mmxx - Stefanie Flores (Senior) While there are very negative aspects surrounding time in quarantine, it has taught me to be more grateful for what I have. When it was the spring I was a junior and I was focused on the next thing and the next thing and not truly living in the moment. I turned 17 in January and it was my first surprise party! My mom coordinated the whole event and friends to come over, I hadn’t expected it at all and I was very grateful. I then asked my mom why she picked my 17th birthday for the surprise party, and she said because she felt that now was the right time to have it. Looking back at when I had my party, I was able to realize that the connections I had with friends and family are very special. We take so much time for granted and we truly don’t know the last time we will see someone. So much so I remember during the time I was in my time at Musings, the “Literary Magazine Club,” the moderator for the club was expecting to have a baby. So we decided to have a surprise baby shower for her and we kept moving the date for the celebration, until I had this feeling it had to be soon, so we planned it to be on March 10, 2020. . .exactly 3 days before what we saw would no longer be our normal. It wasn’t until Friday March 13, 2020, that not only my life, but everyone around me’s life was about to change. We were in a global pandemic, and everyone didn’t know what was next. . .While I was looking forward to the next thing in the future, it was just as important to have seen what was in front of us right then and there. So if I learned anything from my time reflecting during this pandemic, was to enjoy time with your family, laugh, live, spend time with friends and lastly live in the moment responsibly.
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Caitlin Ude
Caitlin Ude
Caitlin Ude
Caitlin Ude
Caitlin Ude
Caitlin Ude
Phases of Beauty - Gianna Velarde
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Phases of Beauty - Gianna Velarde
Phases of Beauty - Gianna Velarde
Phases of Beauty - Gianna Velarde
Phases of Beauty - Gianna Velarde
Phases of Beauty - Gianna Velarde
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Vincent Polanco
Caitlin We
Mixed Feelingz - Erin Slaten
03/12 - Andrea Palomino
self-improvement: high dynamic range - Erin Slaten
Perception - Erin Slaten
Queen of the Pond - Erin Slaten
No
-Diana Maimonis
Celery - Diana Maimonis
Vell Go Brrrr - Diana Maimonis
Wööl - Diana Maimonis
Böo- Diana Maimonis Chinese New Year Miracle - Erin Slaten
Wishing for Snow - Erin Slaten The perfect life is living blindly. Pure, white, pretty, but cold Is growing from the roots up ideal, or should we wish to be frozen over? No—staying in the cold is deadly.
The Promise of May - Erin Slaten The flowers promise to bloom in the spring Therefore, I will water my roots
Bittersweet Summer Night - Erin Slaten A spark ignites the fire Smoke fills the air On this choking summer night For they are the fire and I am a marshmallow If I stay in the flame for an extended period of time, I will certainly burn Get through to me in my denial Along with my fellow soft marshmallow friends Every toasted marshmallow has been roasted by the fire.
Erin Slaten
Light in the Summer Night - Erin Slaten There she was—barefoot on a journey home. While the night was dark and frightening, the depth and beauty of the sky was enough to swallow her whole. As she continued walking, she felt the cooling sensation of the grass under her feet. The nighttime is the same as the daytime, as there is merely an absence of light. Suddenly, she heard a buzzing noise near her left ear. Startling. Then, the buzz maneuvered to her right ear. She became irritated and attempted to swat at it... until she noticed what it was. Thankfully, she caught herself before successfully shooing it away. She looked at the Lightning Bug that was now hovering in front of her. “Teach me how to be like you,” she said. “Let me learn to create my own light when it seems that my surroundings are only dark—when I feel like I must rely on other sources on this journey home.” And so, the Lightning Bug led her. He led her to a branch of other lightning bugs where the acceptance finally sunk in. She was a lightning bug too.
Self-growth - Erin Slaten The seasons change. Why would we focus on trying to scrape up the dead leaves that fell to the ground months ago, rather than admiring the ripe fruit growing on the trees now? Self-growth is timeless but the seasons are not.
Covid’s In Season - Varshika Karthi
“Everlasting Evergreen” - Stefanie Flores Leaves change Leaves fall Leaves leave the scene when their time is done Leaves leave it to the new leaves have their fun