EIGHTH GRADE

WINNING THE WEEKEND

Ceyda Shamsai We climb a hill of advancement

Friday; the cool air washes over made from the dirt of vengeance me, pricking my skin. I walk toward We claw our way to the top the classroom, every step pounding and strive to create a better world for our descendants against the smooth, stone pavement. Once I enter, a wave of chills washes We must never surrender, me. My backpack is a mountain of and always remember stress. I throw it to the ground, my our country’s mistakes shoulders hunched, and sit down at my desk, the polished material We must share pressing against my fingertips. I our stories of oppression and hate unlatch my backpack and begin to place my textbooks inside my and always care desk. When I reach for my English enough to learn and grow from them textbook, however, I am unable to Being American is more than a pride we inherit, grasp anything. My heart jumps out of my chest, my hands become clammy. its the past we step into Luckily, I had only misplaced it, and how we repair it but my mind continues to bustle How we must learn to stand, with other concerns, other things that could go wrong. I push them to hand in hand, the side and remember that it’s and set aside our differences, Friday. Friday is my motivation. to unite and re-light Friday; beads of sweat outline my forehead. My feet drag against the the flame of this dimming, but bright country carpet, and I heave a heavy sigh. It Claire Casey feels as if time is running through molasses. With an ink pen between my fingers, I transfer the words from the board into my planner at lightning speed. The words lunge at me, and my stress attacks like a hungry wolf, biting at the most vulnerable thoughts. A yawn escapes my lips, my eyes focusing on the endless, clear void of the blue outside. I pull out my sack lunch. The scent of bread and strawberry jam fills my nostrils. One bite after another, my teeth puncture the slices of sourdough bread, sprinkling crumbs onto the pavement. Each bite butters my taste buds. That’s when thoughts of my next classes penetrate my brain and trash my appetite. The day of the week flashes in my head. Friday. I take a deep breath in and exhale. Friday is my peace.

Friday; My feet bounce against the leg of my chair. My mind drifts, the monotone voice of the teacher humming into a background ring. Two minutes, two minutes until it ends. I reach for the dense books from inside my desk. Then the final bell rings; it is a soothing symphony of pleasure and joy. A river of relief splashes me, each small current bringing a new vision of the carefree weekend. My heart steadies. This time, when I haul my backpack over my shoulders, I am able to roll my shoulders back. I walk out of the classroom, every step I take bouncing me up and forward, a smile plastered on my face. When I hop into the car and release a sigh of ease, the memories of my homework due Monday float to the top of my head. A reminder of my stress, almost like a fly buzzing into my ear. I do not care though, because it is Friday. Friday is my comfort.

STRENGTH OVERPOWERS THE HUMAN

Nicole Thorp

On a bright and sunny afternoon, just days after Rose DeWitt Bukater boarded the Titanic, she walked the deck. She realized the lifeboats could only hold half of the passengers. The White Star Line could have provided more lifeboats in the event the ship went down, but the company feared a cluttered deck. Days later, the “unsinkable ship” struck an iceberg. Director James Cameron had Rose recognize only half of the passengers would have access to lifeboats to foreshadow the tragedy of the Titanic. In John Steinbeck’s realistic fiction novella, Of Mice and Men, he effectively uses foreshadowing to force the reader to dig deeper into the future. Lennie and George had to leave their old town after Lennie grabbed a woman for an extended period of time. George behaves like Lennie’s father, so the two men moved to Soledad to find a new job and start fresh. Curley, the boss’s son, abuses his power but lacks physical strength. Curley lives his life solely for the nights with his wife. Slim, on the other hand, serves as the wise peacemaker. All of the men on the farm except Slim have some form of tension with one another. Lennie, however, consistently attempts to refrain from associating himself with the issues, yet he always finds a way into the drama. Although Steinbeck quite effectively uses foreshadowing several times throughout the novella, his use of foreshadowing Curley’s wife’s death rules over the others as evidenced when Lennie kills the mouse, when Lennie destroys Curley’s hand, and when Lennie kills his new puppy.

To begin, when Lennie kills the mouse, it accurately foreshadows Curley’s wife’s death. Lennie and George trek to the Soledad farm, where they begin their new jobs. Needing the comfort of touching soft things, Lennie finds a mouse to pet while they walk. When George questions what Lennie hides in his pocket, Lennie responds, “Jus’ a dead mouse, George...I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along” (5-6). George takes the dead mouse and makes sure Lennie cannot retrieve the fresh corpse. A small creature with the sole purpose of providing food to larger animals marks the beginning of when Lennie needs something soft. Lennie does not mind pushing his limits in order to satisfy his craving for stroking silky objects. Steinbeck intentionally uses “jus’” to emphasize Lennie’s nonchalance after killing an innocent creature. Every day, the United States continues to unintentionally show dominance over almost every other country, through innovations in technology, medical fields, science, and much more. Steinbeck foreshadows Curley’s wife’s death after Lennie overuses his strength and accidentally kills the mouse. Moreover, after Lennie easily shatters the bones in Curley’s hand, it foreshadows Lennie killing Curley’s wife. Curley despises any man larger than himself, causing him to spark fights with the wrong people. Curley began torturing and teasing Lennie, causing Lennie to respond with pure strength. When the fight ends, Slim recognizes Curley’s injury and says, “I think your han’ got caught in a machine... Carlson’s gonna take you to the doctor” (64-65). As soon as Lennie has George’s permission to fight back, Lennie simply breaks Curley’s hand. Lennie never wants to cause harm, but he does not know his own strength. When Curley picks a fight with the largest man on the farm, he and the other farmers do not realize Lennie has the mental capability to attack a human. Steinbeck intentionally uses “machine” to emphasize Lennie’s stalwartness. Waves crash on every coastline each day. Tsunamis are waves, yet they always result in death if anyone underestimates their strength. Steinbeck foreshadows Curley’s wife’s death when Lennie simply breaks Curley’s hand. Furthermore, when Lennie executes his new puppy, Steinbeck foreshadows Lennie ending Curley’s wife’s life. George and Slim both agree Lennie should allow his puppy to spend time with its mother. Lennie disobeys these rules, forcing him to explain to Curley’s wife that, “He [puppy] was so little. I was just playin’ with him an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me...an’ I made like I was gonna smack him...an’...an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead” (87). Curley’s wife tells Lennie mutts are common, allowing Lennie to relax his guard. Lennie acts without properly thinking, resulting in undesirable outcomes. Lennie does not know how to manage his strength and when to use it. Steinbeck intentionally uses “dead” to emphasize that Lennie has killed a mouse and a puppy. The animals increase in size and overall purpose. Babies frequently bite people, but they live with innocence and cannot tell right versus wrong. Steinbeck foreshadows Curley’s wife’s death when Lennie ends the life of his puppy. John Steinbeck uses foreshadowing throughout his realistic fiction novella in order to force the reader to read beyond the present. Lennie kills a

helpless mouse just days after leaving his old town for attacking a woman. After George permits Lennie to fight back against Curley, Lennie instantly breaks multiple bones throughout Curley’s hand. Lennie also disregards the rules, which allows his strength to get the best of him. Drug addicts may begin with weak and occasional doses, but as time goes on, they want more with additional strength. Lennie’s strength is a drug to himself. Each time he uses it on an animal or person, the outcome worsens. Every time Lennie uses his strength, it dominates, just as drugs do for humans. Whenever Lennie uses his strength on a living thing, he upgrades to a stronger and more dangerous drug. His final and most powerful dose kills Curley’s wife as well as his and George’s American dream. Their efforts and hopes simply evaporate because of Lennie’s addiction.

MORS CLAUDII (DEATH OF CLAUDIUS)

Iris Lu, Cindy Lin, and Yoyo Li Ubi Agrippina ambulavit per magnam silvam, albos fungos in terrā spectabat. Agrippina: “Meus maritus amat fungos. Volo Claudium necare. Necabo eum.” Agrippina manu fungos tulit et festinavit ad domum. Illa constituit consilium capere Claudium necare et Neronem proximum imperatorem facere. Illa ambulavit domum et culinam intravit. pecuniam Haloto dedit et ille venemum celavit. Agrippina: “Simulac Claudius fungos comsumserit, morietur. Halote, noli dicere de venemo.” Coquus: “Ita, Regina Agrippina.” Postea, dum cenant, Claudius consumsit fungos. Claudius: “Fungus est delic- Eheu!” Est mortuus. Agrippina: “Nunc est mortuus, Nero poterit esse proximus imperator.” FINIS

When Agrippina walked through the forest, she was looking at white mushrooms on the ground. Agrippina: “My husband loves mushrooms. I want to kill Claudius. I will kill him.” Agrippina brought the mushrooms in her hand and hurried to her home. She decided to form a plan to kill Claudius and make Nero the next emperor. She walked toward her house and entered the kitchen. She gave money to Halotus and he hid the poison. Agrippina: “As soon as my husband eats the mushrooms, he will die. Halotus, don’t talk about the poison.” The cook: “Yes, Queen Agrippina.” Later, while they were eating, Claudius ate the mushrooms. Claudius: “The mushroom is delic...Oh no!” He died. Agrippina: “Now he is dead. Nero will be able to be emperor.” The end.

Dear Lily Josephine Warmington: I am writing this letter to bring to your attention that I am unhappy with the amount of time you are spending with your friends and boyfriend. As your next-door neighbor, I rarely ever see your presence in our home. I am highly dissatisfied with your behavior, especially during this chaotic time. As you should already know, there is a global pandemic. Therefore, you should not be with other people outside of your family. I hope that you will not get COVID-19. I am concerned because the more frequently you go out, the more likely you are to be exposed. I ask that you take our family’s well-being into consideration by staying at home and hanging out with me instead. Secondly, as your beloved favorite sister, I ask that you ditch the friends and play with me because I am better. Spending time with me will help slow COVID by reducing the number of people that will go expose themselves to the outside world. Moreover, I believe that it is “scientifically proven” that spending time away from the family for too long will get you kicked out of the house permanently. On the other hand, spending time with your little sister will make you never want to leave. I hope this letter finds you well, and that it will give you a change of mind regarding spending too much time without me. I kindly request you put this into consideration and spend less time with your boyfriend and friends. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you. Sincerely, Charlotte Rose Warmington WELCOME TO WINTER

Owen Majit

Winter. The cold, shriveling breeze blows around the small, cozy village as families huddle together in the warmth of their homes. Dark smoke rises from chimneys while the smell of hot cocoa moves through the air. The packed white snow covers everything in sight. The talk of unique stories of the eventful day is heard throughout the village. Snowballs from the previous day are outside, waiting for the soothing heat from the sun to reduce them to a liquid. Sleds lay on the tops of steep, snow-covered hills as their owners eagerly await the next time they will be able to use them. When night falls, the village is a whole new place. Young children head up to their comfortable beds as northern lights dance across the sky. Parents sit on the inviting couch, finally able to watch their favorite show in peace. Winter is family.

Winter. The sun peaks around the hills as families begin to awake, excited, and ready for the day. Kids quickly shovel breakfast into their hungry mouths, cereal dropping on the floor around them. Parents groggily change and walk downstairs to the monstrosity of a mess created by their children. Nobody cares. People and snowmen populate the white, powdery streets. Snowballs streak through the air like bullets. Teenagers race to the top of the tallest hill, anxious and eager to begin the day with some thrilling and competitive sledding. Adults race to their jobs, making sure to grab a warm coffee to keep them awake. Even the kids who usually stay inside and play intense video games are outside, bathing in snow as their faces go numb. Toddlers who aren’t old enough to participate in the traditional winter activities make intricate and detailed snow angels and try their best to create a stable snowman. Winter is fun.

Winter. The massive, bright sun begins to set on the small village. The children slowly make their way back inside to their warm and inviting homes. Adults, impeded by the snow, drive back from their daily jobs and are welcomed back by their tired and messy kids. Families clean up from the activities of the day and sit down together for a much-needed dinner. Food, shoveled violently into hungry mouths while grandpa complains about how civilized people used to be when eating. Popcorn, waiting patiently on the couch for the evening movie. Blankets, lying comfortably on the rug for the children to snuggle up into. The village, quiet but filled with the sing-song voices of the sparrows in the snow-covered pine trees. Winter is calm.

THE MAGNIFICENCE OF IRVINE

Cindy Lin

If I step outside my room, I enter a radiant wonderland. The viridescent scenery flows, wrapping around itself in an embrace. Its serenity hangs, suspended in midair, living in the flowers and the grass, and in the plants that dance leisurely in the warm breeze. Houses of multifarious sizes and colors overlook the valley below, their colorful tiles refulgent in the sparkly sunlight. Picturesque and beauteous, this landscape glistens with vividness and life, a Da Vinci masterpiece. Not far from here, however, a whole different world awaits, bustling with life. Immense skyscrapers loom over minuscule shopping centers, filled with exhilarated customers gossiping and giggling. Cars zoom across neatlypaved roads, roaring with ferociousness as they pass. The entire world is alive with energy, yet a much different kind from the natural glitter of confidence that the quiet village emits. Here, the atmosphere expels energy unlike any other, fueled by fire and determination, filled to the brim with vitality. This is my town, Irvine: two different worlds at once, and I’m proud to be a part of both.

The Great Park in Irvine hails as one of the most palatial attractions Orange County has to offer, and it resides in the heart of my hometown. Every day, young children skip boisterously on its lush hillsides while their parents watch from afar. Close by, on a colossal plain gushing with exuberant and crisp grass, adolescents engage in games of soccer, pushing and pulling skittishly while a referee viciously blows the whistle. The resonant chime suspends in midair for what seems like hours, spreading thinner and thinner into the warm breeze until it fades away into nothingness, giving way to ferocious shouts and the squeaking of soccer shoes on the damp lawn. Surrounding intense matches are even more matches, games of baseball, tennis, and volleyball. The entire atmosphere bursts with the energy and anticipation of a battle about to begin and of the perseverance and perspiration of players, fighting until the last. The varied activities form a symphony with riveting players, all unique in their own way and all making their different yet beautiful sounds: the brushing of skin against skin; the sound of balls bouncing upon a hardwood floor; the bump and woosh of the ball making contact with limber hands or flying through the air, hurtling towards its next destination. Instead of being cacophonous, however, this reverberation is graceful to the ears of the witnesses. Irvine is a euphonious symphony.

The Great Park serves as only one central hub of Irvine. The Irvine Spectrum Center, its much busier, dazzling, and irresistible counterpart, is just as elite of an entertainment center as the Great Park— if not more attractive. The Giant Wheel stands as the most glittery and symbolic item in the entire Spectrum Center complex, a Mickey Mouse to a Disney. Visible from long distances, the Giant Wheel announces, when lit at night, that one has passed by the ultimate entertainment center of Irvine. Although it may not be the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, it will be forever remembered as one of the most breathtaking and beloved attractions to its local Irvine citizens. The Giant wheel, however, is just one attraction in the Irvine Spectrum Center. On its colossal grounds, the Irvine Spectrum Center houses not only the tallest building in Orange County but also hundreds and hundreds of varying stores and restaurants: from the Cheesecake to the Hello Kitty, to the enormous Nordstrom sitting squarely in the front. This gives giddy customers a manifold of shopping choices and warrants a day well spent. However, the most breathtaking sight of the Irvine Spectrum Center arises at night. Indeed, the nighttime scene of the Irvine Spectrum Center, with the whooshing and blinking of cars on the I-405 right next to it, bursts with life and portrays the most coruscating sight in the entire city. Irvine is a cascade of energy.