tots was an awful soccer player but he doesn’t think the same he has an ethic code that every player has a talent and no one has the right to judge a young soccer player.

So, before the tryout start the trainer gave an emotive speech.

Trainer: - Tots I’ve heard some scouters that you don’t have a good technique but they had told me that you really passionate with this sport.

Tots: - Thank you trainer to told me this I really get passionate with this sport because when my dad dies I promise he that I would became a soccer player, so when I was noticed that there would be a tryout I became really happy and I was the first teenager to register.

Trainer: - I can feel that you are very excited with this sport I want to see you on the field good luck.

So, when the trainer goes Tots gets more happy and excited about this, so before he arrives to the field he bumped into with Scrat.

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Scrat: - you are the worst player that I know you wouldn’t be accepted by the team. Don’t cry after they told you that you aren’t on the team.

Tots: - I´ll speak and demonstrate you what I can do on the field.

And the tryout starts they have to do many practices so Scrat was surprising everybody even the trainer was enjoying the performance on the tryout, but Tots was even having a good performance must of the scouters where saying that Tots would be the first teenager that would exit the tryout.

But Tots was doing his best even he surprises the trainer and the scouters because he has a better grade on a practice than Scrat so all the people where fascinating about this.

And the last and the most important challenge it was a soccer match was against the official soccer players.

So the match starts Tots was sat on the bench because he hasn’t achieve a very good grade but the trainer believe on him, so in a unfortunately play Scrat get really injured, so all the viewers get scarred about this so the carefully take him out and the trainer scream “Tots come here.”

Trainer: - okay Tots this is your opportunity to shine and demonstrate how good are you.

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Tots: - thank you trainer I would try to do my best.

Before this dialogue Tots enter to the match and was really concentrated on what he has to do.

At the first time he was really nervous all the viewers can perceived that, but after warming up Tots gets confidence and he start to play better he creates a lots of opportunities to score a goal but the teammates couldn’t score because the professional goalkeeper is one of the best around the world.

So Tots decided to crates his own plays and shoot to the goal and even create some plays for their teammates all of them where fascinating with this performance in the match.

Specially the scouters where more than excited, even Scrat on the hospital was surprised on this, the match finishes with a 0-0 but must of the people love the performance of Tots everybody was talking and discussing how good did he does on the game, the trainer came close to Tots and tell him Trainer: - Tots you show us how good are you, I’ve a good notice for you………… you had been selected to be on the professional team

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After this notice he went to home and when he saw his mom he got really happy because he achieved the promise that makes to his father and start crying about this.

And the rest is history he became the best player in the world with just 19 years old.

Even nowadays plays on the Real Madrid next with Santiago MuĂąez.

- David Leon

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Autobiographical short story: Dreams will never die, but you will My name is Sierra and I’m a 16-year old. Technically, I’m not called that but it is practical and sounds way better than my actual name. I keep repeating that to myself as I walk across an empty street.

In the desperation to get out, I did not manage to grab an umbrella and nothing but a loose sweater covered me. Luckily, a thick jacket is tightly packed in the heavy bag that holds onto my shoulders. Just in case.

My earbuds are clung to my ears and the volume is turned to the top, not a single noise can possibly reach me. Nothing to tie me back.

Either way, I’m sure the streets are as silent as graves. The sky’s clouds are twitching gray, blue, pink and lighting, my skin is damped in sweat and petrichor has slipped past my nostrils and into my lungs.

After a few more minutes of walking on the dry grass that always dominated the view from my window, I reach the bus station. There is already one of the giant vehicles waiting for passengers to swallow 9

and I soon as I climb the dirty stairs, the motor increases its roar and advances in slow, sickening motion. Without looking -maybe afraid that looking into anyone’s eyes will uncover my intentions and that then I will be shamefully stopped- I hand the driver a few coins and sit at the very back of the silent monster. There’s nobody else in.

I take off my earbuds and save them and my iPod inside my bag, the music still playing.

The bus continues moving in the city constantly, like a ghost through empty carcasses, not a single soul shows up in the streets and it seems as if the sun has taken a break from his descent only to keep the buildings painted gray.

A strange feeling sits on top of my shoulders with a devilish grin and the tips of my fingers go numb. This might be a way the world is letting me know I am wrong, it has paused all of its cycles in an attempt to stop me as well. But ration kicks in and I am a normal person once more -which is kind of a relief. After all, lighting was made to keep people afraid and secured inside their houses.

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Time passes by and we -the driver and me, my shame and me, or maybe my insecurities and me- arrive to the other end of the city. The bus stops in front of a massive building and I know it’s time to get off. I grab my backpack -that seems larger and heavier than when it was resting under my bed- and jump down before the transport slides away and disappears behind a curve. I take a deep breath before opening the crystal door and entering. Contrary to my predictions, there is people inside that move slowly yet systematically from the panes to the platforms where they are to depart. I take a wrinkled paper out of my back pocket and straighten it slightly. It reads Irvine in black ink.

Then, I proceed to walk to the one platform placed in the far left of the building, staring intently at the floor. It’s just three quarters past six and my bus leaves at seven, but it is already waiting and the passengers are getting inside. I follow them and enter the dark chamber. I take one seat at the second row and hug my bag tightly against my chest. It reeks of vomit and cheap deodorant and that is the reason why I have

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always loathed traveling, but this time I had no other option, I’ve got to endure it.

The trip will take me more than a day but I am willing to pay that price and more, I will always be. In order to pass the time before we start moving I check the insides of my backpack. The zipper gets stuck slightly as I slide it open due to the impressive amount of stuff I managed to pack inside: a dark jacket, three bottles of water, a dozen packs of Skittles, my old iPod, a pair of jeans, some books and my cellphone. I take the latter out and turn it off without looking at the screen. Then, I reach out to open the curtains to my right and make sure that the sky has darkened. Yet, an alarm goes off somewhere in front of me, the doors close and we leave the platform. I decide I am better if I do not look outside -for what might be the last time- and snuggle closer to my seat.

While some people that suffer from motion sickness decide to take tranquillizers, sadly I cannot afford them and instead I grab my iPhone and scroll until I stumble on an album I have not listened to lately: Nothing Above, Nothing Below. Sounds about right. My head falls backwards -the seat is softer than it seemed at first- and I close my eyes. I fall asleep.

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And the next thing I know is that I am not in a bus anymore and the vomit has disappeared -but my disgust prevails. Instead, my body is covered by a light blanket and I am inside my room. The only difference is that everything is snow white. My limbs ache as I sit on the edge of the bed, Diluted is still playing but it feels far and fading, as if it had to pass through a mass of water before

the

words

reached me.

“Well, I can see you are getting better at this”.

The voice comes from a figure standing on a corner. He is wearing black, a few locks of brown hair hang over his pond-like eyes and his slim lips curve up in a strange grin. i just glance quickly at him and fall back onto the bed again. “I can see you are getting better at giving compliments”.

He shrugs and walks slowly, like a feline, towards the other corner of the small room. “I did not think you would actually be able to do this.

But look, you hoped into the bus as the adult you are not. How fast have things changed”.

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I perceive the sting in his voice, after all, I ignored all his warnings.

What surprises is that he decided to show up anyway. I had expected him to vanish for the rest of eternity in a pathetic attempt of revenge, but I underestimated him. I mentally cross losing him in the list of things I was risking for this trip. “You don’t have to worry about me, and, besides, I’ll get back home as soon as I do what I’ve got to do.

And everything will be as if nothing had happened. Zhor”. He stops his careless pacing upon the mention of his name and the threatening glimmer in his eyes dimmed slightly. “…I wonder if you will always be this stubborn”.

I reply with a smile before he sits next to me and places his hand over my shoulder. And I feel he is trying to tell me he will not go.

He began showing up in my dreams when I was thirteen. It was a warm night of summer, those when you leave your window open to let the breeze cool down your slumbering body. It was a few weeks prior school began. Nothing relevant was to happen and you could say mine was the average boring life. Until that day. As soon as my head touched the rough pillow and my eyes closed I felt wrapped into another place although the same pillow rested under my head and the 14

same blankets covered me but as soon as I opened my eyes, I encountered a pair of dusty brown eyes hovering over me. I tried to inhale or scream or jump away, instead, the only thing that my body could possibly do was to look into those deep orbs and even my heart skipped one, two, three beats until his voice echoed in the room. “The name’s Zhor”

Starting that day, the same thing would happen every time I fell asleep, no matter the place or the time. It would always be my room and I soon as I woke up I would forget his face and the color of his eyes.

Still after years of the same thing happening over and over again, I would wake up with a feeling of emptiness rippling in my chest; I never discovered if he was an independent being or just one of my minds creations. Either way, I prefer to remain oblivious to that fact.

We talk about everything, anything and nothing even after Nothing Above, Nothing Below ends. And he says goodbye. I wake up to an 15

odd sensation coming from a spot under my ribs and takes me a few minutes to realize it is, in fact, hunger. Before I know it, there’s a bag of Skittles in my hands and the colorful candy is poured into my mouth, the only thing I hope for is that it eases my hunger, since its the only food I brought and I am short on money -yet another complication in my senseless plan.

I lift my iPod from my lap awkwardly and go through all the albums I can think of before I decide to let it play randomly. As I’ll Let You Down’s careless guitar begins playing, a random light hits my face and blinds me for a few seconds. I barely recover from it and another one does the same. When the third comes by, I realize the curtain to my right is wide open and the bus is not moving. In fact, it seems to be perfectly parked to a side of the road and seconds later I discover the door is open. It takes me a few moments to stand up from my seat, take my backpack, swing it safely to my shoulders and descent from the bus as quietly as I can. The bus is parked next to a decrepit restaurant. The pink neon sign that hangs dangerously over the entrance is undecipherable due to the mix of both dark and bright lines that form it. Its sides have long been washed 16

away their original pale yellow paint and are now stained with humidity. There are a few herbs crawling from the edge formed by the wall and the floor and I am not able to recognize the shape of their leaves nor the color of their spiky flowers. Behind the restaurant, the desert extends beyond anything else, even beyond the sky.

My eyes soak in that sight slowly, trying to process it from only one glance. But the task is impossible; this living being is just too wide, too complex to be comprehended. The desert is both cruel and docile, merciful and piercing like venom.

It cannot help but take my breath away as I -a tiny figure- stand beside the bus -still tiny compared to the beast that slumbers beneath us.

There’s an orange light that outlines the mountains against the midnight blue of the sky, sparkled with dozens of stars. I feel bad that I am not able to recognize a single constellation.

After making sure that the driver and most of the passengers are inside the pale restaurant, I climb up the bus stairs and look through the window at the cars speeding down the highway. I wonder what is their destiny, if they are, contrary to me, heading to see their families and friends, or, like me, are trying to get away. I wonder about their jobs and their dreams. If they have any. I hope they do.

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Everyone returns to the bus eventually. They are silent like ice dolls.

I realize I have not heard a single human voice for hours -discounting Zhor’s and the ones coming from my earbuds-, even my throat feels a little tight from the lack of verbal activity. The bus advances again and for the next day and the day after that one I fall into a cycle of sleeping for a couple of hours, talking to Zhor of anything that did not involve my current situation, waking up, stretching, swallowing Skittles without properly tasting them, listening to my now monotone music, staring through the window and restarting. And just when I think I am about to go insane, a loud beeping fills my brain and the bus parks in a building that resembles the one I boarded in.

I go down hesitantly and question the veracity of my destiny. After all, as far as I know, the bus could have gone in circles and I could be in my starting point.

But that is when I look up and see the unmistakeable sign.

Welcome to Irvine. I call a cab in a pane next to the exit door and in less than five minutes I am already inside it. The seats are oddly clean and it smells like neutral soap, but at least it is better than vomit.

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The dark windows make it difficult for me to see anything that is outside, but it does not bother me, there is solely one thing that requires me to be here. The ride to the north is brief, I pay the driver a generous amount without asking and as soon as I am outside, he goes away.

I am in front of the local cemetery. The gates open with a sad cry and as I step inside, someone appears next to me. “It’s time, isn’t it?” I start walking toward a small hill in the back, with Zhor by my side.

“It is indeed”. My voice is broken. The stone pathway is rough and it hurts my feet even through the thick sole of my boots, as if in rejection. I can only hear the rustle of the birds, that look over me like a thousand guardians, and the calls of mating crows. All the graves look almost the same but I know his is different. It is under a willow, a willow growing far from any water body. Or maybe the mysterious tree has been feeding on the tears that he always kept in his chest, there is no way to know.

I find the grave and sit in front of it, Zhor stays a few meters away.

Now that I am actually here, I ask myself if I am real at all, or just the

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writing sketches of some twisted divinity. I toss those thoughts away and open my backpack to take out the books. “These are the ones I never showed him�. I proceed to leave them beside the white stone.

That night Zhor and I sleep beside each other and next to the grave, even after the gates close.

The next morning I wake up and surprisingly find that he is still here, muddy eyes and all. He is actually real. We take the bus back home and I decide I will never return to Irvine.

- Angelica Sierra

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Essay: How to Promote the Tolerance Recently decades most of the Latin-Americans look up to a better lifestyle so they had in their mind to go and have a better life where they can earn more money without supporting their family, but maybe with this eagerness the immigrants broke some laws or moral codes of the different countries that they passed across.

Donald Trump has a very bad point of view of how we as LatinAmericans try to reach the dream breaking the laws, maybe in that he’s right but we as human beings we look up for the same necessities like food, shelter and health so we and other Americans need to understand this. They think that we try to achieve this to affect their life style.

But also we need to be conscious and think about the others that most of our countrymen has already affected their lives in any ways so they think and believed that we have most of the guilty of their problems but that’s not true, they had their own problems that were created by them and they said that we have guilty but that’s not true.

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We need to promote the tolerance and be respectful with all the Americans and Latin-Americans, if we became more tolerant and comprehensive Donald

Trump

and

all

Latin-

American could be happy and had a nice experience if he arrives to the USA government meanwhile he needs to apologize with us and be tolerant and respectful about us believes and dreams I think that Donald Trump isn’t a bad person just it had been influenced by racism people and he and us have to start to be tolerant and respect the others without guilty the others for your failure.

- David Leon

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Essay In these times people spend more time with their Friends, tan with their family, but it also depends on the person. Personally, I spend more time with my friends than with my family.

Firstly, everyone has different interests or activities they like to do so if you do not as if the activities they make you will like not enjoy spending time with them.

Secondly, it can be that your family is too busy and you cannot adapt to their times, for example if your uncle is a doctor and has an emergency in the hospital he would have to leave.

Finally, for me it is a special situation because I used to visit my family very often but now I have not seen them since I was 13 years old because of the situation with the crime in Veracruz.

To conclude I think it depends on the person because sometimes it does not matter if you want to see them, sometimes you just can´t.

- Gabriel Ruiz PĂŠrez

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Letter Hi Helen I have recently opened your email and I am going so glad that you have read my letter. Yes, I remembered the last time I wrote you told too about the makeover that I ask to the TV team, but they had told me that they could not do the makeover this and the next week.

Therefore, they told me that the makeover would start in three weeks, I am happy about this because my bedroom needs a change.

However, I am thinking about this I would prefer that the makeover on my parents’ bedroom because their room is more important than mine is. Therefore, I have that question in my head. I do not have more time to write you know! However, write me soon and tell me if you would like to have a makeover on your room.

Goodbye, I love you.

David.

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Film review It is one of the best films I have seen.

Midnight in Paris it was directed by Woody Allen. The film wasn’t too popular but the few critics it received were very good.

Midnight in Paris is a romantic movie and tells the story of a young couple that were awkward, Gil and Inez went to Paris for a few matters of work, but, one night Gil found a woman and felt in love with her, that unleashed some troubles and now he needs to fix them.

What I loved about this film was the story, it is a little bit complex, and it brings up a lot of feelings, bad ones and good ones. It is a movie that shows the beautiful part of love and also the “ugly� part.

I highly recommended this movie to the persons that like romanticism and love to feel many emotions at the same time.

- Leslie Flores

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Article: Music Festivals, Demonic Events!

Festival! This simple word has more meanings and connotations than one could imagine. While some people may think about dancing, flowers and medieval towns, I cannot help but think of rock. Yes, live music blasting everywhere.

And by now, if you don’t share my opinion, you might be asking yourself “how does that kind of evil music relate to the peaceful, familiar festivals I’ve heard of?”. Well, allow me to answer: rock festivals exist and one of them is the Reading Festival. There, your favorite rock bands reunite to play live for entire days, you camp and eat in the same place!

This kind of music festivals have negative connotations for the majority of people: they link them to drugs, immoral behavior, exhibitionism, etc. But the truth is that these events are a unique opportunity to enjoy your favorite music cheaply and meet fellows that share your music taste.

If I was given the chance to go to the Reading, I’d take it right there.

Would you? What are the prejudices stopping you from going to your favorite music festival?

- Angelica Sierra R.

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Poem: NATURE When the sunrise begins Everything is shiny and yellow, The sound of the birds Wrap you in a relaxed state.

At 12:00pm the sun heats, The sky is totally blue and the breeze cools you In addition, makes you move forward in your day.

When dusks begin You can watch the birds returning to their nests Meanwhile the suns turn red And the heat fades.

At night you Can see the constellations And stars shining during The absence of the sun.

-

David Leon

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Poem: THE LITTLE SUNFLOWER A Little girl that lived far away in a giant planet without nature So when she found a little sunflower She found the sunflower beautiful She took care of it She loved it Then she visited the earth She arrived in a field full of sunflowers So she became disappointed Because she thought Her sunflower was unique So she run away and entered To the sunflower field because she was very sad Therefore, she observed in detail every sunflower And realize her sunflower was more beautiful that the ones from earth She learned in that way that not everything that is similar has to be the same.

- Gabriel Ruiz

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Conclusion We can conclude that during this school year we learnt lot of things in which we did not agree in someone’s like all the restriction we had by making the texts, that made it hard to survive this year because we used a lot of imagination, we made all the writings by ourselves and we were not used to it.

In the process, also we had disagreements among us because not everyone wanted to put the same writings, someone's opinions were different, but it was when we finally got an agreement that everyone liked, and in that way the problem was resolved and we could continue doing the magazine without any problem among us.

Doing this project besides learning literature, grammar, vocabulary, etc. We learned to work in team, to be patient, organized, all the time we were practicing values, and that is something in our opinion something that we are losing because nowadays it's so difficult for some people work with another person, to get to an achievement, and we demonstrate that it's still possible to do it.

So we are proud of this project because it is our work and as a team we could say that we did it, even when we got some internal problems and after solving those problems everything was better, when choosing and analyzing the texts was the easiest part of the magazine however during this time we got new problems, the grammar the most of the texts were not correct written so we had to change that and search the best words that can replace the mistakes.

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As a result of this problems and disagreements we thought that the magazine is one of the best magazines on this group due to we most of the time work as a team and that was one of the strengths that we had during this magazine, although we believe that it can be one of the best magazines maybe we could have some mistakes inside of this but it doesn't matter because we are proud and happy to work as team and be conscious about what we did.

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