Ink Stains 2018

INK STAINS

SUMMER 2018

SECONDARY SCHOOL

AN IB WORLD SCHOOL SINCE 2000

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

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I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

CONTENTS 4

FOREWORDS

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ALEXANDER LITERARY AWARD WINNERS 2018 LOW E R M Y P

56

UPPER MYP

DP

10

P O E T RY

18

P O E T RY

26

P O E T RY

16

PROSE FICTION

20

PROSE FICTION

30 36

ALEXANDER LITERARY AWARD CONTEST SUBMISSIONS 2018 LOW E R M Y P

P O E T RY

PROSE FICTION

84

PROSE FICTION

NON FICTION

88

NON-FICTION

62

PROSE FICTION

DP 79

58

PROSE FICTION

UPPER MYP

FRONT COVER: YDE BOSMA, GRADE 10 T H E B U R N I N G B U S H , WAT E R C O L O R

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FOREWORDS This year’s Ink Stains magazine contains a collection of entries written by PSI students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and a selection of artwork from both primary and secondary students created during the academic year 2017-2018. The Alexander Literary and PSI Young Authors Awards are an old tradition at PSI which show no sign of aging and each year give us fresh perspectives and exciting ideas from students across the whole school.

Primary students connected their writing to the Theme of Seeds for the Future: Kindness, Teamwork, Values. The theme was a critical factor when the winners in both poetry and fiction categories were decided in the primary school competition. No matter what the future holds, we believe that kindness, teamwork and values are all essential for PSI students moving forward to wherever the world takes them.

The idea of the future has been prevalent across whole school events this year including the Futures Forum FF#4 exhibiting what the future might look in 2038. Students, parents and teachers were engaged in thought provoking discussions and presentations around the areas of work, technology, education, entertainment, food and the arts. The high quality entries received this year demonstrate that these diverse interests are shared by our students. We believe that whichever direction students choose to take in their future life the key values that have been modelled and nurtured at PSI will help them make positive contribution to the world.

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A writing magazine is always a celebration of sorts. A final, published tome that offers a finished product represents the time, effort, and perseverance of our student body. This year’s Ink Stains is a collection of students’ work which represents the power they possess to take the seed of an idea into a fully grown branching story or argument.

In the Language & Literature department we are thrilled with the breadth of written work we receive from students for submission to the Alexander Awards, as this is an opportunity for them to submit work they are truly proud of, not because of a grade or a favorite class, but because they believe that they have written something unique, a text of which they can be proud.

In this edition of Ink Stains you will read poetry, fictional memoir, scientific explorations, excerpts from Extended Essays, and more. And while the work has been lightly edited for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, the editors have worked hard to maintain the integrity of the work.

Thank you for taking part in the celebration of the work of our students, seeds for their future thoughts and actions in a new and changing world!

It gave me immense pleasure once again to read through the poetry, prose and expository submissions for this year’s Ink Stains. As an English language teacher I am constantly impressed by the wide range of writing styles that the Alexander Award generates in our students at PSI and I was yet again astonished by the maturity of the work submitted to our theme of ‘Seeds for the Future: Kindness, Teamwork, Values.’ At a time where it is so easy to be cynical and bleak about such themes, it is highly encouraging that our students were able to write with such passion and energy about them.

Two quotes seem apt for this year’s collection: the much maligned statement that ‘Children are the future’ is, however quick and simple a statement, something that is core to the work of such a magnificent publication as Inkstains. The second comes from the great and now sadly missed Stephen Hawking, who said ‘There is no unique picture of reality.’

Reading the fantastic work in this year’s edition, collected from so many unique and enquiring minds, you will find a myriad of ways in which our students are able to connect their own thoughts and ideas about this year’s themes with you, the reader. .

POLINA SPENCER AND PAM YORK

KELLI KARG

JAMES SPENCER

PSI Librarians

Head of English

Teacher of EAL and English Language Acquisition

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10 11

09 06

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03 FRONT ROW:

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01 01.

02.

03.

04.

05.

04

02

KATYA GORSHUNOVA EVA BERTRAND SOPHIA COOPER ZOYA SCHMITT KARINA HELD

SECOND ROW: 06.

07.

08.

09.

DR. DAVID FREEMAN ANDREW SPENCER LEO BUCKLE JAMES SPENCER

TOP ROW: 10. KELLI KARG 11. OLESSIA ZHEVAGO 12. PAUL CHRISTOPHER

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NOT IN THE PICTURE: ALEXANDRA HUITFELDT OLESIA SHEREMETA LIZA SHEVETOVSKA GEORGE KENT DANYLO SHKURUPIY

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ALEXANDER LITERARY AWARD WINNERS 2018 LOW E R M Y P :

Poetry Winner 10 THE NIGHT HAS BROKEN INTO DAY Karina Held (Grade 6) Poetry Honorable Mention 13 THE DEAFENING SILENCE Katya Gorshunova (Grade 8)

UPPER MYP:

DP:

Poetry Honorable Mention 14 UNICORN GIRL Olessia Zhevago (Grade 6)

Poetry Honorable Mention 18 WINTER’S WARM TOUCH Andrew Spencer (Grade 10)

Poetry Winner 26 CABIN PRESSURE Zoya Schmitt (Grade 11)

Prose Fiction Honorable Mention 16 DEAR STRANGER Eva Bertrand (Grade 8)

Prose Fiction Winner 20 A MAN WITH A PLAN Leo Buckle (Grade 9)

Poetry Honorable Mention 28 MEMORIES Alexandra Huitfeldt (Grade 12)

Prose Fiction Honorable Mention 22 PRESERVATION MEMOIR Sophia Cooper (Grade 10)

Prose Fiction Winner 30 RITHA TO TASLEEN Olesia Sheremeta (Grade 12)

Non Fiction Winner 36 TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE RETURN AND REINTEGRATION OF CRIMEAN TATARS TO CRIMEA BEGINNING FROM 1987 SUCCESSFUL POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND CULTURALLY? George Kent (Grade 12)

Non Fiction Honorable Mention 44 MEASURING THE ABSORPTION OF LIGHT

BY SOLUTIONS OF PIGMENTS FOUND IN CORNUS SERICEA AND VIBURNUM SUSPENSUM Danylo Shkurupiy (Grade 12)

Prose Fiction Honorable Mention 32 RED CAP Liza Shevetovska (Grade 12)

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A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • L O W E R M Y P

P O E T RY W I N N E R

THE NIGHT HAS BROKEN INTO DAY KARINA HELD GRADE 6

The night has broken into day, The night now has a price to pay.

The moon has now replaced the sun, The streetlights start to flicker on.

The sun has just said goodbye, Stars shine against the black sky.

Now the only thing in sight, Is the darkness of the night.

AY L I N T E Z E L , G R A D E 7, D E E P O C E A N , P R I N T M A K I N G

It’s cold and quiet, but beautiful, In the pond a silent ripple.

A freezing chill, can see your breath, With the eerie feeling of death.

Everyone and everything, Is silent and now sleeping.

The lights in houses are off, The loudest sound is a cough.

Night may seem it lasts forever, But it can be good however.

So quiet your heart beat can be heard, But the silence will not be stirred.

Soon the night will be shattered, Broken glass, pieces scattered.

By the sun, coming through hills, But for now there are black spills.

P O L I N A N I K I T I N A , G R A D E 7, L I G H T W AV E S , P R I N T M A K I N G

The night is a big black curtain, Making people feel uncertain.

Piercing iciness of the dark, Is almost like the night’s trademark.

A N A S TA S I YA S A K O V Y C H , G R A D E 7, S O M E W H E R E I N T H E S P A C E , P R I N T M A K I N G 10

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A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • L O W E R M Y P

P O E T RY H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N

THE DEAFENING SILENCE KATYA GORSHUNOVA

A N J A R I N G G E R , G R A D E 8 , N O M E A N S N O , WAT E R C O L O R , P E N C I L S

GRADE 8

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At age 5 my teacher told me to stop playing with the boys, “it isn’t ladylike.”

I stayed quiet.

At age 7 my friends made fun of my Sonic t-shirt, “that’s not what girls wear.”

I stayed quiet.

At age 10 a boy picked up my skirt as we were playing tag, “what was I gonna do?”

I stayed quiet.

At age 12 a man yelled things I’ve never heard before at me when I walked past him in the street, “I’m a girl that’s what I was made for.”

I stayed quiet.

At age 13 a boy grabs me during a seemingly friendly conversation, “what did I expect, wearing that?”

I didn’t stay quiet.

I told him all that I’ve held in, that the choice is mine for the making, that how short my skirt is doesn’t determine how strong my head is, that my body is not his entertainment, that my silence isn’t eternal, and neither is yours.

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A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • L O W E R M Y P

P O E T RY H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N

UNICORN GIRL OLESSIA ZHEVAGO GRADE 6

Once in a fresh, green forest to the east, Lived a white, pure, magical beast – The Unicorn.

Once traveling in the mist in the night, It saw a horrible sight – An innocent soul dying – saw the Unicorn.

It had an accurate head With a muzzle as fluffy and soft as thread And cute was the Unicorn.

Inside him was a powerful fight.

Between the bright day and the harsh night.

And the one who could decide – was the Unicorn.

It had a small, but graceful body, Not like everybody Was different – the Unicorn.

As tears filled his eyes, It gave out pure full of sadness cries, Saying goodbye to his habitual life – was the Unicorn.

It had silver glowing hair, That glided through the air.

But known for its character was the Unicorn.

It gave it’s beauty, magic and appearance.

And even you could see from distance – That is was no longer the Unicorn.

It was friendly nice and sweet, And it helped everybody he could meet – Everybody loved the Unicorn.

It felt shaken and wet, But it didn’t regret, Because it was its decision- the Unicorn’s.

But it always felt that he was meant to do something bigger, Save somebody from a pulled trigger.

Thought – the Unicorn.

It saved an innocent soul.

For the price of it’s happiness that the life stole.

It was stuck in the body of a young girl, But it still had a Unicorn soul.

And from now on she was the Unicorn Girl.

Many years past by in the same theme, And it almost forgot about it’s dream, But still had it in his heart, the Unicorn.

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G R A D E 6 , F A N TA S T I C C R E AT U R E S , P A P I E R - M A C H E , A C R Y L I C P A I N T

O L E S S I A Z H E VA G O

SOPHIE O’HARA

V Y TA U TA S M A R K A U S K A S

H A I A R I S L I A M OV

ALFIE HUDSON 15

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A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • L O W E R M Y P

PROSE FICTION HONORABLE MENTION

DEAR STRANGER EVA BERTRAND GRADE 8

Dear Stranger, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. You don’t know me yet, but hopefully you will pretty much know me by the time you get to the end of my letter.

I’ve never thought that someone would even be interested in knowing me, most of the time I just feel like a ghost in this world, but not a ghost that would scare you, more of a ghost that you would never notice, I guess I should say a spirit, it makes me sound less monster like. My name is Ella.

The meaning of Ella if you google it will refer to a beautiful fairy, which is funny because it is kind of the opposite. My whole life I just felt that I was born in the wrong period of time. I feel like my soul would perfectly belong in the 80s. I would be walking around school halls with big bold curly hair, wearing some mom jeans, a white shirt and some vans, my headphones on listening to “Sweet child O’ mine” by Guns and Roses, but unfortunately we are in 2017, a year that I don’t really appreciate. I just have to get used to the fact that I live in an absolutely boring time period, since I can’t change anything about that I just go on with my life. I am not very social, I keep everything to myself, it is easier this way anyways. The things that I adore doing are dancing, dancing in my room where no one can see me or judge me, dancing to some old music that just helps my body dance freely. Dancing in my case is not something that I want to share, I want to keep it from everyone and let it be just mine. Another way that makes my life more enjoyable is photography, when you look at the world through a camera lense everything is just more colourful, I like capturing things or moments and

just knowing that I am the only one to own an image of that precise moment, what got captured by my camera is unique, it makes me feel like I am the owner of that one moment, and I will stay the owner for ever. I think that if I want to tell you about myself I also have to tell you about things that I dislike, they make me as much who I am as the things I like. School in my case is more like a bubble that keeps me from everything, or a weight that keeps me from standing up. In school most of the time everything seems fake or not real, I just know already that the people that are such big parts of my school life today will have such a tiny meaning for me in the future.

The thing is that I still stay because I know that anyways I can’t do anything about it, at least not right now, so I choose to just stick to them to make my school years a bit funner.

There is also that one person in school, a person that just brighten up my day just by looking at me, I know how stupid this sounds after the statements I made earlier, it’s just that, this person makes me so happy and sad at the same time and I hate it so much, being vulnerable, not being able to control feelings that I get. It’s interesting how this person is such a big part of my life and how I am probably absolutely nothing to them, not even a friend. Anyways this whole letter was a in a sort of way a part of me being copy pasted on a paper, a paper that someone might read, or might not, but if you are reading this, know that I don’t expect you to understand me because you probably feel like you wasted some of your precious time reading about how pathetic I am, but if you are reading this and you actually care, even just a bit, know that I am thankful.

E VA B E R T R A N D , G R A D E 8 , 16

B O T H A R E P A I N F U L , WAT E R C O L O R , P E N C I L S 17

I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • U P P E R M Y P

P O E T RY H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N

WINTER’S WARM TOUCH ANDREW SPENCER GRADE 10 Z O E C O O P E R , G R A D E 1 0 , R E S T O R AT I O N , C O L L A G E , A C R Y L I C P A I N T

The crystalline frost lay on frozen leaves peak, With the sun and its stare on the heat of its cheek.

The beauty and glisten as leaf stands alone, In the palace of winter on frozen snow’s throne.

The leaf stands alone taking strength from the wind, Fights the glistening cold, stripping stem and its rind.

The wrath of the wind fights the beauty of green, And covers the trees in its crystalline preen.

The fight of the wind and the gods Anemoi, Had declared the world covered in snowy alloy.

The mix of Winter and Autumn made a blend, But green fauna fights back to survive and to fend.

The frosted leaves glisten with blue molten hue, Housing sparrows and berries of overnight dew.

The snow shields the leaf from the warm stare of sun, And protects its green purity from muddy dun.

The snow thaws, the winds die down, and the leaves fair green shade gets brighter, With the Winter gone, and the trees gaining colour, Now Nature can thrive from sun’s fire.

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A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • U P P E R M Y P

A MAN WITH A PLAN LEO BUCKLE GRADE 9

I woke up to an abnormally grey ceiling. I could’ve stayed in bed for those extra five minutes, like most people would do.

Especially on a Monday morning. Fortunately for me though, I wasn’t planning on being late to work. I slid out of bed, and went about getting ready. I left my house, making sure to lock the door firmly behind me as the area was prone to break-ins.

I remembered the day when the colours had jumped off the walls and run down the street. The city was so dark and boring that even the colours didn’t want to stick around. I walked swiftly down the grey street, putting on my typical smile, which caused the sun to shine into my eyes. There wasn’t much left to smile about, the city I lived in was killing itself. It was filled with poverty, crime, and hate, yet nobody seemed to care. Each citizen seemed to be completely oblivious to the state of the city, they were uninterested, lazy, and indifferent.

No wonder they’d all turned grey.

I made my way through the dull streets, which were of course empty because nobody ever came to work on-time.

The graffiti on the walls followed me as I walked passed, it was the only thing that kept me company in the empty city. During my walk, I thought about the city. I desperately wanted it to change; I dreamt of a welcoming society full of interesting, forward-looking people. I was determined to do something about it.

I strolled into the little diner where I’d worked since graduating from school, a mere three years ago. I was greeted with the sight of a boring grey dining room. It was no match for the dull look of the kitchen. It was a familiar sight. I walked round the back where the dirty plates had been piled high from the day before. Nobody had bothered to wash them. Beside the plate was the fridge, packed with frozen foods which we microwaved. I had always compared the food we served to our customers- careless and bland.

The day’s work was pretty normal, my co-workers turned up at lunchtime, most of them just came to steal the food. Their careless attitude was tolerated by the manager, since he didn’t 20

even come into work. I spent most of my day deep in thought.

I’d had enough, it was time to do something. On my way home, I came up with what that “something” would be. I decided to gather everyone that wanted change. Together, we would strive for it.

Surely, I couldn’t be the only one who was fed up. The more I thought about this, the more I could feel the sun shining down on me. All around the walls had exploded into life with the graffiti dancing up and down. I felt a desire burning within me, I had stopped complaining and started doing.

Throughout the week, I made sure to tell every person I saw about my plan. I invited them to come to the diner on Sunday to discuss the changes that needed to be made for our city. I walked up and down every single street in the city, most of which seemed completely abandoned. The few people that I did meet were grey, and uninterested, in their own unique way. Despite this, I felt a sense of optimism, I was positive that there was at least one like-minded person.

When Saturday evening came around I was buzzing with excitement. So excited that I couldn’t get a wink of sleep.

Instead I stayed up all night, thinking about the wonderful day ahead of me. I set out to the diner early in the morning, but it seemed that the sun was excited too, as it had already risen and was shining down as bright as ever. The graffiti on the walls was trying to jump out and follow me down the street, it was as lively as ever. I got to the diner early, it gave me time to set it up just the way I wanted it. Having satisfied myself with the set-up, I settled myself down waiting for the people to start rolling in. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. The sun began to slide behind the clouds, and the graffiti on the walls slid back into place. Soon, the gunshots split the perfect silence of the night. Finally, I gave up. Walking back home seemed to drag on forever, the darkness of the night sky was broken by the lightning as the rain began. I was soaked through and throughout but this didn’t bother me.

Back at home I spent the night feeling sorry for myself. When the night turned to day, I had picked myself up and got to work

S O P H I A C O O P E R , G R A D E 1 0 , C H O I C E , A C R Y L I C P A I N T, I N K

PROSE FICTION WINNER

on my next plan of attack - a letter to the government. I spent the whole week drafting and redrafting my letter. Hours on end of writing and rubbing out and writing again. My goal was to raise governmental awareness and ask them for money which I could then use to fund a new beginning for our city.

The sun was shining bright and the walls were dancing once again, I was making my way briskly through the colourless streets of the city. All I could think about was what I’d be able to do with the money I’d be granted, I already knew what I’d be doing first: investing in education. I posted the letter and rushed home, almost forgetting that nothing had changed yet.

Everyday I woke up and ran to the post office, the postman never turned up to work for one reason or another. Every morning the sun was shining, but when I came back empty handed, it began to rain. A week passed by, then another, and another. It was a long time before I finally came to terms with reality. I wasn’t getting a response.

That day a frightful thunderstorm blew over the city. It was the first time that I hadn’t come to work in years. This didn’t bother me though, I sat at home all day feeling very very sorry for myself.

“Why doesn’t anyone support me?”, I asked myself over and over again. No answer came. I spent several days in my

broken down home, sitting in an old armchair. When I finally stirred, I looked down in horror. My arms had become just as colourless as those of the other citizens. I was terrified, I looked at my reflection in the window and my fears were confirmed. A grey man was looking back at me. Suddenly something in me clicked, I knew what to do.

That night, I went outside. I picked the rubbish off the street, painted over the racist comments on the walls, fixed the street lights, restocked the shops, and planted trees and flowers all around. The darkness of the city scared me, but the stars were shining as bright as the sun. At sunrise, I headed home, exhausted. As I was opening my front door, I spotted a dried up puddle out of the corner of my eye. The reflection showed a man with rosy cheeks and pink skin. The colour had come back to me. I stumbled through the door and fell into a deep sleep.

When I awoke, it was morning again. I looked up, and was met with a most glorious sight. The ceiling was a bright blue, my room was full of colour! I ran outside and saw what used to be a dark grey city, which now was an explosion of colour.

This amazed me much less than what I saw next. Out onto the streets came hundreds of people, all full of colour just like the city around them. I began to fly over the city and became a rainbow which inspired the city forever.

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I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • U P P E R M Y P

PROSE FICTION HONORABLE MENTION

PRESERVATION MEMOIR SOPHIA COOPER GRADE 10

My Name is Prezemyslaw Nakoniecznikoff-Klukowski. I am a survivor. From the depths of the Gestapo prisons, from the remoteness of the Soviet labor camps. I lived, after years of never ending fighting, a time where survival was hard.

Now 60 years old I write this as, not a cautionary tale, but remembrance of a horrible time when the only person you could trust was yourself, and even then only sparingly. For even you could betray your morals, the things you hold dear, and is that not a great betrayal to let those slip. To become what they want, to give in to the poison surrounding you. I am not condemning the people that did, times were hard, society stifling, You adapted, became what you needed to survive. I only grieve for the souls of those forced to choose, to become something they never wanted. This is not a happy tale it is one of betrayal, and pain. A lifetime marred by the political and personal agenda of man.

This is my story.

I was born in 1896.

At 18 I served in World War 1 on the side of the Russians.

At 22 I fought for Poland, For her independence and freedom from Russian control. For a while life was good, Not necessarily peaceful, not perfect, but not marred by the atrocities of War. I was free. Then the Germans came, and the Soviets, working together. Poland once again lay under the control of another, two others to be exact, but that did not break our spirit. The germans continued onward breaking their pact with the USSR and taking Poland for itself. We fought, for the right to be free, for the right to our own country, one under our control. The AK, a polish resistance movement gained ground within the country. People wanted freedom, and so did I. I joined and in 1944 at the age of 48 was given the position of Commandant of the Krakow Home Army.

Then came the Gestapo. I don’t know how they found me, an informer most likely. We knew it could happen friends turned enemies, Sheep in wolves clothing, trapped by 22

circumstance. They found me in the cloak of darkness, when no one would see. Not that that mattered, you minded your own business if you wanted to stay safe.

They took me to the stuff of nightmares.

The men were hard and cruel. They took pleasure in the special kind of “amusement” we provided. Vodka and a show. They were merciless in their methods, we were beaten, tortured, cramped together in dark cells that only furthered the purchase insanity had on our minds. Some were taken with family members, friends to help them through the hell they were so viciously thrown into. That presented a different problem, just another angle for the Gestapo to hurt you from.

Sometimes I wondered what was better.Would I be better with a friend or family member or would it be a weakness that proved my ultimate demise?

I tried not to focus on the reason I was there, I was tired of asking myself what had gone wrong. Instead my efforts turned towards keeping silent. If I was going to die I wasn’t going to reveal anything, I promised myself I wouldn’t help them and that was a promise I intended to keep. My days were separated into chunks of time only identifiable by the shift to the next one.

The First was silence, When morning came and we were tired. I used this time to remind myself what I was doing and why I was doing it.

“Keep calm, they cannot force you to speak” Sometimes it was quite, my musings only audible in my head. “Remember you are fighting for Poland, for your very soul” But other times when I needed a more forceful reminder the soft whisper of my words could be heard ringing through the cell.

The second part of the day was the hardest, quantifiable only by the endless torture it brought. They would open the cell door and watch as people cowered in their wake a look of demented, joy, painted on their snarling faces. They would grab me by the arms hard enough to dissuade any escape attempts. I never tried. I was not stupid for I knew I could never escape and the consequences of trying were too great.

I was led to a room with men that would do any number of things to try and break my silence, sometimes they laughed in the face of my agony. Those were the times the urge to comply was greatest.

The third and final part lessened my pain but only by a fraction. I was returned to my cell. I could rest, sit content in the knowledge I was safe for a while, that I had kept my promises and defied the ultimate evil. I would relate what I had accomplished that day. I had kept my values, my morals, my soul intact. Sometimes I would speak with the other prisoners but very rarely, I found the idea of listening to others dreams, wishes and last requests disheartening. Then when I was ready I would lay my head down on the cold, hard stone and sleep.

Men broke, only haunted shells left in their place their last testimony scratched into the bare walls of our prison. We were lost, living but dead, in a world of agony our last words inscribed on the walls for some hope of recognition. A record of the trails we faced and the world we were leaving. Of friends dead and people missed. Some held true to themselves, their values went with them to their graves. “Mika Czeslek does not despair, for he knows he is dying for his country”. Others lost faith in themselves, their friends, the world. The only goal was to preserve our memories. Hope that someone, somewhere would read them and remember. Think about our final days, our last testament. That they might mean something.

My time there was a blur. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. As the months passed I resigned myself to my fate, I was to die here. I had come to terms with that. I could only offer myself small comforts, at least I was dying for my country. I was dying for my ideas something I believed in. As time passed I found my eyes wandering the cell to find the small scratches that signified my salvation, the last words of a man like me. “Mika Czeslek does not despair, for he knows he is dying for his country” but as time passed my heart grew cold, and my soul weary. The phrase morphed. “does not despair, for he knows he is dying for his country” “does not despair, for he knows he is dying” “he knows he is dying” “dying”

prisoners family and friends alike pleaded for them to be saved. They never were. Sometimes on the very bad days, when my pain knew no bounds and the suffering of my fellow inmates was shared. When the despair within our confinement became too much I would look upon the words like a solution to my problems. If no one would save me maybe death could.

It was later revealed that my time spent within the gestapo prison was probably less that 6 months or even less than 3 I could never bring myself to find out. Our liberation from Germany was successfull but Poland would not be free for a great many years. The terror under communism had just begun. I was take again, arrested by another secret police The NKVD (People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs). This time I was to be taken deep into the Soviet union. In their eyes we posed to much of a threat to them to be left unchecked.I had become disillusioned to the situation, I no longer cared. To escape the grips of tyranny only to fall under its flag again.

Germany the Soviet Union It made no difference I was still stuck. As I was led, this time to a train unstable and dark, I thought to myself is this the end. Uncertainty sat in my gut a kind I had experienced before.

So it began again.

I Remained in a Soviet Labor camp for ten years from 1945 to 1955. Once I was released I returned to Krakow. And here I sit a year later writing my story so that people may understand.

The trials faced by me were not unique and many found themselves a prisoner of the Soviets after Krakow’s liberation as well. I distinctly remember the story of a man freed from the Gestapo, held in a Soviet labor camp and then upon his return to Krakow taken into custody where he spent time in prison for collaboration with the Germans.Take what you want from this, I cannot control what you interpret from the memories I have provided but I hope this has enlightened you to some events at least concerning my time within Gestapo and Soviet hands.

At the very least I hope my story will be shared and myself remembered if not as a person than at least as an example of what can happen when the wants of two men become more important than the needs of the everyday people.

Sources:

That one word scratched so painstakingly into the wall stayed with me. In my most hopeful days it taunted me, I was to die, become nothing in this god forsaken hole in the ground. I was to die and I could do nothing about it. I had seen it enough times, Men dragged to their deaths, while fellow

All information for this memoir was found in the Gestapo Museum in Krakow, Poland located at the gestapo headquarters. The information is all based of off the lives of real people who lived there at the time of german occupation.

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P O E T RY W I N N E R

CABIN PRESSURE ZOYA SCHMITT GRADE 11

The incessant noise gurgles along the surface, Coasting through ear holes and eye sockets, Drowning flesh in a cacophony of smells and an absence of oxygen.

In seats, jammed packed into tiny spaces, Bodies - bloated, water retained - strewn across aisles Tags attached, written “meaningful belongings”

Exhale.

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Inhale - their lips - chapped, pulled apart and sunken in, Water laughingly congregates along the pane, Hips tautly straddled by belt buckles, knees tightly wound, Sleep deprived dreary eyes and mouths gaping open.

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P O E T RY H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N

MEMORIES ALEXANDRA HUITFELDT GRADE 12

Listen to me, I say I do not remember Your name I cannot recall We are all strangers Intruders Why keep shuffling in the past Hi, I say Remember? You say No, I say You were not important You did not keep me sane Okay, You say Memories Hard to describe the importance of some And the extreme relevance of none We do not need them Yet we strive for them I strive for You Your love I do not know You But I keep dreaming of You Wait, I say Do not leave me Bye, You say I need you, I say

Struggling to see clearly in my mind I understand Are You my soulmate? I asked hopefully Listen to me, You say I do not remember Your name You did not keep me sane I do not know You Leave me alone, You say You push me I grab Your hand You were falling I was falling We are together in the present Never together in the past Death separated us in the future But that one split second mattered The hopes, the dreams drive You further But what strives You to survive Is every moment, every second That is all I needed to believe in You

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PROSE FICTION WINNER

RITHA TO TASLEEN OLESIA SHEREMETA GRADE 12

Girl Talking Carol Ann Duffy On our Eid day my cousin was sent to the village. Something happened. We think it was pain.

She gave wheat to the miller and the miller gave her flour. Afterwards it did not hurt, so for a while she made chapatis. Tasleen, said her friends, Tasleen, do come out with us.

They were in a coy near the swing. It’s like a field. Sometimes we planted melons, spinach, marrow, and there was a well. She sat on the swing.

They pushed her till she shouted Stop the swing, then she was sick. Tasleen told them to find help. She made blood beneath the mango tree.

Her mother held her down. She thought something was burning her stomach. We paint our hands.

We visit. We take each other money.

Outside, the children played Jack-with-Five-Stones.

Each day she’d carried water from the well into the Mosque. Men washed and prayed to God. After an hour she died. Her mother cried.

They called a Holy Man. He walked from Dina to Jhang Chak. He saw her dead, then said She went out at noon and the ghost took her heart.

From that day we were warned not to do this.

Baarh is a small red fruit. We guard our hearts.

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This is pain. When your stomach hurts during the holiest month, that is not pain. When you carry water for your father to pray and your arm is twisting, that is not pain. When there is not enough flour to cover the family table in food, that is not pain. But when your cousin’s soul leaves this ground, that is pain. The Holy Man says to embrace it, the pain. He says that strongness comes out of this. Wash yourself in pain he talks, and so I will do.

Our family holds tradition and religion dear to our hearts.

To think that a family tragedy like this to happen on Eid day, it is hard. A day that is always to be covered in prayers, this is when we can celebrate, when we feast after the holiest of months.

It cannot be imaginable that such a holy day can contain her death and not be saved by one Salah. My cousin, Tasleen was a small, beautiful girl, who went with pain and didn’t come out.

But she shows courage, and we learn. We must remember. We must visit. We must pray.

Looking back, there were many moments of her that I want to talk to about. But the night before Miraj-un-Nabi takes my focus. That night represents the way we all watch her. As any year, I come to her family’s house the night before to help with the cooking for the following day of celebrations. I take off my shoes outside the door, I enter their cozy home, the smell of gobi aloo covers my nose. I smile. Young Tasleen is next to the rusty blue bucket, crunching her clothes, closely watching the embezzled fabric move. Washing it with her delicate, soft hands, so that every dirt peace is washed out of the emerald green salwar kameez. She slowly dives it into the small water

E K AT E R I N A G O R S H U N O VA , G R A D E 8 , W O R D S H U R T, WAT E R C O L O R , P E N C I L S , B L A C K P E N

and picks up it again. Looking through, she touches it from seam to seam, just to be sure no patch of dirt is left. She hears me enter. With her hands carpeted by the white foam, her head gets up and her ever generous, big smile looks up at me.

Assalam Aleykum she speaks, and gestures towards the right, where the same gobi aloo is in a pot on the counter and seekh kebab is placed on the table. The chapatis, I made myself she utters. I inspect the table, I see a plate. Please try. I taste, they are so delicious. A young, sweet, innocent, generous girl, this is how all of us remember Tasleen. Even though she was little, her hands always did a lot of work, and her head was full of thoughts. I believe Allah saw this in her.

On the day that brought us here, the dreaded day, Tasleen went with her friends to the swing, by the mango tree. Pain struck her when she swung. She swung on the field, our field where we plant, full of marrow, spinach and sweet melons.

The tears, the blood, the hurt. We remember. We rushed to her. We called help. We prayed. She cried loud. She left while in her dear Mother’s arms. When the Holy Man arrived from the far of Dina, he talked that she was taken away by the ghost.

He warned our family. We listened. We don’t go anymore. But I don’t want to focus on the sad. She smiled when she planted, she smiled when she sold. She smiled when she carried water.

Every day we catch the water and bring it to the Mosque so that our brothers, fathers, and grandfathers can pray. She knows not to complain. She knows to carry during the entire

journey, no questions asked. So dear brothers and sisters, we remember, but we paint our faces in happy and pray for the forgiveness of her sins. We spill ground over her body and ask Allah to hear our prayers, because that is what she wants.

When I made art on her hand during Chand Raat, her deep brown eyes took my look. That was the last moon she saw, the last moon light that cover her portrait, the last drawing on her delicate hand. I cherish every moment I was with her because she is my family. We feel her pain, in our stomachs, in our hearts and in our minds. We remember the pain, and we wash ourselves in it. We mourn for herself, lively and sweet.

Tasleen made us stronger, we shall guard it and never repeat.

Let us pray so that we can meet again.

I throw this soil upon you because we create you from it, and return you into it, and from it we will raise you a second time.

Praise be to Allah.

Works Cited Commisceo-global.com. (2014). Pakistan - Language, Religion, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. [online] Available at: http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/pakistan-guide [Accessed 19 Jul. 2017].

Duffy, C. (2011). Collected poems. 2nd ed. London: Picador.

Islamqa.info. (2013). Eulogizing the dead. [online] Available at: https://islamqa. info/en/82357 [Accessed 21 Jul. 2017].

Lastingpost.com. (2010). Muslim funeral. [online] Available at: https://www.lastingpost.com/muslim-funeral-etiquette/ [Accessed 20 Jul. 2017].

Visitorsheaven.com. (2013). Festivals in Pakistan. [online] Available at: http://visit

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PROSE FICTION HONORABLE MENTION

RED CAP

He went straight for the booze, took a big gulp, gave me the bottle and told me to “Drink”. I obeyed. The wolf is older than me, and the chimney light punctuated his subtle wrinkles. But I don’t want to call them wrinkles, I see them as lines of wisdom.

He fell asleep on the couch, but I stayed up, admiring the coarse details of his face, hands and chest. My heart was beating too fast for me to sleep.

LIZA SHEVETOVSKA GRADE 12

May 5rd, 1971 Little Red-Cap Carol Ann Duffy At childhood’s end, the houses petered out into playing fields, the factory, allotments kept, like mistresses, by kneeling married men, the silent railway line, the hermit’s caravan, till you came at last to the edge of the woods.

It was there that I first clapped eyes on the wolf.

He stood in a clearing, reading his verse out loud in his wolfy drawl, a paperback in his hairy paw, red wine staining his bearded jaw. What big ears he had! What big eyes he had! What teeth!

In the interval, I made quite sure he spotted me, sweet sixteen, never been, babe, waif, and bought me a drink, my first. You might ask why. Here’s why. Poetry.

The wolf, I knew, would lead me deep into the woods, away from home, to a dark tangled thorny place lit by the eyes of owls. I crawled in his wake, my stockings ripped to shreds, scraps of red from my blazer snagged on twig and branch, murder clues. I lost both shoes but got there, wolf’s lair, better beware. Lesson one that night, breath of the wolf in my ear, was the love poem.

I clung till dawn to his thrashing fur, for what little girl doesn’t dearly love a wolf?1 Then I slid from between his heavy matted paws and went in search of a living bird – white dove – which flew, straight, from my hands to his hope mouth.

One bite, dead. How nice, breakfast in bed, he said, licking his chops. As soon as he slept, I crept to the back of the lair, where a whole wall was crimson, gold, aglow with books.

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Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head, warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.

But then I was young – and it took ten years in the woods to tell that a mushroom stoppers the mouth of a buried corpse, that birds are the uttered thought of trees, that a greying wolf howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out, season after season, same rhyme, same reason. I took an axe to a willow to see how it wept. I took an axe to a salmon to see how it leapt. I took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat, and saw the glistening, virgin white of my grandmother’s bones.

I filled his old belly with stones. I stitched him up.

Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.

April 28th, 1971 I got away. Goodbye playing fields, goodbye childhood. I was entering the world of art, experience, impurity, danger, the unknown. Was I impulsive? Maybe. Was I rational? Maybe not.

Feelings: enthralled by the woods, intrigued by the wolf, aroused by the poetry.

I followed him to his lair, where I was greeted by the melodies of the night, by the glowing eyes of owls and by the whispers of the cold air.

It rained tonight. How artistic, pathetic fallacy. He didn’t bother with formalities. No tour of the lair, no “would you like some tea?”, no, that would be boring, like prose.

When we meet in the midnight hour country girl I will bring you night flowers coloured like your eyes in the moonlight in the midnight hour

He breathed this verse into my ear last night. It sent cold shivers down my back. His words were truly alive on his tongue. And his tongue was truly alive on my skin. And my skin was truly, fantastically alive in the sheets. I clung till dawn to his thrashing fur, not wanting to let go of him. I could feel his blood pumping through his veins. I imagined how our rhythm, meter, tone were all becoming one whole, they were in unison.

We were writing poems with our bodies.

January 16th, 1978 He said “Go out there! Live! Get your blood pumping. Feel something. You’re not an artist, you’re a little girl!” And so I went. I hid my wet eyes away from him, not showing any signs of weakness. Not to a wolf. I wanted to prove him what I can do. Wanted to prove to him that I am reckless, dangerous. ALL for the sake of art. The poetry. An old axe caught my eyes in the living room, and on impulse, animal instinct, I grabbed it and headed into the depths of the forest. Didn’t bother with the coat. I would show him what I’m made of. With the weapon in my hands, I didn’t know what to do with it. Chopping the air wouldn’t be any good, so I did the next thing on my mind.

I swung the axe at the ground. SLASH. I felt nothing. I had the power, I used it, but I felt nothing, I wanted reaction. With my slim, weak arms I pulled the axe out from the ground and stood looking around for a target. I was looking at dozens and dozens of willow trees, like a predator chosing its prey. They were all similar, but I chose one particular willow, more meaty

than the other ones, more juicy. I stared into its imaginary eyes, swung back the axe with all my force and I drove my weapon into its flesh. It bent under the weight of the axe, taking its offence. Its bark creaked. It wept and I loved it. I felt its pain. Its defeat. The adrenalin hit me like thunder. No butterflies in my stomach, I felt like millions of ants with hot feet were creeping through my veins. Sensational.

I wrote one draft, two drafts, five, eight, (lost count after eighth), until finally all the words, letters, spaces aligned into a piece I was proud of. I still smelled of sweat from earlier in the day. It reminded me, when I was composing, of my strength, liberty, my dedication. I smelled like raw meat.

I showed him my work, my little bits of tongue and soul, I served it to him on a plate, to feed his appetite, regularly, and for what? So he would demolish it.

He swallowed my words, those bits of me. Dead after one bite.

April 11th, 1983 I will leave no trace of me behind. Not even a whiff of scent.

I want out. Be gone. Disappear and reappear. Away from here.

The pines have heard enough cries. The air has smelt enough fear. The moon has seen me be and not be. Too much not. One too much. Who cares? He doesn’t. Why would he? Ouch. I’m a stupid fool. I can’t blame him. I wanted this. I played along.

I pursued, lingered after him, like a mouse towards cheese. I followed the rabbit down the hole. I did not “beware”. Thought I was a smart one. HA! I will be one step ahead! Now I’m twelve years behind. Not in loans but in debt. To myself.

Last count up of what I learned: 1. There’s a reason why so many stories take place in forests.

They are exciting and spooky. Keeps you on edge, keeps you aware, senses heightened.

2. Darkness and woods are over-romanticized.

3. Screaming into darkness doesn’t help you find your voice.

4. Nor does obsession.

5. Living with a wolf means you either become a wolf or become his dinner.

6. Wolf drool is gross.

7. Use metaphors and similes.

8. Have a purpose for your poetry. Make it meaningful to you.

Me. That’s the trick. The gist. The big “WHY”? So easy to lose yourself in the shadows of trees. In the gossip of the air. In the lair of the Wolf.

So out I go, into the very same trees. With purpose and trilliums. That it’s my metaphor.

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NON FICTION WINNER

TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE RETURN AND REINTEGRATION OF CRIMEAN TATARS TO CRIMEA BEGINNING FROM 1987 SUCCESSFUL POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND CULTURALLY? GEORGE KENT GRADE 12

Crimean Tatars faced and their coping strategies in the 1980s and 1990s provides a basis to judge the success of the repatriation and reintegration.

During my research, I conducted a series of interviews in Russian with Crimean Tatars who experienced the repatriation from a range of perspectives, including the long-time leader of the Crimean Tatar community Mustafa Jemilev, noted cultural anthropologist Rustem Skibin, prominent professionals, businessmen, and distant relatives. I relied on these oral interviews, in addition to secondary sources in English and in Russian, because of the scarcity of primary sources outside of archives in Crimea, Uzbekistan, and Moscow, and my inability to travel to those places due to travel restrictions.

Political Aspects

Introduction On May 12, 1944, the Soviet Army liberated Crimea from Nazi occupation. Six days later, on May 18, Stalin’s secret police, the NKVD, loaded the entire Crimean Tatar population, along with Crimea’s Greeks, Armenians, and Bulgars, into cattle cars and sent them into exile in Central Asia. The official decree accused the Crimean Tatars of treason, and supposed collaboration with the Nazis. In reality, Stalin used this excuse to rid Crimea of its native peoples while the majority of Crimean Tatar men were serving in the Red Army. In a span of three days, the Soviet military forcibly removed 194,155 Crimean Tatars from Crimea (iccrimea.org, 2017).

The NKVD shipped most Crimean Tatars to Uzbekistan.

An estimated 100,000 Crimean Tatars died of starvation or diseases in the immediate wake of deportation. Crimean Tatars were forced to live in settlements and were considered enemies of the state until 1956. At this time, many other deported peoples, such as ethnic Greeks and Bulgars, were allowed to return to Crimea. Crimean Tatars were not. While in exile, Crimean Tatars continuously struggled for the right to return to their homeland of 500 years.

In 1967, the Soviet government technically allowed Crimean Tatars to live anywhere in the Soviet Union via the decree: “Citizens of Crimean Tatar roots who used to live in Crimea.”

However, Moscow also instructed Crimean local authorities to 36

deny Crimean Tatars residency permits, preventing them from receiving land and jobs. Approximately 12,000 Crimean Tatars attempted to return after this decree; ultimately, only 100 to 200 received a permit (Jemilev, 2017). The rest were expelled from Crimea.

Throughout two generations in exile, the urge to return to their Crimean homeland never waned, passed down from the deported generation to children and grandchildren. After fierce protests and discussions with the Soviet leadership, Crimean Tatars finally returned to Crimea in 1987. The majority of those who repatriated had never lived in Crimea. Returnees faced many challenges, with mixed success.

This essay will explore political, social, and cultural aspects of the return and reintegration of Crimean Tatars to the peninsula after two generations in exile in Central Asia. Crimean Tatars faced various bureaucratic challenges, particularly residency and land ownership; they successfully pursued collective action via their self-formed representative assembly, the Qurultay, and its executive council, the Mejlis.

Crimean Tatars initially encountered social tensions with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians, as well as difficulties securing appropriate employment. The return affected Crimean Tatar language formation and usage, cuisine, and various applied arts, such as ceramics and jewelry. Analyzing the challenges

1987 Red Square protest The major breakthrough in Crimean Tatar efforts to repatriate came in 1987. Responding to the opening provided by perestroika under Communist Party General Secretary Gorbachev, the Crimean Tatars convened April 12, 1987 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 40,000 signature appeal to Gorbachev received no response. Crimean Tatars then traveled to Moscow to openly demonstrate on Red Square, the first in Soviet history (Джемилев, 2010). As community leader Mustafa Jemilev describes it: “It was unprecedented to protest in the Soviet Union.

2000 Crimean Tatars gathered with signs on Red Square.

Of course, at that time it was Perestroika and it was not the harshest regime, but the Soviet government could have run us over with tanks.” (Jemilev, 2017) The demonstrators urged Gorbachev to negotiate. Instead, the government merely announced the formation of a Committee on Crimean Tatar issues headed by Andrey Gromyko, and implied Crimean Tatars were still enemies of the state whose ancestors had collaborated with the Germans in WWII (Джемилев, 2010).

The protesters were forced home after meeting with the newly formed Committee (Бекирова, 2017).

After ten months of supposed extensive analysis, the Committee declared that the Crimean Tatars could not return to Crimea because a majority of Crimea’s population consisted of Russians and Ukrainians. The Committee did support increased Crimean Tatar radio stations and newspapers in Uzbekistan (Jemilev, 2017).

It was clear that the Soviet state never planned on allowing Crimean Tatars to return. The Committee sought to use small concessions, combined with extensive bureaucratic obstacles in Crimea itself, to prevent repatriation. The Committee did

not predict that Crimean Tatars would ignore the decision and simply resettle to Crimea. The Red Square protests signaled to Crimean Tatars that it was time to return to Crimea after two generations of exile. Tough bureaucratic obstacles awaited early returnees.

Land Ownership Issues: A. Propiska (residency permit) The main obstacle Crimean Tatars faced upon return was the acquisition of propisky, residency permits which allowed people to legally reside in a place and own land, and issued by the mayor’s office. Although Soviet authorities during perestroika could not prevent Crimean Tatars from entering Crimea, they made it extremely difficult to obtain propisky.

Lenur Nemetulaev identifies the Catch-22: “ Without a stable long term job, you could not get a propiska. But without the propiska, you could not get a job.

You ended up having to go to the prosecutor’s office every week to try and register, and explain why you did not have a propiska. ” (Nemetulaev, 2017) Without propisky, people lived illegally in tents or with Russian landlords while facing pressure from local authorities.

This forced people like Nemetulaev’s family to travel long distances to justify their presence. Ayar Japarov, Doctor and member of the Qurultay, notes: “When we were living in the first apartment, the [landlord’s] sons were part of a racketeering gang. They would “protect” the sellers at the market in exchange for money.

They all knew me, and they tried to help me get residency.

They had connections with the police. At first they said that they would register me no problem. It was the first time that the racketeers could not get someone a propiska. They told me that they could have even registered a murderer, but not a Crimean Tatar.” (Japarov, 2017) Buying apartments also proved difficult.

“In 1987, we spent the whole year looking for housing.

Crimeans could not sell their houses to Crimean Tatars, as those who sold houses were pressured by the local government to reclaim their sold property. My brother lived for 6 months but left because he couldn’t get a propiska. We wanted to buy a house in Bakhchisarai; after 3 months, it didn’t work out. They got scared.” (Japarov, 2017) Moscow remained afraid of the Crimean Tatars “reclaiming their homeland” at the expense of ethnic Russians. During this time, as Crimean Tatars were struggling to buy land on the peninsula, the samozakhvat (grab it yourself) movement emerged.

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B. Samozakhvat “We just wanted a little bit of land where we could live, a little bit of land 600 square meters where we could build homes on our own strength” (Japarov, 2017).

Soviet authorities used their power to prevent returning Crimean Tatars from living on valuable land; Crimean Tatars often ended up on infertile and uninhabitable plots. Local authorities urged Russians to buy as much land as they could for dachas (summer homes). In one factory, workers were not

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granted vacation unless they put in an application for a plot of land (Uehling, 2004).

In contrast, a Crimean Tatar community in Zalesky was previously a chemical dumping site, prompting concerns about groundwater quality. A settlement in Ivanovsky was built on a floodplain (Uehling, 2004). Many Crimean Tatars did not accept living in such conditions, choosing to “squat,” building shacks to claim land. In many cases, people set up tents and lived in makeshift settlements on claimed land.

Figure 2 The map above shows that the most valuable and fertile land on the South Bank is occupied by the least number of Crimean Tatars. The most populated areas are the poorer steppe areas of central Crimea. Although legally Crimean Tatars were able to return to Crimea, many were unable fund self-repatriation and remained in Uzbekistan, as Crimean Tatars were given no compensation for what they had lost in the 1944 deportation.

Figure 1 The samozakhvat huts were small for two reasons. Building a house was expensive. People also feared that the structures would be destroyed. Indeed, local thugs would often bulldoze the makeshift communities. Many people lost all their money in building a house that eventually was demolished (Japarov, 2017). The local government did not prosecute the vandals, suggesting they condoned the actions. This led Crimean Tatars to demonstrate before the Crimean Council of Ministers; one, Musa Mahmut, ended his unsuccessful propiska legal battle in self-immolation. Several others followed suit; others threatened to do so (Uehling, 2004).

This bravery and sacrifice by a few allowed Crimean Tatars to achieve results through actions, not endless negotiations.

New houses were not nearly as big as properties left in Uzbekistan. They were also scattered all over Crimea, not where their ancestors had lived. However, Crimean Tatars gained the right to live on the Crimean peninsula, something they had been denied since deportation in 1944.

Crimea with the population of Crimean Tatars in each district as of 1993 (Alsworth, 1998).

Makeshift tent encampment connected to samozakhvat. Courtesy of Александр Клименко, Украинская Правда.

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Qurultay and Mejlis The Crimean Tatar National Movement Organization (OKND) formed in 1989 as an activist organization advocating repatriation. The OKND in turn founded the Crimean Tatar National Assembly, or Qurultay, which aimed for: “the full return of the Crimean Tatar Nation to Crimea, return of unlawfully seized property, and achieve National Autonomy” (Jemilev, 2017). As Mustafa Jemilev describes: “We decided to have an organization where any Crimean Tatar’s voice would be heard. Crimean Tatars would vote for candidates to represent them. One delegate would represent 1000 people. We represented 90 percent of Crimean Tatars.

On June 21, 1991, half a year before the Soviet Union fell

apart, we formed the Qurultay. 33 Qurultay members formed the Mejlis, the executive council. This was a very big step, as it brought the movement to a higher level.” (Jemilev, 2017) The organizations enabled Crimean Tatars to respond continuously to attacks on their community through demonstrations and peaceful protests. The Qurultay and Mejlis distinguished Crimean Tatars from other organizations and political parties which tried to form after the Soviet Union’s collapse but were co-opted by post-Soviet governments.

“Crimean Tatars successfully held democratic elections for their own leaders. We didn’t agree on everything in the Mejlis, but we could always say: ‘stop, let’s take it up to the Qurultay.’” (Jemilev, 2017) 39

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This system worked well in settling disputes, including the greatest challenge to Jemilev’s authority: a 1996 scandal regarding funds allocated for building houses. Jemilev almost lost his Mejlis presidency; rumors circulated that the leadership had stolen money designated for families. In reality, incompetence in the bank holding the funds, coupled with high inflation, eroded the funds’ value. The Mejlis split over how to respond.

“A group created divisions in the Mejlis. In the middle was a KGB informant. They were kicked out of the Mejlis. At first it looked like the entire Crimean Tatar Nation was divided. But in the vote, only 23 of 248 Qurultay delegates supported the “dividers.” (Jemilev, 2017) The Qurultay acted as an effective check to the Mejlis; whenever there was any problem with the executive council, the wider community had a voice.

Crimean Tatars successfully formed a representational assembly to advocate their rights and negotiate with first the Soviet state and later the Crimean government in newly independent Ukraine, where they comprised no more than 13 percent of the population. Crimean Tatars faced difficulties when a pro-Russian bloc won most of the parliamentary seats in the 1994 Crimean regional elections. Dynamics improved as the pro-Russian bloc fractured in 1995, and more moderates joined the regional parliament (Alsworth, 1998). Crimean Tatar political leaders sought allies and secured changes to improve the lives of returnees. Without the Qurultay and Mejlis, Crimean Tatars would have had little effective voice.

They allowed Crimean Tatars to negotiate with authorities and settle matters relatively peacefully rather than via radical demonstrations.

Social Aspects Anti-Crimean Tatar Propaganda Repatriating Crimean Tatars faced harsh discrimination on arrival largely because of hostile Soviet propaganda. One doctor describes her experience: “The government told locals that we would be monsters, that we would come with knives and cut up their children.

They told the people not to walk at night because Tatars would attack them. When I started working as pediatrician, people would not bring me their children. My first patient was an old babushka with her granddaughter who had tonsilitis. She asked: ‘you are not going to kill my kid right?’ I was shocked.

I told her: ‘I have a degree in medicine. I finished medical 40

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school with the same diploma as any Russian or Ukrainian doctor.’ After I treated the girl, the Babushka went to villages saying: ‘Tatars are normal people.’ After that people started coming to me. This was in 1989.” (Osmanova, 2017) Once people interacted more with Crimean Tatars on an individual level, they realized that they were normal hardworking people who just wanted to live in their homeland.

“But it took a minimum of 10 years for [people] to change their opinion of Crimean Tatars” (Osmanova, 2017).

Employment Formal employment in the early years of reintegration was nearly impossible because of propisky, required to secure a job.

“While I wasn’t registered, I did not work. I drove things for people. My wife sold vegetables. She took dirty vegetables from Soviet stores, washed them carefully, presented them nicely, and sold them for three times the price.” (Japarov, 2017) Crimean Tatar doctors or certain specialists in high demand found employment after getting a propiska. However others sacrificed their previous occupation to make a living. Elvira Nogaeva, previously an accountant with an advanced degree from Tashkent’s Economic University, worked as a farm laborer until retirement (Nogaeva, 2017).

Some Slavic Crimeans categorically did not want to hire Crimean Tatars.

“If there were a choice between a Russian, Ukrainian, and a Crimean Tatar, the Crimean Tatar would be in last place.

On the job a drunk Russian would be forgiven. But a drunk Crimean Tatar would be fired.” (Osmanova, 2017) Employers clearly had biases towards Crimean Tatar workers. This could be due to pressures from the Crimean authorities as well as personal bigotry. Both the Soviet state and the Crimean government feared the mass return of Crimean Tatars, because they had a legitimate claim on the peninsula’s most valuable land, which they had owned prior to deportation.

There was also active discrimination against Crimean Tatars for government jobs.

“My friend, who worked in the statistics department, saw the letters KTN on the form forbidding people holding government jobs. She asked her colleague, what is KTN? He replied: Krymska Tatarska Natsiya. Crimean Tatars were prevented from working government jobs.” (Osmanova, 2017) OSCE Statistics show that, as of 2013, Crimean Tatars occupied only 2% of government jobs, even though they

comprised 14% of the population (OSCE, 2013). Authorities tolerated Crimean Tatars working as plumbers, factory workers, farmers, and doctors, yet they tried to keep them away from political and government positions. This meant that many Crimean Tatar intellectuals with advanced university degrees worked as mechanics or farmers. In this regard, the reintegration of Crimean Tatars was not as successful as it could have been, as many received less pay and suffered worse living conditions compared to Uzbekistan. Alie Osmanova describes her response to Slavic Crimeans: “They still ask us: ‘why did you come here? Wasn’t your life in Uzbekistan a good life?’ I would say: ‘it wasn’t at first; we had to build that good life with our own two hands. Who says that we can’t do it again?’” (Osmanova, 2017) Cultural Aspects Language Traditionally three sub-groups comprise the Crimean Tatar nation.

Tats, mountain people, made up 55% of the pre-deportation population; the Yalıboyu, south bank Tatars, comprised 30%, and the Noğay, people of the steppe, made up 15% (iccrimea.org, 2017) . Crimean Tatar is a Turkic language with many dialects among the three sub-groups. Crimean Tatar experienced a drop in usage in exile, as “a few generations of Crimean Tatars grew up under the ban on schools with the Crimean Tatar language of instruction, and the absence of radio and TV programs in the native language” (Джемилев, 2010). However, many families kept speaking dialects, because villages were deported together in cattle cars to the same location in Central Asia. Crimean Tatars were scattered, yet individual communities stayed concentrated together; by Soviet decree, they were unable to leave settlements until 1956, still designated enemies of the state (Skibin, 2017).

Thus, differences in language were preserved along with the language as a whole. However, repatriation had an unexpected effect on the Crimean Tatar language. Returning Crimean Tatars struggled to find work and housing all over Crimea, settling wherever they could. As Ayar Japarov notes: “I never thought that I would end up in Kerch. We could not go to some village because, as a surgeon, I would not get a job. We thought that we would stay there for a couple months and then move to Evpatoria or Simferopol, where our relatives were from.” (Japarov, 2017) The post-return dynamic meant that Crimean Tatar subethnic groups mixed together.

“The language became more united after return. Many

people did not return to their original homes. The majority settled in the steppe region. We settled in compact settlements, and the language dialects mixed together and became more universal.” (Skibin, 2017) There was also one Crimean Tatar university, which helped standardize the language. Television and journalism also helped the language become more accessible for all Crimean Tatars (Skibin, 2017). The Crimean Tatar language was almost lost during exile, yet it survived and reemerged united because of the repatriation.

Unfortunately, few schools teach in Crimean Tatar rather than Russian. There are also scarce literary works in Crimean Tatar, because Stalin banned all Crimean Tatar literature and burned many existing books (Джемилев, 2010). The preservation of the language now depends largely on home usage and Crimean Tatar media.

Cuisine Food is an important part of Crimean Tatar culture. The 1944 deportation and subsequent exile in Central Asia influenced Crimean Tatar cuisine (Skibin, 2017). The knowledge of how to make dishes was passed from the older, deported generation to the new one born in Uzbekistan.

Repatriation brought a cuisine back to Crimea with Uzbek influences, such as plov, manti, and lagman. Crimean Tatar cuisine increasingly became popular among non-Crimean Tatars, as tourists and Slavic Crimeans wanted to eat food that was native to Crimea. “[One] can get Ukrainian, Armenian, Russian, and Greek food outside of Crimea ... but Crimean Tatar food is unique to Crimea” (Skibin, 2017).

Applied Art Revival Much Crimean Tatar applied art was lost because of WWII deaths and deportation in 1944. Crimean Tatar music survived deportation better, as musicians played traditional pieces at weddings. Two art styles which practically died out during exile were revived upon repatriation to Crimea: ceramics and jewelry.

A: Ceramics Crimean Tatar ceramics suffered in exile, as Uzbek ceramics were popular, and Crimean Tatar ceramics did not sell well in the markets. This led to a near disappearance of Crimean Tatar designs (Skibin, 2017). When Rustem Skibin repatriated in 1995, he joined a group of ceramicists, led by his teacher Mahmut Chernev, called Cheterdek (Crimean Style).

“Cheterdek held masterclasses, seminars. We traveled to 41

I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

different regions; elderly people would tell us the names of things, their description, and their purpose. We would then recreate what they described in workshops in Simferopol.

We collected examples from people and at antique bazaars.

We studied in modern schools and worked with modern materials, so we restarted this old art using modern means.”

(Skibin, 2017) The biggest revitalization of Crimean Tatar ceramics came at the hand of Rustem Skibin himself. In 2000, Skibin was selling non-traditional Crimean Tatar art. At the request of his teacher, Skibin started distributing traditional Crimean Tatar works at exhibitions. Skibin collected these designs through embroidery, which survived deportation and exile, since embroidered dresses were easy to carry. Soon he had tourist, Crimean, and Crimean Tatar customers asking for his work. In addition hotels and restaurants wanted his designs.

“We practically pushed out all other styles of ceramics.

Now all tourists and people want to take back part of traditional Crimean Tatar culture” (Skibin, 2017).

These efforts by Skibin and the others in Cheterdek effectively revived an artform that had been dead for the last two generations, creating a market where people demanded authentic Crimean art, which could only come from the original inhabitants of the peninsula.

B: Jewelry Crimean Tatar filagren silversmithy completely disappeared as a result of the war and the 1944 deportation. A single old man, Aider Asanov, resurrected this art form. He learned the delicate silver and gold crafting art as a pre-teen from his grandfather before the 1944 deportation. Aider worked as a welder in exile for nearly 50 years without making any jewelry.

However, when he returned to Crimea in the 1990s, he revived his family’s craft.

“Aider-aga returned from exile to his city Bakhchisaray.

A philanthropist gave them a studio where they could create jewelry. They got some students and formed a school. Now ten people have finished this school and work as Crimean Tatar jewelers.” (Skibin, 2017) Aider, his daughter, grandchildren, and others continue the revival of the old jewelry tradition, in the same way that Skibin and his colleagues restarted ceramics. The return to Crimea was successful in reviving beautiful and important elements of Crimean Tatar culture.

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Conclusions The return and reintegration of Crimean Tatars to Crimea is a milestone in history. A persecuted and exiled nation returned to their homeland after two generations in exile and restarted lives. The repatriation and reintegration of Crimean Tatars to Crimea in the late 1980s and 1990s was overall successful, despite many challenges that remain.

Crimean Tatars successfully overcame Soviet bureaucratic obstacles surrounding propiskas and acquisition of land through samozakhvat, although the land many received was not fertile. Crimean Tatars unified themselves under the leadership of the Mejlis and Qurultay, strengthening their negotiating positions on non-political issues. This is arguably the greatest political success of the reintegration process, as a united and organized people made it harder for the Russian and Crimean government to manipulate Crimean Tatars.

Crimean Tatars also overcame social barriers; initial misconceptions about Crimean Tatars disappeared as local Russians and Ukrainians interacted more with individuals and abandoned group stereotypes. Crimean Tatars also managed to find employment; however, many sacrificed their previous profession to work on farms or as simple sellers to make a living, as employers refused to hire them despite their qualifications. Crimean Tatars were also unsuccessful in securing government jobs in proportion to their population percentage.

Crimean Tatar culture arguably benefited the most from the repatriation, as the language became more standardized, with the mixing of the population and Crimean Tatar language radio and TV programs. The repatriation revived two practically dead applied art forms: ceramics and jewelry.

The illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 presents a whole new challenge for Crimean Tatars. As Crimean Tatars have been very outspoken against the Russian takeover, an estimated 25,000 have been forced out of Crimea.

Dozens more have become political prisoners or disappeared, presumed dead. Despite these new challenges facing Crimean Tatars, their successful return after two generations in exile suggests they will never stop fighting for their rights. Crimea is the homeland which they will never relinquish.

Reference List Allworth, E. (1998). The Tatars of Crimea: Return to the Homeland (Central Asia Book Series). 2nd ed. Duke University Press.

Japarov, A. (2017). Ayar Japarov Repatriation and Reintegration Interview.

Jemilev, M. (2017). Mustafa Jemilev Repatriation and Reintegration Interview.

Бекирова, Г. (2017). Московские акции крымских татар летом 1987-го. Окончание. [online] Крым.Реалии. Available at: https://ru.krymr.com/a/27119914.html [Accessed 20 Aug. 2017].

Nemetulaev, L. (2017). Lenur Nemetulaev Repatriation and Reintegration Interview.

Nogaeva, E. (2017). Elvira Nogaeva Repatriation and Reintegration Interview.

Джемилев, М. (2010). Крымские Татары: Проблемы и Перспективы. Симферополь: ОДЖАКЪ, pp.21-90. Клименко, А. (2016). Возвращение крымских татар на Родину. Первые шаги дома. [online] Украинская Правда. Available at: https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2016/05/18/7108898/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2017].

Iccrimea.org. (2017). The Deportation and Fate of the Crimean Tatars. [online] Available at: http://www.iccrimea.org/scholarly/jopohl.html [Accessed 2 Aug. 2017].

Osmanova, A. (2017). Alie Osmanova Repatriation and Reintegration Interview.

Skibin, R. (2017). Rustem Skibin Repatriation and Reintegration Interview.

The integration of formerly deported people in Crimea, Ukraine: Needs assessment. (2013).

The Hague: OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.

Uehling, G. (2004). Beyond memory. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

B O G D A N A B U L A K H , G R A D E 1 0 , T H E W AV E , A C R Y L I C P A I N T, P L A S T I C , P A P I E R - M A C H E , W I R E

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NON FICTION HONORABLE MENTION

MEASURING THE ABSORPTION OF LIGHT

BY SOLUTIONS OF PIGMENTS FOUND IN CORNUS SERICEA AND VIBURNUM SUSPENSUM

V. suspensum

C. sericea

Figure 2: Pictures of V. suspensum and C. sericea

DANYLO SHKURUPIY Figure 1: Chlorophyll molecule and highlighted in red, porphyrin ring (Gray, 2018)

GRADE 12

Research Question How do concentration of carotene, chlorophyll, and xanthophyll vary in Cornus sericea and Viburnum suspensum, measured by their ratio of light absorption at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635 nm?

Background My initiative to conduct this experiment came from my interest in coloured compounds. Coloured compounds, are molecules that have the ability to absorb light at certain wavelengths, and thus reflect light at complementary wavelengths which gives them color. I wanted to explore where colored molecules are found in biology, and measure their light absorbance, using a colorimeter. Leaves, are a place where there are various coloured compounds. The main pigment molecule in most leaves is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll causes the green color in leaves, as it absorbs red and blue wavelengths of light for energy for photosynthesis, and reflects green light, thus plants appear as green. Carotenoids and flavonoids are compounds that make leaves appear yellow and orange. Anthocyanins are the compounds that cause leaves to be redish and purple (Compound Interest, 2014).

The purpose of chlorophyll in plants is to absorb light, and use the energy to synthesize carbohydrates from CO2 and water. Chlorophyll is able to absorb light because of the porphyrin ring in the chlorophyll molecule (figure 1). This ring has a resonance structure because of the alternating single and double bonds. The electrons in the bonds will delocalize, and when visible light hits them, it will excite them from their 44

ground state and move the electrons to higher energy levels.

This causes some light wavelengths to be absorbed, and some to be reflected, which ultimately causes leaves to have color (May, 2016).

This investigation is important because based on the absorbance of light, we can roughly deduce the ratio of the concentration of chlorophyll and other pigments in the leaf of a plant. Chlorophyll is an essential molecule in plants, as without chlorophyll the plant would have no source of energy or a source of cellulose to strengthen its cell wall. We can thus make conclusions as to the nutritional value of plants, and more specifically the concentration of carbohydrates in them. This information is significant in terms of its reference value, as if a plant biologist require information on a plant, or its nutritional potential or such, information such as this can be invaluable.

My personal interest in this investigation, comes from my interest in coloured molecules and their role in biology. The way that some molecules are able to absorb light, and thus have color fascinates me. In biology, I found that colored complexes play a large role in plants, as they absorb light and thus give the plants color. By further researching, I realized that this investigation would challenge me, and test my laboratory skills, as I would have to use an apparatus that I have never used before, and one that requires extensive knowledge about how to break the seal of the leaf and extract pigment molecules from it. This research topic is thus significant to me, as I will be able to investigate colored molecules in biology, and also I will be able to use an apparatus that is not very familiar to me, which will improve my lab skills and give me experience with a different apparatus.

Hypothesis H0: There is no significant difference between the light absorbed at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635nm by coloring pigments from C. sericea and V. suspensum H1: There is a significant difference and this is not due to chance between the light absorbed at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635nm by coloring pigments from C. sericea and V. suspensum Supporting the Hypothesis There is a significant difference and it is not due to chance between at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635nm by coloring pigments from C. sericea and V. suspensum. This can be inferred from looking at pictures of the two plants (figure 2). Based on the photographs, V. suspensum is a darker shade of green than C. sericea is. This means, that there is a higher concentration of chlorophyll in V. suspensum than in C. sericea. A leaf with a higher concentration of chlorophyll will have absorb less blue and red light, and thus reflect less green light. As seen in figure 3, both plants will follow the same trend, as all chlorophyll molecules have the same absorbance properties. Both plants will absorb mostly indigo/blue wavelengths, absorb least green light, and moderately absorb red wavelengths. C. sericea however, will have less absorbance for all wavelengths of light. This will mean that in the T-test, C. sericea and V. suspensum will have significantly different absorbances because C. sericea will absorb less light at all wavelengths, due to the lower concentration of chlorophyll (Simonds, 2013).

Figure 3: Chlorophyll absorbance spectrum (Simonds, 2013)

Independent Variable The variable that will be manipulated, will be the species from which leaves will be taken from. The two species used are Cornus sericea and Viburnum suspensum. Their coloring pigments such as chlorophyll, carotene, and xanthophyll will be extracted and will be in a solution of ethanol, that will be placed in a colorimeter. Light at different wavelengths will be passed through the solution. The color of the wavelength which shows the highest absorption, is being absorbed most, therefore the complementary color is the one that is being reflected, therefore is the color that we see.

Dependant variable The dependant variable, will be the wavelength of light absorbed. The units will be ratio of light absorbed, as the colorimeter measures the ratio of light absorbed after visible light was sent transmitted through the solution. In other words, 0 is no absorbance and reflection of all light at that wavelength, and 1 is complete absorbance of that light. Uncertainty will be ±0.001, as the colorimeter is digital, therefore the uncertainty is to the last significant digit. The extracted sample of chlorophyll will be placed into a transparent cuvette, which 45

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will then be inserted into the colorimeter. The colorimeter will then pass visible light through it at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635 nm, and at the other end, it will measure the amount of light that was not absorbed by the solution, thus if the solution

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absorbs a certain wavelength, then the complementary color is going to be the color of the solution. Green is from 575525 nm therefore it is expected that 565 nm will have lowest absorption, as that is the light that is being reflected.

Apparatus (x1) Colorimeter (x1) 100ml Beaker (x4) Test tube (80ml) Ethanol (x1) Hot Plate (x1) Tweezers (x1) Temperature probe (x1) Vernier Labqwvuest (x1) Hole Puncher (x1) Scissors (x1) Timer (x2) 100ml graduated cylinder (x50) V. suspensum leaves (x25) C. sericea leaves Tap water source (x2) Cork

Control Variables Table 1: Control Variables

Controlled variables

Effect on results

Method and instruments for control

Surface area of leaf

If the surface area of the leaf is greater, than the amount of pigments extracted will be greater, thus increasing their concentration. A higher concentration of pigments means that a different portion of light be reflected and absorbed.

A hole puncher will be used, in order for all the pieces of leaves to be the same surface area.

There will be no quantitative measurement, as the hole puncher will make all pieces of leaves have the same surface area.

Since ethanol is the solvent, a higher volume of ethanol means a lower concentration of pigments. A higher pigment concentration means more light will be absorbed.

The volume of ethanol will be measured with a measuring cylinder. 40 ml of ethanol will be used for making the solution, therefore the volume will be kept constant, thus keeping the concentration constant.

A higher temperature causes the kinetic energy of the particles to increase, which causes more pigments to be extracted, increasing the concentration of pigments.

This will therefore mean that more light is being absorbed.

The ethanol will be heated in a hot bath, therefore the water in the hot bath will be set to 100oC. The hot bath will be set to this temperature and correspondingly the water in it will be of that temperature. A thermometer will also be used in order to ensure that the water is at desired 100oC.

Volume of ethanol

Temperature at which ethanol is heated

46

Time that ethanol and leaf are heated

If the leaf is heated for a longer time, more pigments will be extracted, thus changing the concentration of pigments.

The ethanol and leaf will be heated for 7 minutes.

A stopwatch will be used, and once it reads 7 minutes, the beaker with the ethanol and leaf will be removed from the hot bath

Time that leaf will be heated in water in order to break the protective seal

When a leaf is placed in boiling water, the seal of the leaf is being broken. If the leaf is in the water for longer periods of time, then more chlorophyll will be exposed.

The leaf will be placed into a beaker of 100oC boiling water for 30 seconds which will be controlled with a timer.

Figure 3a: Apparatus set-up

Method Part 1: Gathering the leaves 1. Find a bush of V. suspensum and C. sericea 2. Using scissors, carefully cut out 25 leaves of C. sericea and 50 leaves of V. suspensum 3. Do not cut out branches from the plants, as that is doing a lot of damage to the plant 4. Take the plants back to the laboratory Part 2: Prepare the leaves 1. Using a hole puncher, punch a hole in every leave of V. suspensum and take out the leaves from under the hole puncher 2. Recount the pieces, and make sure you have 50 pieces of V. suspensum leaves 3. Again, using a hole puncher, punch 2 holes, in every leaf of C. sericea and remove all 50 pieces of leaf from under the hole puncher 4. Recount the pieces 5. Take the 100ml beaker and fill it ¾ with tap water 6. Take a hot plate, plug it in a socket and set the temperature to 100oC 7. Place the 100ml beaker with tap water on to the hot plate 8. Plug a vernier labquest into a socket and connect a temperature probe into the vernier labquest 9. Place the temperature probe into the 100ml beaker with tap water and wait until the temperature is around 100oC 10. Using tweezers, grab a couple of V. suspensum leaf pieces and dip them into the boiling water for 30 seconds 11. Repeat until all 50 V. suspensum leaf pieces have been dipped into boiling water for 30 seconds 12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for C. sericea

Part 3: Extraction of pigments 1. With a 100ml graduated measuring cylinder, measure 80 ml of ethanol 2. Fill a test tube with ethanol 3. Place 50 leaf pieces of V. suspensum leaf 4. Plug the test tube with a cork in order to prevent too much ethanol from evaporating 5. Then make sure that the water in the 100ml beaker on the hot plate is still 100oC and place the test tube into the beaker 6. Using a timer time that the ethanol spends 7 minutes in the boiling water 7. After 7 minutes have passed, using tongs remove the test tube with ethanol and 50 pieces of C. sericea leaves 8. Place the test tube on the test tube rack and let the solution cool 9. Repeat steps 1-8 for V. suspensum Part 4: Extraction of pigments 1. Wait until both solutions cool so that the cuvette are not damaged 2. Using a pipette, fill 15 cuvettes ¾ with the solution of C. sericea pigments 3. Place every cuvette one by one into the colorimeter, and pass light at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635 nm and measure the absorbance ratio 4. Record those values 5 .Rinse all cuvettes of C. sericea pigment solution 6. Repeat steps 1-4 for V. suspensum

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Quantitative Raw Data

Safety Table 2: Safety Procedure

Table 3: Absorbance of light by C. sericea

Controlled variables

Chemicals

Effect on results

Ethanol is a highly flammable substance.

In some cases ethanol can also be slightly explosive, near open heat sources. Since ethanol is heated, this is a major safety concern.

Trials

Method and instruments for control

The ethanol must be heated in the beaker with water. The ethanol must never be heated directly on the hot plate, or over a bunsen burner.

(Sciencelab.com, 2017)

Ratio of Light absorbed (±0.001)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

430nm

0.351

0.364

0.365

0.367

0.364

0.366

0.359

0.360

0.353

0.362

0.340

0.355

0.358

0.353

0.367

470nm

0.252

0.221

0.224

0.217

0.219

0.215

0.211

0.208

0.206

0.205

0.213

0.212

0.210

0.205

0.210

565nm

0.043

0.029

0.029

0.029

0.000

0.029

0.000

0.028

0.026

0.026

0.028

0.026

0.032

0.036

0.029

635nm

0.065

0.052

0.052

0.044

0.040

0.045

0.044

0.039

0.035

0.035

0.037

0.036

0.038

0.054

0.040

Uncertainty is ±0.001 because this is the decimal place that the colorimeter measured to

Reactions

No reactions are involved

N/A Table 4: Absorbance of light by V. suspensum Trials

Environmental or Disposal Hazards

Ethical Concerns

No environmental or disposal hazards

Bushes are being harmed as they are being damaged

The leaves should not be disposed into the garbage, as nutrients are being removed from the environment. The leaves should be thrown on the soil near a bush and allowed to decompose in the environment

After usage, the leaves will be placed back into the environment, so that the nutrients go back to the nutrient cycle

Ratio of Light absorbed (±0.001)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

430nm

0.351

0.364

0.365

0.367

0.364

0.366

0.359

0.360

0.353

0.362

0.340

0.355

0.358

0.353

0.367

470nm

0.252

0.221

0.224

0.217

0.219

0.215

0.211

0.208

0.206

0.205

0.213

0.212

0.210

0.205

0.210

565nm

0.043

0.029

0.029

0.029

0.000

0.029

0.000

0.028

0.026

0.026

0.028

0.026

0.032

0.036

0.029

635nm

0.065

0.052

0.052

0.044

0.040

0.045

0.044

0.039

0.035

0.035

0.037

0.036

0.038

0.054

0.040

Table 5: Qualitative Observations and Images

Animal Experimentation

48

No animals are tested on

N/A

V. suspensum

C. sericea

Solution

Solution

Observations • Leaves were initially cold and wet from the outside environment • Some leaves were slightly dirty, therefore they had to be washed of potential impurities • When the leaves were boiled in hot water, bubbles were coming out from the leaves • When the ethanol and leaves were boiled, the solution was bubbling and the ethanol was almost shooting out of the test tube • The room began to smell of ethanol, therefore a large amount of ethanol was evaporating, meaning that the pigments were being extracted • Gradually, the leaves became clearer in color, and the solution became greener, as seen in the pictures • C. sericea leaves are visibly less green than V. suspensum • V. suspensum leaves were relatively rougher, whereas C. sericea leaves were softer and more malleable • The leaves of both species were about the same thickness 49

I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • D P

Calculations

Mean Formula:

Example:

Processed Data Table 6: Average and Standard deviation of ratio of light absorbance at 430, 470, 565, and 635 nm by

Table 7: Average and standard deviation of ratio of light absorbance at 430, 470, 565, and 635nm by Viburnum suspensum

Wavelength of light (nm)

Wavelength of light (nm)

Standard Deviation Formula:

Example:

Average

Stdev

430

0.359

0.007

470

0.215

565 635

Average

Stdev

430

0.436

0.017

0.012

470

0.309

0.009

0.026

0.011

565

0.039

0.016

0.044

0.009

635

0.064

0.014

and and degrees of freedom must be determined. The degree of freedom in my experiment is 14 because I have 15 trails.

The calculated t-value must be compared to the t-values at 14 degrees of freedom in the table of values. By comparing the values in the table with the calculated value, the p-value will be determined (Damon et al., n.d.). The t-test will be done for every wavelength in order to compare the two plant species absorbance at all wavelengths.

Table 8: T-test for absorbance at 430nm

Table 10: T-test for absorbance at 565nm

Mean Value

V. suspensum

0.436

C. sericea

0.359

T-value

P-value

16.44

<0.01

Table 9: T-test for absorbance at 470nm

Species

50

Ratio of Light absorbed (±0.001)

Using the T-test: The T-test is a tool used to determine whether the difference between two sets of data is significant. The t-test gives two values: a t-value and a p-value. The p-value is the probability that the difference in the data is caused by chance. For example if the p-value is 0.5 than that means that 50% of the time the difference is caused by chance. A p-value has to be 0.05 maximum in order for the results to have statistical significance, since this means that 95% of the time the difference is not due to chance. To find the p-value, the t-value must be calculated

Species

Unpaired T-test Formula:

Ratio of Light absorbed (±0.001)

Mean Value

V. suspensum

0.309

C. sericea

0.215

Species

Mean Value

V. suspensum

0.039

C. sericea

0.026

T-value

P-value

2.47

0.05

T-value

P-value

4.99

<0.01

Table 11: T-test for absorbance at 635nm

T-value

P-value

13.67

<0.01

Species

Mean Value

V. suspensum

0.064

C. sericea

0.044

51

I N K S TA I N S â&#x20AC;˘ S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

Error bars are standard deviations presented in table 6 and 7

Figure 4: Absorbance of 430, 470, 565, and 635nm light Wavelengths by C. sericea and V. suspensum

Data Interpretation In order to present the data, a double bar graph is used, in order to present the absorbance of both species and compare their absorbance. For every wavelength of light, V. suspensum has a higher bar compared to C. sericea which means that V. suspensum absorbs a higher portion of light at all wavelengths. For example, at 430nm, C. sericea absorbs 0.36 of light whereas V. suspensum absorbs around 0.43 of light at 430nm. At 635nm, V. suspensum absorbs around 0.06 and C. sericea absorbs around 0.04 of the light. This supports the alternative hypothesis, since this indicates that there is a significant difference between the absorbance of light by the two species.

Looking at the error bars, for 430nm and 470nm, the error bars do not overlap, meaning that the results were less spread out.

565 and 635nm however, the error bars do overlap slightly, meaning that the results are more spread and do partially overlap. The T-test shows a similar trend, as the t-values for 430 and 470nm are very high, lower the chance that the results are due to chance. At 565 and 635nm on the other hand, the t-value is lower, meaning that there is a higher possibility that the difference in the results is by chance.

The T-test strongly supports the rejection of the null hypothesis, since for all four wavelengths of light, the p-value is less than or equal to 0.05. At 565nm the p-value is 0.05, meaning that at 565nm we are 95% sure that the difference is not caused by chance, which is statistically significant. For all other values, we have a p-value of less than 0.01 meaning that we are essentially 99% sure that the results are not due to chance.

At 565 and 625nm, the results had a higher range and seemed to have some anomalies. In some trials, the absorbance was 0, although the solution clearly had a color, which brings 52

questions to the reliability of the colorimeter. Then, since the absorbance at 565 and 625nm was lower, the accuracy of the results became lower because the accuracy of the colorimeter did not change.

Conclusion Based on the gathered results, the null hypothesis can be rejected and the alternative hypothesis can be rejected. The null hypothesis was: There is no significant difference between the light absorbed at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635nm by coloring pigments from C. sericea and V. suspensum. The alternative hypothesis was: There is a significant difference and this is not due to chance between the light absorbed at 430 nm, 470 nm, 565 nm, and 635nm by coloring pigments from C. sericea and V. suspensum. This hypothesis makes sense in terms of the data and scientific theory.

The data strongly supports the hypothesis. Based on the bar graph, it is visible that V. suspensum absorbs more visible light at all wavelengths than C. sericea. This supports the claim that there is a significant difference in the absorption of visible light by the two species. Furthermore, the T-test supports the fact the chances of the difference being chance are maximum 5% for one wavelength. The other three wavelengths have around 1% chance that the difference is caused by chance. This indicates that experimentally, there is a statistically significant difference between the concentration of coloring pigments in the two plant species.

The acceptance of the alternative hypothesis is also supported by a theoretical basis. As referred to in the hypothesis, by observing the two plant species in figure 2, we can deduce that V. suspensum is a darker shade of green. The green color in plants is caused by the presence of chlorophyll. The porphyrin ring in chlorophyll, seen in figure 1, absorbs red and blue wavelengths of light to excite the electrons in its bonds. The complementary color, green, is thus reflected which gives plants their green color. This is also supported by the results, since the absorption at 565nm, which is near green, is very low, because that light is being reflected. Since V. suspensum is a darker shade of green, this means that the concentration of chlorophyll is higher as it is able to reflect more green light. Furthermore, other pigments such as carotenoids, xanthophylls, and anthocyanins, are at relatively lower concentrations compared to chlorophyll, meaning that more green light is reflected than absorbed. It can be thus inferred that the concentration of chlorophyll in C. sericea is lower than in V. suspensum because optically we see that C. sericea is a lighter shade of green. The concentration of other pigments causing an orange/red color could be relatively similar, however in C. sericea they are expressed more because they are at a higher concentrations relative to the chlorophyll concentration.

Evaluation Table 12: Error evaluation and improvement

Errors in the Method

Effect on Results

Improvements

Chlorophyll degrades relatively quickly and the rate of degradation is not monitored

Since the amount of time that the leaf was removed from the plant is not monitored, we are not sure how much chlorophyll degraded. If chlorophyll degrades than the absorbance values would change.

The time from the point when the leaf is ripped of the plant can be controlled by a stopwatch.

Nevertheless the rate of degradation is essentially impossible to monitor.

Evaporation of ethanol changes the volume of the pigment solution

Ethanol evaporates at 79oC whereas the water where the ethanol was heated was at 100oC. If there is a lower volume of ethanol than the pigments are at a higher concentration and vice versa. Concentration of pigments affects the absorbance.

A corck was used to prevent the ethanol gas from escaping. A different organic alcohol could be used that has a higher boiling point such as butanol or propanol.

The sunlight that the plants receive may be different due to shadows caused by the environment

More sunlight causes a plant to have more chlorophyll. The difference in time that the plants spend in shade and sunlight due to natural shadows e.g. buildings may have caused a plant to produce a different amount of chlorophyll

The plants could be planted specifically for the experiment and the amount of time that the plants spend under the sun could be monitored

Soil nutrition may have been different since the plants grow in different soil masses

Chlorophyll has magnesium in it. If the soil of one plant has a higher concentration of magnesium than that plant is able to make more chlorophyll. Other nutrient levels also impact the ability of the plant to synthesize chlorophyll.

Plants could be planted in the same soil mass and the levels of magnesium and other important nutrients could be monitored.

53

I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

Table 12: Error evaluation and improvement

Further Study

Normal Variation

Human errors (mistakes)

The act of measuring

Possible Error

Ways to Minimize or Monitor

– Different leaves might have different pigment concentration – Different parts of the bush might have different chlorophyll concentrations

– Picking the leaves has to be very random.

– The more leaves that are used, the more accurate the result would be, however that would be damaging the plant more significantly

– Miscounting the small pieces of leaf – The ratio of light absorbance may have changed after result was collected

– Being careful in counting and recounting several times – Waiting for a final value to stabilize on the colorimeter

– The volume of ethanol is measured optically, and thus could be inaccurate – The ratio of light absorbed might be partially inaccurate especially the anomalies where it read 0 light absorbance

– Using a more precise volume measuring device – More trials could be done to make outliers less significant

For a further study, I would have an extra variable. I would be interested in exploring how different habitats, different CO2 levels etc. could influence the concentration of pigments. I would potentially investigate how the pigment concentration of desert plants and forest plants vary. I would then be able to investigate this difference and see how evolution could have played a part, and how pigments in plants help them survive in certain habitats. I would also be interested in finding a formula that could be used to determine the quantitative concentration of the various pigments, and use those values in my results in order to make the results more straightforward.

Bibliography Alkema, J. (1982). The Chemical Pigments of Plants. [ebook] Ogden: Weber State College. Available at: http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem203/PlantPig.pdf [Accessed 21 Jan. 2018].

Compound Interest. (2014). The Chemicals Behind the Colours of Autumn Leaves. [online] Available at: http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/09/11/autumnleaves/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2018].

Damon, A., McGonegal, R., Tosto, P. and Ward, W. (n.d.). Higher level biology. Essex: Pearson, pp.6-7.

Systematic errors

– The colorimeter may have read some inaccurate values especially at the anomalous data – The thickness of leaves may have varies thus making the surface area of sample larger than the other – One leaf may be more permeable than another

– The colorimeter could be calibrated more often in order to ensure that it is always precise – The thickness would be very hard to measure without a microscope – Permeability could be measured, and the rate of diffusion could be used to ensure that equal amounts of pigments are able to leave the leaf

Gray, J. (2018). Figure 1. is a diagram of the structure of chlorophyll and some notes on how it absorbs light energy.. [image] Available at: http://www.saps. org.uk/secondary/teaching-resources/283-photosynthesis-how-does-chlorophyll-absorb-light-energy [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

May, P. (2016). Chlorophyll. [online] Chm.bris.ac.uk. Available at: http://www.chm. bris.ac.uk/motm/chlorophyll/chlorophyll_h.htm [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

Sciencelab.com. (2017).. Material Safety Data Sheet Ethyl alcohol 200 Proof MSDS [online] Available at: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923955 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2017].

Simonds, B. (2013). Light and Colour Perception or Why are Leaves Green?. [online] BenSimonds.com. Available at: https://bensimonds.com/2013/05/30/lightand-colour-perception-or-why-are-leaves-green/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

Replicates and samples

54

– 15 samples is a minimum for T-test therefore the results were done at a minimum – Only one solution was made

– More trials could be done – Multiple solutions could be made with multiple samples of leaves in order to increase variation and reliability of data

Simonds, B. (2013). Chlorophyll Absorbance Spectrum. [image] Available at: https://bensimonds.com/2013/05/30/light-and-colour-perception-or-why-areleaves-green/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

Stangroom, J. (2018). T-Test Calculator for 2 Independent Means. [online] Socscistatistics.com. Available at: http://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/studentttest/Default.aspx [Accessed 21 Jan. 2018].

A L E X A N D R A H U I T F E L D T , G R A D E 1 2 , I A M N O O N E , I A M E V E R Y O N E , O I L , C A N VA S

Type of Error

55

I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

ALEXANDER LITERARY AWARD CONTEST SUBMISSIONS 2018 58

LOW E R M Y P

UPPER MYP

DP

DP

DP

PROSE FICTION:

PROSE FICTION: :

P O E T RY:

PROSE FICTION:

NON FICTION

WAVES

62

Eva Bertrand (Grade 8)

PRESERVATION MEMOIR

79

Jassem Ammar (Grade 10)

68

THE GHETTO

THE LIMIT Alexandra Huitfeldt (Grade 12)

80

PHARMACIST: MEMOIR

88

86

THE 613 MITZVOT: A

104

ANALYSIS OF UKRAINIAN

DOLL’S HOUSE’

COMMANDMENT TO

CRISIS THROUGH PRISMS OF

Nikita Taratorin (Grade 11)

MARGINALIZE

THEORETICAL POLITICS

Sam Sharpe (Grade 12)

Nikita Taratorin (Grade 11)

DIARY OF CHARLES DARWIN’S MIND - BOOK #3 (7 APRIL 1852.

83 FIGHTING FOR MY DEATH

EPILOGUE FOR IBSEN’S ‘THE

ARTISTIC HELL Max Konstantinovsky (Grade 11)

Sena Cinar (Grade 10)

72

84

OBSERVER

EVENING)

Max Konstantinovsky (Grade 11)

Sam Sharpe (Grade 12)

92

INVESTIGATING DEONAR’S

108

EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

WEAPON OF VOICE Max Konstantinovsky (Grade 11)

AND THE PEOPLE AROUND IT.

Andrew Spencer (Grade 10)

Richa Singla (Grade 12)

110

MARGINALIZATION OF WIVES IN THE HANDMAID’S TALE

76

THE LAST STAND Andreas Spanoudis (Grade 8)

100

HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION:

Liza Shevetovska (Grade 12)

TO WHAT EXTENT DID NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV’S POLITICAL STRATEGIES CONTRIBUTE TO THE DOWNFALL OF LAVRENTIY BERIA IN 1953?

Olesia Sheremeta (Grade 12)

56

57

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A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D C O N T E S T S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • L O W E R M Y P

LOW E R M Y P P R O S E F I C T I O N

WAVES EVA BERTRAND

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling like nothing will be different compared to yesterday? I wake up in the morning and the toaster is not working. Something starts making a squeaky noise in my head, but I take a pill and just eat a yogurt instead.

I put on my dark suit and take my bag. I am off to work. I am not excited, I just follow the path. I get to the subway and as I get there I see the train leaving. I missed it by a couple of seconds. Something in my head starts boiling, but I take a pill and wait for the next one.

As I get to the giant office no one even smiles or acknowledges me. I sit down and start typing like everyone in the giant office. Far away I can see my boss walking towards me, he seems angry. In his hands an enormous stack of documents. Just by looking at them I already know that today I will be home by 11 pm. He puts it on my desk and starts screaming in his deep voice. Something in my head lights up like a fire, but I take a pill and start going through the documents.

It’s 12 pm but I don’t have time to eat lunch so I just go to the the coffee shop to order myself a cappuccino. The line is long. In my head I picture how I am pushing away everybody. When I am finally at the counter I order my coffee but when they give it to me, it’s cold. Something in my head starts clicking very loudly, but I take a pill and drink the coffee anyways.

I get back to my giant stack of documents. I file each document and write down all the main information that I get from them. I write and I write. I write so much and my favorite pen runs out of ink. Something in my head starts bouncing, an annoying bouncing sound, but I take a pill and go get another pen.

I am exhausted. I still have to file a fourth of the documents. I need to take a small break. I go outside to smoke a bit. Outside I see a couple of my colleagues also smoking. I take out my lighter and try to light up my cigarette. I try a 58

couple of time before realizing that my lighter ran out of gas.

Something in my head starts to get filled in a large cloud of smoke, a smoke that burns my inside, but I take a pill and ask one of my colleagues for a lighter.

I finish to file everything. I look at the clock. It’s 10:30 pm.

I grab my coat and walk out of that place. I take a long walk through the city everything I see annoys me a bit more. I go into a fast food to buy myself a sandwich. I eat it as I walk in the streets. I stop when I see her. She is with him. They are walking out of his expansive car. She made me suffer so much just to end up with him. I walk to them. When she notices me she makes a face that is a mix between confusion and surprise. They both stop in front of me. He arrogantly gets his hands to me for a hand shake. Something inside my head becomes a storm, I hear thunders and see lighting, but this time I don’t take a pill. I surprise him with my fist. I punch him right into the face. As he falls she gets down on the floor to help him. She screams, his blood is dripping and I get into the car and press the gas. I drive away in his car. I drive away from everything.

I drove the whole night. I knew where I was heading.

I knew that it was far away from everything that has been my life so far. It was 6:30 am when I got there. During my childhood my grandma told me a lot about this beautiful cliff that has the most outstanding view on the sunrise and I’ve always dreamed of coming here. I walked out of the car and got to the edge of the cliff. I admired the sunrise. Something in my head was so peaceful, so peaceful that I threw the pills into the ocean’s waves. The waves were violently clashing against the cliff and the pills disappeared in the water. I had been the prisoner of the pills for my whole life. Now I was me. I continued looking at the sunrise. I realized how much I wanted freedom but how could I get that freedom. Deep inside I knew the solution so I just jumped, jumped in the dark, angered waves.

R I M V Y DA S M A R K A U S K A S , G R A D E 1 0 , B E AU T Y I N E V E R Y D AY L I V E , A C R Y L I C PA I N T

GRADE 8

59

I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D C O N T E S T S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • L O W E R M Y P

M A R I A TA R AT O R I N A , G R A D E 8 , A C R Y L I C P A I N T

M A R I YA K R Y S H C H U K , G R A D E 8 , S U M M E R ’ S J O Y, A C R Y L I C P A I N T

60

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I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

A L E X A N D E R L I T E R A R Y AWA R D C O N T E S T S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • U P P E R M Y P

UPPER MYP PROSE FICTION

PRESERVATION MEMOIR JASSEM AMMAR GRADE 10

Samson: I got to the entrance of the village with a dozen of my men.

Everyone else snuck into the village behind the houses and under the tall grass of backyards abandoned after their houses were taken by the Nazis. There were still many people left in the village but the Nazis had taken a dozen or so houses as theirs to stay in. Most of the opposition had grouped up in the entrance of the village, there were a few others spread out but that would be fine. All I had to do was negotiate terms with the Officer in charge. There was a cobblestone wall in the entrance that was chest-high that covered the South side of the village with an opening in the middle. That was where all of the officers were and that was where I was headed. I walked up to the entrance, the road was all dirt. There was a small wooden hut by the entrance that had a cross over a small hole in the wall to act as a window, inside was a guard, he wore a beret and was armed with a rifle. The man in the hut shouted from inside “Wait here until the commanding officer comes over to negotiate terms.”

A few moments later the officer came to the entrance he wore a long black coat that went down to his shins, with a black belt that tightened the coat so much that the officer was struggling to breathe. The belt had a silver coin shape at the center, there were a dozen buttons on either side of his coat where it opened. He wore white gloves under the sleeves of his jacket along with medals on the left side of his chest. There was a baton on his belt and on his left arm was a red sleeve with the Nazi Insignia on the top of his head was a helmet painted matte black that was clipped onto his chin.

The officer had a pale face, and looked bald, but it was hard to tell with such a big helmet.

“You’ve come to negotiate the terms of this town yes?”

The officer asked.

“Yes I have” I replied.

“Well this is what we have in exchange” As the officer said this 3 guards came out and grabbed one of my best men, 62

Frank. They kicked him in the stomach and pushed him onto the ground. I raised my gun and so did my other 11 soldiers, at that moment a dozen Nazi’s jumped over the wall with rifles in hand and pointed guns at all of us. The officer immediately raised his pistol and shot Frank until he ran out of ammo, Frank slumped over dead. Immediately after there was a shot from a dozen metres away and it landed on the wall of the village.

Then a second that ricocheted against the wall and back onto the other side of the wall until it landed in the entrance hut. A cry came out from inside the hut and a whip of blood splashed onto the face of a guardsman in the open doorway of the hut.

Everyone raised their weapons and fired. I ran towards the hut; I launched myself forwards onto the guardsman running into the hut and away from the hail of bullets.

He screamed as I put all my weight into his back and slammed against the earth. I raised his arm from the ground and twisted it until I heard a sharp crack. The guard lowered his left arm and grabbed a knife to raise it again and shove it towards me.

I caught the knife and the Guard rolled to the side and kicked me in the manhood, My stomach rolled and I couldn’t feel that area, I howled in pain and slumped onto the ground.

The guard crawled hastily towards me with his knife, Fear kicked me into action and made me kick the knife away, I jumped off the ground and vaulted on him and rolled him onto his back with us facing each other. With no other way to kill him I reached my head down and kissed his neck with my teeth and spat out all the blood and skin from my mouth into his and watched him as he bled out and choked on hIs blood.

I looked up to see a boy no older than 18 staring at me with his rifle raised. His face was all stretched open, his arms were shaking and his helmet was sliding off. He never would’ve fired, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing the guardsman’s knife and pouncing onto the boys face.

Once I was done butchering the boy, I ran to the officer,the

bastard that killed Frank, he had his pistol raised at me and fired, Pkow!, he missed the first shot, Pkow! He missed the second, I was 3 feet away from and I closed in on him. I kicked my foot forward and around to twist him onto the ground from the back of his knee. He fired a third shot Pkow! I felt the shot go through me but I didn’t stop because of it, I kicked his wrist and hand with the heel of my boot until it was a black and mangled monstrosity. I took his pistol and whipped him in the face with the butt of the pistol until his face was wrinkled as if he were 2 decades older. Then I shot him. He was dead. an old man came out of his small house with a shovel clearly angry with the loss of his Nazi occupants, he looked at me and his face twisted in anger, he charged towards me with his shovel, I raised my pistol and tried to fire, but I couldn’t, not to someone so old. A woman came out and she looked just as old as the man, if not, older, shouting after him, no, screaming.

The man turned around and shouted something in Dutch and turned back to me. The woman was crying now and pleading and the old man still walked towards me, the woman was redfaced and still the old man walked towards me. The woman then ran out in front of the man and started blocking his way.

The man stopped and became expressionless as he stared at her. The way he gazed at her you could tell he was willing to make the sacrifice, but wasn’t happy about it, he looked at me and back at the old woman. He looked like an older me to be frank, he had the snow white beard that covered his face and he had short hair like a farmer ought to have. He looked back at the woman and smacked her across the face with the head of the shovel. Her face was all bloody and she fell to the ground and smacked her face into the gravel. The old man charged towards me holding the shovel like a spear and shoved it into my chest. I wasn’t prepared to kill innocents, my mouth dropped as I looked up at him, I took up my pistol and shot him. Pkow! Pkow! Pkow! Pkow! The old man still held onto the shovel and as he fell it pulled out of my stomach. The shovel had dug deep enough for me to see something that

wasn’t blood. I sank onto my knees, the woman was still alive, you could see the pain on her face, she looks worse than I feel she clawed the gravel on the path to pull herself towards me but it just slipped through her fingers. I slumped onto my stomach and pushed myself towards her, pain was burning through me, I felt as though the gravel was digging inside me and clawing my insides out. I met with the woman a foot apart from her, she was all bloodied and filled with tears, I still had my pistol in my right hand, she grabbed me by the wrist and pulled the gun towards her mouth. No I can’t I thought Yes you can especially after what you’ve done to survive today. I looked down and pulled the pistol away from her, she cried out and punched me, she took out a pen and stabbed me where my wound was. I couldn’t care any less after losing Frank, after butchering those men, after that shovel, I looked out and saw three of my men running towards me, it took me a moment to recognise them. It was Alex with his deep red hair pulled up in a wave, Henry with his short black hair and his always gloom face, and Johnson who looked exactly like Alex but taller and more muscular and with brown hair instead. Johnson saw the woman and pulled her back away onto the ground. Johnson kicked her until she stopped moving, Alex stared at me sadly he has been aspiring to be like me this entire time. I looked up and saw them first, they were marching towards us, we’ve lost and now it’s only 4 of us, a whole platoon gone. Johnson saw them first and called out to Alex and Henry, Alex turned to face me, I looked him in the eye, I muttered “Follow them, survive no matter what, and don’t forget what happened here, don’t forget the 2 stripes and leaf you’re fighting for.”

The remaining Nazi Soldiers surrounded all 4 of us, I sat myself up and looked them all, I will die proud now that I’ve served my country. All of the soldiers raised their rifles and Alex, Henry and Johnson all surrendered. one of the Nazis shouted something at Alex and pointed at me, he gave Alex his pistol. Alex looked down at it and pointed it at me, he started to tear up as he lowered his arm.

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I N K S TA I N S • S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

Henry took the pistol from Alex, he paused, looked down at the pistol and at the officer, he shot the officer and Alex and Johnson got on their knees with their hands on their heads, while Henry continued to fire. Henry shot 5 of them and had been shot that many times for it, he still fought to live through, he raised his pistol at my face and fired.

Alex: A week had past since then, since the village, since Frank, since all 50 of us were brothers in arms, since we lost Commander Samson. A week had past since all of it and I still don’t know where we are going, it was just me and Johnson and this damned cattle cart. Not knowing where we’re going, just straight to the closest thing to hell, and if not, then hell itself.

“You two and your dead brothers put up a good fight for peace loving canadians, I didn’t know the rich could get so violent, for that you’re going far from home.” was what the Nazi soldier told us.

The cattle cart didn’t have lights but we could still tell how many days had passed, there were windows in the side of the cattle cart. The train had been full with other soldiers when we got on, there had been about 4 or 5 dozen other soldiers but it didn’t matter where they were from, we were fighting on the same side of the war. That’s what mattered.

It was just now snowing and there were only 40 or so of us so we were all able to sit down and move somewhat freely, there was always snow blowing onto the windows. It hadn’t been snowing in that dutch village but it sure was cold, and now winter was fast approaching and we’ve been moving east to a colder climate. The snow was enough for all near 40 of us to eat it to quench our thirsts once a day, it was Johnson’s turn now and we’d agreed to split our snow to make sure we both get water twice a day. It wasn’t much but it was definitely more than needed. Johnson took the snow and cupped it in both of his hands and waited a moment, I got up and took the other half of the snow on the window cill.

It burned but it felt good to feel it burn in my hands, it felt good to know that with this I can live, it made me focus on the only eventful thing in my day, now if only I could actually eat this snow. The cart was warm enough to let the snow melt in my hands but not warm enough for me to get enough sleep in a night. Everyone in the cart saw the snow feeding time as what position the sun or the moon is in from the window. So every morning and every evening when the sunlight only goes halfway through the train cart is when Johnson gets his snow.

I’d get mine when the darkness outside with the moon made it look like you we’re seeing through a telescope and the moon was the thing on the other end.

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My hands started to feel wet so I put my face forward and bit the snow off with my lips to make sure I don’t feel any pain from biting it with my teeth. I waited a moment, there was still another half of the chunk of snow left so I bit into it again, once I was done I sat back down to think, although there wasn’t much to think about.

Just when I sat down the train stopped suddenly, a few moments later the door to the cart opened up, I was in the corner of the cart and all I saw was the light pouring inside.

I crawled out to the front where everyone else started going towards, once I got to the front everyone had crowded around the entrance, and I couldn’t see anything. One of the soldiers must’ve told them to go forward because everyone started running out of the cart, I saw the sun and it burned my eyes.

It was hard to see this much light, I looked around and saw fences and a dozen buildings, the first one was a hut much like the one in the village, used for guarding it. I couldn’t see beyond that the sun’s light reflected on the ground and stung my eyes, I could only see the outlines of the buildings ahead.

The guards started herding us like cattle towards the first building past the hut, it was a few metres past a wooden gate, we passed underneath the gate and into the first building.

We were told to line up against the wall and wait, the one nearest to the door of the building got called in first. After a few minutes they called in the second, the first person never came out the way they came in, I heard the stories of the extermination camps but nothing of the prisoner of war camps. Are they going to murder us when we think we are safe, like they did with Frank? I was the 8th person to go and I wanted to move but I didn’t know what they’d do to me if I did so I stood there and waited and waited until it was my turn.

Finally they called me in after what seemed like forever, and I am only the 8th one in. Johnson was gonna go after me, When I entered there were two guardsmen in the room on the right and left walls of the door. There was a desk with a chair on either end of it, a man was sat at the desk with files on what looked to be about different soldiers. “Have a seat” the man told me, and so I did, “Now will you tell me your name, rank and number.” “I am Alex Dean I’m a private of 19 years and my number is CA-9321.” I answered “Okay, good we’ve got you on our records, okay you are going to Lodz as soon as everyone else is registered, you will go with your fellow soldier from your platoon by train with other Polish prisoners, your ID is now PL-52153. Go to the room in the back and get your dog tag and go through the exit on the other side of the building.” I did as I was told and when I entered that building I never came out, only PL-52153 came out of the building.

Johnson: One month here was one month too long, Lodz was a tough place but training taught us that we were tougher, I looked over at Alex, he wasn’t looking so good, he wasn’t made for this no matter how happy he was to be out here dying for his country, he wasn’t made for this. He looked like a plastic bag, in a week he’d be weightless enough to be blown away by the wind. It was now “morning” the sun wouldn’t be coming up for another hour but we still had to get up at this time, we had an hour for all 100 of us to shuffle out of our barracks, there were too many of us to get out all at once, so me and Alex stayed on the top to catch a few more z’s. After it looked like there were only a dozen of us left in the barracks me and Alex got up off the top bunk, I went to the bathroom to take a leak.

Whilst there I went to one of the back toilet holes and dug inside of it, it was still there I realised, I was relieved, I felt its stone and the jagged point of it. I grabbed it and stuffed it in my underwear, I walked out stiffly to avoid the blade from cutting me, I lined up with Alex and other 98 of us, we had to wait for each of the soldiers to call out each of our “names” and for us to respond. “PL-52078!” a soldier shouted “Here” PL-52078 shouted out, eventually they shouted out for us “PL52153!” “Here” Alex groaned, “PL-52154!” “Here” I said. The whole process took an hour or so.

After that we had breakfast comprised of boiled water, we only got prunes on saturdays and sundays.

After breakfast we were put to work, we lined up to get assigned our tasks, “We need three volunteers escorted by three guards to deliver a parcel to Lodz, and bring in food to the camp, who would like to join?” the officer said. “Me and PL-52153 volunteer!” I shouted out, “and who might you be?” the officer asked. “PL-52154, sir!” I replied “Okay PL-52153 and PL-52154 our joining who else?” the officer asked. “I will!

I am PL-52138!” Okay, Heimlich,Geralt and Roche escort PL52154,PL-52153 and PL-52138!”

Upon the hour we had arrived in Lodz, “May I be escorted from the group to urinate sir?” I asked Heimlich. I had learned over the past month that Heimlich was the nicest of the guards, “Yes” Heimlich answered. Heimlich took me about 100 metres from the group while they continued to walk, we reached a dyke where I peed from. “Heimlich” I called out.

“I think I see something in the dyke, it looks like it’s moving towards me can you come over and investigate?” Heimlich never spoke much, only when needed, he walked over and looked around the dyke searching, I walked down slowly and pointed at the “thing” I spotted. Heimlich followed and was going down the slope of the dyke with me, I looked up at him and pretended to scratch my genitals. In actuality I grabbed

the blade, I reached it out of my pants and stabbed him in the throat, Blood gushed all over me as he fell to his knees and sank down into the dyke.

I ran up the slope of the dyke and saw the group in the distance, one of them turned around and I immediately crouched down. I went to the dyke and looted Heimlich’s corpse. I took his pistol and stuffed it in my pants like I did with the blade. The dykes were deep enough to be carried upon the stream of it, they seemed to lead to Lodz, I could get ahead of the group by 50 or so metres and ambush them and so I enveloped myself in the stream.

I climbed up the slope and I ran behind a tree near the dyke and near the path the group was following, they were about 100 yards away, after a few moments they finally got near me.

I jumped out from the tree and shot at them, Pkow! Pkow!

I missed both shots, I charged towards them, Alex tripped Geralt on the ground started fighting him while Roche chased after the other prisoner. There can’t be any witnesses we’re far enough where no one will hear our shots. I shot at Roche, Pkow! Pkow! Pkow! I started to chase after Roche and the other prisoner. We ended up in the woods after a while, I lost the other prisoner and Roche. I heard a snap and fired at it Pkow! I heard a scream and ran towards it, I saw the other prisoner lying on the floor he was already cold by the time I got near him. I hear a shot in the distance Pkow! I followed it.

I saw a clearing in the woods where Alex was, he was dodging fire from Geralt and Roche, they were firing at Alex on opposite ends, if one of them misses they’ll end up shooting the other eventually. They hadn’t spotted me yet, I aimed my pistol at Roche and fired Pkow! Roche fell to the ground and died in seconds. Geralt began to shout for me to come out he went behind Alex and grabbed him by the neck and planted his pistol on his head. I came out from the shadows and met him face to face. Alex was tearing up and begging me not to shoot, Alex wouldn’t have shot but that didn’t stop me from firing at Geralt, Pkow! The shot landed in Alex’s face and planted itself through Geralt’s stomach, Alex fell face forward and Geralt dropped on him.

I walked over to the pair of them They’re both dead now but it is my time to live, I walked over to Alex and Geralt, I flipped them over on the side Alex didn’t move at all. I looked over at Geralt but it was too late he raised his pistol and shot me, I fell to the ground. My last thoughts were of Canada, of Home, of Commander Samson, of Frank, of Henry, of Alex and of Geralt, the man I killed and the man who killed me.

Me and Geralt died together although we lived in opposite of each other when we met.

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GAARD, 2018

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SENA CINAR GRADE 10

Rationale I chose to write a memoir about the Krakow ghetto from the perspective of the pharmacist, Tadeusz Pankiewicz. In the text I used many Polish terms, because I still wanted to show how Pankiewicz is still heavily influenced by Polish: “The ‘Pod Orlem’ (‘Under the Eagle’) pharmacy was placed at the heart of the ghetto...” shows an example of him using the Polish term for the pharmacy. I also tried to use historical terms in order to make my memoir informative, mentioning things like “I had overheard some people saying that Grzegorzki (a district located on the river of Vistula) would surely be the location of the ghetto...” and “ A few days after the liquidation of the OD, all the warehouses in the ghetto were transferred to Plaszow.”

I used more of a serious tone to represent Tadeusz’s age and level of maturity, with an example being “Oh, the significance of economy!” and another one being “the ghetto started adopting a strange appearance.” I chose to write about this, because I had been focusing on the Auschwitz part of this process much more than the beginning parts leading up to the Final Solution.

It was also nice to see it from the perspective of someone who was not a Jew who was genuinely a good person. One challenge I encountered was to find personal stories that Tadeusz Pankiewicz included in his memoir of the Krakow Ghetto Pharmacy, however I overcame this by finding bits and pieces of him mentioning some friends he made during that time period and putting them together to give the reader an idea of what his personal relationships were like. I believe by showing these specific aspects of my memoir, I successfully wrote a memoir that is both interesting and informative and shows my understanding of the Krakow ghetto and what Tadeusz Pankiewicz’s role was there.

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The Ghetto Pharmacist My number one priority was to help. It did not matter if my name was known to them, or if their names were known to me.

I was the only Pole to live and work among them there, from its inception to its liquidation. *** My name is Tadeusz Pankiewicz. I am eighty years old and a Pole. I was thirty-three years old when I started witnessing the increasing talk about the establishment of a ghetto at the beginning of 1941. There were all sorts of speculation, although the most common one was that Kazimierz would in fact be the future Jewish town (for historical reasons, as it had the highest Jewish population). I had overheard some people saying that Grzegorzki (a district located on the river of Vistula) would surely be the location of the ghetto because of the natural borderline it would provide through the river. Oh, the significance of economy!

The deadline for all Aryans to leave the deemed ghetto area, and for all Jews in Krakow to move in, was officially set for 20 March 1941. Many people were stunned. And with this, the migrations began; everyone was in a rush from day until late night, the sounds of moving cars and carts carrying people’s belongings to their new homes did not stop for one second. The deadline was so short that people wept and wailed, some fainting from exhaustion, dragging along their handcarts filled to the brim. With this, the face of Kazimierz changed day by day. Its character and welcomeness that was built up over hundreds of years rapidly began to disappear as if it had no personality anymore.

YDE BOSMA, GRADE 10,

THE GHETTO PHARMACIST: MEMOIR

T H E O R B , AC R Y L I C PA I N T

UPPER MYP PROSE FICTION

Families who had placed themselves here from centuries ago were leaving, with their businesses and places of worship etched into the grounds of Kazimierz, closing down. Boisterous children dressed shabbily who used to run up and down the narrow streets, the wooden porches and entrance halls of their homes were gone. The mysterious atmosphere was no longer there, the streets once filled with Jews praying on the benches of Vistula during Rosh Hashanah. After all, this is exactly what the Nazi’s wanted.

For a while, the decree didn’t include larger factories (that produced army supplies), the jails and the pharmacy. My staff, which consisted of three qualified beautiful women – Helena Krywaniuk, Irena Droździkowska and Aurelia Danek-Czortowa – and I were qualified with issued documents and passes to enter the ghetto. My parents, whom were Aryan, had to move outside the ghetto walls since no Aryan was allowed to live inside it anymore.

The “Pod Orlem” (“Under the Eagle”) pharmacy was placed at the heart of the ghetto, as if by destiny, where it witnessed the relentless crimes as well as the degradation of human dignity master planned by the Nazis. Recent updates about the ghetto at the time informed that it included around three hundred and twenty tenement houses with the population reaching about sixty thousand.

20 March 1941.

This is the day that was only the beginning of the pain and struggle that I would very reluctantly be witnessing.

On this day, I was alone at the pharmacy. At approximately 6 p.m. it suddenly started getting very busy, and after a few minutes, it was so full that it was near impossible to close the door. Soon, I discovered that the German guards situated at the top of the streets would not let anybody leave the ghetto, resulting the upset and the passing of comments. Although, the people then comforted each other by discussing that an order must have been taken because of the Jewish Passover holiday.

I closed the pharmacy at 8 p.m. and couldn’t help but wonder if they would be willing to let me back in the next day.

Once at the gate of the ghetto, a German guard stopped me and started inspecting the documents I owned which allowed me to move around the ghetto. Once I asked if I would be able to re-enter the ghetto the following day, I received a strict “Nein!” I surely didn’t let this stop me from coming back. At about 10:30 p.m. I came. Although this time not on foot, but on the tram that ran through the ghetto. That had been my first day in the ghetto.

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adopting a strange appearance, with many labourers and builders working day and night to put up walls and to fit in bars to all the windows. I observed how people watched in astonishment as the walls around them rose up, built in the shape of Jewish tombstones. After the construction was finished, I still remember the words of a girl around the age of fifteen with beautiful black curls and curious green eyes: “Perhaps they’ll try to starve us.” I haven’t forgotten the terrified face of the lady (a close relative of Dr Boleslaw Drobner) who visited me often with her dog accompanying her at all times. She would ask me the same question: “Can you please tell me what people in Krakow are saying will become of us?” Until her deportation in June 1942, her psychological damage remained with her throughout her life, which explained her worrisome disposition.

After some time, it was clear to see how people were getting used to their lives under very dramatically altered conditions, finding ways to keep their humanity and spend their time. Each day, thousands of workers passed through the ghetto with a Kennkarte (identity card) as well as a white armband with the Star of David on their right sleeves. With this, the ghetto emptied in the mornings and filled up again by 9 p.m. (which was the curfew). People who did not have permission to leave the ghetto often got left behind. This included those who didn’t work in the city, the elderly and the sick and children.

And with this, the days went by, with new decrees aimed at making people’s unhappy lives even more difficult to bare.

The things that were being planned inside of those buildings were the cruel things awaiting these Jews. It was the location where interrogations in addition to beatings and torture would take place. Evidence of this was found after the war, where blood stains, nail marks and bullet holes had been found in the cellars, from murders of Poles and Jews alike. Among the people who made life a misery for the Jews during the time period of the ghetto was the OD–the Ordnungsdienst. They were in charge of keeping order within the ghetto, as well as blindly following cruel orders.

The chilling advertisements that began appearing around the ghetto transformed the ghetto in ways I still cannot explain to this day. These adverts were aimed to humiliate Nazi invaders. We would read: “For sale: Jewish jewellery, blood washed off. Komandant Amon Goth, Plaszow concentration 70

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camp,” and “I can kill babies in the ghetto with one shot and sniff out a Polish conspirator even when I’m drunk. Joachim Thun, Bauinspektor, Prokocim barracks, Krakow,” and even “For sale: clothes, recently stolen by German swine. Heeresverpflegung, Krakau.”

Although this was entertaining for the Jews (and even for myself, although I could never admit it), the SS men got their own entertainment in other ways. From time to time, they would satisfy their aggressive instincts by punching and kicking people passing by. The elderly (especially ones with beards and iconic sidelocks) would be the ones humiliated the most, getting dragged in front of the gateways where, like the SS would say, they would get their beards “shred,” their sidelocks cut off and their hair yanked. The piercing shrieks of help still ring in my ears.

And so the strong people of the Krakow ghetto got used to all of these; the increasing humiliation from SS men and the harsh conditions. Although with the good things came new friends whom I talk about dearly. Marcel Gruner, who was one of the infamous personalities in the Krakow ghetto, was merely a sales representative. I thought he was a coward in the beginning but he still proves me wrong to this day. *** This brings me to the liquidation of the ghetto. Around me, German officers were taking suitcases full of many things from the OD apartments. A few days after the liquidation of the OD, all the warehouses in the ghetto were transferred to Plaszow.

The last and most powerful remnant of the ghetto was the barbed wire fence.

With this, a new era began. The war came to an end and there was no more ghetto. Despite the distance and the many years that have passed, my friendship with the people whom I shared these tragedies and brief moments of joy with have not disappeared.

References: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (1996). Tadeusz Pankiewicz - Cracow. [online] Available at: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn1004087 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2017].

Pankiewicz, T. (2013). The Krakow Ghetto pharmacy.

Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie.

A L E V T I N A M O R O Z O VA , G R A D E 1 0 , T R E A S U R E D M E M O R Y, I N K , C H A R C O A L , P E N C I L S

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FIGHTING FOR MY DEATH

January 12, 1943 In Wola

ANDREW SPENCER GRADE 10

An Enclosed Hell December 27, 1942 In Wola 10:21 It was cold, but then again it was cold everyday. I was underfed, underdressed, but overwhelmed by the ghetto and its conditions. Warsaw was dirty, and German. I worked as a hairdresser on Górczewska street, and make pittance to survive. The baker sold stale bread, the butcher sold rotten meat, and I bought it all. I had no choice, but to risk my health for my own survival.

16:04 The ghetto didn’t shake me at this point. I forgot the feeling of freedom and safety. As people died on the sides of me, I could only avoid the same fate by walking away from them. I remember, I went out to buy half a portion of bread for the next day, when an elderly beggar prayed at my feet. She begged me for some bread and promised she would return the favour, but I kept moving. I didn’t know who we were anymore, we couldn’t save others, because we’d lose what little we have. I couldn’t stop thinking, what’s behind the wall, what are they doing over the ghetto, what did they need us for, when could I go home?

January 11, 1943 In Wola 23:12 It had been 2 weeks since I first documented in my journal.

Life carried on, the days seemed the same, woke up hungry, worked hungry and went to sleep hungry. Each day we ate less, and the prices increased. I had little to offer and barter with for better food than sawdust bread and potatoes. People were going missing in the ghettos, 10 of my neighbours had been taken away. I heard from my friend Wład, of a young woman pushed from her balcony as she struggled with Nazi officers, who were taking her away. These people committed murder, yet where is their punishment? I cut people’s hair, and I was stuck in the ghetto.

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Ironically, the husband managed to leave the ghetto and have a small taste of the outside world. No-one would know what happened to him, as nothing was told to Jews, not even the date. We can only guess his punishment, and know that it led up to the inevitability of death, in some way.

01:02 I could never sleep, I had been listening to an argument next door from a couple arguing about who’s next, like that balcony woman. The man screamed “They’re going to take us all away, can’t you see that, they’ve taken people away already”. The man seemed frightened and wanted to leave, l found it funny at the thought of someone walking to the gates and asking to leave. No-one was leaving, his wife agreed with me. She yelled back: “We’re stuck here for as long as they want us, we can’t leave. Why are we here, they need to keep us safe or hidden or something like that”. The woman was naive and innocent, she must have had it easy so far. “If you don’t want to die, we need to find a way out, we have to escape”. The woman silenced her husband with a loud “shhh”, a signal that she didn’t want this to go out, and that the conversation was over.

16:49 These things really happened, and they don’t seem real, but they are. I know that my story will be found one day, and with it all the knowledge of the god forsaken situation we were in. I wanted to leave. Obviously that is something I laugh at now, “leaving”. I wished and I hoped that someday they would let us out of there. I remember thinking,” what did we do to deserve this cruel joke?”. If you were to have asked me “what’s new”, I would’ve shown you my ribs. They became visible and I thought I was suffering from malnutrition. What should I have expected? I could afford around 1000 calories a day, but noone could afford medicine. I just wanted to know, what are we still doing here?

18:50 I’d heard talk of an uprising, the people wanted to fight back and take back the apartments that were stolen by the Germans. Why? I could only hope and pray that the revolt was successful, but praying doesn’t go far enough for it to make a difference. I didn’t want to get involved and risk my life, but I wanted to get out... and I wanted to see my friends.

about this new resettlement plan, and it was met with heavy resistance. I didn’t want any of it. I didn’t want more fighting, more death, and more anger coming from the Germans. They hated us already, and now they had reason to end us all.

I didn’t want to leave just yet, I had to see what happened to the people I knew. I had to hear about my friend Wład, I wanted to know if he made it without a work permit, or what happens if you don’t make it. It was obvious that a fight would continue, because some Jews had survived. I wanted the fight to continue. It gave me more time to escape.

April 19, 1943 15:48 Everything had been moderately quiet since January. Greenery was growing on the other side of the ghetto, children were laughing and playing, and life seemed good. I almost forgot what side I was on, until I heard the shooting and yelling. The resistance had finally begun, and I was only getting comfortable with the ghetto. Commands and chants were all around me as the Jewish resistance (which I later found were called the ŻOB) fought against the Nazi power, in an attempt at breaking down the divide between ghetto and city.

I can’t write down the approximate time at which I was outside and fleeing through the tiny crack, as I focused on running away and staying hidden. Well, mostly since I’d left my father’s pocketwatch in the apartment as I was scrambling my possessions together for a swift exit.

Where Did She Go?

07:54 Waking up early was normal during those times, we had to wake up early to make money, but I didn’t exactly make much cutting hair, all you need is a pair of scissors and mirror, and you can do it yourself. I woke up mostly because of a faint sobbing inside of the walls. The couple next door. Crying was normal in the ghetto, but this was not normal. I heard the cry of the old wife and the sound of grievance, so I had to see who had died this time.

08:30 She’d told me they’d “taken him away”, and that they were being listened to during last night’s argument. I wasn’t the one who exposed them, but then again, I wasn’t the only one listening in. People will do anything for a little more bread or meat, and turning people over to the SS was the easiest way to do that. It was stupid. It was stupid to even discuss the thought of leaving or trying to escape in some way, this is a closed hell, and there is NO escape.

Revolution I don’t remember all the details of the revolt, but I remember getting out. Before the uprising, small children used to go through the tiniest cracks into “Aryan” Warsaw and try to steal some food for their starving parents. I remember seeing a child caught on the other side and beaten back into the ghetto, failing to bring back food. So that was my plan, I was already starving and thinner than ever, so going through the cracks wasn’t impossible. All I had to do, was get out at the right time, and miss a couple of bullets along the way.

January 18, 1943 13:45 The first time that I remember there being a fight between Jews and Germans was during a deportation event. The Germans ordered anyone without a working permit to step forward and be sent for “resettlement”. No-one was entirely happy

Escaping was easier said than done, I wasn’t a five-year old, and I definitely wasn’t a five-year old’s height. The guards of the SS were perfect for their jobs. They were meticulous, cautious and cunning, but I guess they didn’t want to be meticulous with me, when there was a small revolution happening on the other side of the ghetto.

I clearly remember thinking, “I have to get to my friends, I have to get to Jadwiga.” We used to joke and call her “Jadwiga of Poland”, after the first queen of Poland, and stated that anything she said goes. I loved those times, when us Jews were considered almost normal, and we weren’t publicly harassed and beaten all day. I had it easier than the men did, women weren’t beaten publicly, thankfully only privately.

We used to flirt with the boys and buy a nice cold ice cream for those extra hot days. I can’t go back to that life. Half of my friends were Jewish, and half of them died. Even after the war, I had to keep adapting and changing, trying to forget the war and anything that reminded me of it was something I avoided.

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April 20, 1943

I Couldn’t Save Them

Nighttime I spent the next day and night hidden in between alleyways and the ghetto wall, where no-one dared go. I planned on seeing Jadwiga as soon as possible, and being sheltered, nourished and warm for the first time, in a long time.

I decided that nighttime was the perfect opportunity at making a run towards my friends apartment. It was built a few blocks from Gorczewska, so I was incredibly close to her, which mattered more than ever now. I was incredibly silent and quick getting there, thanks to a lot of practice running from the lovely SS. Meeting Jadwiga was as underwhelming and depressing event, which is quite confusing, as everything leading up to it was gruesome, cruel and painful. This stuck with me, because it was such a powerful and significant part of my understanding, that the war wasn’t great for anyone. I remember in the ghetto, Jews would blame others for their misfortune and proclaim how it was confusing and frustrating that only “we were hated”. We disliked everyone else, because no-one else was stuck in the hell we were in.

I cannot waste more words describing my own feelings and emotions during these times, because that’s not unique, my experience is. Walking up to Jadwiga’s 3 floor apartment was the best and happiest experience of my life, until I saw the front door. The writing on the front door only made me think of the pain, suffering and punishment Jadwiga faced. There, in blood, were smeared the words: Jude-Liebhaber…. Jew lover.

My mind was sent racing and my feet accordingly into the apartment.

May 16 – August 5, 1943

April 21, 1943 Early Morning I was in shock, it must have been well past 12 midnight, but I was too late. I went into the apartment to see what happened to her, and if she was even alive. All her essentials were gone, but her journal was open. We were inseparable during our youth. We were partners in crime, and we had a connection. It didn’t go away, even in times like those.

She wrote to me in her journal, she wrote to me “Be good, Jana. I know you made it, and I hope the same for myself, too.

I left you food, names of people who will help you, and triple locks on the doors. I pray this will save you more than it can save me. I love you”. It hurt to stay in the apartment, but I did. I stayed all the way until the massacre. The massacre was coming, but I was safe for now. All I cared about was Jadwiga, where did she go?

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11:51 I spent the next month in that dusty apartment, waiting for the liberation of the city. Things were looking up, in a way. At least I didn’t have to work anymore, and I had connections which would occasionally check up on me and provide me with food. I do not remember his name, but he was a kind man with kind eyes, who provided me with soup and bread every other week, to make it inconspicuous.

Things were looking up, but then they crashed right back down. The Warsaw ghetto uprising was still going on, it seemed to be a mini war at that point, but wars always end. The Germans had more power, and the Jews were thin, cold and outnumbered. I knew it from the beginning, they were fighting a losing battle, and killings others in the process. The Germans weren’t serious, they could have killed everyone in a day if they wanted to, but that wasn’t cruel enough. Instead they shot people, and saw the panic and fear of the Jewish people increase as more food was required to heal from wounds, but they didn’t have it.

The Germans wanted to show the end of this rebellious nonsense, and blew up the biggest synagogue in Warsaw, where I had prayed and celebrated previously. It was the end of this feud, and everyone who had managed to survive in the ghetto, was sent to Treblinka for murder and the further killing of my people… but we know that the Germans always wanted more genocide.

I wanted to save everyone, I didn’t want to be the one who survived, but God punished me with life. This whole time, all I’d been doing was fighting for my life, but it seemed I’d just led myself up to this moment, to my death. It was early August, and the SS starting calling all Poles into the ghetto for “organisation”.

People weren’t split into groups, because they didn’t try and trick us too much.

They ordered us all the lie on the ground, and keep still. I didn’t like the sound of it, but I hated the sounds that were to come. It just started, shot after shot, 40,000 men and women and even children were being shot like dogs. There were screams and shouts and then, silence.

The ringing in my ears didn’t stop until it was my turn. They approached me and did what they “had to do”. I was sobbing into the dirt and crying for my mum, but I was silenced too.

They had shot everyone perfectly in the head, yet they only managed to graze my skull for me to tell this story. I do not have the words to tell this entirely, but I can tell you what I do know now. Know your fate, and when you know it, embrace and let it happen sooner, so you can be done with it forever.

S O F I A P A L O S S I , G R A D E 1 0 , WAT E R C O L O R , A C R Y L I C , P A P E R , S P R AY P A I N T

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THE LAST STAND ANDREAS SPANOUDIS GRADE 9

“The clouds could be a symbol of things to come” said Waren.

President Richard was worried yet he replied “ I wouldn’t be worrying if I were you the people are still behind me, there is no cost that I wouldn’t pay for their lives”. There was silence for a brief moment when both men looked over the balcony rails. You could see the people of Berlin walking around minding their own business it seemed like a regular day in Berlin. Waren turned back to Richard “I really hope you are telling the truth otherwise we are sitting ducks here in Berlin, whatever you have schmeing better be the greatest idea in human history”. Richard looked at the floor than back at Warren “As I told you there is nothing to worry about”. The bleak grey sky reflected Ricard’s emotions. He was worried but catastrophe hadn’t struck yet. A black cloud appeared and sound of thunder could be heard. It was clear that there was a brewing storm.Waren glanced at Richard and said “ If there’s ever is a need for it you can call my office phone”. Richard had known Warren for a long time he was always relaxed and calm about his actions. He was never the type of person to raise his voice or act frantically. He trusted him as a faithful friend.

Richard was a beloved man amongst the German Populus.

Nobody knew of his dark fears. It was always on his mind but he never believed that his fears would come to life. He heard rumors of a brand new weapon. A weapon that could get the Soviet forces to Berlin within days. There was some doubt in that as the Soviet union didn’t have a real leader anymore it was an army lead by the people. As days were passing the front line between Germany and the Soviet Union was not moving very much. It was a stalemate nobody was getting anywhere. Richard was worried about this weapon as a peace treaty would never be struck between the two sides. Vladimir the president of the Soviet Union warned Richard if he came to the Eastern front on Friday March 18th 1955 he would look fear right in its eyes.

Richard decided to go by car. He couldn’t not go to the front he had too much pride not to go. The scenery was gorgeous. Lush Green hills, valleys, plateaus and every fifteen minutes or so small villages with white washed fences large front yards and cattle as far as the eye could see. Once he entered what used to be Poland it was a completely different story. It was as if there had been a hurricane. The grass was 76

grey and sparse the trees were cold without their leaves. The villages were in ruin. Nothing but rubble. No cattle except a few dead carcasses. It was mere moments before they were in proximity of the front. You could hear the sounds of grenades being thrown in the valley between the blockades of each side. The sounds weren’t close to Richard as he was at a safe distance. There was a lot of smoke. It was practically impossible to see the the sky. Richard walked out the car and over to the Barracks. Commander Xander was there to report.

“President we haven’t been making advances nor has the enemy. We are at the point of a stalemate.” Reported Xander.

Richard looked over at the battlefield and back at Xander “I have fears that the stalemate won’t last forever they might be harbouring a weapon of mass destruction”. It was almost like a que a large bomb was dropped in the field. Smoke and ash were everywhere. Through came a human like figure emerged through the smoke. Richard heard a bit of gun fire.

All the bullets ricocheted. Then there was even more gun fire. You heard a soldier scream “Commander THEY HAVE AN INDESTRUCTIBLE SOLDIER”. A bullet pierced that man’s skull in front of Richard after a moment of silence there was a robotic scream “Soldier 1161 dispatched analysing surrounding area”.

Richard was paralyzed this is what they were calling bloody Friday. Dark thoughts rushed through his head, his life flashed before his eyes. All he could think about was escaping. “Get me Back to Berlin” he ordered.

He felt like the biggest scum on earth. Running away from a situation like that. He failed to protect his country.

Once at Berlin The first thing he could think to do was phone Waren. Richard picked up his phone and he rang Waren. He kept ringing for hours and hours no reply. Richard sat down on the floor put his hands around his knees. There was silence Richard was shaking because he know how this would end.

He walked around his office and came to terms with what had happened.

Over the coming weeks the newspapers were bleak and grim for anyone in Germany. Headlines such as “Soviet’s Secret Weapon” “Possible end for germany” “15 Ways to Prepare for doom” and “100 Thousand Casualties In Past Week”. There weren’t any riots or hostility. The people of Berlin were too scared to protest they knew that it wouldn’t help the situation

A L E V T I N A M O R O Z O VA , G R A D E 1 0 , F R A G I L E , P H O T O , P H O T O S H O P

UPPER MYP PROSE FICTION

(even though they hated Richard for the whole lack of helping his country). The Soviet forces would arrive in Berlin anyways.

Richard’s phone rang as he slowly picked up he heard the familiar voice of Warren. “Richard, RIchard can you hear me this is urgent, I found a way to stop their weapon.” “Waren im headed to your office right now.” The car ride was like in injection of fear right into Richard’s blood stream. He was silent while entering Warren’s office. “Richard this bomb has enough firepower to take out their Super human robot, the collateral damage and it needs a human sacrifice which isn’t the worst so this could our best option. We don’t have much time anyways the Soviets have reached the outskirts of Berlin” said Warren in a frantic manner . The mission seemed clear. “ Warren Take the bomb we are headed to the Berlin Barricade”. The car ride there didn’t take long but it felt like an eternity. The empty streets were erie but the buildings were full of people, everyone was hiding, only about a quarter of people had evacuated.

Once they arrived Commander Xander was there. He greeted the two men. “Xander listen here Waren created this bomb here you have to clear the way for someone to walk up to the weapon and detonate it”. Can be done. Private Davis get over here. “Yes Commander” “Your wish has been granted.”

“R-really” “Yes wait for the signal and detonate this next to the Robot” “Understood”. Five minutes of gunfire later there were 10 more german casualties and there was a clear smoke

grenade thrown in front of the barricade. Davis Ran through carrying the Bomb.Everything seemed to go in slowmation.

Davis ran through bullets as several grazed him on the shoulder or on the leg but he kept going. Once he reached the Thing the hugged it looked it in the eyes and scream “Goodbye Mother F****r”. There was rubble everywhere a large amount of Soviet troops were dead and many fleeing.

There was a moment of silence and cheers from the German side began. But they were very short lived. The thing began to rise from the ashes. The robotic voice spoke “Self Destruction BERLIN BOMB ARMED commences in 20 seconds”. Everyone began to panic. Not Richard he began to run. Run towards the Thing. He heard voices trying to tell him something but he wasn’t paying any attention. The wind in his eyes was making them water. But that didn’t stop him. The rubble the rocks the debris nothing would stop him. The voice said “5…” He jumped on the robot covering it with his own body. He closed his eyes content with death for the greater good. He felt a feeling he never felt before the feeling of pure bliss. The cold embrace of death was a coming “3… 2…. 1…”.

Heroes come and go but legends are forever. That was the case for Richard he became a legend.Berlin stayed mostly fine Richards body took most of the damage. People remembered him not only for being a selfless person and a hero but they never forgot that he had to change his ways to get there.

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THE LIMIT ALEXANDRA HUITFELDT GRADE 12

Z O YA S C H M I T T , G R A D E 1 1 , B E A U T Y, WAT E R C O L O R , P E N

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Reality Gravity Flying Open the windows The blue skye hidden in shadows make me a pessimist The grey cement cross-roads make me a realist Dancing no matter where the rainbow takes me, makes me an optimist Imagination Satisfaction Warriors can groove to Jazz Lovers can lie Can make you cry Kindness with eyes wide open Creation The smell of fresh cut grass The sight of in snowed mountains All alone Where is the limit?

Thunder Electrocuted Energy going through my body Ants roller skating Spirits speaking Toes writing Buildings alive at night Books escaping the reality Jackets laugh at my jokes You want nothing You want everything Take it Reality Gravity Falling

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ARTISTIC HELL MAX KONSTANTINOVSKY GRADE 11

Let tiny suns lead universe through universe astray, Cosmic body collisions imagined out with pinky nail precision Along a million-wide carbuncular-assembled mosaic.

By the hand, To their own mind’s Universelle.

Impossible To force away the pry, the glorious, the cosmic, And substitute with shallow sand-walloping as if in tasteless childhood sandals.

But the impossible only molds the whole grotesque, and Botticelli finds himself in hell.

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A R T E M C H O U L I A K , G R A D E 1 1 , A LT E R N AT E R E A L I T Y, P H O T O S , P H O T O S H O P

Unluck of callous capers around their heart-mending ashtrays in the Temple of Ganden And curses them with prying thoughts on how to extort their listener’s attention and take them,

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OBSERVER MAX KONSTANTINOVSKY GRADE 11

Splashes on the blue tin roof Striking with the perky pulsing of raisin hoofs, Counting what the drops before have read counted in books, Strolling with psychotic timidness of craven crooks Covertly announce the secret of clandestine presence.

Violins of calming scold Vindicate their slimy tongues through stinging cold, Sigh with a clinging beset by a slow existence; Violent black fogs dawdling with pug-like faces of idiotic persistence,

A L E X A N D R A H U I T F E L D T , G R A D E 1 2 , M I S M AT C H E D , P H O T O S

(The violins have said enough.)

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Fumes, coercing deep darkness Fall on their object with Caliban’s tenderness, Soil it with mucused frenzy and open-mouthed dissolve, Foisting their philosophy for failing judgment of an innocent pupil’s resolve.

No orotund intensity is present in my eyes!

If coal-blue damask yields to whelpish And capricious lulls of concupiscence, Then let the dark assume a gaze as blank and pitiless as the sun And have the world descend to chaos and longing eyes deterred be of detumescence.

All other ends will satisfy not me, nor justice, but sense of universe insult.

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EPILOGUE FOR IBSEN’S ‘THE DOLL’S HOUSE’ NIKITA TARATORIN GRADE 11

A R T E M C H O U L I A K , G R A D E 1 1 , D I S M A N T L I N G D E S T R U C T I O N , C L AY, S P R AY P A I N T

Epilogue Ten years after the divorce. Oslo, Norway. A small cafe on the corner of the street. Nora is sitting at the table with a small plate of macaroons, and tea. Morning daylight illuminates the tables of almost empty cafe. The door opens. Rigid man in a long grey coat enters with three teenage children following him. Nora stood up and ambled towards the children. She gave them a strong hug.

NORA: Bob! Emmy! Ivar! Oh I’m so happy to see you! Oh how much you grown! Here, take a seat, I missed you so much!

HELMER: And hello to you Nora. How is my lonely independent bird doing?

Helmer reaches to hug her, Nora takes a step back.

NORA: And hello to you Torvald. I’m glad the kids are well.

Here, please sit down.

They all sit at the table. The waiter comes and gives Torvald a menu. Nora takes another bite of her chocolate macaroon.

NORA: So, how are all of you kids doing? I didn’t see you for so long!

HELMER: We have been doing well. Ever since I left the bank, we moved here, to Oslo. So the kids could go to school, and I could find a job. Kids are alright, Ivar is a bit behind on arithmetics, but we are catching up. But the kids need a caring mother and we are waiting for you to come back!

NORA: Kids, how about you go and play outside for a bit. Me and your dad have to discuss something.

The children exit.

NORA: We have talked about this Torvald.

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HELMER: Nora, we have been apart for long enough, the kids are growing up without you.

NORA: I can’t come back.

HELMER: Why? NORA: Because I can see you haven’t changed!

HELMER: What do you mean?

NORA: The first thing you did was to call me lonely independent bird!

HELMER: I thought you like it!

NORA: This is why I wouldn’t come back. I contacted you only to see the children.

HELMER: Why are you so stubborn?

NORA: Because that is who I really am. Without a mask, without fear, without you.

Brief moment of silence lasted as Nora finished her last macaroon.

HELMER: You still love those macaroons, don’t you?

NORA: And why would you care? You should have stopped caring about how I look.

HELMER: What if I didn’t?

NORA: Then I would turn sceptical. You probably had been together with women I after I left. Hell, maybe you are with a woman now!

HELMER: Nora, why would you think that! Even if you betrayed all of us, I stayed loyal.

NORA: Betrayed? Only thing I betrayed is my dignity when I married you in the first place. That night I fixed it.

HELMER: You have left us. You took away a mother from your children. You stripped your children from their childhood!

NORA: I only striped you from your dominance.

HELMER: Dominance? You woman misunderstand the structure of our society!

NORA: I believe that a family should be built on respect!

HELMER: Perhaps on a respect to a man, who is an earner, a hunter, who provides for food and clothing. Women should watch the children, and use funds that her husband provides to dress children, buy food, and watch the house. You were wonderful at this!

NORA: I wasn’t myself when I did this.

HELMER: I even made it easier for you by hiring the nanny, and a housekeeper. We were an example family. Everyone complimented that. A hardworking man, beautiful wife, and smart children. And now look at us. What happened?

NORA: You know how it is to feel, yet you don’t know how to understand. All I was for you is just a toy. A dress doll you wanted to look ideal, and be ideal.

HELMER: I wanted you to be my wife!

NORA: You wanted me to fit in all of your beliefs while not respecting mine! And that is why I left.

HELMER: I don’t understand one thing. You call me a monster here, a dictator of your life. I don’t understand why, as I loved you all of this time. How then would you explain my love to you?

NORA: Your love? Or your dependence on me?

HELMER: Dependence? I can’t be dependent on you. I was the one who worked so hard for our family to live in comfort. If anyone is dependent on anyone it would be you!

Nora answers in a sarcastic manner.

NORA: Well this answers your question. Why should I be such a burden to you, if…

HELMER: No, No, hold on.

NORA: No, you hold on, Torvald. I came here not to argue with you, but to see the children. They haven’t seen me since that night.

HELMER: The night when you ran away?

NORA: The night when you shown your true self. Torvald who saw me as an asset.

HELMER: Well, if you see my love to you as my attempts to dominate. Then I see that there is no chance in you coming back.

NORA: You are blind. Your love is toxic. I came here to become a mother for my children again, who I lost for 10 years. 10 years Torvald! Now I will be able to see them more often.

HELMER: Nora, are you sure?

NORA: It was nice seeing you Helmer, now I see you haven’t changed at all. I will give the children my address. I’m sure they are old enough to meet me on their own now. And from now on I will help them with school regularly. They must not be the victims of this.

HELMER: You sure you can go on your own? I can help.

NORA: As you can see, I am well off even without you. Goodbye Torvald.

Nora left the cafe. Helmer sitting alone at the cafe table he contemplated the view of Nora playing with the children. He felt lost. He didn’t understand the reason she left him.

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DIARY OF CHARLES DARWIN’S MIND – BOOK #3 (7 APRIL 1852.

EVENING)

Dear Diary,

SAM SHARPE

Rationale: This written task is a diary entry of Charles Darwin’s, which takes place on the same day as Mrs. Darwin’s entry in the poem ‘Mrs. Darwin’ by Carol Ann Duffy. This text type was chosen, as it would seem a fitting pairing to the poem, taking inspiration that the poem itself is an entry in a journal or diary. The audience of this is mainly the author, Darwin, with a secondary audience of those who come across it. This was chosen as journals are often private possessions, and this entry could be used to motivate Darwin in his research.

By using the source text, a corresponding piece with direct contrasts shows understanding of the text.

Darwin was portrayed as scientific and sophisticated through the diction used, in addition with advanced sentence structure. This was also shown through the mere length of his entry. Comparing these two elements in the source text and written task, it shows a large gulf in detail and sophistication between Darwin and his wife. A piece of the source text was used to add realism to the entry, to make it seem as if the two entries took place on the same day. The font was chosen to appear handwritten and more personal to the audience.

The entry is structured in a chronological view of the day, furthering the detailed, scientific air that it achieves. The context of the text was selected as Darwin’s life post-travels, to show him as more human than his research may have portrayed him. The usage of his emotion and fears offers a contrast to the scientific register it is written in.

This journal entry by Charles Darwin further explores the proceedings of the day in ‘Mrs. Darwin’, and how this event may have influenced him, all through his scientific scope.

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R E N S VA N W I N G E R D E N , G R A D E 1 0 , T H E S A I L O R ’ S S O N G , WAT E R C O L O R

GRADE 12

Today, in my humble opinion, was one that was extremely momentous in my own personal growth. However insignificant it may seem to the untrained eye, this occasion has reinvigorated my drive to write about the topics I find closest to my heart. Perhaps I really was correct all this time, on the right track with my theories and arguments.

However extraordinary this all may seem, I must confess that this day began in an exceedingly ordinary way. I woke up at my typical time, on a characteristically wet spring morning.

Shortly afterwards, a most scrumptious breakfast was served up by my beloved at approximately 0900 hours. It consisted of eggs, black pudding, and seasonal berries. My wife took the time to lament that she had undercooked the eggs. I thought they were delightful. I reassured her of her culinary prowess and that she sets her own standards too high. She looked the other way and walked out.

This encounter during breakfast had left me looking for answers. Was it something I said? Was my tone improper?

Vulgar? Did she perhaps think I was sarcastic? I spent the next few hours in my study, mulling over the plethora of reasons as to why she left. I did my customary read-through of my notes from the Beagle. I am still amazed by the fact that this trip was 20 years ago! While I personally see the logic, and agree with my findings, the same fear of presenting my ideas consumed me. I quickly stored my notes in their perpetual resting place, a drawer under the right side of my mahogany desk. I sighed as I turned the key, locking my ideas away, both literally, and metaphorically.

Midday, I leaned back into my chair, and asked myself, “What keeps me from sharing my findings?” I had only shared them with a few people. These included contemporaries of mine, the cooks on the Beagle, and my dear wife, who in one of her bouts of nosiness, unintentionally came across my notes. The reaction had either been that of positivity, or perplexity. Was I afraid of people not understanding my work?

That couldn’t have been the case. After further internal strife, I found out that what really kept me from ever compiling and publishing my notes was the fear of being shunned by those in the scientific world. I have never been worried about the feedback from the public; I have always thought myself an intellectual superior to them. I had long wanted to be respected by all scientists and researchers in my field. Simply put, I wanted to be idolized. However, if I published my ideas

and received negative opinions, I wouldn’t ever reach my goal.

Time had flown by, and it was now 1400 hours, I was desperate to salvage some useful time out of this day. I strolled into our garden, to find my wife watering the cherry trees, which had begun to blossom. I presented her with the idea of a walk through town, perhaps to stop for dinner or a drink afterwards. She scoffed at the idea, and suggested we visit the zoo instead. Initially, I was going to reject that idea, but to make her happy, I complied.

We arrived at the local zoo, I had been here often, attempting to add more research onto my notes, but the opportunities never presented themselves like they did 20 years ago. I soon gave up that endeavor and began visiting the zoo the same reason most did, leisure, and to gawk at the exotic animals brought in. At the entrance, there was an unusually large crowd clogging the walkways. The zoo was busier than usual. I think the zoological society is very happy with the attendance as of late. While I couldn’t quite deduce the real why the crowds were as substantial as they were. I wouldn’t have to worry, as the zoo granted me a lifetime free entry pass quite some time ago.

We walked our usual route, a regimented promenade that we always adhered to. Past the majestic, immortal tortoises, swerving through the sub saharan snakes, and along the exotic elephants. This walk continued, the nicely pruned hedges serving as a lush green backdrop. We arrived at the exhibit of what the biologically inept call ‘Monkeys’, a genus that I have been attempting to study. I then heard from my wife, something I had never heard. It went along the lines of “Something about that Chimpanzee over there reminds me of you”.

It was at that moment I realized, that perhaps my work did carry weight, that there is a relationship between species! If someone else could point it out, perhaps people would believe it!

I thank you, my darling wife, for showing me that my ideas were true, and for giving me the motivation to publish them.

That is why, I am now working on putting my notes into a full work of literature, outlining my findings and theories.

If they see me crazy for this, I will not care at all...

Works Cited: Duffy, C. (2000). The world’s wife. London: Picador.

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THE 613 MITZVOT: A COMMANDMENT TO MARGINALIZE SAM SHARPE GRADE 12

Outline: Prescribed question: Which social groups are marginalized, excluded or silenced within the text?

Title of text for analysis: The 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) from the Torah (Jewish Religious Text) My critical response will: – Distinguish between the Canaanites and Israelites.

– Show, with evidence, how the term Canaanite was a “Catch-all” term, and could be used for marginalization in its own right.

– Demonstrate how the audience of the Torah was the Israelites – Demonstrate how the purpose of the Torah was to show what a follower of Judaism should and should not do.

– Show examples of the Canaanites being marginalized in the 613 Mitzvot.

– Analyze how the language used achieves this, especially in relation to connotation.

– Pose how the language used in religious texts can override basic moral principles.

Critical Response: The Torah contains the 613 Mitzvot, or Commandments of Judaism. These commandments cover an array of topics, ranging from taxes to clothing. Like all commandments in world religions, the 613 Mitzvot demonstrate what a follower of Judaism should and should not do. However, not all of these commandments have positive connotations. The 613 88

Mitzvot often call for the marginalization of one ethnic group in particular, the Canaanites. The Canaanites were a group of settled and nomadic peoples who resided in Canaan, and the Levant. Through the use of negatively connotated words and ideals, the Canaanites are marginalized in the Old Testament.

The Canaanites and Israelites were two separate peoples.

While the Israelites were considered sons of the patriarch Jacob, the term ‘Canaanite’ is actually an ethnic catch-all term for the other inhabitants of the Levant. The grouping together of different ethnic groups to created a shared identity could be seen as marginalization in its own right. This means that each usage of the word ‘Canaanite’ in the Torah is potential marginalization. The Torah implies that the Canaanites were adversarial to the Israelites. A quote that supports this is “Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers” (Gen, 9:25). The quote likens the Canaanite to the “lowest of slaves”, which is a direct form of marginalization. This marginalization of the Canaanites could be due to the Torah’s target audience being the Israelites. The 613 Mitzvot implores the reader “Not to curse any other Israelite” (Lev. 19:14). By saying “any other Israelite” it is implied that the reader is an Israelite as well. If the target audience weren’t Israelites, the phrase “any other” would not have been used. This use of inclusive language can prove that the target audience of the Torah is the Israelites. The purpose of the text is to educate the Israelites on its idea of moral behaviour. By identifying the purpose and target audience of the Torah, the marginalization of the Canaanites can be explained more effectively.

As the Canaanites and Israelites were considered to

be enemies, a text targeted at Israelites with a goal of instilling values would touch upon this. Using negatively connotated language, the Torah succeeds in marginalizing the Canaanites. The text mocks the Canaanites for their worship of idols “Not to make a covenant with the seven (Canaanite, idolatrous) nations” (Ex. 23:32; Deut. 7:2). The prohibition of making any sort of allegiance is inherently negative, and is emphasized by the negative term ‘Idolatrous’. The Canaanites idol-worshipping, polytheistic society could be one of the grounds at which the Torah advocated their marginalization.

Polytheism comes in direct opposition to Judaism, which is an Abrahamic monotheism. The word “covenant” has a religious undertone, which may mean that the creation of an agreement with these ‘idolatrous’ nations could be against God. This has a profound impact on the reader, in this case, the Israelites.

They would not want to act against their religion and their god, and would follow this. The Torah endorses the subjugation of the Canaanites as slaves, by demanding its followers “To keep the Canaanite slave forever” (Lev. 25:46). Enslavement of any kind has a negative connotation. However, it is not the most striking form of marginalization in the quote. By using the word “Keep”, a word often reserved for inanimate possessions, the Canaanites are marginalized to be at the same level as inanimate possessions. The Torah states that the Canaanites are not above generic household tools. This is more evidence of how negatively connotated words and ideals were used to marginalize the Canaanites.

The abolition of any alliance, and advocacy of slavery, leads to the next instance of the Canaanite marginalization. The Torah demands the reader to “Not to keep alive any individual of the seven Canaanite nations” (Deut. 20:16). This quote has a very literal, negative meaning. It implores the Israelites, the target audience, to kill all Canaanites. The word “individual” is very impersonal and merciless. It calls for complete killing, even the women and children of the Canaanites. By saying there are “Seven Canaanite nations”, the Torah is grouping together seven groups of people under the ethnic catch-all term. This marginalizes any differences between these nations under a shared, derogatory identity. This sentiment is echoed, one verse later: “To exterminate the seven Canaanite nations from the land of Israel” (Deut. 20:17). The word ‘exterminate’

is incredibly harsh, and implies absolute slaughter of the Canaanite race. The Canaanite groups were designated as “nations”, which implies a level of civilization. This implies that there were established groups of people in the land, more so than by designating them as tribes. By labelling the land as Israel, it effectively cedes the land to the Israelites. By naming it after the people, they gain a sense of ownership, and this amplifies the negative connotation of ‘exterminate’. It makes the reader feel a deep sense to flush out those from the land they feel entitled to. This desire is added to by the purpose, as they would want to act in a way deemed acceptable by the Torah. Extermination, as a concept, often doesn’t relate to humans, rather pests and vermin. This could liken the Canaanites to pests, further marginalizing them. This shows how negatively connotated words and ideals promoted the marginalization, and extermination of the Canaanites.

Language is a powerful tool, especially when combined with purpose, audience, and connotation. In the case of the 613 Mitzvot, negatively connotated language and ideals lead to the marginalization of the Canaanites by the Israelites.

Coupled with the purpose, the Israelites’ motivation to marginalize and exterminate the Canaanites is evident. It presents an interesting conflict between human decency and a commitment to being observant. This is especially relevant when most of the 613 Mitzvot are concerned with acting in moral ways towards others. All in all, it shows how the language a religion uses can override morals and influence its followers to perform questionable acts.

Reference List: En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Canaan. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Canaan [Accessed 16 Nov. 2017].

Levin, Y. (2017). Who was Living in the Land When Abraham Arrived? - TheTorah. com. [online] TheTorah.com. Available at: http://thetorah.com/abraham-goes-tocanaan/ [Accessed 15 Nov. 2017].

Rich, T. (2017). Judaism 101: A List of the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments). [online] Jewfaq.org. Available at: http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Scharfstein, S. (2008). Torah and commentary. Jersey City: KTAV Publishing House.

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DP NON FICTION

INVESTIGATING DEONAR’S EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PEOPLE AROUND IT. RICHA SINGLA GRADE 12

Introduction Importance of Sustainability and Introduction to Deonar In September of 2000, world leaders gathered at the Millennium Summit, where one hundred and ninety-eight United Nations (UN) member states adopted eight goals that had to be achieved by the year of 2015 (United Nations, 2010).

To make further process, the world committed itself to these goals again in September 2010 (United Nations, 2010).

The seventh Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Target 7.A is to “integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources (United Nations, 2010)”. This goal was created to ensure environmental sustainability which was defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (United Nations, 1987)”. However, some countries like India with vast populations are struggling to achieve this target.

India has been experiencing rapid urbanization and economic growth which is resulting in an increase of Municipal solid waste per person by 1.3% per year (Government of India, 2016). Increased production of municipal solid waste is increasing disposal of municipal solid waste in dumping grounds like Deonar, which is Asia’s largest (CNN, 2016).

Deonar has been the result of poor waste management techniques which have been adopted by India (Sattiraju, 2016).

Quality of Municipal solid waste management system is an important element of sustainability. If resources undergo a process of circular economy, where resources are recovered and regenerated after product obsolescence, it will prevent further environmental damage from extracting new resources 92

(Ruthtrumpold.id.au, 1994). Value of resources will increase which will serve towards the ability of the future generations.

An effective waste management program would lead to proper replenishment of soil nutrient, decreased water contaminated and prevent further loss of the ozone layer. Moreover, an effective waste management technique would prevent dumping grounds from expanding and increase the availability and productivity of the world’s limited land which would help future generations.

Hence, it is important to analyze the cause and effect of Deonar on its surrounding residents and environment before it degrades the environment beyond repair.

Historical and Geographical Context of Mumbai Regarding land and space, Mumbai is constricted because it is surrounded by the Creek systems to the North and East along with the Arabian Sea located to the West (Google Maps, n.d).

This can be visually seen in figure 1.1.

Deonar, the dumping ground is located in the Eastern Suburbs of Mumbai (NDTV, 2016).

The dumping ground was set up in 1927 by the British (Subramanian, 2016). Initially, it was away from the city, however as Mumbai grew as a metropolis it engulfed it’s surrounding area and expanded (Subramanian, 2016). Now, Deonar extends to over 132 acre (Bhalerao, 2016). The dumping ground has outlived a typical dumping site’s life by over 30 years (Bhalerao, 2016).

Purpose All countries around the world are putting light on the topic of climate change as they expand their knowledge upon it. Various countries have taken action towards it to prevent its consequence on their nation and the world (National Public Radio, 2011). Along with that, the United Nations consider environmental sustainability as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals which were created to preserve the environment and eradicate poverty (United Nations Development Programme, n.d.). Hence, it is clear that the nations and organizations which have knowledge about the topic consider sustainability as an important goal to achieve because it can increase the ability of future generations. If environmental sustainability is poor, human quality will be poor and it will affect mankind’s ability to work and live. It is important for countries like India to contribute in increase environmental sustainability because they have large populations which have a big impact on the world. This is supported by Paul Ehrlich’s IPAT theory which suggests that a higher population will result in higher environmental impact (Thwink.org, n.d). Taking this into consideration, Mumbai’s population has increased over the past 40 years (world population review, 2017). If Mumbai replaces Deonar with an advanced waste management system, it can reduce pollution, delay environmental degradation and increase human life quality of citizens surrounded by Deonar (World Bank, 2017).

This would increase environmental sustainability and increase the ability of future generations in India and the world.

However, this has not been achieved currently. Deonar is harming the biosphere, citizens and the environment around it through water, soil, and air. Therefore, making the social and environmental impacts of Deonar on its surrounding environment the key focus of this essay.

Research Question The research question of this essay is “To what extent are the poor waste management techniques in Deonar negatively affecting its surrounding environment and its citizens living standards?”

Hypothesis I predict that Mumbai’s poor waste management techniques have contributed to Deonar’s condition which is further harming the environment an residents around it.

Current Waste Management System in Mumbai In Mumbai, “Municipal authorities are responsible for implementing rules and developing infrastructure for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of Municipal solid waste (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017a)”.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) trucks collect waste in the entire city of Mumbai (Yerunkar, 2015).

This includes both high-end and low-end societies. Highincome residents use packed products, which results in more disposal of plastics, paper, textiles and glass (Saunik, 2017).

Since cheap products are made of plastic and paper, most waste disposal of low-income consumers consist of plastic and paper (Gavai, 2017). BMC trucks also collect medical waste such as disposable syringes and sanitary materials and hazardous wastes such used medicine, paints and batteries (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017b).

After collection, the trash does not go through a segregation process, nor does the city have separate bins to segregate their waste by themselves (Gavai, 2017). Hence, the waste that is collected by the BMC trucks is a combination of different categories of waste (Gavai, 2017). This includes wet and dry waste (Gavai, 2017). Dry waste includes paper, plastic, metal, glass, etc (United Resource Management, n.d.).

Wet waste includes food and garden waste (United Resource Management, n.d.). After the BMC trucks have collected the unsegregated trash, they make their way to Deonar to dump the waste that they have collectected.

Once trucks dump the waste that they have collectected, rag pickers enter the dumping ground in search for recyclable materials which might have high economic return (Gavai, 2017).

After limited segregation by local ragpickers, some dry waste is passed over to scrap dealers (BBC, 2012). This process is inefficient because ragpickers leave materials such as plastic which is toxic and hazardous for the environment because they are non-biodegradable and do not have a secondary market (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017a). During 93

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the inefficient manual segregation process, close contact with waste puts ragpickers life at risk. As ragpickers enter the dumping ground in attempt to find recyclable materials they often catch infections and become victims of fatal diseases (United Nations Environment Programme, 2005) The main causes are chemicals that are released from toxic materials and the liquids that leak from medical equipments (United Nations Environment Programme, 2005). The waste that is not picked up by rag pickers is left in the dumping ground.

Eventually the waste that is left, gets degraded from the chemical releases. It harms the residents around the dumping ground and pollutes the environment around it.

Other Reasons Behind Mumbai’s Poor Waste Management System A dumping ground is “a place where rubbish or unwanted material is left (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.)”. Most developing countries like India suffer from poor quality waste management because of unsuitable infrastructure (East Asia Forum, 2016). However, this issue is balanced with their low rates of waste generation due to weak economic growth (East Asia Forum, 2016). More economically developed countries do not suffer from such issues because they have an efficient waste management service, community awareness regarding sustainability and appropriate infrastructure (East Asia Forum, 2016).

However, in India, waste management is a pressing issue because they have poor infrastructure and increasing rates of solid waste generation due to the growing population (East Asia Forum, 2016). Mumbai’s population produces 9,400 tones of municipal solid waste daily (Lewis, 2017). 5,000 metric tonnes of that waste is dumped in Deonar with no segregation or renewal process (Bhalerao, 2016). Hence, most products go through a process of linear economy where the focus is on create, use and dispose unless they are picked up by rag pickers (Bhalerao, 2016). This decreases resources available for future generations to use. Hence, it demonstrates poor sustainability.

Furthermore, Mumbai’s Municipality encounters financial problems, absence of infrastructure, green technology and lack of participation from the community while trying to implement an effective waste management system in the city (East Asia Forum, 2016). The Municipal waste management lacks finance because the Municipality does not tax or charge money from citizens for their waste management procedure (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017a).

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(National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017a). This makes it difficult for Mumbai to achieve an effective solid waste management process.

Along with that, the average income of lower-middle class, middle-class, and upper-middle-class has significantly affected the quality of the solid waste management system.

The average salary of a lower-middle-class individual per month is Rs. 3,969, assuming that the person receives $2 per day (Karnik, 2016). The average income of a middle-class individual is Rs. 11,908 per month, assuming that he earns $6 per day (Karnik, 2016). The average income of an upper middle class is Rs. 19,847 per month, assuming that he earns $10 per day (Karnik, 2016). However, the average total living cost for one person per month in Mumbai is ₹23,706 without rent, and ₹61,769 per month with an average one bedroom flat (Transfer Wise, 2017). All three categories fail to make a sufficient living in Mumbai. Due to this, 55% of the city lives in slums (Rotsky, 2017). Only an upper middle class is near making a sufficient living in the city but without rent for a month. Most of the population struggles to live a comfortable life. With insufficient cash to make a living, most categories are unable to save money. Therefore, there is no willingness in the citizens of Mumbai to pay for waste management services, due to which they tend to dispose their waste near houses, on the streets which creates unauthorized open collection areas which make the process of garbage collection and transportation difficult (Gavai, 2017). Due to this unwillingness and helplessness, Mumbai’s waste management systems remains inefficient as it is not tracked or financed from taxes. Hence, the average income and the growing population of Mumbai have indirectly affected the state of Deonar.

Method of Data Collection Sampling method Access to Deonar is restricted due to safety concerns, therefore, convenience sampling was used in this study. Convenience sampling is useful for this essay because it makes education research convenient, especially in Deonar’s case where there is no waste classification analysis.

Relevance of secondary and primary data in this study The primary data in this essay consists of interviews with the Maharashtrian Government’s Principal Secretary of Public Health, and the Additional Chief Secretary of Environment Department. Investigation of trucks can also be considered as a part of primary research. Secondary research was gathered mostly from government sites and other valid resources.

Primary research was insightful because the information received by the two personals was accurate and unavailable

online. Secondary data provided this study with general informal about the topic. Secondary research was extremely useful because it gave me the opportunity to compare my primary and insure that it was not biased. It gave me other information which was focused on Deonar and its impact on the environment and people. Hence, both primary and secondary data enhanced the validity of this essay.

Data Collection To find the various effects of Deonar on the environment, it was important to figure what kind of waste is present in the dumping ground. However, due to health concerns it was dangerous to enter the actual dumping ground. Therefore, with the approval of two BMC truck drivers, two trucks were investigated. It was possible to see what type of trash the trucks carried and their quantities by the help of the truck drivers. Below are two data tables which have categorized waste from the two trucks.

Data presentation Graphical representation of the data table

Figure 1.2: Composition of waste in truck 1

Figure 1.3: Composition of waste in truck 2

Data analysis from primary research and secondary research Air pollution and its effect on the environment and the people The graphical representations above were gathered from the raw data table present in the appendix under the name of “Raw data table for truck 1” and “Raw data table for truck 2”.

According to Figure 1.2 and 1.3, Truck number one had 47% of organic waste and 38.5% of inorganic waste while truck number of two had 46.4% organic waste and 36% of inorganic waste. From these statistics which are visually represented in figures 1.2 and 1.3, one can assume that without segregation in an mixed waste environment, organic waste is degrading in quality. Decomposition of such large quantities of organic waste in anaerobic conditions generates methane (Environment Victoria, 2016). Methane can cause fires and explosions, which is a frequent occurrence in Deonar (Bhalerao, 2016). This is supported by the fire that occurred in the dumping ground on January 28, 2016, as a result of increased methane levels in the air (Waghmode, 2016). After this fire, Mumbai’s air quality index was recorded at 325 which was the poorest record in Mumbai’s air quality history (The Indian Express, 2016).

Large volumes of methane have contributed in making Mumbai an urban heat island (Vidal, 2013). “An urban heat island is a metropolitan area that is warmer than surrounding rural areas (The Weather Channel, 2016)”. Air pollution is one of the creators of an urban heat island (Balu, 2010). Burning waste has increased the quantity of methane present in the air, which means that there is more particulate matter in the air which retain heat (Thompson, 2014). Extreme heat is dangerous for residents around Deonar because extreme heat is the biggest killer and is dangerous to human health (Dallas, 2012).

Moreover, according to the figure 1.2 and figure 1.3, both trucks had high volumes of organic waste, glass, and paper.

Plastic makes up only 15.2% of the waste in truck one and 11.9% of the waste in truck two. Plastic collection in the trucks was low compared to other materials present. However, in reality, Deonar contains high volumes of plastic because the city is focused on the manufacturing sector (Chatterjee, 2017).

Abundance of plastic in Deonar makes the impact of fires worse. According to Figure 1.4, India mostly uses polyvinyl chloride, which is a type of plastic (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, 2014). If this plastic is burnt, harmful quantities of dioxins, a toxic group of chemicals is released into the air (Beres and Beres, 2012). Dioxins are the most toxic chemicals for the human body (Beres and Beres, 2012). Once released these pollutants make their way to short and long distances through the air. Therefore, they do 95

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not only affect the area surrounding Deonar but all of Mumbai.

In wildlife these pollutants can bring side effects such as disfigured offsprings reproduction failures, diseases, and cancer (Bloch, 2010). Among humans, similar effects can be seen (Bloch, 2010). These pollutants can cause heart disease and respiratory failures (Bloch, 2010). This is supported by the various complaints associated with respiratory problems after Deonar’s fire (Barnagarwala, 2016). This is why there are many health concerns related to people surrounding Deonar. The average life expectancy of a resident living around deonar is 39 years (Shetty, 2016). This life expectancy rate is much lower than India’s average life expectancy of 68 years (World Bank Data, 2017). This is worse for infants, as the infant mortality near Deonar is 60.80 per 1000 live babies (DNA India, 2014).

Therefore, Deonar’s impact on the air quality is significant to human health and the environment.

Water pollution and its effect on the environment and the people According to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, leachate, toxic liquid that creates bacterial contamination is released from the waste accumulated in Deonar (Singh, 2017). Leachate is dangerous because it consists of chemicals extracted from various materials such as plastic and medical waste, both of which were present in the trucks (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2017b).

The dumping ground is situated west of the Thane creek, also known as the Vashi creek (Google Maps, n.d).

The proximity of the Thane creek makes it vulnerable to harmful consequences of Deonar (Bhalerao, 2016). Leachate released from the dumping ground has supposedly decreased 96

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the quality of water in the Thane Creek. In 2002, scientists identified sixty-nine species in the Thane Creek, however, in 2016 when this research was done again, only eleven species were found out of those sixty-nine (Fernandes F, 2016). This meant that the reproduction cycles of fifty-eight marine species were damaged to the extent of extinction (Fernandes F, 2016). The scientists involved in the research blamed the high levels of chemical substances present in the water from the untreated waste in Deonar. The chemicals reduced levels of oxygen and increased the temperature (Fernandes F, 2016).

This damaged the habitat of several species and led to their extinction (Fernandes F, 2016).

Contamination of the Thane Creek is dangerous for Mumbai because Mumbai is famous for their “Koli” community (Jale, 2014). Koli essentially refers to Mumbai’s fishing community which has been involved in fishing for decades (Jale, 2014).

This indicates that their community relies on fish supply and demand. Various fishers get their fish supply from the Thane Creek which has been dominated by the leachate from the dumping ground (Fernandes F, 2016). If these contaminated fishes are consumed, they can cause long-term problems in the nervous system of the consumer (Contra Costa Health Services, n.d).

Therefore,contamination of water is disrupting the natural food chain and harming flora and fauna which is directly impacting the health of people. This is unsustainable because limited amount of water will be left to serve for future generations. The rest will be contaminated and will lose it’s quality.

Soil pollution and its effect on the environment and the people Mercury is another chemical element which is harmful to the human body (World Health Organization, 2017). It can cause harmful side effects on the human lungs, kidney and nervous system, digestive system and immune system (World Health Organization, 2017).

From the medical waste, high levels of mercury were found in the soil near Govandi, an area near Deonar (Fernandes S, 2016). The normal limit for mercury content is up to 0.3mg/kg (Fernandes S, 2016). However, Govandi has a mercury content of 1.86mg/kg which is much higher than the norm (Fernandes S, 2016). Leakage of mercury in the soil is degrading the soil and putting biodiversity at risk (Greenfacts.org, n.d.). Once mercury leakages into the soil, it is exposed to crops around it. If crops become contaminated, they have a direct impact on the consumers by causing long-term health problems. If the mercury content is consumed by a animal, it can end up in the food chain and affect other animals and their offsprings.

Another issue with contaminated soil is that it takes several years to recover, therefore, it comprises the ability of the future because they will not be able to utilize contaminated soil (Evans, 2017).

Advantages of Deonar To answer the “to what extent” aspect of this essay, it is important to consider the advantages of Deonar. Some advantages of Deonar include low initial cost, which means a lower opportunity cost for the government (Srinivas, n.d.).

Secondly, dumping grounds have a easy short process (Saunik, 2017). Along with that, Deonar has provided unskilled labor, like ragpickers with a job (Sarkar, 2016).

Conclusion Air, water, and soil play a vital role in the human life. Therefore, it is important for Mumbai to preserve these three elements for the capability of its future generations. Preservation of air, water, and soil is crucial because these resources are finite (Gavai, 2017). The world has 0.3% of groundwater on the surface of the earth, therefore, for Mumbai to avoid physical scarcity in the future it is important for it to maintain its water quality (National Geographic Society, 2012). Subsequently preservation of soil and air quality is equally important. Once nutrients from the soil vanish, they take several years to regenerate (Evans, 2017). Not only are these three resources contaminated by Deonar but they also affect the quality of life in the surrounding area through the food chain or air.

Overall, this study has proven my hypothesis correct.

Deonar’s poor waste management techniques along with various other reasons have contributed to Deonar’s state. The current state of Deonar is negatively affecting the environment and its residents. The minor advantages of a Deonar have been dominated by the various disadvantages of it. This study also proves that consequences which are driven by Deonar have the potential to affect Mumbai and all of India.

Mumbai can improve its current state and decrease its effect on the environment and its people by improving their waste management techniques. Through this study, it is evident that segregation plays a major role in waste management.

If Mumbai adopts the circular economy and monitors the segregation process, it can reuse it’s waste. Deonar alone has the potential to generate 25-30 megawatts of electricity.

However, this is not being done due to the current waste management techniques and system, which aren’t allocating waste effectively (Deshpande, 2016). An organized waste management system will also provide legal, high paid jobs for low-income earners which will not only boost up India’s economic growth but will provide citizens around Deonar with

a higher disposable income which they can dedicate towards the system. Once disposable incomes increase, families can educate themselves and their children through schooling about the issue and how to tackle it. This will raise awareness and potentially solve the issue of open dumping grounds. These actions will prevent Deonar from degrading the environment beyond repair.

Evaluation Various Indian and International news channels and newspapers were used in this study to avoid any bias and false information. Since these news channels and newspapers were highly known for their content, they raise the credibility of this study. Moreover, most sources were published during recent years which helps further increases the credibility of this paper. Along with that, interviews that were taken for this investigation expanded my knowledge on the topic and introduced me to various perspectives towards the issue.

To make this study more effective, more trucks could have been examined, although due to lack of time and health concerns this was not possible for this study. Another limitation of this study was lack of criteria to examine the dumping ground against. Along with that, many theories such as climate change can be debated with researchers and scientists.

Overall, the sources which were used helped enhance the investigation and contributed in achieving the goal of this investigation which was to bring awareness about the topic and learn more about Deonar’s environmental and social impacts.

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Barnagarwala, T. (2016). Coughing fits, asthma, breathing problems: After Deonar fire, there is trouble in the air. [online] The Indian Express. Available at: http:// indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/coughing-fits-asthma-breathing-problems-after-deonar-fire-there-is-trouble-in-the-air/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

BBC. (2012). India’s rag-pickers inspire recycling charity. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-16961041 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

Beres, R. and Beres, L. (2012). PVC? OMG. [online] Ron and Lisa Beres Healthy Home Experts. Available at: https://ronandlisa.com/2012/04/17/pvc-omg/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

Bhalerao, S. (2016). Second fire at Mumbai’s Deonar dump in a week. [online] Hindustan times. Available at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/ second-fire-at-mumbai-s-deonar-dump-in-a-week/story-9x17LvfeE86V88XNLKcEdJ.html[Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

Bloch, M. (2010). PVC plastic’s environmental impact. [online] Green Living Tips.

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Chatterjee, B. (2017). BMC has done nothing to recycle and segregate its plastic waste, says Mumbai citizens’ group. [online] Hindustan Times. Available at: http:// www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/bmc-has-done-nothing-to-recycleand-segregate-its-plastic-waste-says-mumbai-citizens-group/story-sNDfiEdbsO24aqz6zP4NzJ.html [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

CNN.com. (2016). Mumbai’s Deonar: Inside Asia’s largest garbage dump. [online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/05/asia/gallery/mumbai-deonar-garbage-dump/index.html [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

Contra Costa Health Services. (n.d). Consumption of contaminated fish. [online] Available at: https://cchealth.org/pehab/pdf/consumption_of_contaminated_ fish_report.pdf [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

Dallas, M. (2012). Extreme Heat Biggest Weather Killer, Expert Warns. [online] Health Day. Available at: https://consumer.healthday.com/senior-citizen-information-31/age-health-news-7/extreme-heat-biggest-weather-killer-expertwarns-667347.html[Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

Deshpande, T. (2016). Mumbai: 30MW electricity can be generated from Deonar dumping ground waste. [online] Mid-day. Available at: https://www.mid-day. com/articles/mumbai-30mw-electricity-can-be-generated-from-deonar-dumping-ground-waste/17468174 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

DNA India. (2014). Govandi residents raise a stink, CM vows solution to Deonar deadlock. [online] Available at: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-govandi-residents-raise-a-stink-cm-vows-solution-to-deonar-deadlock-1948987 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].

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HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION: TO WHAT EXTENT DID NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV’S POLITICAL STRATEGIES CONTRIBUTE TO THE DOWNFALL OF LAVRENTIY BERIA IN 1953?

OLESIA SHEREMETA GRADE 12

Identification and Evaluation of Sources Joseph Stalin’s death on March 3rd 1953 created a governmental power vacuum in the Soviet Union. In the midst of it were two key players; Khrushchev- First secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine and Stalin’s trusted advisor, and Beria- First secretary of the Communist Party of Georgia and head of NKVD. This investigation will explore to what extent did Nikita Khrushchev’s political strategies contribute to the downfall of Lavrentiy Beria in 1953?

I. Interview with Svitlana Plyhun Holding its origin in Kyiv, the first source was my personally conducted interview in 2017 with a history professor, Svitlana Plyhyn, from Taras Shevchenko University. Plyhun’s interest in the power struggle after Stalin’s death led her to write a dissertation on the Khrushchev era in Soviet Union. This specific context offers a significant input in the investigation, one that is hard to retrieve from secondary sources. The interview’s purpose was to receive an overview of the effectiveness of three to five political strategies that Khrushchev used against Beria. Not only was this recourse was highly valued in the essay because of the context, I also found Plyhun’s opinion reliable as she used opinions of other professors to support claims she was making, such Grabovetskiy- a renowned 100

Ukrainian historian. She was well informed of the Russian and Ukrainian sources on the topic, which balanced her viewpoint.

However, there were limitations to using this interview as a source is that the information that she used to formulate her opinion on Khrushchev’s political strategies might have been outdated. Especially because since the time she studied this time period, there was a discovery of a letter transaction between Beria and Malenkov. Therefore more sources were used in the essay in order to provide a balanced argument.

II. “Khrushchev Remembers” Autobiography Originated in 1970 in Russia and written by Nikita Khrushchev, the purpose of using the autobiography “Khrushchev Remembers” in the essay was to get an understanding of the political strategies from his own perspective. Chapter “Plotting Beria’s Downfall” was explored in detail to investigate the success of Khrushchev’s political strategies, and their contribution to Beria’s demise. This autobiography is a valuable source because a first person perspective from Khrushchev gives the reader a view into the political plans from the inside.

Seeing that it’s origins are in the 1970s, but written in early 60’s, it is the earliest recourse available that is written by Khrushchev about the power struggle after Stalin’s death.

Despite the value of this resource, its major limitation is the context behind this autobiography; the book is aimed to convince readers of Khrushchev’s effective leadership- a method of propaganda. Unfortunately this makes his argument less balanced, ignoring Beria’s take on the situation. The edition that is used is also a translated version, not the original, therefore meaning being lost in translation is a possibility.

With these primary and secondary sources, along with original copies of letters, informational websites and scholarly articles, this investigation will explore the contribution of Nikita Khrushchev to the downfall of Lavrentiy Beria.

Investigation Grief, fear and uncertainty hit Russia when Joseph Stalin died on March 3rd, 1953. The dictator never appointed a successor in trepidation that they might take over while he was still in charge. While this was a convenient move for Stalin, it created a tremendous power vacuum after his death. “Grieving” topofficers and party-members began to strategize on how to claim the position of the leader. One of the closest to Stalin’s position at the time was Lavrentiy Beria- Stalin’s “Himmler”.

This created immense threat for other candidates, one of which was Nikita Khrushchev, an outsider in Moscow’s political playing field. Despite described as “last in line for the throne”, Khrushchev outmaneuvered his rival and became the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union 5 years after Stalin’s death (Whitman, 2009). However, many historians such as McCauley (1995) claim that this would not have happened if not for Beria’s mistakes and unplanned foreign conflicts. Even though Nikita Khrushchev’s political strategies of gaining support and accusing Beria of treason fueled Beria’s downfall, unscripted events also played a significant role in Lavrentiy Beria’s loss of power.

I. Khrushchev’s Strategy: Gain Support from Alliluyeva and Malenkov Through specific political strategies, Khrushchev successfully achieved Beria’s downfall, creating a foundation of support from other members of the party. Lavrentiy Beria was the chief of the Russian secret police, NKVD, which not only made him dangerous but “incredibly hard to bring down” according to Khrushchev (1970). Khrushchev held a far less powerful position than Beria; he was merely a first secretary of the Moscow ObCom after returning to Moscow in 1949, unlike Beria who has remained in Russia and built his ruthless reputation in the 14 years leading up to Stalin’s death (McCauley, 1995).

Thus Khrushchev engineered a strategic political plan; gain support from top-level party members, then accuse Beria of going against communist beliefs. While these seem like simple strategies, they were “significant to Nikita’s emergence as a leader” claims professor Svitlana Plyhun (2017). In contrast with Beria’s behaviour, right from the beginning Khrushchev gained support from Stalin’s wife, Svetlana Alliluyeva, by offering “sympathy and compassion” after Stalin’s death, (McCauley, 1995). Edward Crankshaw (1970) comments on this situation, mentioning that Alliluyeva was “appalled” by Beria’s actions during the time of death, and thus believed that Khrushchev was a better fit to take Stalin’s place, resulting in her contribution to plot Beria’s downfall along with Khrushchev.

After Alliluyeva, Khrushchev went on to gain the support of Malenkov, a powerful member of Stalin’s “inner circle” and the first secretary of the Central Committee prior to Stalin’s death (Fabian, 2014). Malenkov was an unlikely ally seeing that him and Beria were close, known as the “formidable political twins” of the Soviet Union(McCauley, 2995). Beria and Malenkov appointed each other to top ranking positions as Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Deputy to the Chairman, 101

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respectively, after Stalin’s passing. Khrushchev however doubted the newly appointed deputy as he believed he did not have the interest of the Politburo, but was simply power hungry (Khrushchev,1970). Khrushchev complained to Malenkov about how Beria did not hold a clean reputation in regards to his work in the NKVD. Khrushchev (1970) then pointed out to Malenkov that Beria treated Stalin’s death overenthusiastically, proving he is not a trustworthy member of the Politburo. This planted a seed in Malenkov’s head, who already had doubts about Beria’s agenda due to rumors that surfaced about removing Malenkov from power (Fabian, 2014). The maneuver secured Malenkov’s trust in Khrushchev, as he believed Khrushchev is genuinely concerned over the future of the USSR. Khrushchev then received support of some top-member generals of the communist party establishing a political base in the Politburo. Creating these powerful allegiances allowed Khrushchev to carry out next steps in Beria’s demise effectively, as Khrushchev earned the Party’s trust.

II. Khrushchev’s Strategy: Accusations Against Beria The key to Beria’s downfall were the accusations that Khrushchev expressed during the Party Presidium. Prior to the actual meeting, Khrushchev claims in his autobiography that he told Malenkov how unhappy he was with Beria’s implementation of radical reforms and his lack of empathy for Stalin’s death (1970). With Khrushchev’s newly earned trust and established political base, Malenkov began looking at the possibility of Beria’s resignation. During the meeting on June 26th, 1953, Khrushchev accused Beria of not being a communist, but rather a “cynical careerist” and a spy for the British intelligence (Baras, 1975). He called on Beria to resign, and for Malenkov to vote on this resignation. Instead, Malenkov let in guards that arrested Beria, later declaring him as the enemy of the people (Fabian, 2014). These accusations were very specific to the values that any communist party member hold. Enough to ruin Beria’s reputation, the accusations were engineered and carried out by Khrushchev in order to persuade the other members of Beria’s assumed intentions. Khrusрchev was able to undermine Malenkov alignment with Beria, eventually leading to Beria’s execution (Cavendish, 2004). Without these specific political maneuvers, 102

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Khrushchev would not have had a strong enough power base to support the accusations against Beria, that were significant in his downfall. However some historians like McCauley believe that other factors were also imperative in Beria’s demise and Khrushchev’s emergence as the leader.

III. Beria’s Own Demise: Egocentric Personality Beria’s egoistic personality and his radical reforms played a significantly important role in his downfall. Beria was known to be egocentric, which fueled his work ethic while under Stalin.

However, after Stalin’s death, Beria’s personality backfired and “cost him his life” (Turnain, 1957). Beria was said to have a “grin” on his face when leaving Stalin’s dacha on March 3rd, showing disloyalty to the dictator (Baras, 1975). He seemed extremely energetic in the first Party meeting after Stalin’s death, while the other members of the party were evidently grieving(Cavendish, 2004). He insinuated that he had planned for Stalin’s death by appointing Malenkov and himself to the most powerful positions. This behaviour was noted by all the members present, thus when Khrushchev accused Beria of treason, this claims was believable to them. Therefore, Beria’s own behavior fueled his demise, along with his inappropriately timed radical reforms.

IV. Beria’s Own Demise: Ill-timed Reforms Beria’s ill-timed action plan that reformed Stalin’s establishments aided Beria’s downfall. Beria canceled many of Stalin’s high-profile projects and gave amnesty to a large number of his prisoners. Taking place in late March, not even a month after Stalin’s death, they were seen as inappropriate behavior by top-level members of the Party (Whitman, 2009).

Beria even wrote in his letters to Malenkov in 1953 that he “energetically got down to work with the sole idea to do everything possible and not to let all of us flop without Comrade Stalin” (Beria,1953). Despite the reasonable reforms, Plyhun believes this made the members of the party doubt Beria’s loyalty to Stalin. In late May, 1953, Beria wrote a letter to East Germany, allowing them to abandon the forced communism and adopt a united democratic government. The purpose of this was to give the newly acquired territories, like Germany,

more civil freedom which Beria paradoxically believed would improve the situation in USSR (Ferkany, 1963). This however spiraled into the East German Conflict as protesters took to the streets. Russian tanks intervened on the 17th of June in attempts to stabilize the conflict. This incident on behalf of Beria’s poor judgement gave Khrushchev another incentive to call for Beria’s resignation, despite Khrushchev’s shared beliefs regarding the reforms. In fact similarly to Beria, Khrushchev denounced Stalin in 1956, and brought legal and social reforms in individual states of the USSR. Unfortunately Beria’s actions were ill-timed, and his behaviour made the Party doubt his loyalty, which sealed his downfall and aided Khrushchev’s rise to power.

V. Khrushchev’s well orchestrated plan or Beria’s mistakes?

Khrushchev’s political strategies significantly contributed to Beria’s downfall, however they were fueled by Beria’s own mishaps. Bria’s egocentric behavior and distasteful reforms developed a strong foundation for Khrushchev to rely on, which he later used to accumulate support of other party members prior to his accusatory remarks regarding Beria. Despite being a tough obstacle in the power struggle of 1953, the loss of Lavrentiy Beria’s power was key in Khrushchev’s emergence as a leader of the Soviet Union.

Reflection In this investigation about Khrushchev’s contribution to Beria’s downfall, I relied on a variety of methods used by historians.

I conducted and studied primary texts such as an interview with the professor, and Khrushchev’s speech, as well as reading secondary texts, such as historical articles, books, original transcripts of meeting. This variety of sources helped me create a balanced argument and offer my own analysation and interpretation. The process highlighted origins of sources that portray a single viewpoint, such as the autobiography

by Khrushchev which was created to install an image of a perfect leader in the reader’s minds. With such sources used in investigations, the historian faces a challenge of being balanced and offering two contrasting views to one point.

Archives from Russia are also subject to governmental edits, thus some letters or books used might not have been viewed in the entire context. I learned that meaning could be lost in translation, where English translations did not match the Russian original sources, giving the historian inaccurate information. When dealing with Russian history, the validity of these sources must be evaluated by the historian through analysing origin, content and purpose of the source.

I also ran into obstacles regarding judgement and propaganda. Khrushchev is a significant figure for Ukrainians as he reformed many sectors in the country, yet a person of a contrastingly different culture might disagree on Khrushchev importance. I learned that judgement must be omitted by a historian, instead presenting an argument supported by fact rather than emotion. Trying to find propaganda-free sources from Russian media to use in the investigation also proved to be a challenge, as there was a lack of criticism for Khrushchev’s political strategies in order to create the ideal image of him. Despite limitations of this investigation, balanced claims were created using information with varied origins, content and purpose.

References: Baras, V. (1975). Beria’s Fall and Ulbricht’s Survival. Soviet Studies 27, no. 3 Available at :http://www.jstor.org/stable/150443.

Beria, L. (1953) Letter reflecting the events of spring 1953. Translation by Zubok, V 1998. [Personal communication 1st July 1953].

Cavendish, R. (2004). Lavrenti Beria Executed. [online] Historytoday.com. Available at: http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/lavrenti-beria-executed [Accessed 22 Nov. 2017].

Fabian, C. (2014). Khrushchev begins his rise to power. [online] HISTORY.com.

Available at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khrushchev-begins-hisrise-to-power [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017] Ferkany, F. (1963) “The Fall of Beria and the Nationalities Question in the U.S.S.R.” The World Today 9, no. 11 : 481-97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40392574.

Khrushchev, N. and Crankshaw, E. (1970). Khrushchev remembers. Boston: Little, Brown.

McCauley, M. (1995). The Khrushchev era, 1954-1964. London: Longman.

Plyhun, S. (2017). Khrushchev’s contribution to Beria’s downfall. Interview conducted by Olesia Sheremeta.

Turnain, S. (1957)”Khrushchev and the ‘Anti-Party’ Group.” The World Today13, no. 9 : 377-88. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40393752.

Whitman, A. (2009). Khrushchev’s Human Dimensions Brought Him to Power and to His Downfall. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/ learning/general/onthisday/bday/0417.html [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].

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ANALYSIS OF UKRAINIAN CRISIS THROUGH PRISMS OF THEORETICAL POLITICS NIKITA TARATORIN GRADE 11

Prestupnosi.Net (2015). Война на Донбассе: из плена террористов освободили двух украинских военных. [image] Available at: https://news.pn/ru/RussiaInvadedUkraine/130122 [Accessed 11 Mar. 2018].

The Ukrainian crisis is a relatively new chapter in global politics. Once again it separated the world into three blocks, pro-western, pro-Russian, and neutral countries, which are trying to abstain from this version miniature version of the cold war. Political aspects of the situation in Ukraine, particularly its causes and variables affecting it, may be found through analysis of realist, liberal, and Marxist points of political view.

Analysis of these points of view will help us find the origins of the crisis, and understand why it has developed in such way.

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Realism Realism in terms of politics is a full rejection of traditional values that originated in the times when political science was considered to be a branch of philosophy. It rejects the idea of politics being present for the sake of improving the lives of the citizens, groups, or state, and instead focuses on power, ways to obtain it, sustain it, and use it. (Kelly, 2013) One of the first realists was Sun Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher, who thought that war should be a deciding factor in foreign policy, and military strategies should apply to

governance to achieve a stable and prosperous state. He also believed that those who threaten or harm the state should be punished like criminals within the state’s law system, to ensure stability in the world. (Kelly, 2013) Both of the earlier mentioned blocks are interested in Ukraine being they’re all after it officially abolished its block neutrality clause from the constitution in 2015. If looking from Sun Tzu’s perspective, each big block uses military they’re strategies to secure Ukraine as their ally. From Russia providing strategic supply to separatists on the east of Ukraine, and the West providing similar financial help through institutions like IMF and the World Bank, to sanctions EU and the US imposed on Russia, in a belief that Russia must face consequences for its actions, just like criminal does in court. (Budjeryn, 2015) From one side there are large political blocks that have helping either official Ukrainian government or Ukrainian separatists, in their policy (as it is evident multiple budget bills to financially support Ukraine in the US Congress and Russia’s decision to send allege humanitarian convoys to Ukraine), from other side the lack of competent institution that ensures power within Ukraine, being the cause of this crisis, accusing to the realist perspective.

Similar tendencies can be noticed f the situation is looked upon from Chanakya’s way of thinking. According to the ancient Indian philosopher, the ruler is responsible for the welfare, security, and discipline of his people. In order to be competent to ensure this principle, he not only needs to be trained but also needs to be well advised, in order to excruciate governance. Suggesting that governance is possible only with assistance. (Kelly, 2013) This ideology in action may be seen with the correlation between the current vector of Ukrainian politics and the side that meets with Ukrainian officials more frequently. (Thompson, 2017) During the reign of pro-Russian president Yanukovych, Ukrainian government officials met more often with Russian diplomats and executives, after the revolution and 180-degree turn of Ukrainian political climate towards the West, new Ukrainian government started meeting more with western officials, mainly from the EU and the US. These diplomatic meetings may be compared to advisory meetings, as during these talks with sides coordinates their foreign policies towards each other. (Traynor and Grytsenko, 2013) The talk about realism cant proceeds without mentioning of Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, who believed that a well-off ruler shall never honor his word, and must use any means necessary to gain power. This side of radical realism is noticeable in ways leaders gain and sustain power in Russia, Ukraine, and the US. From multiple scandals with US elections and Trump’s victory to oppression and assassination of political opposition in Russia to two revolutions resulting in a change of government of Ukraine in the last 20 years (first one being

2004 Orange Revolution and second being 2014 Euromaidan Protests). Leaders of all three earlier mentioned countries, came to power with scandals and lies, with Russian president using any means necessary to stay in power.

Partly because Ukraine had so many revolutions is because it’s leaders either failed to fulfill their functions or had been elected with a rigged democratic procedure. This fully represents the idea Thomas Hobbes had in mid 17th century.

Our presidents were not able to follow their social contract, which they signed when they got elected by the people. (Kelly, 2013) The only reason why so ex-president Yanukovych got elected in the first place was because of his populist idea of joining the EU. After he took a U-turn in politics, combined failures to fully recover after 2008 economic crisis made people go out and protest in the streets, eventually removing the ruler and again entering into the state of nature, hence military actions and occupied territories as their result today.

(Traynor and Grytsenko, 2013) Ukraine had initially tried Croatian example of resolving the issue, by forcefully taking back the territories, by fast and swift type of warfare. In 2014, two-thirds of occupied regions were freed from Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, on 24th of August, Russia militarily intervened into Ukrainian conflict by using its armed forces to push back Ukrainian army. Currently, there is a stalemate, with small daily clashes and shellings. (BBC News, 2014) Carl Von Clausewitz, 19-the century German soldier, and then political critic, argued that war always leads to politics, and diplomatic talks eventually.(Kelly, 2013) Ukraine strives to maintain its power over it’s occupied territories, proposing Minsk and Minsk II agreements, while Russia, tried to sustain its political levers over Ukraine by demanding the breakaway regions to be autonomous. Ukraine used political negotiations trying to recover from an economical crisis caused by the war, with new trade agreements being signed with Canada and the EU, Visa liberalization agreement with the EU, and Russia being sued in International Court of Justice.

Liberalism Liberalism focuses more on human rights and other liberal values, acknowledging that governments themselves can be a threat to human liberty. Liberal ideologies tend to be more rational and less radical, more focused on cooperation and globalization. (K. Girvetz et al., 2017) Hugo Grotius, Dutch political scholar considered to be a child of prodigy and father of liberalism. He believed in life and property being natural rights of all individuals, and that people have powers to claim these rights, while the state doesn’t, thus, liberty is the only power that we have over ourselves. Being born during Dutch 105

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war for independence against the Spanish, he believed that the Dutch were restricted in rights by their Spanish landlords, and justified the forceful actions the Dutch took to oust the Spanish out of Holland (Kelly, 2013). Analogies can be down to the origins of the Ukrainian crisis. After riot police beaten up peacefully protesters, more and more people realized that their liberty of free speech was in danger, after Ukrainian parliament (which was controlled mainly by ex-president Yanukovych) passed a law prohibiting free assembly, free movement, and freedom of expression, more and more people went to protest to central streets of Kyiv peaking 1 million protesters on Kyiv’s Maidan. Protesters from Maidan were first to go fight pro-Russian separatists on the east of Ukraine, as they realized that Russian government is autocratic and not democratic, possible threat to their own rights and liberties (Krushelnycky, 2013).

One of the official positions of Kremlin, and possibly one of it’s biggest excuses for intervening into Ukrainian crisis is because it is afraid that ethnically Ukrainian government will press ethnic Russians living on the Southeast of the country. After coming to power, Ukrainian government made Ukrainian the only official language in Ukrainian, with Russian being the second official. Russia thinking that ethnic Russians are being oppressed by Ukrainians used it as an excuse to militarily enter Ukraine, “Protecting” its Russian speaking population (Yuhas, 2014).

Will of Ukrainians to join the EU is justified by Jose Maria Luis Mora thinking. Young Mexican liberal challenged his conservative opposition with the argument that there can be no development without modernizations. He argued that adjustments to policy are necessary for state’s survival.

(Kelly, 2013)Ukrainians, having European history and ancestry, decided to move towards the West, in hope of being part of clear and efficient markets, away from post-soviet republicanism.

The wish for better standards of living prompted Ukrainians to protest Yanukovych’s decision of signing a trade association agreement with Russia and it’s aligned states over the EU (Yuhas, 2014).

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Marxism & Radicalism Marxism and radicalism are relatively newer ways of political thought. They mostly base themselves on economic aspects of policy, and in many cases are too far left or too far light to be implemented in a modern European environment.

Auguste Comte was a French philosopher in the 19th century.

He believed that family is a basic social unit, and attack on family means full degradation of a society of an attacker. As mentioned before, Russia used alleged oppression of ethnic Russians as a reason to intervene militarily, but according to Auguste Comte, it also intervened because it claimed that Ukrainian army pillaged local residents (Kelly, 2013). But as it turns out, Russian also took part in pillaging shops, corrupting local business, and robbing pedestrians, suggesting that human and society values are degenerating because of this conflict and all hypocrisy that is tied with it (Kuzio, 2016).

If this crisis is looked upon from the syndicalist Georges Sorel perspective, we can once again see one of the reasons for this crisis (Kelly, 2013). Ukrainian always had a myth, based on post-soviet orientalist thinking, that everything from the west is better, including the standards of living. This prompted them to want to become a part of EU, simply out of a wish for better future. The spirit and hope for European future powers Ukrainian protesters during Euromaidan protests, anti-terrorist operation on the east of Ukraine. Georges Sorel believed that myth or goal is the most important aspect of a state. He also believes these goals must be achieved through aggression, as parliamentary democracies fail to supply these wishes, hence aggressive nature of the last revolution and the following occupation and armed conflict (Kuzio, 2016).

Many news outlets report rising nationalism in Ukraine after the start of the crisis. This can be justified by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s nationalistic views and the idea that severity is not given, but is earned. With the preceding of the crisis, Ukraine has experienced a huge patriotic and cultural rise. This is tied with an unconditional power to govern itself retiring to Kyiv, and wish getting rid of Moscow’s influence, protesters

overthrew the pro-Russian president. As Ataturk thought, sovereignty must be won by force, with a fight for Ukrainian sovereignty continuing to this day (Kuzio, 2016).

There are also domestic sources of this crisis within the aggressor state. According to Giovanni Gentile who was one of the first ones to conceptualize fascism, though that the law of nation take precedence over individual will, as all human and spiritual values lies within the state (Kelly, 2013). Every 9th of May, when the world remembers the victims of the Second World War, Russians celebrate the victory with parades and the cult of orange-black stripes (Georgian stripes). They celebrate victory over German fascism while cultivating own type of fascism, based on the cult of victory, great Russian past, and glorious future promised by the government. Fueled by propaganda, all of the mainstream individual action within Russia serves to preserve and expand the state, with Russian military intervention as “fight for freedom” (Arnold, 2016).

Russian current ideology is very isolationist. Which according to Carl Schmitt, conservative German political theorist, autocracy should occur during the exceptional situation. A situation which may threaten the state or the people. His justification for this idea was that an autocratic sovereign can operate in faster and more efficient ways.

Russian political elite follows this idea, by justifying Putin’s prolonged, anti-democratic rule as a solution in the fight against American influence (Arnold, 2016).

Ukrainian crisis can be observed from many perspectives and ideologies. This analysis finds political engineers to find possible solutions to this problem. The analysis of such case studies may provide insight into modern political issues as well as become a motivation for new political discoveries. It is important to observe and to be aware of such problems in each country, to avoid such conflicts like in Ukraine, Georgia, Transnistria, and Azerbaijan.

Bibliography: Arnold, R. (2016). Surveys show Russian nationalism is on the rise. This explains a lot about the country’s foreign and domestic politics.. [online] Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/ wp/2016/05/30/surveys-show-russian-nationalism-is-on-the-rise-this-explains-a-lot-about-the-countrys-foreign-and-domestic-politics/?utm_term=.8db7fda65f05 [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

BBC News. (2014). Ukraine crisis: Timeline - BBC News. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26248275 [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Budjeryn, M. (2015). The Reality and Myth of Ukrainian Neutrality. [online] World Affairs Journal. Available at: http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/ myth-ukrainian-neutrality [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Kelly, P. (2013). The politics book. London: Dorling Kindersley.

KRUSHELNYCKY, A. (2013). The Fight for the Maidan. [online] Foreign Policy.

Available at: http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/12/13/the-fight-for-the-maidan/ [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

K. Girvetz, H., Minogue, K., Ball, T. and Dagger, R. (2017). liberalism | Definition, History, & Facts. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberalism [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Kuzio, T. (2016). Two myths about nationalism and anti-Semitism in Ukraine. [online] Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ monkey-cage/wp/2016/08/01/ukraine-is-seeing-nationalism-and-anti-semitism-from-both-right-and-left-wing-forces/?utm_term=.6490cecf686e [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Patrushev, N. (2014). Ukraine crisis - the view from Russia. [online] the Guardian.

Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/24/sp-ukraine-russia-cold-war [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Thompson, N. (2017). Ukraine: Everything you need to know about how we got here. [online] CNN. Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/10/europe/ ukraine-war-how-we-got-here/index.html [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Traynor, I. and Grytsenko, O. (2013). Ukraine suspends talks on EU trade pact as Putin wins tug of war. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/21/ukraine-suspends-preparations-eu-trade-pact [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

Yuhas, A. (2014). Ukraine crisis: an essential guide to everything that’s happened so far. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2014/apr/11/ukraine-russia-crimea-sanctions-us-eu-guide-explainer [Accessed 24 Jul. 2017].

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Silence is an important aspect of bereavement in many cultures. Ceremonial silence is often used as an expression of sorrow, or a sign of respect towards the deceased, even in contemporary societies, and remains a powerful symbol of both. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, however, a dystopian society, Gilead, uses silence to bury the past, and consequently turns it into an instrument of female oppression, exemplified in the transformation of the protagonist, Offred.

The narrative-less, time-blurring nature of silence is crucial to Offred’s detachment from her past. During her morning routine, Offred catches herself in the act of eavesdropping, something she would never do with her former freedoms intact: “Sometimes I listen outside closed doors, a thing I never would have done in the time before.” (p.12) Offred consistently refers to her past life as the “time before”; the dates and reference points are fading and the world she can compare Gilead to, is slowly seeping out of her mind; the further Offred treads from her past, the closer she gets to complacency with the new order. The sporadic order of appearance of Offred’s memories suggests that she is rummaging through moments in her past, rather than reminiscing. For example, memories of Offred’s mother are brought to light earlier in the novel (p.16) than her attempted escape with Luke (p.53); chronologically they must be reversed. Offred cannot share her memories, and thus, cannot organize them in a coherent structure fit for a listener. The lack of a sense of time, introduced by continuous silence, allows Gilead to become a more realistic and reliable option for Offred.

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The obscurity of her memories due to a lack of external narratives also ensures that Offred’s identity is undergoing severe damage: “never” emphasizes that Offred is no longer the same person. The only part of communication available to her is listening, rather than speaking or asking, embodied in the imagery of “closed doors”; she is forced into a different identity through her silence. Much like their uniforms, restrain of speech reduces Gilead’s women to various functions, making true exchange impossible. The lack of choice in expression further molds Offred’s identity to the conformity of Gilead; she is no longer able to trust her emotional ties.

Reflecting on another “meeting” with the Commander, Offred stumbles in her thoughts, virulently correcting her mind’s error: “Make your life a tribute to the loved one. And [Luke] was, the loved… Is, I say. Is, is, only two letters, you stupid shit, can’t you manage to remember it, even a short word like that?” (p.135) The obscene lexis illustrates Offred’s emotional retaliation as she catches herself in the act of complacency.

The rhetorical questions and the repetition of “is” emphasize Offred’s frustration. Further through the novel, finding parts of former affection and companionship in Nick, Offred’s feelings fail to meet her expectations; a language not spoken dies. Her weakened self cannot indulge in the resistance’s struggle and Ofglen’s rebellion becomes foreign and tumultuous, a threat to the stable silence of Gilead, Nick, and the possibility of safe conception.

A state of physical satisfaction in a stable, though limited environment becomes more tempting to Offred over time until disagreement becomes irrelevant. During a morning walk, Ofglen asks Offred to look through her Commander’s papers in

order to help the resistance. Offred, however, does not accept, nor strongly decline. Her silence illustrates her transition to passivity and conformity. “I hardly listen to her, I no longer credit her. The things she whispers seem to me unreal. What use are they, for me, now?” (p. 158-159) The use of “no longer” and “now” demonstrate Offred’s awareness of the changes and her unwillingness to fight back. The possibility of resistance became “unreal” and undesirable in its tempestuousness, while Gilead gained in colour and texture. At this point, silence has grown onto Offred and holstered her speech, and only a threat to her current state is enough to wake her up to the nightmare of Gilead at the end of the novel.

Offred’s journey through silence led her from active, although internal, rebellion to passive complacency. At first, she latches onto her past values and reinvigorates her emotions, however, by the end of the novel it can occur to the reader that her internal battles have seized and passive silence ensues. Memory has been denuded and identity deformed, illustrating a startlingly efficient weaponization of speech, or rather, absence thereof. Offred’s transformation in The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a cautionary tale, and raises questions about modern use of censorship and various other silencing. One can only so much stress the urgency of the answers.

Reference List

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K AT E R I N A S C H M I T T , G R A D E 1 1 , U N D E R N E AT H , E M B R O I D E R Y 2.

Z O YA S C H M I T T , G R A D E 1 1 , S H E ’ S S O T I N Y, I C O U L D B R E A K H E R , EMBROIDERY 3.

L I U B OV B E SA R A B, G R A D E 11, T O T H E D E AT H ! , E M B R O I D E R Y

Atwood, M. (2017). The Handmaid’s Tale. Random House Inc.

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MARGINALIZATION OF WIVES IN THE HANDMAID’S TALE LIZA SHEVETOVSKA GRADE 12

There are plenty blank spaces in the reader’s understanding of lives that the Wives lead in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. The first person narrator, Offred, gives limited perspective upon this topic as she is deprived from intimacy and friendship with other women. The lack of information that Offred has about the Wife of her house, Serena Joy, creates an impact on the reader that Serena Joy and her husband don’t spent time together at all. Offred’s position may be viewed as one of a servants’ that live with their master and would imply that she knows about what goes on between the husband and Wife, however Offred seems to omit any information of that kind. Perhaps this author’s choice is meant to show that Wives, or at least Serena Joy, don’t spend time with their husbands like conventionary happy couples seen in movies do. In the Gilead society, Wives are shown to be marginalized through Offred’s narrow knowledge of their lives, specifically of their sexual and romantic relationships with husbands and their segregation from women of other positions.

Wives are deprived of their freedom to choose a partner, which sets up the ground for a likely unhappy marriage, evident from the lack of romantic interactions between the Wife and the husband. The line “the marriages are of course arranged” (Atwood, 2005, pg. 231) makes this concept appear as a norm, which by a modern reader would be considered a forced act. In the context of the book, however, being a Wife is the optimal scenario, because it makes a woman secure, protected, and privileged, as she can keep her name and is responsible to mother a child. When describing her game of ‘Scrabble’ with the commander, Offred says that “Now it’s something he can’t do with his Wife” (Atwood, 2005, pg. 149), further showing how limited the interactions are between 110

the Wives and Commanders. If something as platonic as playing Scrabble is forbidden for a Wife and her husband, then there are a lot more limitations that Offred either doesn’t know or isn’t telling the reader about. Unlike the reader’s understanding of modern romantic traditions, such as dates, in Gilead “there is nowhere, any more, where a man can take a woman, out (Atwood, 2005, pg. 243)”, displaying the lack of romanticism between a Commander and a Wife, because it’s not necessary for the ultimate goal of procreation.

Like other women in Gilead, Wives are forbidden to experience sexual pleasures that were parts of their normal lives before the governmental reforms. “Arousal and orgasm are no longer thought necessary” (pg. 105), even though they occur naturally during a mutual sexual act. In The Handmaid’s Tale, however, those are signs of “frivolity” (pg. 105), since the sexual act has only one purpose – procreation. Husbands, on the other hand, need to be aroused and receive an orgasm, which shows that Wives are treated less equally than husbands.

More so, Husbands don’t have sex with their Wives anymore, but only with their Handmaids. Wives endure a ritual, every month, where they see their husband penetrating a Handmaid in their lap. In the society prior to the new laws it was “normal” for a wife and a husband to have sex alone, without a third party. The new adaptation could even be considered cheating, except the Wife has no right to oppose it. The women that the Wife sees being penetrated by her husband also lives in her house, which would naturally cause her to be hostile towards the Handmaid, even though the ritual is done for the Wife’s and commander’s sake. This enforced way of sexual contact is the catalyst of the venomous relationship between women in the household.

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Like Handmaids, Marthas and Aunts, Wives are limited to the role that they were assigned in the society, marginalising, and limiting them in their choice of occupation and role. The Wives’ job is to look after the Marthas and Handmaids, and then take care of the child, when or if it’s born. The Wives are restricted to the perimeters of their house, except for “visiting another Commander’s Wife” (pg.162) and in Serena Joy’s case, since she doesn’t have a child yet, her only job is to look after Offred and Rita. A reader could take this as an opportunity to interact with the maids, however in the Gilead society, “Friendships were suspicious” (pg. 81), so Wives weren’t able to get close with their servants even if they wanted to. It would be unlikely that they did, especially with the Handmaids, because as discussed earlier, Handmaids have sex, willingly or not, with the Wives’ husbands, and because they are fertile, which makes them more valuable in the society. Handmaids are however taught by the Aunts that the Wives will “resent you. It is only natural. Try to feel for them” (pg.56), which

shows that female resentment is ingrained in their society as a norm. This marginalizes Wives from other women because they are expected to be hostile to Handmaids.

Not only are wives marginalized by the lack of interactions with their husbands, they are also put in the position where they are hated by other women in their household, and have to live with them against their will. Women in the Gilead society before the reforms were free to take on any jobs they like, and weren’t put into the mindset where they have to separate themselves from other women, and where they turn against each other. Not only do Wives not have friendships with other women in their household, they don’t even have warm relationships with their husband. They don’t go on dates, don’t play Scrabble, and don’t have any sexual intimacy. For a modern reader, who is free to have any relationship they wish with anyone they like, the Handmaid’s Tale is a portrait of what the lack of having this freedom does, which makes the reader cherish their liberty and rights more.

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CONTENTS 4

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FOREWORDS

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PSI YOUNG AUTHOR’S AWARD WINNERS 2018 KG - G 2

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PSI YOUNG AUTHOR’S AWARD SUBMISSIONS 2018 KG - G 2

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POETRY WINNERS

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POETRY WINNERS

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POETRY

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POETRY

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NARRATIVE WINNERS

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NARRATIVE WINNERS

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NARRATIVE

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FRONT COVER: YA E L R O T E M S I M O N , G R A D E 5

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FOREWORDS This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ink Stains magazine contains a collection of entries written by PSI students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and a selection of artwork from both primary and secondary students created during the academic year 2017-2018. The Alexander Literary and PSI Young Authors Awards are an old tradition at PSI which show no sign of aging and each year give us fresh perspectives and exciting ideas from students across the whole school.

Primary students connected their writing to the Theme of Seeds for the Future: Kindness, Teamwork, Values. The theme was a critical factor when the winners in both poetry and fiction categories were decided in the primary school competition. No matter what the future holds, we believe that kindness, teamwork and values are all essential for PSI students moving forward to wherever the world takes them.

The idea of the future has been prevalent across whole school events this year including the Futures Forum FF#4 exhibiting what the future might look in 2038. Students, parents and teachers were engaged in thought provoking discussions and presentations around the areas of work, technology, education, entertainment, food and the arts. The high quality entries received this year demonstrate that these diverse interests are shared by our students. We believe that whichever direction students choose to take in their future life the key values that have been modelled and nurtured at PSI will help them make positive contribution to the world.

Seeds for the future - Kindness, teamwork and values. This was the theme for the 2017/18 Young Authors competition.

Poetry and Narratives were submitted from every grade level and the amount of students entering this competition continues to grow. With so many entries, it is sometimes difficult to judge which is why we select a wide range of Grade 5 students and PSI teachers to read all entries and choose what they feel to be the strongest pieces of writing.

Congratulations to all the winners, a big thank you to everyone who entered and a special thankyou to all those who participated on the judging committee. We hope that we will see you again next year submitting more fantastic pieces of writing and showcasing the incredible writing talent that exists at PSI.

BRYAN REARDON Young Authors competition organiser.

5th Grade Teacher.

PAM YORK AND POLINA SPENCER PSI Librarians

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05 ILINCA NAFTANAILA 06 KASIA SRNA

01 LEAH BAKUNENKO 02 WELBY SMITH 03 SHAHAR SHANY

04 IOANA NAFTANAILA 05 SOFIYA KRUPCHAK

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PSI YOUNG AUTHOR’S AWARD WINNERS 2018 KG - G 2

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P O E T RY W I N N E R S

P O E T RY W I N N E R S

N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

1st Place 10 TRAVELLING WITH KINDNESS Lilith Barbolet-Swift 2L 2nd Place 12 THE KINDNESS POEM Savannah Parkinson 2L 3rd Place 13 KINDNESS DAY Kasia Srna 2L

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1st Place 14 HEART MADE FRIENDSHIP Sofiya Krupchak 5R 2nd Place 15 KINDNESS FOR EVERYONE Shahar Shany 4A 3rd Place 16 THE FEELING OF KINDNESS Ioana Naftanaila 4A

1st place 18 HOW MARIA GAVE HER BAG Ilinca Naftanaila 2L 2nd Place 20 TWO TURTLES Grisha Derkac 1H 3rd Place 21 A NEW FRIEND Nareh Wilson 2L

1st place 22 WORKING AS A TEAM Welby Smith 3S 2nd place 23 THE LIFE OF A KINDNESS MANAGER Shahar Shany 4A 3rd place 30 THE KIND WORLD Leah Bakunenko 3L

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KG - G 2 P O E T RY W I N N E R S

TRAVELLING WITH KINDNESS LILITH BARBOLET-SWIFT GRADE 2L

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PLACE 1 ST

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THE KINDNESS POEM SAVANNAH PARKINSON GRADE 2L

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KINDNESS DAY KASIA SRNA GRADE 2L

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HEART MADE FRIENDSHIP SOFIYA KRUPCHAK GRADE 5R

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KINDNESS FOR EVERYONE SHAHAR SHANY GRADE 4A

2 ND PLACE

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

G 3-5 P O E T RY W I N N E R S

THE FEELING OF KINDNESS IOANA NAFTANAILA

3 RD PLACE

A L I S A M A AT TA N E N , G R A D E 5

GRADE 4A

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G 2 N A R R AT I V E

KG - G 2 N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

HOW MARIA GAVE HER BAG ILINCA NAFTANAILA GRADE 2L

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PLACE 1 ST

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G 2 N A R R AT I V E

KG - G 2 N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

TWO TURTLES GRISHA DERKACH GRADE 1H

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2

ND PLACE

KG - G 2 N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

A NEW FRIEND NAREH WILSON GRADE 2L

PLACE 3 RD

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

G 3-5 N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

WORKING AS A TEAM WELBY SMITH GRADE 3S

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PLACE 1 ST

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

G 3-5 N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

THE LIFE OF A KINDNESS MANAGER SHAHAR SHANY GRADE 4A

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PLACE 2 ND

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D W I N N E R S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

G 3-5 N A R R AT I V E W I N N E R S

THE KIND WORLD LEAH BAKUNENKO GRADE 3L

PLACE 3 RD

M AYA V E N T U R A , G R A D E 1

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

PSI YOUNG AUTHOR’S AWARD SUBMISSIONS 2018 KG - G 2 P O E T RY

34 A LOT OF FRIENDS Danya Kazhvin 1S

G 3-5 P O E T RY

53 KIND Alec Boston 4H

62 KINDNESS ALWAYS COMES BACK

72 THE SOUTHERN SEAS Valentina Huitfeldt 5R

120 GROWING POTATOES Felix Frellesen & Abigail Landucci 3S

Maryana Pesina 4A

36 RAINBOW SONG Defne Erureten 1L

54 RUN TO THE END Daniel Lunev 4H

76 ALEX TURNER AND 63 THE WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW

37 FLOWER Anahit Kazarian KA

55 IS EVERYONE DIFFERENT?

THE WORLD OF DEATH

Yaroslav Krupchak 3S

Marc - Alexander Delumeau 4A

138 THE FAIRY TALE HISTORY

Mariia Zhurzhii 4A

92 OUR TRIP TO AMERICA

Reuben Parkinson 4H

130 SCARY BERMUDA BIRTHDAY

Sasha Gordiyenko 4A

Maria Repyeva 4A

56 MY NEW KITTEN MURRA KG - G 2 N A R R AT I V E

98 THE TWO SIDES

Sofiia Spatar 4H

65 MAKING THE WORLD 42 THE CURSE OF THE KING Felix Nemikas 2L

57 CONFIDENCE Arina Shulmeister 4H

140 KINDNESS DEPENDS

G 3-5 N A R R AT I V E Arina Shulmeister 4H

A BETTER PLACE Kirill Moret 4H

100 THE HEROS Qayyim Izra 3S

44 KINDNESS IN THE PLAYGROUND

58 KINDNESS Mark Lirnyk 4A

Sofiia Spatar 4H

Ilse van Wingerden 4A

146 THE SCHOOL LABYRINTH Mariia Zhurzhii 4A

Jua Choi 4H

116 TWINKLES STOREYS Daria Burma 3L

60 GRANDPA’S DOG BONIE Alina Badritdinova 4H

69 BILLIONAIRE BOY Andrey Zulumovic 4H

118 THE MAGIC SHOES Viktor Erben 3S

Marnie Crompton 2M

61 EVERYONE HAS KINDNESS Matilda Crompton 4A

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Darya Abu Shakra 5R

68 SAVING ANIMALS

Sasha Afonin 1L

49 KINDNESS STORY

108 MIELY’S PET Rebecca Maasdam 3S

59 HURT NO LIVING THING

144 A MESSAGE TO YOU

66 THE BIG ESCAPE

Isabella Nicholson 1H

46 THREE KITTENS

ON MANY THINGS Maryana Pesina 4A

70 THE MAGIC LABYRINTH Alina Badritdinova 4H

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 P O E T R Y

A LOT OF FRIENDS DANYA KAZHVIN GRADE 1S

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 P O E T R Y

RAINBOW SONG

FLOWER

DEFNE ERURETEN

ANAHIT KAZARIAN

GRADE 1L

GRADE KA

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 P O E T R Y

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 P O E T R Y

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 N A R R AT I V E

THE CURSE OF THE KING FELIX NEMIKAS GRADE 2L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 N A R R AT I V E

KINDNESS IN THE PLAYGROUND ISABELLA NICHOLSON GRADE 1H

ROMEN BASU, GRADE 2

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 N A R R AT I V E

THREE KITTENS SASHA AFONIN GRADE 1L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 N A R R AT I V E

KINDNESS STORY MARNIE CROMPTON GRADE 2M

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • K G - G R 2 N A R R AT I V E

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

KIND ALEC BOSTON GRADE 4H

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

RUN TO THE END

IS EVERYONE DIFFERENT?

DANIEL LUNEV

REUBEN PARKINSON

GRADE 4H

GRADE 4H

Standing there won’t help.

Go! Run to the finish line, Never stop until it ends.

Go forward, never backward Look for the future, not the past.

Today is a new day and it’s never coming back.

No matter if it’s snowing just go forward and never give up.

There is nothing to be afraid of.

For know nothing matters But running to the end.

Even if the race is over But you are not.

So go on, until you reach your goal and nothing can stop you in your path.

Is everyone different I look in the the sky A star twinkles What does this mean?

It’s in my head FOREVER! It’s like I can’t get it out of my mind!

Ahh! Do I have to drill it OUT!?!

I think everyone isn’t the same No way but what about twines Nahh there not…”Exactly” the same Or are they?

I think in my head There’s something what is it?

The answer It’s so...Ripe I can see it It’s there Everyone is...Is different!

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

MY NEW KITTEN MURRA

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

CONFIDENCE ARINA SHULMEISTER GRADE 4H

SOFIIA SPATAR GRADE 4H

One day, I really wanted a kitten, I wanted her to be fluffy as a mitten, And one day I got one, She was going down a street, She saw a car and ran to it, Wanting to get some warmth, I saw her, And I called her, I took her up, Her paws were very cold, We took her to the house, She played with a toy mouse, We named her Murra, I like my new kitten, She was colorful and fluffy as a mitten, It was really kind giving her a new home.

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Confidence, sounds cool But what does it mean?

Is it a bird Or just a word Or even who knows what, But maybe something else.

After a few years, I thought again And this is what I came to It’s my very own value.

I can’t live without confidence I need it in everything In dancing under that fencing In singing or ringing But also with it, I am me And with it everyone would become free.

And if everybody would know confidence Maybe in face Then everyone would have the base.

And in that life base We will all have the grace.

And this is my value, Confidence.

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

KINDNESS MARK LIRNYK GRADE 4A

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

HURT NO LIVING THING ILSE VAN WINGERDEN GRADE 4A

Kindness is a furry pillow that was beaten by a kitten it was flying through the room Through the bathroom door and pool in 2 seconds or just less it will fly outside The nest now the world is starting spinning everybody now is good there are No more angry bully’s that destroying all the good all the robbers all the evil are

No pain to things that live No plants to be stepped on A red rose shines with love A blue bird flies in happiness No day with sadness A day with happiness Is something everybody likes But not to fight for When you give someone something special They will give you something in return No harm nor violence nor pain The world should live in peace and harmony

Not seen in world like poop.

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

GRANDPA’S DOG BONIE

EVERYONE HAS KINDNESS

ALINA BADRITDINOVA

MATILDA CROMPTON

GRADE 4H

GRADE 4A

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 P O E T R Y

KINDNESS ALWAYS COMES BACK

THE WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW

MARYANA PESINA

MARIIA ZHURZHII

GRADE 4A

GRADE 4A

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE KIRILL MORET GRADE 4H

One day Max wanted to make the world a better place. So firstly Max needed a team, so he gathered up some people and he had a team, but Max was the boss. Next he had a team, so he and his team decided to clean up some trash around the world.

When he and his team did that, they decided to take a rest. Secondly Max was very impressed. He was impressed because he and his team cleaned the world! By first doing easy things then harder things and then the most difficult things. Max loved to make the world a better place, it was his dream and the dream came true. Thirdly Max and his team believed in themselves that it is possible to make the world a better place. Max told them that it was possible. Also they made the world a better place by helping people, other schools, saying kind words. Also they gave homeless people some food because they don’t have any food, no food at all. This is how Max and his team helped to make the world a better place. If you want to make the world a better place then you might be interested in this story.

ALEXANDER ERBEN, GRADE 5

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

THE BIG ESCAPE SOFIIA SPATAR GRADE 4H

Once upon a time, there lived a white labrador dog named Bella, a white, ginger and black kitten named Murra and black and grey cat named Olivia. They all lived in a big forest. They had one big house. Everything was excellent until a man came. The man was catching animals for the zoo. And one day he found there house. Everyone was working so, they didn’t see the man on outside. After that, the man went inside their house, took out his weapon and shooted in each animal once. The weapon wasn’t to kill. It was just to get them asleep and bring them to the zoo. When the animals woke up, they were in a complete different place. They were in cage! The cage was big and had everything what they need, food, water and even some toys. But they wanted to go home! Where it’s peaceful, nice, good, one word excellent. Then Bella had an idea, she said “Let’s escape!”. After that, Murra and Olivia said “Yes, let’s escape!”. Then Olivia said “Let’s escape this night. When everybody will go to sleep, we will start to escape. We will dig a tunnel which will lead out of the zoo. Okay?”.

“Okay”, Bella and Murra said together. So, on this night when everybody was asleep, Murra, Olivia and Bella digged a tunnel. Well, they tried to. It was hard to dig a tunnel because, they didn’t know where to dig and they weren’t working like a team. Then Murra said “I think if we want to escape we need to be a team and work like a teamwork”. “Yes, you are actually right”, said Olivia. “I agree, let’s be a team”, said Bella. So, they all digged a tunnel together and finally they were free. Then, they understood that they didn’t know where to go so, they went where their eyes looked. Soon, they got to a big scary forest. It looked scary because it was dark and it was making weird noises. First, they walked normal. But then, they saw a big waterfall. In relief there was a big old dark tree to walk on, to get to another side. But while they were walking on the old tree Murra almost fell down because, she tripped over

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a branch. She was hanging on one paw. She tried to get up on the tree again but couldn’t.

So she said “Can you please help me? HELP!”. When Bella and Olivia heard Murra yelling for help, they ran as fast as they could to her. After that, Bella and Olivia helped Murra get back up on the tree. Then Murra said “Thank you, we have a great team”. After that, they all continued their trip. The second thing they found was mud. No one wanted to go through the mud because, they might get stuck. But then, Bella found some rocks. Bella said “We could jump on the rocks and get to the other side”. There were four rocks to jump on and that was enough. So, they all jumped on the rocks. The third place they found was awesome. They walked so far and they found… Hogwarts castle! They had a chance to meet Harry Potter and his friends so, they went looking for them. Thankfully Harry Potter just finished Quidditch match (Gryffindor won!). They wanted to stay, but they couldn’t because, they didn’t have where to stay. So, they went on. Soon, they got out of the forest. Everyone was happy. But then, they realized they had nowhere to go. After that, they saw some people. The people were three girls. The girls were named Maria, Alina and Sophia. Then Olivia said “Let’s choose an owner and then we will have a home”. “Okay”, Murra and Bella said together. The animals walked to the girl they liked the most. Bella to Alina, Murra to Maria and Olivia to Sophia. The girls loved the animals and took them home. The animals saw each other when, they were walking on outside with their owner. All of the animals and the girls lived excellent.

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

SAVING ANIMALS

BILLIONAIRE BOY

JUA CHOI

ANDREY ZULUMOVIC

GRADE 4H

GRADE 4H

Once upon a time, there was a forest called Sun Forest. But from this week, people tried to kill animals in the Sun Forest. Also, they were cutting all of the trees. The forest was not really a forest now. Still, there were some more animals left. It was still dangerous to stay at Sun Forest. At another forest called RainForest, the animals were healthy and plants were growing very well. In that forest a man called Tol lived there. He was not living in a house.

He lived in a tent. He had lots and lot of different kinds of animals. Tol loved animals and plants but he couldn’t see animals from other forest. He knew almost every animal and all kinds of plants and trees. And the all the animals escaped to the RainForest. Animals were healthy there because Tol helped the animals. But after a few weeks people who were trying to kill animals, they came to rainforest to kill animals.They went to Tol.”Who are you?”

They asked. “Hi I’m Tol. I help animals that lives here.” “How can I help you?” Tol asked. “We are here to kill animals.” They said. “What?” Tol said in really surprised voice. They started to kill them but animals were very strong and fast enough to escape and run away from the people who were trying to kill animals. Tol was very confused. The animals came back from where they escaped. They ran to people. People were also very confused about this. People got really scared, so they ran away from the forest.

After 5 month, they came back to the forest. Tol asked. “Are you still trying to kill animals?” People said, “No, no, no!” “we are here to help you to save the animals.” “What?”

Tol said,”Are you really here to help me?” “Sure.” They said.“Thank you, thank you very much!” From that day, they started to save animals. They went around the world and forests. And after that they saved and they helped animals forever!!

Once upon a time there was a boy called Joe. He had everything he wanted: Two alligators as pets, 100 inch plasma TV, go cart track in his back garden and pool in his front garden.

His dad’s name is Mr. Spud.

Joe went to a school with rich people, but all of them made fun of him because he was the smallest in class.

It was also his birthday, Mr. Spud asked him “what is your birthday wish son?” Joe said “my birthday wish is a friend.

Early next day Joe wanted to go to go a normal school with normal kids and were no one knows him.

On the next day it was Joe’s first day of his new school when he entered the school he was worried if he will ever find a friend there and there was one more boy sitting on a bench and saw Joe being really sad so the boy came to Joe and sad “Hi, my name is Bob and what is your name?” Joe said “ my name is Joe, do you want to be friends?” “Sure,” said Bob. And that was how Joe found his friend.

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I N K S TA I N S • P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

THE MAGIC LABYRINTH ALINA BADRITDINOVA GRADE 4H

Once upon a time, there lived a family. That family had four members. (Not counting the cat). DadRichard, Mom-Stephania, Bigger sister-Caroline and the small boy-Max. One day, Simon the cat went for a walk in the garden. Then he saw a flower in the garden next to them. But Caroline was already there. “Do not even think Simon. You know that is the dark garden, do you remember the story mom used to tell us? A witch lived there, her name was Aprill. But once the cops came and wanted to take her. But she ran into the garden out of the house, and disappeared. From that time nobody ever saw her again.” Max ran out fetching a ball. “Telling the cat that boring black story again?” “It’s not boring, it is interesting.” One month passed. Caroline and Max were up to something well, kind of impossible.

That night they wanted to go look at the secret (black) garden. So, that night Max woke Caroline up and they both went to the black garden. They had to climb over the fence, which Caroline did not really like. In a while, that seemed like fifteen minutes they found the only plant in the garden. It was a flower, and the middle seemed like a button.

Max just loved clicking buttons. So, he decided to click it. But, before he reached out, Simon jumped over the fence. Then Max clicked the button. “I told you Max, it was just a flower. Said Caroline not surprised at all. However, in three seconds a staircase appeared leading to what seemed like a scary place. “So this is how the witch disappeared.

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I think that she clicked the button and ran down the spooky staircase. Let’s go Max, we are going to find that witch and tell her that it is now safe for her to return.” Max and Caroline ran down the staircase what seemed like forever. When they finally got to the end, they saw a garden. However, it was not similar to the black dark garden at all.

It was green and very beautiful. Then, just as they did their first step, they understood it was not just a garden, it was a labyrinth. When they walked already five minutes, they saw a quite small tablet that said “ENGLAND”. Max knocked on it once, twice, three times and they were in one of the cabins on London Eye. “Max! How did you know we had to knock?” “Well, I’ve seen this in a lot of movies and books, for example “Abby in Wonderland” is one of my favorite books and it has the knocking part to.”

“Hey, only I have this book did you steel it?” “No, I borrowed it for time without asking.” “Fine, but did it say in the book how to come back?” “Let’s try knocking on the London Eye. Max knocked once, twice, three times and they were back at the labyrinth. After walking fifteen minutes more, they saw another tablet that said “CHINA”. The same thing happened. Then, when they were back at the labyrinth Caroline said, “Let’s go to Canada for one hour and come back home if we don’t find Aprill there.” “Works for me!” said Max. They quickly find Canada. They were now close to the biggest waterfall in the world. When an hour passed, Max

knocked three times but nothing happened. Three hours passed and they were still in Canada. After one hour more of knocking, a fairy appeared out of the waterfall. This is what she said: “You have to do three kind things in this country.” Then she just disappeared in the air. Wait! Fairy! We do not know anyone here! There was no answer, it was hopeless. They started to think where they could find food and shelter. Then Caroline remembered that her uncle lived in Canada. Max! Our uncle lives in Canada! Exactly! We will go straight there and we will help him with the chores. That will be the first kind thing. Any ideas for number two? Caroline, first tell me the street our uncle lives on. Oh, yes it is ... Sacington street. Let’s ask people on our way where Sacington six street is. The first person we meet is a woman about forty years old. She has a big, what looks like a heavy bag with a cat inside.

She has blond hair and her hair was quite dark.

Sorry mam do you live around here? Why, yes I do was the response. If you do, would you be so kind to tell us where Sacington street is? Oh, yes it is a fifteen-minute walk from here. Thank you very much. Max and Caroline ran as fast as they could to get home in time for the morning. In Canada, there is time difference from home Caroline told Max. Caroline and Max finally arrived, ringing the doorbell Caroline held Max’s hand tightly. A man opened, it was uncle Pete. Caroline! Max! So glad you’re here, come on in. Now where are your parents? Max told uncle Pete everything that happened. In an hour, Pete allowed Max and Caroline to go out and play.

Caroline stayed and did the chores. Max decided to go outside and help someone out there. Then, of course, when Max came out he saw a big, tall tree.

Suddenly he saw an egg falling down the tree, and he caught it. Max climbed up the tree and placed the egg in the nest. Max carefully climbed down

the tree and ran up to the house to tell Caroline he has done a second kind thing. Caroline was happy, she said “Great! Good job Max, now one thing left what should we do?” ”Let’s take a walk and we’ll see what we can do.” They were walking to the waterfall they came to before. They saw a small, frightened kitten barely holding on a small, brown log. Max! See that kitten? We have to save him or make that a her. They found a big stick and turned it like a bridge. Caroline held Max by his legs and his head and arms were almost touching the water.

When the cat was right near Max, he got ready and got the cat. When Caroline said “Third kind thing!”

They were in the labyrinth with the cat in their arms. Hooray! They shouted. Because the kitten will live with them and they are now back home.

Not home, they were at the magic labyrinth but, still in their country. Then they saw a black hat near them in the labyrinth. Max was really fast and Caroline to, so they quickly caught up with the witch. “Sorry! Witch! Aprill! Can you come here?”

“Who are you and how did you enter my labyrinth?”

“We are your neighbors and we got here by clicking a button. We came to say that it is now safe for you to come back and the cops are looking for you in another country, so it is most likely that they will not find you. Thank you for coming to help me that was very kind of you to come and get me, it is not easy to catch up with another person only if you entered three countries, so I guess you entered three right?” “That is right we did now may we go?”

“Yes, the exit is on the right.” “Bye, cool labyrinth.”

In the morning, Caroline introduced the kitten to her parents, and they said they could keep her.

Then, the kids introduced the kitten to Simon. After that, the kitten was named Robin. Now the witch is still in that old house. Did you see her?

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P S I Y O U N G A U T H O R ’ S AWA R D S U B M I S S I O N S 2 0 1 8 • G 3 - 5 N A R R AT I V E

THE SOUTHERN SEAS VALENTINA HUITFELDT GRADE 5R

Today was the start of something new. I walked to the bus stop where I was supposed to meet Lizzie.

Lizzie was wearing a tight blue skirt. She had a blue top that she had tucked into her skirt. Her blonde wavy hair was dangling over her shoulders.

As soon as she spotted me she came over to say hi.

“Hey, Katie.” she said as she was walking towards me. “Hey!” I responded. I was wearing a white short sleeve dress with multicoloured butterflies everywhere. I have brown hair and I had two braids hanging down my shoulders. At the bus stop a couple other kids were waiting. The bus was due at 8 o’clock. I glanced down at my clock. The time was 7 : 57. Lizzie and I glanced down the street to see if the bus was approaching. A bit of yellow was coming around the corner. It stopped and everyone got on, including us. We went to the back of the bus. In the back there was already two students, “ What’s your name? Mine’s Katie.” I pointed at Lizzie, “ This is my friend Lizzie”. The two girls smiled and introduced themselves.

Julia and Amelia were their names. They whispered about all the boys in the bus and how cute they were. We didn’t talk at all after that. At around 8:15 we arrived at school. It was big and it was all covered in blue with all the windows coloured in light blue. At the top there was a ginormous sign that read KAIS. Under each letter there was a word. Under K, Karlsruhe ( this city) (in Germany). Under A, Academic. Under I, 72

International. Under S, School. I was here last year, but that was in the green building across the street ( Elementary ). I would always look across the street and think of the years that I would go here everyday. And the day had come. I took a deep breath and stepped into the school grounds.

There was no playground. I walked for about 100 m towards the school and then I turned to Lizzie.

She looked at me. When we stepped in the school with Lizzie both of our mouths hanged open. All the lockers, all the corridors, and all the classes. It’s so much different than elementary. The stairs that lead to second floor, the sign that read cafeteria with the sign of a fork and knife. The sign also saied bathroom and 2 directions. “Wow!” I breathed.

Lizzie tried to make a thumbs up but her hands are too busy examining the place. Julia and Amelia came over and like us, were amazed by the school.

We were enjoying our first day of Middle School together. At 10:10 we went out for recess there was only one thing in the playground and that was monkey bars.

For the next few weeks we were always playing together in the playground and always on the monkey bars. About three months into the school year was when it all started. Julia, Amelia, Lizzie and I were playing on the monkey bars like we always did during recess. It was mine and Amelia’s turn on the monkey bars. Amelia went before me and then I had gone. Our hands bumped together.

We both laughed. Amelia slipped and fell to the ground. She had gasped for air. Amelia and Julia had looked at us like we had done something wrong. Julia turn around and slapped her long blonde hair in my face. We haven’t seen them since then. Lizzie and I played alone, but we couldn’t play on the monkey bars because that’s where Julia and Amelia played. So we normally hanged around in the courtyard. “Hey Liz? I..I think we should go to the monkey bars. I mean we should talk to Amelia and Julia. We didn’t do anything wrong.” I nervously said to Lizzie. “Are you sure we haven’t talked to them in ages. Are you sure they are ready to forgive us?” Liz said quietly. We abandoned the idea. We both agreed that since Amelia broke her leg we couldn’t talk to Amelia or Julia. Yes I know, she broke her leg. Julia was convinced it was all my fault.

We entered the school. “ Hey Katie, let’s look at the club’s board.” Lizzie said pointing at the bulletin board with all the new clubs that different people were trying to form. Lizzie looked incredibly interested at a club called The Southern Seas, “It looks like they are doing fundraisers and saving up for a trip to the Italy on a ferry, and then staying there for a week during break. I walked over to where Lizzie was standing. Sure enough there was a Southern Seas planning to go to the Italy. “That could be interesting” I said looking more closely at the poster. We signed our names in the slots and

hoped for the best. We went to check who else had signed up the next day. Alex, Alex, Lizzie, Katie… “Oh no!” screamed Lizzie pointing at the sign up sheet.

Julia and Amelia stood clear at the bottom of the sheet. “We have to erase our name!” I whispered into Lizzies ear. “All kids signed up for the club The Southerns Seas come to the meeting room now. We have excused you from your classes.” The voice bombed in my ears. “Let’s go there and fix this!” Lizzie nodded her head in agreement. When we came to the meeting room we saw that it was totally re-decorated. It had big posters with a boats on top and there was bowls filled with candies shaped like boats. There were banners and all sort of decorations. I think I even saw a balloon. “WOW!!” My mouth was hanging open along with Lizzie’s. We sat down on one of the spots and helped ourselves with the candy. In about 5 minutes time all the other club members entered the room with Miss Harnden behind them.

“Thank you for coming here today. All of you have been accepted to Southern Seas also referred to as SS. Meatings will be every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during lunch and once on Wednesday after school. Your goal is to save up money with fundraisers and once you have enough money fly to Italy. One of you has to plan your trip, hotel and food. Always have a little extra money. I would recommend you go next to the sea. Meatings start today and you have 45 min now to get started. I 73

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will be your supervisor through the club meetings.

I will leave you alone.” Miss Harnden left the room.

“Ok so does everyone know everyone else? I don’t know you, you, you and you.” Alex pointed at me, Lizzie, Amelia and Julia.

“Say your name and what you like to do when it’s your turn. I will go first. My name is Alex and I like surfing and playing on video games.”

He pointed to his friend next to him, “ My name is Adam. I like reading and drawing.” he pointed to me. “ My name is Katie and I like reading and crafting.”

I pointed to Lizzie, “ My name is Lizzie and I like animals and singing.” now it was Julia’s turn, “ I like.. No wait My name is Julia and I like monkey bars and photography.” She smiled at Amelia and Amelia smiled back, “ My name is Amelia. I like programming and writing.” I missed Amelia. A LOT. Julia and I never really got along but Amelia were really good friends (not as good as me and Lizzie but..). We used to always hang out and plan slumber parties together.. “ Ok, so our first fundraiser. Any Ideas?” We all raised our hands and Julia went over to the board.

Before calling on us she wrote Bake Sale on the board. “Alex?” she asked. “I got two ideas. One is a Money War. The other is a Lottery.” Julia wrote these ideas on the board as Alex said them. Julia pointed to Adam. “Well, we could do a auction?”

Julia wrote that on the board and handed Amelia the whiteboard marker. Amelia smiled, took it and pointed at me. “I think we could do sort of like an activity like programming and we could get like 1$ per lesson?” I was unsure but Amelia wrote it on the board. Then she wrote Language Lessons for money. Lizzie said, “We could write a book and sell it?” Amelia wrote it down. She sat down and I went up in front of the class. “Let’s vote on our first fundraiser. Everyone look down. Who votes for 74

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Bake Sale?” Adam’s, Amelia’s and Julia’s hand went up, “Don’t look up! Ok who votes for Money War? Two votes by the way.” Alex put up his hand. Julia hesitated but kept her hand down. I wrote 4 tally marks next to Bake Sale ( one for myself ) and 1 next to Money War, “Lottery?” No one raised their hand, “Auction.” Julia, Adam and Alex raised their hand and I put a vote for that, too (4 votes in total).

“Lessons?” Amelia’s hand went up and I wrote a 1 on the board, “Write a book?” Lizzie’s hand went up.

Everyone had voted twice so I called everyone to look up. “Ok so we are doing an Auction or a Bake Sale.”I told everyone. I gave the whiteboard marker to Lizzie. She took it and went over to the board, “ Let’s vote again. One vote. Close your eyes.” She said and everyone obeyed. “Who wants a Bake Sale?” she asked. Me, Julia, Amelia and Adam raised our hands. “Auction?” Adam raised a hand and so did Lizzie. “Bake Sale it is.” she sighed. “So let’s start planning it on Monday. Bye.” We all left the room.

“Lizzie, we have to leave the club we… well I can’t handle Julia!” I informed Lizzie when we were at the lockers. “Let’s go to Miss Harnden and see what she can do.” Lizzie said annoyingly. So we decided that at the end of the day( in one class ) we would see Miss Harnden. I took off my backpack and looked at my timetable. Lizzie glanced at my timetable. “Drama next.” she said. Drama was on the 3rd flour and we were on the 2nd so we didn’t have to go too far. We walked from the meetings room to the common room with the stairs. We climbed up and the topic of monkey’s came up. We talked about different types and what they eat.

“No! Gorillas don’t have fur around all their hands!

They have a little bit of skin in the middle!” Lizzie was saying. She took biology much more seriously than me. We entered the Drama room and sat at

our spots. We sat in the middle of the room, which I think is the best place, because it’s not at the front and it’s not to secretive that you NEVER get called on. This class in drama we learned about feeling the character and being in their position. It was an easy lesson but we did learn some new things.

“Ok, next stop Miss Harnden.” I said as I stepped out of the classroom. “Do we really have to go?”

Lizzie asked. I nodded my head. She nodded her head after me but looking a little bit insecure. Miss Harnden’s office was on the last floor and since we were all in a hurry because the bus left in 10 min we took the elevator. stepped into the elevator after Lizzie. She had already pressed the button and when I stepped in she closed the doors. I could feel the bottom of the elevator sinking and we were downstairs in about 36 sec. Miss Harnden’s office was the first thing that we saw. At the top it said School Counselor ( because she was also that ).

Miss Harnden was reading a book called ECHO it must have been more than 400 pg long and she was almost at the end. I knocked on the door and she looked up with her glasses. “What can I do for you?” She said in the same position. She put her book down and looked and me. “Miss K and Miss E! To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked when she saw Lizzie and me. She had called Lizzie Miss E because her real name was Elizabeth but everyone called her Lizzie. “ You see Lizzie and I..” Lizzie looked at me, “No, well I can’t work well with Julia.

We have a sad history.” I explained to Miss Harnden.

“Ok well I’ll see what I can do and inform you tomorrow with a solution.” She took up her book and kept on reading for a minute and then she put it down and started thinking. We left the room, and went to the busses. Lizzie and I were normally on different buses and today we were really close but

we were separated. My house was 3 streets away from Lizzie’s house but the streets were walking streets and cars can’t go so we are almost never in the same bus.

The next morning we met at the bus stop like always. We climbed on and sat in the front like we always did to avoid Julia and Amelia that always sat in the back. Their stop was after us. They smiled when they passed in front of us and sat in the back. We arrived at school in 10 min. We arrived early so we went to check on Miss Harnden. “Oh there you are great. Come here at recess and bring Julia and Amelia.” she instructed. We did as she said, at recess (10:10) we found Julia and Amelia and brought them to Miss Harnden. “Ok, as school counselor I am going to fix your friendship.” we all looked at each other as Miss Harnden pointed at 4 beanbags on the ground and we all sat down. “So why do you not want to be friends with Katie and Elizabeth?” she looked at Amelia and Julia.

Amelia pressed her lips together and looked down. Julia spoke up, “Katie broke Amelia’s arm.”. “ I am sure she didn’t mean to.” Miss Harnden said and looked at me. “ I didn’t, we were just playing on the monkey bars and Amelia fell! I didn’t mean to, our hands just bumped together and she fell like 15 sec later. I promise I didn’t mean to!” I nearly shouted. “Ok ok, Amelia do you think it was Katie’s fault?” Still looking down she shook her head. Julia looked at her, her eyes really big. “I missed you, Amelia!” I called out. After a while Julia smiled and so did Lizzie and Amelia. “ Ok well that’s solved.

Goodbye.” We all hung out together as we walked to the class. We talked about all the stuff we had done while we were not friends. It was so much fun! Italy here I come!!!

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ALEX TURNER AND THE WORLD OF DEATH MARC - ALEXANDER DELUMEAU GRADE 4A

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ANNA BUCKLE, GRADE 1

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OUR TRIP TO AMERICA MARIA REPYEVA GRADE 4A

Introduction We lived in Liverpool. It was Sunday the 7th of April, 1912. By that time everybody was talking about “The Great Titanic”. It was a great chance to move away from England to America. And to have a new business, a house, maybe a new family, a new life. I was turning 9, so I didn’t really understanding everything like I do now. So I was a little boy who enjoyed his life.my mom was obsessed with the Titanic. She had been saying: “ It is a great chance to start a new business!

John! Are you even listening to me?!”

But there was no use. Dad didn’t listen, but this day when we had breakfast, my dad was not listening to my mom at all! Instead, he looked at her and said; “ I bought 5 tickets on 1st class on the Titanic.”

Mom sat down, “ What?!” she opened her mouth.

I was watching them while eating a spoon of yoghurt. Then my mom stood up and started laughing, that was weird. I didn’t know what was going on. My older sister Louise started talking to her boyfriend really fast, only I didn’t understand anything. So I stood up on my place and yelled: “ WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!”

A second it was quiet, then everybody laughed. I didn’t know why were they laughing. But i started laughing with them too. Yeah, that was a fun day.

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Chapter 1 The large ship On Friday the 10th, I missed school. I was going to America! As our car drove along the port I saw an enormous ship in the sea.

“Wow!” I said looking at the ship with an exciting feeling in my stomach.

“Is that the sip we’re going to be on?” asked Louise like nothing really happened.

I rolled my eyes. How could she be so calm?! She was always thinking about adult stuff, so I guess that was the reason why she was never surprised.

I was thinking about it and maybe a bit too much.

And I said: “Yeah, a bit more and Louise will stop thinking at all. He he. Being old is not so good!”

It took me a second to figure out that I said it out loud. My eyes slowly moved to the direction Louisa was in.

“He he.” I tried imitating laughter.

“Louise is not old! She is young and gorgeous!”

Edd replied immediately.

Oh what a chatterbox! I thought to myself.

“Eddward is right, Louise is only 19, how rude was that!” my mom added.

Another one, but even older. I thought.

By now we were in the front of the ship. We took a safety test, until we were able to attend at the Titanic. When we took the test, we appeared

on the bow. A beautiful sea opened itself to me.

I was charmed until my parents called me to see our room in Deck A. I don’t know why was it so important, but my parents always added: “... deck A, deck A is …, on deck A..”

I was bored at the beginning, but then Edd looked at me. Only his look ment a lot, it had a deep meaning, like his paintings. He was a painter. So by his look, I understood that something was wrong with me.

“You need to look around.” he said thinking about something.

I looked around myself, then stared at Edd. “No I meant Titanic” This time Edd was right, I had to see everything that was on the ship. So i climbed out of annoying deck A and faced the bow.

Chapter 2 You saved me On my way to the bow I started singing. I sang badly, so sometimes I provided sounds similar to the squeaking of an old door. And when I heard sounds like that I wasn’t surprised. But again, again and again it annoyed me. I stopped singing. I stood still for a moment and then the sounds continued. I turned around.

“Oh, aaah, help!” I heard someone.

Slowly, I moved towards it.

“Someone!”

I understood it was serious. So I started running.

I was on the bow already. I saw the beautiful sea, but I had no time to watch the sunset. I looked around, and… and… nothing. No one was on the bow except me. And then I heard a loud: “Khe Khe!” I knew it was someone coughing. I started looking carefully. I saw a rope on the floor and I finally recognized a boy all tied up. He was really thin that is why I didn’t see him at the beginning. I came closer.

“Can you, I don’t know, help me?” he said looking at me.

I helped him get up.

“Thank’s boy, you saved my life” he said with a giant American accent.

“Oh, how you talk that way, you …”

I know I don’t use to talk like you, but I’m from New York, so don’t judge me for my talkin’!”

I provided some kind of laugh, we laughed together.

“I’m in 3rd class, you?”

Chapter 3 Tell me about yourself “Tell, me about yourself, I wanna know how good is it to have parents.”

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He saw confusion on my face, so he added.

“I’m getting a new family.”

“Oh! Good!” I said I was happy and sorry for him at the same time.

“Din.” he said extending his hand so I could shake it.

“How old are you?” I asked “I’m 9, but you wanted to tell me about yourself!” he said back.

I smiled and started my story.

“You know Liverpool? I live there. My family is rich. I’m 9, my name is Rodger and I certainly hate to sing!”

I was lying, I liked to sing even though I did it badly.

I continued.

“I have a dad - John, a mom - Sophie, a sister - Louise, and her boyfriend - Edd. He calls himself Eddward. Oh, and I also have my grandma - Anitta I call her Anne.”

“How old is your sister?” Din asked suddenly.

“She’s 19, sometimes I call her grandma Louise.”

We giggled.

“My dad is a judge that’s why I don’t recommend arguing with him. My mom… my mom, my mom she’s a secretary. Louise is a painter like her boyfriend is.”

We were sitting, chatting, laughing at dumb rules in school. I didn’t notice when it became dark.

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he was coming closer.when the person was in the meter from us, I recognized it was Edd standing in front of me.

“Edd! Hi! That’s my new friend Din!” Edd looked at Din. Din waved with a silly face.

“Nice to meet you.” quipped Edd “Rodger, I was sent to tell you that the dinner has started and you have to be present.”

I sighed and followed Edd.

Chapter 4 Engaged!

We went to the rooms. I understood that I’ll have to change my clothes to the fancy dinner wear.

“Oh, no.” I whispered to myself.

Edd cast a disapproving glance at me. I turned red.

So i went in to the room without saying a word. No one was there. I changed my clothes to the fitting costume left on the back of the chair by my mom.

And left the room.

Going to the restaurant, I ran up the stairs.

“Din?! What are you doing here?!”

“Shush!” he whispered.

“Okay, Din?! What are you doing here?!” I whispered back.

“I’ll tell you, but you have to help me. You see, Jacob, who was sent with me to make sure I’m given to my new parents is drunk. In the restaurant of 3rd class they’re givin’ lots of beer and I didn’t

find any proper food” “I’ll help you, follow me.”I said We sneaked through the deck a and were already in the restaurant. I looked around hoping no one saw us. But then I heard my mom calling me. I went up to her leaving Din all alone.

“Yes?” I said trying to not look back at Din. “Sit down for a moment.” mom said. Something in her voice was odd. She was crying and smiling at the same time.

I sat down. Nothing seemed different. Then I saw Edd and finally understood. Edd was standing on the stage, where music was played a minute before. Edd took a microphone, got down on one knee and said these unbelievable words!

“Louise Anne Morgan, will you be my wife?”

“Yes!” she said crying “Engaged!” someone shouted.

Everyone stood up and clapped. This was my chance. I took a piece of already hard bread and threw it to Din. But unfortunately, there was a beautiful vase next to Din and it shattered to smithereens. I still remember that deafening sound of breaking glass. Everyone turned around and looked at me. My mom said I ruined the engagement and their dinner.

Chapter 5 I see an iceberg!

Four days passed. Everyday after dinner I visited

the bow with Din. On Tuesday 14th at 11 o’clock we were still chatting on the bow. I it was already cold.

I yawned.

“I’ll go, I think I’m supposed to be in the room already.”

And suddenly we heard someone screaming.

“An iceberg! Iceberg! ICEBERG!” We turned around instantly, and saw a giant iceberg in the front of the ship, then a deafening sound field the air. I guessed then that the iceberg struck the ship and now we were sinking. No that couldn’t be true, mad idea! I thought. I tried to calm myself down. As the ship hit, it started turning and stopped. To turned to each other and screamed: “Aaaaaaaaaah!”

I started running around. 20 mins later I figured out, it was a a good idea to run to my mom. So I did. I woke the whole family up.

“Mom! Dad! Iceberg! Hit! Sink!” I said disconnectedly.

“Wait, what?” my mom interrupted.

Then a staff member ran in our room.

Chapter 6 I will save you again He thought for a moment.

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added when dad took one.

Everything else was happening really fast. When we were evacuated to the bridge, I could see people running around, trying to get on the lifeboats. There actually weren’t enough lifeboats for everybody.

I was really really scared. I looked around. Louise was lost. It was to crowded, because lots of people panicked and started running around. I was scared that Louise will die. I wanted to go searching for her, buy dad held my hand. Then he sat on his knees and grabbed my shoulders.

“Rodger, me and your mom love you a lot. No matter what it happening, you should know I love you.” he said.

His eyes were full of tears. I never saw my dead crying before.

“Now, sweetheart you should go with your mom to the lifeboat. It will take you away to another ship, and the ship will bring you to America.”

“But dad! What about you?!” I was scared even more and didn’t understand that right in that moment my dad was saying goodbye to me forever.

Mom hugged me and we walked towards the boat together.

I knew, now that we were missing dad, Louise and edd, but someone else was not here too. It took me a second to realize that it was Din. “Mom!! I forgot Din!!” I shouted!

Mom looked at me. With this odd look, empty look.

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“Go! If you will not come back, it’s your fault.

You will die there.” she said. I could feel that she was really, really angry. But she didn’t shout or hit me, she just let me go.

I ran as fast as I could to the deck A, now it was important, if I made a mistake and ran ro deck B, I could never come back, and Din too. There was water all over the floor, and as I stepped in it, I felt like my legs are falling off. But I didn’t care. I knew where Din was. I was running to the stairs which where going straight to the 3rd class bedrooms. I jumped down couple of the steps. Now the water was up to my knees. I was already in the 2nd class floor, and I was searching for another stairs. And there they are Din and Jacob, for some reason behind the bars.

“Why are you locked?” I asked really fast “It’s a long story.” Jacob said “Let us out.” Din said quietly.

I could see how he was shaking.

“How?!” I panicked.

“Keys.” Din said pointing at the floor.

I picked up the keys and let them out. Together as fast as it was possible to run in watter we rushed to the bridge.

It was still too crowded, but my mom was already not there. She was sent with 1st class passengers and now maybe was on water. Jacob hugged us and rushed to the first Lifeboat he saw.

“My little sons have no mother, let them go!

Please!” he said to the staff member crying.

I knew he wasn’t crying because his little sons had no mother, he was crying because, he khe he was going to die. And the staff member sat us on the lifeboat.

Chapter 7 Rest and peace Our lifeboat was launched and Din told me that one crew members looked the doar way and didn’t let lot’s of people pass through, of course they all rushed to the lift. Only Jacob and him stayed there hoping that someone would help. That sounded so bad, that I became white as a piece of paper. What else happened? They didn’t let Jacob to go, Louise and Edd were lost and Dad stayed on the ship. I wondered who else’s destiny is to sink with the Titanic. I fell asleep.

Sometime later screams woke me up. Half of the Titanic was in the air, another half, sank. Also, people were jumping in water from the ship. I looked down, lots of people where in water, they were crying, shaking, jumping on others, trying to breathe,to survive.That looked terrible. I didn’t want to see people dying, so I turned around and fell asleep again.

When I woke up the second time it was, quiet, no screams, no sounds from people in water. The

Titanic sank. I knew people in water were dead.

Din was sleeping, and it was good that he had no chance to see them. Like my dad used to scare me: “If you will not wear warm clothes, you will have ice on your nose!” they had ice on their noses, ears, hair, and everywhere. I wonder how cold their bodies must be.

I was really tired and the last thing I saw, was a baby in his mother’s hands.His mother was in the water. He was crying until he died. I didn’t want to see it. And fell asleep again.

I woke up in absolutely different place it was 7 o’clock. Mom was next to me, and Din too. He was still sleeping. We were on another ship and it was taking us to NYC.At 8 o’clock we went to the staff member with a list of passengers on the ship, and hoping to hear something good we asked him about the Morgans. We were all crying when we got the news. Louise, Edd, and Dad were dead. When we were already in the port of NYC, the last thing I said before leaving the ship, was: “Rest and Peace, all of the people we lost tonight. I’m happy Me, Din and mom didn’t become one of them” One last look back on the ocean really made me say: “Good bye.”

I sighed and left the ship, going towards the new life in America!

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THE TWO SIDES ARINA SHULMEISTER GRADE 4H

Once in spring on planet earth something very unusual happened. It all started in the rainforest.

Mack, Limb, Hav and Kev were thinking of a new plan how to attack the world. While the peacemakers were watering their small trees that were just planted by them. The peacemakers had to take care of everything. Because of them the seas and oceans were as blue as the sky, there were over a thousand of small planted trees and their leaves were so green and beautiful. The land was as clean as a newborn cat’s skin. The whole world was grateful for Liv, Lili, Laly and Lola, except the bad people. They always wore black and had an unhappy smile on their face. And when they heard how people loved the world and the peacemakers they started acting.

First Hav and Kev went to the sea and started to throw so much trash that you could barely see the water. Then Mack and Lim went into the forest and started throwing garbage on the grass and cutting down trees and after a few minutes the forest looked like a bald head with a lot of trash on it. While this was happening the peacemakers were resting from all the work they have done for the world. And when they went outside they almost fell from the things they saw. They saw all the mess that the bad people did. After a few minutes of shock they decided to find the troublemakers and make them clean up all the mess with their help, of course. The peacemakers decided that the fastest way to find the troublemakers was to split into two groups. Liv and Lola went forward and left, and Lili and Laly went backward and right. Liv and Lola were very fast, but in 40 minutes they had not even seen a footstep of a bad person. Lili and Laly had better luck, they found all the bad guys in their base only in 25 minutes, but they had a hard time coming back, so Liv and Lola came back first. In the peacemakers’ base the bad guys became very good friends with the peacemakers and they started to clean up all the mess. After five days the bad guys and the peacemakers cleaned up all the mess. Finally, the world was beautiful with trees, clean, smelled good and looked perfect and this is the end of this story. Remember that only you can change the world.

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M A I A TAY L O R , G R A D E 5

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TWINKLES STOREYS DARIA BURMA GRADE 3L

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THE MAGIC SHOES VIKTOR ERBEN GRADE 3S

Once upon a time there was a boy named Kay. Kay was 15 years old. he didn’t learn well but he had a lot of friends. One day he found an old pair of shoes. They were very weird “guys look what I found”he said. he had friends named Hardy and May. Hardy asked if he could take them on Kay let him. Hardy had a broken arm. When he took them on the most extraordinary his broken arm was healed. “It’s magical” kay said and they lived happily ever after.

MIKA KERZNER, GRADE 1

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GROWING POTATOES FELIX FRELLESEN & ABIGAIL LANDUCCI GRADE 3S

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ANA ALEKSISHVILI, GRADE 5

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THE FAIRY TALE HISTORY SASHA GORDIYENKO GRADE 4A

Once upon a time, there lived two sisters. One of them was the kindest person in the world.

The other one was so evil you can’t even imagine. Their parents were very strict and when they were young they studied in the University of Evil. The family lived in a little cottage in a town called “Evila”. There, it was always storming and everyone was evil. That’s why it was called “Evila”. But one of the sisters, as I told you, was very kind, her name was Ana, and the other one was Lily. One night, on October 31st a shadow came into Lily’s and Ana’s room and snached them. The shadow took them away into the sky, but while they were still sleeping.

The next day they woke up in different places. Ana stood up and got up and got very scared.

While Lily (on the other side of the world) realised where she was and grinned, her evil grin.

Ana was in the University of Good, Lily was in the University of Evil. Ana was very very very scared, she looked around, the room was gorgeous it was all bluish pink, and looked like it wa made out of pink marble, the beds were Queen-like, she wondered who her roommates were, the wardrobes were so huge they almost covered half of the room but the room was still big. Lily’s room was small and made out of black wood and thorns. Lily already knew everything about this place, that was because her parents told her all about it, however they didn’t tell anything to Ana. “Oh, I’m going to have some evil fun here” said Lily out loud.On the other side of the world Ana said “Oh, I don’t know anything!” Ana (after two hours of worrying) finally calmed down and decided to go out and find someone. She went out of her room and saw a marble hallway, it was pale blue. She went on and saw a staircase. It was the same as the hall. She went down and saw a fairy. The fairy came up to her and said “Good morning, you must be new. Oh yes you are! Ana of low below. By the way my name is Masha,I am your professor.”

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“Nice to meet you,”said Ana. “I’m really hungry. Can you help me to find somewhere to eat?”

“Oh yes, breakfast is going to start in 10 minutes. You have beautiful blue eyes, and silky blond hair as well.”

Lily lay in her bed thinking of what evil she could do. She was hungry, so she went out. The hall was all black the floor was squeaky everything was dusty Lily went on, a lady popped out of nowhere.

“Interesting. You are new. Ah yes you are Lily of low below. Are you hungry?” The lady said.

“Oh, very!” replied Lily “Follow me,” said the lady. Lily followed her to a black huge cafeteria. While they were walking, the lady told Lily she was Sophie the professor of evil.

When it was time for breakfast, Ana came to the big white marble cafeteria. Suddenly, she saw someone she saw on pictures at home, she saw her fighting with mom and dad. The person came up to her and said “My name is Agatha, I’m the schoolmistress. Here, read this book. It is my fairy tale. It’s longer than you think.”

“Thank you” said Ana. She went to get her food. The food was very nice, for dessert was tea with two toffees.

Meanwhile, Lily was eating gross slimy rotten eggs, pigeon brains and spoilt milk. It was disgusting. Surprisingly Lily didn’t throw up.

Ana already made friends, two girls and one boy. The girls’ names were Lele and Hannah. Lele was blond and had short hair, Hannah had long and brown hair. The boy was Teddors, he was tall and had short, kinda curly, dark brown hair, his brown eyes sparkled, people said he was the son of the schoolmistress and her husband, whose name was Tedros (the son of king Arthur). Ana was so happy, to be honest she kind of liked Teddors. Masha came up to her gave her a pink suitcase and said “Go change and come here.”

“Ok” said Ana and went to change. This time, Lele and Hanah were in there. It appeared they were her roommates. Ana opened her suitcase it contained 5 princess dresses, 3 pairs of shoes, 1 pink night gown, lots of makeup, hair accessories, and 1 blue robe. Lily, while going back to her room, had a wish to burn up the world.

“Now is my chance, or how mom says, time to shine” The problem was she didn’t know how to. She went up to Sophie “Where do I learn magic” she asked.

“You learn that with me young lady. In fact if you want, that can be the only class you go to.” said Sophie.

“Ok” she said.

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KINDNESS DEPENDS ON MANY THINGS MARYANA PESINA GRADE 4A

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A MESSAGE TO YOU DARYA ABU SHAKRA GRADE 5R

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