The MAG Volume 15, Number 1
MAG Volume 15, Number 1 The Literary & Art Magazine of the Ranney Middle School Ranney School 235 Hope Road Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 (732) 542-4777 (732) 544-1629 FAX Cover Design by the Editors; photos by Rachel Macnow and Joseph Strizhak
The editorial staff uses Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher software programs to complete their layout work. The cover is printed on 65 pound Cougar cover stock. The pages are on 60 pound opaque white bond. The fonts used are Georgia and Segoe Print for the majority of the publication with Segoe Print applied to the titles.
The MAG Myths and Glyphs Literary and Art Magazine of the Ranney Middle School 2013
Shipwrecked Edition Co-Editors: Jillian Ross, Rachel Macnow, and Gregory Marx Cover Design by the Co-Editors; Cover Photographs by Rachel Macnow and Joseph Strizhak
Staff: Lily Elkwood Catherine Sabaitis Advisor: Mrs. Lorraine Benditt The MAG provides a venue for the publication of class work and the personal writings of the students of Ranney Middle School. The publication hopes to inspire the student body to appreciate the talent of its members and to express its own creativity in written and illustrative form. The pieces are judged anonymously by the staff members of the MAG, pending the approval of Mrs. Benditt and the administration of Ranney School. Work is accepted by Mrs. Benditt by due dates set at the beginning of each semester. Mrs. Benditt would like to thank her staff and editors for their enthusiasm as they elicited pieces of writing, illustrations and photographs to demonstrate the theme of Shipwrecked. She would also like to thank Mrs. Allison Reddington, and Dr. Carol Palermo for eliciting submissions from their English classes; Mrs. Nancy Wade for her editing suggestions; Mrs. Stacy Goto for her help with technology; as well as Mr. David Fischer, Head of Ranney Middle School and Ranney administration for their support.
Foreword When we were thinking of the fifteenth volume of The MAG, Myths and Glyphs, we wanted it to be unique. We wanted to create a journal written by multiple authors. Collectively, over several months, The MAG staff reviewed submissions from all grades to create Shipwrecked. Although Hurricane Sandy impeded our progress, The MAG staff has worked hard to create the most demiurgic edition yet. The idea came after a long thought process, narrowing down a wide variety of possible topics. We thought about the beach, the ocean, boat travel, and eventually settled on travelers being stranded on various types of islands, with the title Shipwrecked. The idea was that the characters would be travelling on a boat when the boat was wrecked, and the story would be based on what happened thereafter. We thought that each of the three middle school grades should be given a different setting and situation. Each class within a grade would receive a prompt for a different part of its grade’s shipwrecked story. The stories for grades seven and eight are presented this way. The two stories from grade six originated from the same prompt, but each journal is written by a single author. We would like to thank Dr. Palermo and Mrs. Reddington for their entries . We would especially like to thank Mrs. Benditt for her guidance and support. Sincerely, The Co-Editors
Table of Contents
“Turbulent Waves” by Madison Gerhard Coldica
1 2-15
“The Deadly Journey” by Brandan Whiteman
2-7
“Iceberg Shipwreck” pencil and marker drawing by Catharine Sabaitis
4
“Icebergs” photographs by Joseph Strizhak
8
“Seal” photograph by Joseph Strizhak
9
“Igloo” pencil drawing by Lily Elkwood
9
“The Arctic Circle” by Anna Effenberger
10-13
“Abandon Ship” colored pencil drawing by Cameron Centrella
12
“Hiking in the Arctic” colored pencil drawing by Anna Effenberger
13
“Our Journey through the Arctic” photo essay by Lily Elkwood and Catharine Sabaitis
14-15
Photographs for the photo essay by Joseph Strizhak
14-15
Waterland
16-46
Week 1 Class 7/1 by Rachel Chalnick and Corbin Nielsen
16-21
“Sunset over Waterland” pastel drawing by Kirill Lopez
22
“Waterland Widlife” pencil and marker drawing by Laura Lehrfeld
22
Week 2 Class 7/2 by by Jacqueline Geller and Anisha Gupta
23-27
“Shipwrecked Journal” pastel drawing by Kayla Conley
27
Week Three Class 7/3 by Aidan Flynn and Veronica Shaw
29-34
“Waterland Sunrise” by Jessica Schoenhut
34
Week 4 Class 7/4 by Jacqueline Erler and Sabrina Stott
35-38
“Sad Days” pastel drawing by Zachary Karlin
39
Week 5 Class 7/5 by Madison Chamas and Abigail Granata
39-44
“Visit to Waterland” photo essay by Lily Elkwood and Catharine Sabaitis
45-46
Photographs for the photo essay courtesy of Charles Sabaitis, Upper School student
45-46
Rannego
47-59
“Rannego Beach” photograph by Rachel Macnow
47
8-1 Rannego Journal Entries Days 1-7 by Evan Kumar
48-49
8-2 Rannego Journal Entries Days 8-14 by Caroline Billyard,
49-52
Grace Hofferber, Jillian Ross, and Grace Cornell “Destruction” colored pencil drawing by Julianna Poupard
51
8-3 Rannego Journal Entries Days 15-21 by Ashley and Dylan
53-54
Biswal 8-4 Rannego Journal Entries Days 22-28 by Marissa
54-56
Mahoney, Anjali Mann, and Pooja Nayyar “Rannego Bay” photograph by Rachel Macnow
54
8-5 Rannego Journal Entries Days 29-35 by Rachel Macnow
56-58
and Jillian Ross “Good-bye Rannego” photograph by Rachel Macnow
58
“Good-bye Rannego” photograph by Rachel Macnow
58
“Rannego Sunset” photograph by Rachel Macnow
59
“The Beach Breathes” by Jessica Schoenhut
59
“Ocean Waves by Madison Chamas”
59
“Rocky Shores” colored pencil drawing by Alyssa Mendez
59
Story Settings and Prompts for All Middle School Grade Levels 6th grade island (Arctic Circle, off of Greenland): Coldica Basic Info: The climate in Greenland is typically arctic to subarctic, with cool summers and cold winters. The ice cap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast. For Nuuk in January, the daily average maximum temperature is -10°C, with the average minimum at -16°C. From: http://www.myweather2.com/CityTown/Greenland/Cruise-Arctic-Circle/climate-profile.aspx 6th grade Prompt: You’ve been traveling the Arctic and all of a sudden your ship crashes in the middle of the night. It’s only you, the captain, and 2 others on board. There’s no one around you and your radio just dies. It’s freezing! A blizzard is starting, and you’re on a broken boat. You don’t have much clothing. What happens next? Write this in a journal form, using the first person. Write about the next month. You can collaborate with your classmates to form several entries. 7th grade island (Oceania, close to Tahiti): Waterland Basic Info: French Polynesia enjoys warm, tropical weather year-round. Cooled by the gentle breezes of the Pacific, the climate of these islands is sunny and pleasant. The average ocean temperature is in the low 80’s. From November through April, the climate is warmer and more humid, with daily high temperatures of about 85 F and lows of 70 F at night. More rain falls during the warmer season. From: http://www.gotahiti.com/travel -guide/tahiti-weather/ 7th Grade Prompt : You’ve been travelling on vacation to Tahiti. You go on a boat tour of nearby islands. The tour guide brings you to an uncharted island, with no one in sight. Suddenly, you hear a rumble! The boat engine stalls. The boat must have hit coral. The only people with you are the tour guide, captain, and a small group of 5 adults and 3 children. The boat also has a hole on the bottom! You realize the boat will sink, and the captain and the passengers abandon ship and drift to shore. What happens next? Write this in a journal form, using the first person. Write about the next month. You can collaborate with your classmates to form several entries. 8th grade island (Caribbean): Rannego (Leeward islands) Basic Info: Trade Winds bring steady sea breezes into the Caribbean from the northeast year-round. These temper the heat of the sun's rays, so the Windward Islands' weather will always feel milder than the Leewards.’ and the northeastern sides of most islands will see milder temperatures than the southwest corners. The northeastern sides of the islands are also nearly always the lusher and more heavily precipitated. From: http://caribbean-guide.info/weather/ 8th Grade Prompt: You are researching animals in the Caribbean. While on your research vessel, you encounter a gang of pirates. They take your group by surprise and ransack everything the ship has, including the engine. You are stuck, floating. How will you get to land and survive? What happens next? Introduce the members of the boat. Write this in a journal form, using the first person. Write about the next month. You can collaborate with your classmates to form several entries.
Turbulent Waves Madison Gerhard Crashing and smashing against the shore, Screaming and streaming through the wind, The fish hide and cry As the waters twist and swirl. The sky is painted with dark blue; The tide whips the jetties. Warned beach lovers flee To escape the angry sea. The clouds move like snails Until you feel the flow of rain. Isn't nature supposed to be beautiful?
Read about the journeys to Coldica, Waterland, and Rannego .
The adventures on the island of Coldica, written by Grade Six students, appear on the following pages. MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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The Deadly Journey by Brandan Whiteman Monday, January 4th 2:00 AM
Dear Journal, It’s insane out here. The captain is yelling for everyone to wake up. Right now it’s about-50 degrees Celsius. A blizzard is starting, and we cannot see anything. I think we ‘ve hit something, and our boat is slowly listing to the port side. The boat is taking on water and sinking. Currently, I’m running to get to the edge of the ship and launch our lifeboat. We are going through Baffin Bay and barreling towards the coast of Greenland. I was only wearing sweat pants and a thin hoodie until the captain threw me an extra parka. We crashed into land, and the captain and my parents just got off the ship. Now I’m climbing the ladder onto the icy, slippery, and cold ground. The radio ran out of batteries. My ship is sinking, and it’s sad because the boat was named after me, Xavier. Still, I have to get over it. Everyone besides me, my parents, and Captain Alvin have died. This is terrible although I’m glad that my family and I are alive. The captain told me a minute ago that there is a port up north. We will pass a few towns on the way. The storm is getting much worse. I think that the wind speed just strengthened. From, Xavier
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Monday, January 11th 8:00AM Dear Journal, We have been hiking through the snow and ice. Yesterday as I was walking, the ice cracked, and I fell in the water and nearly drowned. If I didn’t get out and dry off in three minutes, I would have gotten hypothermia, or frost bite, as you may call it. I took my father’s coat and used it as a towel. I was mad at my parents because they knew that this shipwreck was a possibility, but they said this would be the best annual boat adventure ever. Even when they saw the weather report of a possible blizzard, they didn’t think that it would really affect us because we are the “ Holidays,” infamous Canadian billionaires known for our crazy, yearly adventures. I imagine the entire North American continent waiting with bated breath to read about our journeys in the tabloids. I think my parents do it for the attention and maybe because they are bored with doing nothing but spending their fortune. This is beyond rough though. Despite the fact that the captain knows this terrain pretty well, he is not well enough to guide us around anymore. He is suffering tremendously, and we cannot help him. He is too cold to function. Luckily, we found a cave to keep somewhat warm and away from the blustering winds. We have a place to
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hide and call home for the time being. My mom and dad are not doing too well either, so it has been up to me to find food for all of us. The captain taught me how to catch musk oxen, reindeer, polar bear and arctic foxes for food. I have to say that skinning and cleaning the carcasses is disgusting, but anything for survival! I’m doing my best not to panic because our ship has drifted off into the horizon, and I can no longer see it in the distance. So, I’m certain that, if someone doesn’t come for us soon, we will not survive even though the blizzard has lightened up. The captain has told us that he was diagnosed with a lung disease that is called pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis before our departure. He has only a few months to live. He takes his medication daily, but he is consistently getting weaker. He is a dear family friend, so we are saddened by this. My parents have also fallen ill, but I think that it is maybe just a type of flu. It is all up to me to survive until we are rescued. From, Xavier
“Iceberg Shipwreck” by Catharine Sabaitis MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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Monday, January 18th 7:30 AM Dear Journal, It’s been two weeks since we crashed. It is getting really scary, especially when I go out in the wilderness to hunt for food and make smoke signals in the hope of being rescued. I think I wandered into an area the wolves inhabit. They spotted me yesterday, and a few of them tried to follow me. Luckily, I threw off their senses, and I was able to escape. I think that they must know where we are. I can hear them howling throughout the day and night. We have since left our cave; the musty air in the cave was giving the captain trouble with his breathing.
Thankfully, my parents are feeling
much better this week and are able to help out with hunting for food. Also, we came across an abandoned cottage with many supplies that will help us survive a little longer. There is a large fireplace and a handsome supply of firewood to keep us warm, as well as cook our food. There is also a nice hunting kit that was left a bow and arrows, flashlights, water canteens, knives and spears. The bow and arrows have come in handy, since my father used to be an Olympic archer when he was a teenager. He is an accurate archer, so we have been having a lot of good meals, full of protein to keep us strong.
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Monday, January 24th sometime during the early morning Dear Journal, It has been getting colder and colder. I’m fearful that the captain will not survive this ferocious weather. Since we don’t have any other clothing, we have had to wear the skins of the animals that we have hunted and eaten. We consider ourselves very lucky. We are also able to keep warm by using the whale blubber in our oil lamps. The captain has run out of his medication and is getting weaker and weaker every day. My parents and I are working as a team to take turns caring for him. We need to replenish the firewood; it seems to be burning way too quickly. We have been taking the bay’s water and boiling it down. When I was with my mom the other day, we saw a few children in the distance carrying buckets by the water’s edge. That is good news to us, because if we grouped together with these inhabitants, maybe we would become more visible to aircraft and be rescued. After all, it was considered big news that our family set off on yet another adventure.
We are hoping to find the other inhabitants of the area
and make friends with them. They seem harmless enough, not like crazed killers. From, Xavier
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Monday, January 30th Dear Journal, We were right! When we set out to find the other inhabitants in the area, we encountered a nice bunch of natives. They have been helpful to us, and among them is a shaman who has been praying and giving the captain homemade remedies to drink. Captain Alvin does seems to be stronger and happier. It may be a miracle if he survives, but we are thinking that whatever the shaman is giving him to ingest is making him feel more comfortable. Maybe it is numbing his pain. We think that the animals are migrating to other areas because now it is harder and harder for us to find animals on which to prey. We need to be found fast. We need to be rescued! The shaman’s remedies are just buying the captain time; he needs medical attention before it is too late. As I set out to get more firewood, I can’t believe my eyes! There were two helicopters in the sky criss-crossing over the land directly above us. Yippee!!!! They have come for us! From, Xavier
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“Icebergs” by Joseph Strizhak
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“Seal” by Joseph Strizhak
“Igloo” by Lily Elkwood MAG Shipwrecked 2013 9
The Arctic Circle by Anna Effenberger December 25, 1764 Dear Journal, Last night, the ship carrying all of our supplies and our cargo crashed into an immense iceberg. Only our captain, Erve, Gianna, Gigi and I, the first mate, made it off the fallen vessel. We tried calling the nearest ship, but our radio died. I fear hypothermia will soon set in, as a ferocious blizzard is starting. Only Gigi and I had gloves, so we dug out a medium-sized snow cave. Erve is starting to shiver severely, and I fear he will become ill.
January 1, 1765 Dear Journal, On the day after Christmas, the worst of the blizzard was upon us. Erve was nearly frozen to death, but he managed to pull through. Now, Erve has caught a sickness that makes it difficult for him to move. He refuses to eat, and he will not last. We have six tattered blankets, and three of them are being used by Erve. I haven’t eaten for weeks. I can hear the wolves creeping nearer, ever so slowly. I fear I may not live to see my family or my home in England again.
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January 8, 1765 Dear Journal, We have scavenged wood from the remnants of our ship to make a fire. Erve’s illness is starting to go away, but a wolf pack is beginning to settle down near our snow cave, which we have excavated to a impressive size. Gianna tried scaring them off, but she failed. One of the wolves managed to bite her leg. Thankfully, the wound is not lifethreatening. Now, we will consider moving. Gianna has scouted the area to find a suitable place, and she discovered a small, abandoned hut with many supplies. We plan to move there in two days’ time.
January 15, 1765 Dear Journal, The arduous trek to the hut has taken a heavy toll on Erve’s health. We have eaten almost half of the edibles in the hut. We have also found a village of natives close by. They gave us one of their hunting spears and medicine, seeing how thin we are. We are running out of wood to sustain our fire, and we may have to use some of the wooden furniture in the hut to keep the fire going. We can barely dig out enough snow to melt
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into water, for the snow is quickly morphing into ice each night and day. Gianna has managed to find a river and catch a few winter-thin fish, plus a baby seal. Erve is on the very doorstep of death. January 22, 1765 Dear Journal, Two days ago, Erve passed away at the age of fifty-three. After this tragedy, we realized how important it was to find civilization. When Gigi and I were searching for firewood, we found a group of explorers and scientists approximately two miles northeast of us, and they are riding out on their dogsleds to rescue Gianna. The explorers say they will let us sail back to England on their boat, because they are English too. We are extremely lucky to have found the explorers.
“Abandon Ship� by Cameron Centrella
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February 1, 1765 Dear Journal,
Now, I am back home in London, England. During the entire ordeal, I lost twenty-one pounds, and two of my toes were amputated because of frostbite. Gigi and Gianna did not escape from this ordeal unscathed either. Gigi lost her left index finger, and Gianna no longer has the use of her left foot and lost three of her fingers. Erve’s two children were deeply upset over their father’s death. I was the one who brought them the news. Now, at my home, all is well. I have given up seafaring. Now, I am a blacksmith, and Gianna is a baker. Gigi, however, is still a sailor.
“Hiking in the Arctic” by Anna Effenburger MAG Shipwrecked 2013 13
Our Journey Through the Arctic
We are sailing peacefully through the Arctic. Soon, the sun will set, and it will be a cold first night.
Before the night came to a close, we saw these two seals on a rock. It almost seemed that they were singing with pride.
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Our new, furry friends!
Our trip was a long journey, but it did end well. We were rewarded with an amazing prize. Photo Essay by Lily Elkwood and Catharine Sabaitis Photographs by Joseph Strizhak MAG Shipwrecked 2013 15
Waterland Grade Seven Journal Entries
from the Tahitian Island of Waterland
Week 1 Class 7/1 by Rachel Chalnick and Corbin Nielsen March 26, 2013 Dear Journal, The sky is dark with the added smog of my burning ship, the S.S. Seafarer, clouding the sky. Seafarer was a small touring vessel visiting islands in the South Pacific, close to Tahiti and Bora Bora. With the image of the wreck still burning my eyes, it’s hard to get to sleep. About nine hours ago, my ship collided with a briny reef of rocks and coral, ripping the hull of the ship open and cutting the gas line. At first, nobody noticed the metallic banging coming from the lower deck. In fact, everyone was up on the top deck to eat. It was late, and everyone was tired. There was I, the captain; my German Shepherd Pippin; the tour guide Lisa Fields; a newlywed couple: John and Rachel Flanagan, who were expecting a baby; two college students, Leo Nye and Bill Marcus; and a single mother, Katie Williams, with her three children, Sophie, Patrick, and Sheldon. Everybody was gathered around a big dining hall table. The first person to notice the problem was Pippin, who began barking at me for no apparent reason. A few minutes after though, when everybody headed to bed, I saw what Pippin was reacting to. The bottom of the hull was flooded with water, and a
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hole had been bored in the center of the ship’s bottom. Then, I panicked. I ran up to the top of the ship, went onto the intercom and yelled out, “Abandon ship. Repeat Abandon ship! Aban …” but I was cut off in midsentence by the base of the ship exploding. Screams were heard as my back felt the insane heat, and smoke covered my eyes. I knew then that I must save everyone else before myself. I ran to the sleeping quarters, took two or three people by the hand and rushed out. I told them to jump, so I could go back and save more people. All three jumped into the water, unaware that I had left. There were only a few people left on board for I had heard more splashes in the water around me, followed by the sound of people treading water. Alas, I knew that my ship’s demise was almost complete. The ship began to sink, first slowly, then gaining speed with every gallon of water the remains took in. I groped about in frantic search for the final person, just to find Pippin cowering in the corner of a room. I grabbed her and ran, then jumped off into the water below. The final piece of the ship sank behind me, and the survivors took hold of debris from the wreckage. In the corner of my mind I knew that I had forgotten someone. It was then that I realized that it was the tour guide, whom the others told me had been carried off in a current. After four or five hours of drifting on pieces
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of shipwreck, John Flanagan spotted land. Any island, in our state, would have been fine. When we drifted ashore, all of the remaining passengers collapsed and fell asleep. I was the only person awake, thinking of what would become of us, and how we would survive. Sheldon, the Williams’ youngest child, lay shivering with his leg at an odd angle. I could see that he was in shock and that his leg had been broken. I covered him with some palm leaves before I collapsed. Even if we lived, would we have anything to hope for? Lying here awake on the sand, with all of these thoughts passing through my head, I, Captain Samuel Lee, think but don’t dream. All of my dreams were lost in that terrible wreck.
March 27, 2013 Dear Journal, All of the others awoke a while back. There was lots of crying and praying, each and every person asking his or her god for help and happiness. I can’t blame them; even I don’t think that we’ll make it out of here alive. The men of the group have gone out searching the island for food, but to no avail. There seems to be nothing on this island. There are almost no trees on the island, either, so tools are going to be a problem. Someone tried to mix a mold of sand and water, only to have the final product
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crumble in his hands. Leo was the one to recommend taking seeds from a tree to plant others, and to tell you the truth, I think this is a great idea. It’s almost lunch, and everybody’s growing hungry. I might go fishing later with a rod made of the extra bits of ship. It seems like a good plan also to use bait from some parts, partially because I’m hoping to get rid of the memories of the wreck. I think it would do everyone good. There are some good things that happened today. We found fresh water. We also built a hut so that Rachel, Katie, Sophie, Patrick, and Sheldon can stay in while John, Leo, Bill, and I get more food and water. Some equipment floated to shore today, such as water bottles and rope. The water bottles work a lot better than putting water in the rocks we have hollowed. Things are getting better, so I hope more good news will come. I hope we can get off of this island. March 28, 2013 Dear Journal, Today is the third day we have been on the island. We found food when Leo, who is studying botany, recognized some fruit as being nonpoisonous and nutritious. Sophie and Patrick are going a little crazy because they can’t use their phones. Rachel is okay for now, but I have to keep an eye on her so nothing bad happens to her and the baby. Sheldon’s
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leg isn’t getting any better because there is a lot of bruising. Hopefully, his injury will improve because I tied bark and rope around his leg so he would have a splint. Our food and water supplies are good. I also found out that we can make spears from rocks to go fishing with so we have some more protein. Today something that will be very helpful floated to shore, the radio from the S.S. Seafarer. Now, Bill is trying to fix it. March 29, 2013 Dear Journal, The days have gone by slowly and sadly, with each teaching something new about the island. Only yesterday, I found a cave in a corner of the woods, but, like everything else on the island, it was bare and empty. Inside were a few rocks, which I made into crude tools for chopping wood and cutting thicket. When I returned to the main “camp,� the survivors were enthralled. Later, I brought Pippin with me, and she returned with a bone that had a little meat clinging to it. I salvaged some of it for fishing bait, and the rest I split with everybody else. I have yet to use the fishing bait, and today I considered eating it. I decided against it at the last minute and tried fishing. I took a rock, stripped some skin from a tree, and attached the meat to the end of the bark strip. When I cast the line, the
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bark flew past the island and into the deep water. Almost immediately I felt a tug on the end of the line. I speared the cod with the spear we made yesterday. I pulled in a nice big red cod. I told everybody about the food and they went nuts. I split the cod into small pieces, and everybody ate like wolves. It was a good day, and some of the leftover cod could be used as bait.
March 30, 2013 Dear Journal, Today, the sky was clear blue, and there was no wind whatsoever throughout the entire day. Later this afternoon I heard rustling behind me, but I still saw nothing. Strange, this island has more secrets than I know. The radio is missing some pieces, so we can’t fix it; however, Sheldon’s leg is healing. Rachel hasn’t had the baby yet. These five days have been the worst five days of my life. I feel so useless because I don’t know what I could or should do.
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“Sunset over Waterland” by Kirill Lopez “Waterland Wildlife” by Laura Lehrfeld
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Week 2 Class 7/2 by Jacqueline Geller and Anisha Gupta
April 1, 2013 Dear Journal,
It has been a week since we crashed on this deserted island. It has been a tough time for everyone, and some people are still in shock. Luckily, we found food and shelter that can last us a little longer. To keep us organized, I made a schedule for everyone. Sophie and Patrick go to a nearby river every morning to gather water for the day. Katie has taken the leaves from the trees and has woven them together tightly to make a makeshift basket to hold water. John and Rachel gather coconut, berries, and bananas. I don’t want to give Rachel too much work because she is pregnant, and this is not a good time for her to go into labor. Leo and Bill are on weather duty and tell us when they think it’s going to rain. Pippin and I fish and gather twigs from trees and make fires at night, Pippin caught fifteen fish with his mouth alone. Since Kate is talented at crafts, she’s taken leftover twigs and has put them in a certain formation, which forms an S.O.S sign. You can make out the letters from the cliff, but you would be able to see it even more clearly from an aerial view. Lastly, I told Kate to take care of Sheldon. MAG Shipwrecked 2013 23
April 2, 2013 Dear Journal, Today we were all in high spirits. We had some leftover fish and berries from last night for breakfast. Sheldon is doing remarkably well since I splinted his leg. Katie and Lisa collected more wood to try to make mats to sleep on. John and I went to collect water and food because Rachel was watching the kids. Around midday, Rachel saw a boat. She gathered everybody on the beach, and we screamed to catch the boat’s attention. Then Sophie thought we could get the attention of the boat if we lit the S.O.S sign on fire. Nevertheless, the boat didn’t see us.
April 3, 2013 Dear Journal, So far, there is no sign of rescue. After yesterday’s failure to signal the boat, everyone is discouraged. All the adults are trying to attract attention to our plight, but it’s not working too well. Sophie and Patrick worry whether they are going to see their friends again. Leo and Bill wonder if they will take the biology test they have next week. John and Rachel are doing pretty well. They work together to accomplish everything, and
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they make a perfect team. Pippin and I keep the group working. Later there was another disappointment. You see, we were all on the sandy part of the island looking over the ocean. Suddenly, Rachel thought she saw a boat. She screamed “Boat!” and we all ran to where she was standing. The boat was far away, and I could barely see it. Everybody was hoping to signal the boat over to us. Sadly, after climbing the cliff to get a better look, we realized that we weren’t looking at a boat. It was a whale.
April 4, 2013 Dear Journal, You will not believe what happened to us yesterday in the early evening. As usual, all the adults were talking about their lives and what they did for a living when Sophie and Patrick came running towards us. I did notice one thing that was different; they weren’t carrying buckets of water like they always do. They came to me with sweat dripping down their foreheads. I asked what was wrong, and they told me astonishing news. We found out that the island is inhabited! We met a few villagers...although it doesn’t seem like they speak English. At least we have found other living souls though! The only problem is that they just jabber
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at us in what sounds like Gobbledygook (NOT the Harry Potter language. I mean the English idea of nonsense, literally.). We built an emergency kit yesterday, including any plants we could find for food, some fish, cloth that we managed to grab before the boat sank, and other things like that. We also found a few glass bottles that had washed up on the beach and filled those up with water. Never thought my emergency kit would be so primitive! The next thing we did to prepare was try to ask the natives if the land was flood prone. Bill, who’s a foreign language major, thought they were speaking Icelandic for whatever reason (I know, Icelandic speakers in in French Polynesia?), but he swore they were, so this is how the conversation went: Bill: Hello! Vio erum fost her og vio teljum ao fellibylur kemur. Veistu ef landio er flooio viokvaemt eao ekki? Takk fyrir alla pa aostoo sem pu getur gefio! Eg heiti Bill Markus, vio the vegur. (“Hello! We are stuck here and want to remain safe in case of a storm or unusually high tides. Do you now if the land is flood prone or not? Thanks for whatever help you can give! My name is Bill Markus, by the way.”) Native 1: Mita sanoit? En ymmara teita, en usko puhut minun kieltani.
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Bill: O, en eg hryggur, en eg get ekki skillo pig. Dvoi droggir! Bless. (“Oh, I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you. Stay safe! Goodbye!”) Native 2: Unohda se, se ei ole sen arvoista. Toivottavasti saat mita haluat, uusi asukas Waterland! Yes, it didn’t end well. So, after that we tried to determine whether the water sources near us posed a threat to us. We weren’t entirely sure, but it didn’t look like it. We found driftwood and attached it to the windows of our hut, making shutters to be closed in the event of a storm. It doesn’t seem as though our interaction with the natives will amount to much if we can’t find a way to understand each other.
April 5, 2013 Dear Journal, I think today was an accomplishment for everybody. For once, I heard no complaining from anybody. After a while, with the inhabitants, we made our way back to the hut. We brought some food and water the inhabitants offered us. I almost can’t take it any longer. I miss my old life. All I pray for is to get us off this island. However until that happens, I must stand tall and support everybody with the help of Pippin. Sophie,
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Patrick, and Sheldon are tired, but they are holding up okay. Leo and Bill are just happy they don’t need to take that biology exam they have been talking about for a while. I appreciate John and Rachel’s positivity about everything. When I feel like giving up, I look at them and push myself a little harder. Kate is a very open person, and I admire that. I can see how much she loves her kids. Sometimes I think about Lisa. Was it my fault I couldn’t rescue her with the others? This question will stick in my mind forever. However, I can’t always look back, I need to move forward.
“Shipwrecked Journal” by Kayla Conley
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Week Three Class 7/3 by Aidan Flynn and Veronica Shaw
April 8. 2013 Dear Journal, We have been on this island for fourteen days. We just finished building a more permanent hut today. The hut is made out of wood from several tree trunks. The hut has ten beds. The beds are hammocks, anchored to the posts and beams of the hut. We have used very wide and strong leaves and hooks made out of wood to hang them from the roof of the hut. Leo has been a tremendous help throughout the building process. His father was a construction worker, and Leo picked up on a few basic, but essential skills. Leo and Bill are the youngest adults, as well as the strongest, so they do most of the heavy lifting and building. I sharpened a stone and was able to slice the tree trunks into very thin, but sturdy, layers. The sides of the hut are built out of pieces of bamboo bark from a tree and large, flat stones for added strength against wind and rain. The roof of the house is layers upon layers of the bark. The hut has a kind of a floor made out of bark, but it gives you splinters. We all tried our hardest to make the hut as comfortable for the children as possible.
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April 9 Dear Journal, We have been on the island for fifteen days now. The children are getting very antsy. Sophie is obviously the most emotionally drained. Being the oldest of the three children, she has tried her best to be strong. At night, when she thinks everyone is asleep, I hear her weeping and praying to God that she will survive. I’ve also noticed that Sophie has a huge crush on Bill. He is a freshman in college, and she is a junior in high school. She is a grade level ahead for her age because she is so advanced. I’m sure nothing will come of it, but it is one of the only positive things happening on the island. Patrick, for a ten-year old boy, is being very mature about the situation. He has been helping his mother, Katie, with a lot of the work, and from what I have heard this isn’t his usual way. Sheldon, the three-year-old, is in a weakened condition. While his leg appeared to be healing at first, the lack of proper nutrition and sanitation has begun to take its toll. I’m very concerned, because the only medical training any of us older adults have is basic CPR training. I am determined to get off this island and see Sheldon survive. That is my number one goal. Katie deserves to have all three of her children safe.
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April 10 Dear Journal, We have been on the island for sixteen days now. Yesterday, we all agreed to rest and restore our energy. This morning, we were establishing our food gathering plans when the wind started. The children got very nervous and ran directly back into the hut. The wind was strong enough to make even the sturdiest men waver on their feet.. Rachel, with her arms full of drying laundry, fell directly on her stomach while running towards the hut. We are very concerned now about the health of her unborn baby, and she appears to be in a lot of physical discomfort since the fall. Katie’s children have become inconsolable as the storm worsens.
April 11 Dear Journal, Yesterday the storm came. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite see most of it. When it first started, wind was blowing everywhere. The waves were twenty feet high. I was telling everyone to run to the cliff, when I tripped and fell, hitting my head. That is when everything went black. I woke up, about a day later. For some reason, everything was still dark, and I was in a lot of pain. I noticed that I was under the broken pieces of a hut. MAG Shipwrecked 2013 31
I dug my way out. When I escaped, I saw the beach was in ruins. I realized I was feeling woozy. It was either hunger or my injury. First I picked a coconut up off the ground and ate it. I then dressed my wound with leaves and started calling for the others. I saw them gathered around a bonfire trying to warm themselves after the storm’s terrible ordeal.
April 12 Dear Journal, We have now been here for eighteen days. Kate told me that the hut slowly let in leaks and buckled over the last two days and eventually just crumbled under the pressure of the rain and wind midday yesterday. I know that everyone is in danger now without shelter, but I cannot stop thinking about Katie and her children. When she merely smiles at me or says hello it makes me want to work harder to keep everyone safe. I found out this morning that Katie is a widow. I would never want someone who lost her partner also to lose a child or all her children. Katie and her children deserve to come out of this situation alive and healthy. MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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My dog, Pippin, has been a great help to all of us. Not only does he comfort everyone and bring a smile to the face of anyone who plays with him, but he is also useful. He sniffs out food and fishes. He is very good at tearing things apart. I’m very nervous about him though. He is getting very thin; his usual diet of dog food and table scraps has been reduced to meager leftovers after we have eaten. My concern for Kate and the children has fueled me to build a new hut now that the storm is almost over. Leo and I will build the majority of the new hut. It will be basically just like the other one, but with even more reinforcements in every possible spot: deeper holes for the posts, stronger ties for the roof thatches, less space between the bamboo slats.
April 13 Dear Journal, The storm has definitely weakened. There are more calm moments than there were in previous days. When it is over, we will begin our work on the hut. All I hope for every minute of every day is that everyone who is left on the island stays alive and returns to his or her home safely. I am using every ounce of my faith, strength, and skills to make that happen.
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April 14 Dear Journal, We have been on the island for three full weeks. Katie and I are growing closer each day. We have long conversations when no one else is around and have been opening up to each other about our lives prior to the accident. I know that romantic love should be the least of my priorities now, but I can’t stem my growing feelings for her. Bill and Sophie have grown closer and are the best of friends. Sheldon’s health seems to actually be improving, and Patrick is doing fine. I’m happy to say that everyone is slowly getting better, and the look of having seen a ghost has disappeared from everyone’s faces. I can’t stop myself from wondering if maybe when we get back home, Katie and I will continue to be a part of each other’s lives. I pray that happens, along with a lot of other things. We are all hoping that our prayers will be answered soon.
“Waterland Sunrise” by Jessica Schoenhut
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Week 4 Class 7/4 by Jacqueline Erler and Sabrina Stott April 16,2013 Dear Journal,
We lost almost everything in the storm. Not only was our hut ripped apart, but the hammocks that we had hung were destroyed. Worst of all, Rachel lost the baby, and Leo Nye was taken by the rough rip tide. We are all trying to get over the losses. I’m quite upset and annoyed because the little food we had is now even less. I’m also upset because there might not ever be help. All of the water is contaminated except for three canteens. The water here is filled with wood, leaves from trees, and flowers from plants. Six boxes of crackers and two bags of cookies are all that is left of the ship’s supplies that we had managed to salvage from the wreck. The other food is bruised, missing, or water-logged. Tomorrow, we are going to try to go fishing and look around the island for food. April 17, 2013
Dear Journal,
Today we are looking around the island for food and are going fishing. John and I are trying to shape a couple of long pieces of wood into spears for fishing to replace those lost in the storm. Katie and Sophie are looking for food. Pippin is helping them because he has a great sense of MAG Shipwrecked 2013 35
smell and loves food. So far they’ve found one dozen bananas, five coconuts, eight mangos, and three pineapples. Patrick found a clean, freshwater stream farther inland that hadn’t been polluted by the storm. We’ve decided to set up camp there. Bill is trying to make some temporary huts so that we all have somewhere to sleep. John and I finally finished making the spears, so we are attempting to catch fish. So far we’ve both caught one. At least we will have a decent dinner. We are going to keep looking for food tomorrow. April 18, 2013 Dear Journal,
We found two trees, one mango tree and one banana tree, that are perfectly fine. There are no branches or leaves gone, and all the fruit is not bruised or rotting. I’ve decided to take a little walk around the island to see if there are any other fruit trees or clean water. So far I’ve only found one papaya tree, but its a good start because who knows how long we’ll be on this island. Hopefully the tour agency back on the main island of Tahiti has sent a search crew out to look for us. This island is uncharted, so it might take a little longer to find us. We have one backpack left with a blanket in it because we were able to save Katie’s bag. That’s good because at night it gets a little breezy, and the littlest boy, Sheldon, gets very cold. MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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April 19. 2013 Dear Journal,
Today when I woke up, Katie told me that Sheldon was getting better. Everyone in the group except for Bill, Katie, and her children went on a hike. We explored the island farther than we ever had before. Eventually we came across some coconut trees and a fresh waterfall. The area appeared to be able to support habitation. The group collected coconuts and filled their canteens with water. We walked back to the campsite and stored our resources. Everyone sat in a circle as we tried to assess the last couple of days. The emotions on our faces spanned frustration and sadness. We brainstormed how we could be rescued. I reassured the group that someone would come. Eventually, we gave in to sleep.
April 20, 2013 Dear Journal,
Today Bill, John, and I are taking turns checking the sky for helicopters, airplanes, and boats. We tried writing SOS in the sand, but it was messed up by the breeze. Hopefully we’ll spot something before it’s too dark for them to see us because the fires only burn for a while before the
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breeze blows them out. Katie, Patrick, and Sophie are trying to catch some fish with the wooden spears, and so far they’ve caught three of them. Bill left to get some firewood. John and I are on shift to look out for any signs of people or a rescue team. Its getting pretty dark and cold, so we’re going to try to build a fire.
April 21, 2013 Dear Journal,
We keep hoping that we’ll see a ship or plane, but so far we’ve seen absolutely no sign of rescue from the water or sky. The fish are starting to become more abundant, which is giving us more food. We’ve been eating better because we found some more fruit. Sheldon is getting weaker though, and his mom is very worried because, until somebody finds us, he won’t recover completely from his broken leg. I went for a little walk, and the island is actually very pretty. You just have to watch out for fruit dropping because I almost got hit with a coconut twice. Today it is very windy. Everyone is taking turns staying in the huts and keeping watch. When I got back to camp everyone was helping cook a couple of fish, so I started helping too. I brought back some fruit, so we would have something sweet to eat. It’s getting late, and we’re all going to bed now. MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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“Sad Days” by Zachary Karlin
Week 5 Class 7/5 by Madison Chamas and Abigail Granata APRIL 22, 2013 Dear Journal,
I can’t believe we’ve survived here for this long. It has been four weeks, but it feels like it has been an eternity. I look around at the makeshift house I’ve built out of rock and sticks. The sun shines down on the sea as it glistens. This island could be a dream paradise, but not when one is stranded here. It has been far from paradise. I have been tending Sheldon’s
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wound, and, fortunately, it is getting better. Bill is still trying to get over Leo’s loss. Katie hasn’t been much help with Sheldon; she is just too tired. All of my hopes for a relationship with her have vanished. We are just too disheartened even to think of romance. I hear my stomach growl more than usual, so I scour around the island for absolutely anything I can find. I run through the sand as fast as my weakened body allows me. Seaweed is everywhere, but there is no sight of a decent meal. I keep running without a glimmer of hope. As I begin to gasp for air, I stop at the nearest palm tree to rest under its long leaves guarding me from the sun as I begin to fall asleep. APRIL 23, 2013 Dear Journal,
I wake up with a coconut beside my body. Strangely enough, I don’t remember it being there before. I get up and once again return to my search for food. I stand up and shake the sand off of my poor excuse for clothes. My collared shirt is tattered and torn. My chinos are pulling at their seams and I’m not even wearing shoes. In an instant, a shock of dizziness shoots up to my head, making it difficult to walk. I grab a stick and it gives me some form of support. I once again return to my hunt for a meager meal. MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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Quickly, a crab scurries across the seaweed. I get down onto my knees and crawl towards it excitedly. It stops dead in its tracks. This is it. I use all of my strength to pounce on it, and the crab enters my clasped hands. I slowly lift my hand up, and I peek inside. I can’t see anything. I completely open up my hands to see nothing but the sand slipping from in -between my fingers. The crab is gone. APRIL 24, 2013 Dear Journal, I sink back into the sand. I can’t believe I let the crab slip out of my hands yesterday. There are no food sources anywhere. I blew it. Just as I begin to think it’s hopeless, I see some form out in the distant sea. I walk up closer to the edge of the water. The cool water hits my scuffed, cut feet. I cup my right hand over my eyes to block out the sun’s bright rays. I begin to make out what the form is. “A boat. It’s a boat,” I whisper under my breath. “There’s a boat!” I yell, for everyone to hear. I run around like a lunatic chasing after the other passengers of the shipwrecked S.S. Seafarer. “A boat’s here! We’re saved!” I continue to yell. I first find John and Rachel, but, after I tell them, they give me weird looks. I point out at the boat. Why do they shake their heads in disapproval? It seems as if they do not believe me.
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“I don’t get it,” I say to them in disbelief. “Samuel,” Rachel begins. “There is no boat.” “What do you mean there is no boat? It’s right there!” I yell, pointing to the boat, slowly approaching closer and closer to land. They shake their heads once again. I run off to find more passengers. I come across Katie Williams and her children. “Katie! A boat’s coming! Look!” I shout. She looks out to sea, but she has a similar response to John’s and Rachel’s. “I don’t see it,” she replies. “It’s right there! We have to ready ourselves for its arrival. Start to gather some sticks, so we can spell out …” “There is no boat, Captain Lee. I don’t know what you are seeing,” Katie says, interrupting my plans. “I don’t get it,” I whisper to myself. I shake my head and jog away. This time, I come across Bill. I tell him the story, but he doesn’t see it either. “All right. Fine. I’ll be off of this island in no time. You’ll see!” I yell back at them as I run away. I quickly rummage through some shells, seaweed, and leaves for some sticks. I begin to spell out S.O.S. in the sand, nice and big. After a while, I begin to feel very fatigued. I walk through a small forested area to find a small waterfall. Luckily, its water is clear and safe for consumption. I chug the water down in a heartbeat. I’m parched. I can feel it go down my throat and into my stomach. I bring a pail of water back to my hut. After drinking more, I fall into a deep sleep.
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APRIL 25, 2013 Dear Journal,
I keep drinking the refreshing water under a palm tree. “Shoot,” I whisper. I remember the boat. I run back to the start of my S.O.S. sign. I look out into the ocean, but the boat is no longer there. I realize what I thought was a crab is actually a rock. I feel better after I drink the water. There is also a coconut beside me after my nap. I must have been having hallucinations. I run back to the other passengers to tell them my ship sighting was a false alarm. I quickly approach John and Rachel. “Hello?” I shout out. I find them, but they don’t look right. I walk up closer to them. They don’t flinch. They must be napping. I tap each of their shoulders. There is no response. This time I shove John slightly. He falls on top of his wife, and she is knocked over. They are motionless. Tears begin to come to my eyes as I check them for a pulse. I feel nothing. The newlyweds are dead. I wipe away my tears and run to Katie and her children. I shake each and every one of them. They are all dead. Practically bawling, I sprint to Bill. He appears to be playing with Pippin, but Bill appears almost frozen. She is whimpering as she nudges his body with her cold, wet nose. They are gone. Everyone is gone.
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I must have dreamt them being alive, too. I can’t help but break down. In this strange way, I am left alone stranded on this island, never to escape, with no one to talk to. ALTERNATE ENDING April 25, 2013 Dear Journal I was awakened by wetness on my face. My eyes flutter open as my chest rises and falls. When my vision is no longer blurry, I make out a dog, no not just a dog, but Pippin! I shoot up and wrap him in my arms. I let out a shriek of joy that wakes everyone else up. My back is soaking wet, and so is everyone else’s. The tide must have come in. I become aware of a loud humming sound. Then the sand is whipped around us. I hover over Sheldon and Pippin in a protective manner. John and Patrick hover over their roommates with their knives out. Suddenly, we all become aware that there is a helicopter landing to pick us up. I jump up and swing Sheldon around and kiss him on the forehead, while Pippin barks his head off. Some shed tears of joy, and others are just excited. However, as we are loaded onto the helicopter, I realize this is an adventure I’m never going to forget.
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Visit to Waterland
When the boat started to sink, we saw many sights of great beauty. This tropical sea world was amazing.
Thankfully, we sank in shallow water.
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Looks like dinner.
We are thankful for surviving :)
Photo Essay by Lily Elkwood and Catharine Sabaitis; Photos courtesy of Charles Sabaitis, Upper School
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“Rannego Beach” photograph by Rachel Macnow
“Adventures in Rannego” Grade 8 students write about their adventures while shipwrecked on the Caribbean island of Rannego.
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Character List: Me - the narrator and writer of the journal James - the doctor John - the thief Carl - the main researcher Jim Rick Melanie Elizabeth Catherine Kevin Bark (the dog)
8-1 by Evan Kumar Day 1 The pirates stole all of our stuff. I see a land in the far distance! We are going to survive! When we finally arrive, we find that it is a very small island, but it has plenty of room for all of the researchers. We begin to set up camp, but there are not enough trees to build a shelter to cover ourselves. I decide I will keep a log of our adventures on the island. Day 2 We are starving. All that there is to eat is coconuts and bananas. We are having trouble sharing with each other. One of our crew members, John, is caught stealing all of the coconuts and bananas. We have to punish him severely. Then we take an oath not to steal from each other. Day 3 Still not much to eat. There are tons of mosquitoes. We are worried that they might infect us with disease. Luckily, Carl, the main researcher, packed bug repellent, and we spray it on ourselves. We have to be careful not to use it all up. Also, we are trying to catch fish by hand. It isn’t working out too well, because we have only caught one fish. All we eat is fish, and occasionally bananas, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Day 4 We have decided to fix our shelter today. We start to build the roof of the house. However, in the process, the roof collapses on one of the crew members. The doctor, James, determines that he is in critical condition, and he is not sure that he will make it. We are worried about him.
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Day 5 The crew member named Rick died today. The roof collapsed on his rib, which perforated his lung. There are only eight of us left on the island: I, James, Carl, Jim, Melanie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Kevin. We decide to search for animals on the island for food because we have been running low lately. No such luck so far. Day 6 We have not yet found animals for food, but we have managed to find a small stream for our source of water. It is better than nothing. We are starving, and if we can’t find any food in the next day, we could die. Our shelter is looking good. No ships have been sighted yet. Kevin is starting to go insane. Day 7 Today, our spirits lifted, just to be put down again. A ship, which could barely be seen, even with the binoculars that we managed to salvage, traveled by the island. However, it sailed right past without even moving in our direction Later, our spirits were again lifted when we finally found a goat on the island. Bark, our dog, helped us to track it. We hunted it down and began to roast it in the fire that we made. Our original plan was to eat the goat and save some for later, but we ended up eating the entire animal. We are not yet saved, but we have found a source of survival on the island.
8-2 Day 8 by Caroline Billyard It’s around midnight here, and we’ve already been on this horrid Caribbean island for a week. Our camp consists of two little huts made of palm tree leaves. Inside, there are ‘beds’ made of dried leaves. It’s very simple. Suddenly, our dog starts barking, and Carl says he heard something and just woke us all up. Now we’re hiding in our pathetic camp, waiting. We hear a voice, “Hello? I know you’re here. You left your fire burning.” We step out as a unified wall of people. The speaker walks into the light of the fire, revealing his face. Behind him, there are many other faces, many more than our small number. A tribe, obviously natives or people who have been stranded here for many years, is standing in front of us.
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Day 9 by Grace Hofferber - ENEMIES! Once we see who the people are, I tell my group to come out of the bushes and meet the tribal men and women. “I see you’re not from around here,” the man with the strange mask on his head says. “Yes, we were attacked by pirates out in the ocean,” I say to the man. They start to walk closer to us, then sit down by the fire to warm up. James says to them in a nervous voice as they are sitting down, “If you don’t mind me asking, who are you?” “We are Awaka, and we have lived here for almost 100 years,” the man says to us, sticking pieces of wood in the fire. Once a stick is on fire, he throws it at us. He snatches my friend James and drags him into the darkness. That is what happened when our trouble began.
Day 10 by Jillian Ross My friend James is now gone. We don’t know what to do. The Awaka could be anywhere. They know the island so much better than we do. Despite our worries, we form a plan over a dinner of coconuts and bananas. We are going to break into groups of three to search the perimeter of the island. I estimate this will take us a full day. After that, we will be able to make a rough map to follow. Then, we will go towards the center of the island and search.
Later in Day 10 I’ve just found a radio system from the boat that can be used to communicate with others when we’re searching. When we find the tribe, we will tell the other search groups our location. Maybe we will be able to overtake them. We are now making weapons that we can use if the tribe tries to attack us. These are just pieces of wood or anything that we have managed to salvage from the boat. One major advantage is that we have a couple of flashlights I took from the boat. Night is when the tribe will be weakest and most vulnerable. We’re finally done with preparations. It’s dark out, and I estimate that it’s around ten o’clock. We’ll search the perimeter of the island tonight. Then, tomorrow at twelve o’clock, when most of the tribe will be asleep, we’ll attack. MAG Shipwrecked 2013
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Day 11 by Jillian Ross I have a search group with Jim and Elizabeth. One has a slingshot, and the other one has a club made of wood. We are going around the eastern side of the island, and we will stop when we meet with the other group. I’m writing this by flashlight with a pencil. I will have to go soon, but I am supposed to use this journal to observe my surroundings, so we can make the most accurate map possible. I have now lost sight of base camp. It’s us and the unknown wilderness. 2 hours later (12 AM) I estimate that we’ve travelled four or five miles. On my radio system, I hear frequent reports from the other groups. Suddenly, I hear, “Help! Help!” I reply, “What? Where are you?” Static. I try again. Still static. 12:30 AM No word. I tell the other groups to go back to base camp. The search group of Melanie and Carl are gone. We’re tired and hungry, and we have no chance of getting in touch with the other group in this darkness. Perhaps their signal just went bad, and they’ll be at base camp I try to think on the positive side of things, but I’m starting to realize that the Awaka have struck again. 3 AM “Attention. Civilians from a foreign world.” Everyone bolts out of bed. “What is that sound?” asks Elizabeth. It must be the radio. I go out and find it. I then hear, “If you want your ‘search group’ and James, meet us in two days time at the river.” Everyone is shocked.
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Day 12 by Grace Cornell It has been one day since the tribe sent us the message to get James and the other group. Our group is trying to prepare an army, so we can take down the tribe. Doing so is going to be very unlikely. I know there is a possibility that members of our group might die. I am very fearful for our lives now. We need more food. I just want to go home.
Day 13 by Jillian Ross We’ve found three big fish, some coconuts and bananas, and some seaweed. We’ve decided to have a feast in order to get ready for the attack. We don’t know when we’ll see each other again. More later.
Day 14 by Jillian Ross It is time to attack. Everyone is getting ready. I will write more later.
Later in Day 14 - 11 PM We have completed our attack. We have saved Elizabeth, James, and Carl. However, James is injured. The Awaka hit his left leg with a poisonous arrow. Here is a recount: It’s dark and everyone’s nervous. We have no idea where to go. I decide to take Bark with us in my surveillance group. Our job is to observe the camp and find its weak points. Next, the distraction team will try to chase the guards away and keep them busy for at least ten minutes. Meanwhile, the extraction team will unlock the prisoners and bring them back to camp. My group will let the distraction team know that the mission is complete, and we will head back to base camp. We walk for what seems like hours and locate the Awaka’s camp. The other teams get into position. We scout forward to try to find the prisoners. I note that there are two guards around the prison cage. It looks relatively easy to break. I report this to the other teams, adding that most of the Awaka are asleep. Our job is done for now. Then we hear the signal that they have the prisoners. We get into position and run back to base camp.
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8-3 by Ashley and Dylan Biswal Day 15 Today we are treating all of the injured prisoners. We went out in search of food. We need a lot now that there are more people. We came back with only two small fish and some wild blackberries. Maybe we will have more luck tomorrow. For now we have to make sure the Awaka don’t take any more people.
Day 16 I stayed up last night keeping an eye out for the Awaka. There is not much to be done today other that finding some food. James and the other prisoners are getting better. Today, Elizabeth went fishing and came back with two big fish. The catch is better than yesterday but still not enough.
Day 17 We’ve all been taking shifts staying up. James is completely better now but just needs a bandage for the wound caused by the arrow. Most of the prisoners are back to normal too and can help us find food. With all of the help today, we managed to get four big fish, a lot of blackberries, and some crabs! We will be eating well tonight.
Day 18 Today, Bark sniffed out some wild boar, and we managed to get one. That’s all of the food we would need for today. While I was out in the woods, I stumbled across a bee hive. I decided to get some honey from it. That was not a very good idea. I came back to base covered in bee stings and welts. I got all the stingers out, but I’m covered in stinging, itching bumps.
Day 19 My bee stings have gotten better, but everyone has advised me to rest today. James and Elizabeth went hunting today and got two medium sized fish. It’s not a lot, but it’ll do. Not much else happened.
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Day 20
“Rannego Bay” by Rachel Macnow
Last night, we all awoke to Bark howling and barking. One of the Awaka tribe members tried to attack, but he was the only one. We scared him off and went back to sleep. All of the prisoners are back to normal. We started showing them around and teaching them how to hunt and gather food. Now, we will always have enough food with all of the people we have hunting and gathering. I dug up a couple of blackberries bushes and planted them at base camp. This way we won’t have to go so far away to get them. We got a lot of food today.
Day 21 I started getting paranoid today. I started thinking that we might be here forever. I guess I might be getting homesick. I couldn’t get these thoughts out of my head all day long. I saw a small ship on the horizon and started to signal it. It didn’t notice so that made my paranoid thoughts even worse. Maybe some sleep will help.
8-4 Day 22 by Marissa Mahoney I refuse to let my mind trick me into thinking that no one will save us from this treacherous island. The sounds of fear play in my head like a broken record and the smell of weakness mists through the weary, escaping air. I look around at the vacant land. Once, there were more than just eight people. There was a family of us. I miss those times of protection, filled with the warmth of love. The sickness has eaten most of us up. The sickness is a contagion, which causes madness as its victims twist and turn. James has been a tremendous help to us, though, finding food, water, and attending the wounded. What a good man in a time of such need! As for me, my health is steady right now, and I want to keep it that way until we are rescued.
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Day 23 by Marissa Mahoney I want to scream and shout for help! Why has no one come? Why have we been forgotten? I quickly try to erase such thoughts so I can keep a tranquil mind set for hunting with Carl. Carl is a professional hunter, so when we venture out I envy all his knowledge. However, the number of animals on this island is decreasing rapidly because of the massive amount of hunting we have been carrying out. We need the food to survive through the ominous days. It keeps us all sane and ready to begin yet another hurdle of a day, but it’s harder than ever. I feel as if the days get longer and longer as I plead for salvation. The daylight slowly slips away through the slits on my fingertips. Are our days of existence numbered?
Day 24 by Anjali Mann Today is a new day, and, for some reason, I feel hopeful and better than I have in weeks. Carl, Bark and I head for the woods to try and find something to eat. After a while, we spot a bird! We almost catch it, but just as Carl is about to shoot it, he stumbles on a rock. Because of Carl, we’re going to bed hungry. This day has crushed my hopes for ever leaving this horrific island.
Day 25 by Anjali Mann Bark isn’t eating any food I’ve offered him. I shot a bunny, and he didn’t even touch it. It’s starting to worry me, Bark and Carl are the only friends I have, and, without them, I might go crazy. I’m praying Bark stops acting weirdly and goes back to being the friendly, loving dog he usually is.
Day 26 by Pooja Nayyar Carl is acting strangely and sort of suspiciously. He is constantly setting us up for near death situations, like earlier. He lit a torch from a fire and tripped. The fire almost burned me. He claimed he tripped over his feet. How is that possible? Also, he was hunting and thought I was a deer, so he shot right at my head. I moved out of the way, thank goodness, but I was an inch away from getting shot in the head! Carl also - wait - is it me or am I the only one in these near death situations? I mean HE is the one that almost caused ME to die! However, he did take care of me and teach me how to survive. They MAG Shipwrecked 2013 55
real accidents. I mean Carl wouldn’t want to kill me, would he? It’s probably nothing, I should stop worrying. Can I trust no one? I mean he is the one who is really the only reason I am still alive.
Day 27 by Pooja Nayyar I am not doing so well. Carl gave me berries that he said were good. He didn’t take any because he said that he already had some. Nice, right? Wrong. Turns out those were poisonous berries. They weren’t deadly, but they made my stomach hurt like anything! My stomach is in knots, and I’m extremely nauseous. If Carl ate them, why didn’t he get sick too? Wait! Carl didn’t eat them; he gave them to me on purpose knowing they were poison! Carl is up to something. I mean he almost killed me three times! He said the episodes were “accidents,” but I’m not stupid! He is just using me for hunting, and now he is trying to get rid of me! Oh boy, he does not know who he just messed with.
Day 28 by Pooja Nayyar Since I had no evidence that Carl was trying to kill me, I had to find some. There is something over there! Where we had been camping, there is a knife, a bloody one, under a bush. There are pictures of people pasted onto an old calendar. Each day has a different person pasted onto that day. The faces of the people all have x’s across them. Then, I see pictures of my crew. Their faces are all x’d out; then I see Kevin’s face x’d out on the day he died. That’s weird? Then, I see my face pasted to a date, and the date is today.
8-5 by Rachel Macnow and Jillian Ross Day 29 I don’t want to die. We’ve come too far for it all to end like this. I decide to tell everyone about my suspicions about Carl. They are on high alert, but I’m still nervous. I’m not sure if I should confront him or not. He seems to be growing more and more distant from us. We’re all curious about what he’s hiding... Maybe we should search his hut? I’m not sure. Melanie volunteered to go with Carl hunting. Tonight, we are going to switch off guard duty in order to protect everyone from Carl.
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Day 30 We shouldn’t have to protect everyone from each other. We had a meeting while Carl was hunting. All of us are scared, more so than we have ever been before. What might he do to us? Why has he been acting like this? No one has any idea, but if we don’t figure out what to do soon, we could be in more danger than I thought.
Day 31 Our food supplies are running low. On top of that, Carl is still a danger to everyone. We’ve kept watch over anything that could be used as a weapon, but who knows if he has something hidden. He’s getting more and more distant and hasn’t spoken a word to any one of us. It seems like he’s been having hallucinations. His eyes have been glazing over, and he’s been mumbling random phrases. We don’t know what to do with him anymore...
Day 32 Carl’s gone. We just woke up, and he was nowhere to be seen. Personally, I’m glad and relieved. We can finally get back to important problems, like our food sources. Our food has almost been depleted. We only have six water bottles, three bags of chips, and eight bags of ramen noodles. I’ll write more later.
Day 33 It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Awaka, almost too long. I have a funny feeling that Carl is somehow tied in with them. No one else agrees with me, especially Melanie. She wants to send out a search party for him while the rest of us are glad he’s gone. It feels good to release some of the fear and tension there has been for the past couple of days. SHHHH! I hear a branch breaking. Who...?
Day 34 It was just Melanie coming back from her fishing. There is nothing to eat. We have now used up all of our reserve supplies. I have no idea what we are going to do to survive. Wait. I hear something! It sounds like a plane... I’m far away from camp, but I’m going to sprint back.
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Later I just got back. There is no one here. They’ve left... without me.
Day 35 I’m starving. Now that I’m the only one on the island, I have to protect myself from the Awaka.
4 hours later I’m dying. I haven’t eaten in over 48 hours. I don’t have the strength to go anywhere. I think I hear a plane, but maybe I’m just hallucinating. I can’t find water. I can’t walk. My vision is starting to go. Wait. I can’t feel my fingers. Is that someone? Thank heavens, it is a plane, and it has landed. I’m saved!
“Good-bye Rannego” by Rachel Macnow
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The Beach Breathes by Jessica Schoenhut
“Rannego Sunset”
Seagulls circle like kites Winds crack like whips The waves are thunder Crashing against the grainy shores Fish swimming furiously Sand crabs shyly hiding Gusts whipping by Lungs rising and falling Thoughts evaporating Inhaling Relaxation
by Rachel Macnow
Ocean Waves by Madison Chamas I go back to the place I once loved Once again the waves inviting me in as if they hadn’t hurt me The sea smiles and invites me into the cold, black, frightening waters It licks my toes, pleading The water is as cold as rain on a winter day Just like it was on that day My home calls my name, as it rests on the shore Its walls no longer my protector It warmth no longer with me For now, all I see is blackness enclosing me.
“Rocky Shores” by Alyssa Mendez
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