eunoia | Spring 2016 by PACT EUNOIA

eunoia PACT Charter | Volume I | Spring 2016

eunoia Volume 1 | Issue 1 | Spring 2016

Creative Staff Editors Christal Ruppert Lauren DeNucci

Cover Art: Hannah Breitzmann, Dog. Watercolor.

eunoia is the literary journal of the language arts department at PACT Charter School.

Ramsey, Minnesota

Editor’s Note When I was little, I was constantly writing stories in my head. It was my instinct; any time something happened, no matter how ordinary — I bumped my shin getting off the swing set, or I yelled at my brother for something — I would script it in my head, writing the story of my life. In my young experience, characters in books moved with purpose. Their stories were sleek, with clean lines and sharp angles. Stories were better than real life, because stories had plots and characters and bad guys — and you usually knew who they were. Life isn’t always like that. I guess I knew this from a young age, or I wouldn’t have been creating a better version of my life in words. I could tell that life didn’t have the same clean lines, the same obvious bad guys. Life was messy and complicated, and my response to this world I didn’t understand was to write it. This is, I believe, the purpose of art. To interpret this messy, crazy, wonderful world, whether we understand it or not. The word “eunoia,” the title of our journal, comes from a Greek word meaning “beautiful thinking” or “beautiful mind.” The goal of art is to put beauty back into the world; the goal of this journal is to put beautiful thoughts and words into a world that is bleak and chaotic and sometimes scary. In this inaugural issue of eunoia, you’ll find stories. Clean, messy, sketched, and written. They don’t all have sharp angles and obvious bad guys… but then, what does?

Christal Ruppert

Table of Contents Poetry Snowshoeing | Amelia Bare ……………………………………….…..…..8 Ships | Madelyn Vooge-Christen ………………………………….…….11 Hummingbirds, Locksmiths, and Roadtrips | Amelia Bare ………………18

Fiction This Old Love Scene | Carissa Edgington ………………………………..12

Visual Art Friends | Sierra Brumm ……………………………………………..……..7 Horse | Sidney Plonske …………………………………………………….9 Music | Amelia Bare ……………………………………………….……...10 Girl | Anonymous ………………………………………………………....15

Friends Sierra Brumm Digital Media

Snowshoeing Amelia Bare

Walking in the woods Finding all the tracks Learning all the names In our winter coats and hoods

Always my best friend Teaching me about nature Showing me the miracles of life Continuously till the end

Going home to hot chocolate She always had it ready for us Asking about our walk While putting mints in my coat pocket

You've always been my safe place I'll be in awe of you forever Even in the rough And in the toughest case

Horse Sidney Plonske Drawing

Music Amelia Bare Drawing

Ships Madelyn Vooge-Christen

I see the light dancing off the water from the twinkling of the evening moon Its majestic waves are washing over the side of the rocks outside my window The great ships that sail across the waters are like graceful swans and I am mesmerized by the poised way they sway from side to side I smell a faint aroma of salt in the air almost drowned out by the potent scent of fish I'm watching the water I feel the ocean breeze blowing toward me and I'm ready for bed now that I know All is right with the world

This Old Love Scene Carissa Edgington

She walks through the halls. Goes to her locker, grabs her books, and goes to class. She hopes nobody notices her. That would be different. She hates different. She goes through the crowded halls to English class. After, she walks out of class. As she looks at him, she hopes. A luscious hope of Scott and her being together. She looks at the floor and scurries on, those hopes crushed by reality. Little does she know that he glanced back at her too. Art time. She walks through the halls. Abby doesn't need to stop by her locker, as she doesn't need any books. Josh and Mack walk up and bump into her. She drops her books as they turn around to look at her and they laugh. "Watch where you're going, book girl!" They laugh as they walk away. Abby bends down to pick up her books as Scott watches, unseen, from a distance. She just continues walking to class, as if nothing had happened. This is her life, and she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like it, but she is used to it. After all, what can she do? Architectural design in Art today. She effortlessly sketches out a farm cottage. Abby loves art and she's constantly reading. She adds a fence and a horse. Finally, she adds a cow before the bell rings. The quiet atmosphere immediately collapses. School's over. Abby puts her drawing in her folder and walks out of the classroom. Scott watches her as she leaves. As soon as she's gone, he picks up her folder and takes out her drawing. He looks at it and sucks in his breath. It's amazing! Scott writes a small note lightly in the back side. I hope Josh and Mack don't get you down. And, by the way, this is an awesome drawing! Scott doesn't sign his name. He puts the drawing back in the folder and puts it away. Scott walks away. ~ Abby's at her locker, putting her books in her bag in her quiet, unobserved way when she

hears someone walk up behind her. Abby continues as if she didn't notice. The person behind her grabs her shoulder and turns her around. Then they grab her bag from her hand and pour out her books. Josh throws the bag down as he walks away with Mack, both of them laughing. Someone stops and bends down to help her with her books. Abby looks up at them in disbelief. Scott! He finishes helping her and gets up and walks away. "Thank you," she says quietly, but he doesn't hear, as he's tossing a football to one of his many friends. Abby stares after him for a few moments then shuts her locker, grabs her bag, and runs to the bus. ~ It's the next day in art class again. Abby's still confused about what happened yesterday. She finds her folder and sees the note. Scott catches a peek of her frowning. This is different. Her crush helps her and an uplifting note is given to her, by who knows who! Abby doesn't want different. She looks around at everyone quickly before she erases the note. She goes to her desk and acts like nothing weird happened. She's drawing, but Abby's mind isn't there. She makes several mistakes and ends up making small progress by the time the bell rings. Abby rushes through the halls. Josh and Mack are waiting in front of her locker. They block her. "I don't like how Scott helped you yesterday," Josh says bluntly. Abby just shrugs. "Don't let him do it again," he and Mack walk away as a teacher comes into the hallway. Abby ignores what just happened, as usual. She grabs her bag and goes to the bus. At home, she goes out onto her porch and sits down on the old swing. She works on her homework in the bright spring air. As she finishes her homework, she starts swinging back and forth. Her swinging gets harder and faster as she thinks harder and harder. Then it hits her! Scott was the one who left the note! But why would he write that note, then help her? In frustration, she stands up. The swing swings back and hits her legs. Abby is knocked forward and falls. She then notices that Scott is walking past her house

on his way home, and saw her tumble. "You okay honey?" Abby's mom calls from inside. "Just peachy," Abby replies sarcastically.

Girl Anonymous Drawing

Hummingbirds, Locksmiths, and Roadtrips Amelia Bare

Yesterday we had lunch It was a cute little diner As you called it ‘a hole in the wall place’

We talked about random things From hummingbirds to locksmiths Even about memories of past roadtrips

I don’t want these beautiful days to come to an end Want these days to continue But they’re becoming less and les

You barely eat Surely that’ll sink your health Please try to go on

You’re my best friend I love you so much Can we keep talking about the hummingbirds, the locksmiths, and the roadtrips?

Contributor’s Notes

Hannah Breitzmann is a junior at PACT. She is passionate about horses, reading, art, and music. She also loves Jesus.

Sidney Plonske has been part of the human world for 14 years. She loves being outside, sketching, camping, stormy weather, and hanging out with her family.

Amelia Bare is a freshman at PACT, always looking for the bright side through it all. She is passionate about art, cooking, reading, caring for people, and working hard.

Madelyn Vooge-Christen is a sophomore at PACT. She *thinks* the only thing she’s good at in the area of language arts is poems and short stories. Everything else is too hard. She loves to be a goofball (and doesn’t really know how to be serious).

Carissa Edgington is in seventh grade and has been writing since third grade. She continues to have an interest in writing and has written two yet-unpublished books. Her genre is constantly changing. She prefers reading a good book in her room to going outside, though she does enjoy a walk with her family. Carissa also likes archery; riding her friend’s horse, Jordan; and being part of the crew in school plays.

Sierra Brumm is a freshman at PACT and is probably riGHT BEHIND YOU! Haha, just kidding. Sierra’s too lazy to do anything like that. She’s probably watching some fantasy TV show with her dad.

Hannah Breitzmann Carissa Edgington Sidney Plonske Amelia Bare Madelyn Vooge-Christen Sierra Brumm