GROWTH
The Cardinal Review Literary Magazine Vol. 3, No. 1
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Contents Cover Photos by Sienna Stiefel (2024)
Note from the club leaders
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The Iceberg - Anonymous
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A Question of Ethics - Erin Howard (2023)
4-7
I’m Bored - Anonymous
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The Crooked Man with his Crooked Plan - Sean Bryant (2022)
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Trapped - Alillia Bowden (2022)
10-11
Fiery Sunsets - Anonymous
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The Ethereal Green Tunnel - Maiya Gonzales (2022)
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Isolation - Anonymous
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Childhood - Anonymous
15-16
Magical Moss - Sophia Aldrich (2022)
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Soccer Sunday - Owen Gladwish (2022)
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The Slip Streamer - Anonymous
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Frozen Air - Anonymous
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I Am Not a Single Story - Anonymous
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Meditation on Physics - Ben Gillen (Faculty)
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Womanhood - Rose Hunskor (2022)
25-26
An Ode to Rain - Riley Potvin (2022)
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2 Thirds of a Classic - Henry Thompson (2022)
28-31
Our Team
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Note from the club leaders: On behalf of the Literary Magazine Club, we hope you enjoy this collection of student writing. We want to thank everyone who put themselves out there by submitting their work and applaud them on their new status as published artists! Sharing your art with others requires a commendable amount of bravery and we are so proud of each of you for taking that step. The theme of this issue is “Growth,” a consistent element in the works we received. We hope that reading the pieces in this issue allows you to consider your own personal changes over the eventful past few years. If you are inspired by the work in this magazine, please submit your own work for the next issue. We hope to work with you soon! Thank you for reading and enjoy! -
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Rocket Davis, Ella Jeffries, & Zola Morris
The Iceberg By Anonymous So small and insignificant is the life of a passenger. They lay on their ships, and they raise their sails They can only hope for a gust of wind to carry them along the sea. Bending nature to their will, they can only hope it allows them to bend. Nature will not bend for me. I am frozen eternally. Far too long Is the life of an iceberg. I am chained to the sea and yet, a cruel god Has chained my head to the clouds. I imagine a life elsewhere. No passenger realizes how senseless they are They step, ants crushed beneath their shoes, Unknowing that they are the ants And I am the shoe. And I am merely the shoe. The icy air brings along another ship today. I look down at it, and it looks up at me. We share the ocean for a few brief moments. There is a man on the boat. He stands out to me today A higher source tells me his name is Victor He flees from his own creation, says the source, but I do not care, nor do I need to care, for I am an iceberg. 2
The ship leaves, and I stay, and I’ll stay until there are no more ships to leave me. I envy the humans and the inevitable end they will all face I do not get that privilege, and I will never understand what it is like To let these numbing waters take hold of my brain and limbs To finally sink me into the sea I lay in For I have the power to sink others; Ice creeps over dead flesh in my wake. Waves, like a rope around my neck And yet I continue to breathe.
Photo credit: George Back (1796-1878). View in the Arctic Regions; a ship probably HMS Terror. British Museum. Dept. of Prints and Drawings, 1891-10-31-307, http://www.britishmuseum.org/. http://library.artstor.org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/asset/AGERNSHEIMIG_10311308205. Included with submission.
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A Question of Ethics By Erin Howard Space travel seems to be both exhilarating and intimidating. The idea of leaving Earth and even seeing Earth from a different vantage point can bring a rush of adrenaline and the feeling of weightlessness. However, the heaviness of knowing that there are an infinite number of possibilities for failure or success can bring lofty emotions back down to reality. As for scientists, astronauts, and anyone involved in space exploration, it is nearly impossible to cover every scenario that could occur while in space. Because of this, the importance of scenario planning before missions determines the likeliness of success. The purpose of this expository essay is to outline, evaluate, and come to a reasonable conclusion about where ethics stand in the search for life and answers. This essay will first use the example of a past mission to examine proposed protocols. It will then do an in-depth introduction to five primary protocols that should be required for space exploration. Finally, concluding with a statement about the future of ethical space exploration. Past missions are essential in many ways; they offer lessons and a way to compare and examine future missions expected to serve a similar purpose. Preliminary efforts require crew members to do a comprehensive review of critical elements, sign agreements, and participate in substantial training. The degree of thoroughness of planning for mission preparation is immense and described as mind-boggling. By the end of pre-launch operations and planning, astronauts have been fully immersed in the environment they are to face. 4
There have been many engineering case studies of The Challenger Disaster. In his publication of Engineering Ethics Case Study: The Challenger Disaster, Mark Rossow covered the retrospective fallacy and the troubles with NASA risk-taking. The main question considered in the text was if calculating the costs and benefits of the program was a component that the NASA managers took seriously under the unsafe conditions already known. “But if something went wrong with a launch, the probability of detection was 100%. The manager’s career would be finished, and he might face criminal charges. Adding this cost to the cost—in moral terms—of the death of the crew and the cost of suspension of the entire program for many months or even years would give a total cost so large that any rational manager would have judged the risk too far outweigh the reward” (Rossow, 2015.) Rossow suggests that ethical concerns reach beyond those on board and charge those applying too much pressure to mission programs. It is essential to consider the long-term effects of excessive ambition that could severely damage people and things. The second question was along the lines of the principle of informed consent. The key to participation in experiments is to obtain informed consent from test subjects. The research found that NASA did not provide crew members of the Challenger the knowledge to make an informed decision on potential risks. “The second requirement—that the crew had enough information to decide if they wanted to risk launch—does not appear to have been met” he continues, “But even if they 32 had been told of the teleconference, it is difficult to see how they could have made a reasonable decision about launching” (Rossow, 2015). 5
The NASA engineers told information about ice forming on the launch pad as the members were idle on the launch pad; however, questioning launch safety only a few hours before takeoff makes what is being described seem futile. Each characteristic of judgments made in space exploration programs must exceed predicted outcomes and always bring technical and emotional success and confidence. Primary space exploration protocols assure safety & security for many. All private and public space corporations must be committed to meeting each for every mission carried out. These protocols include four categories, informed consent, communications, the potential for harm, and moral agency. Informed consent applies both on and off spacecraft. These are things we as people deal with every day of our lives. Informed consent builds upon a foundation of trust and patient autonomy when dealing with research (Murphy, 2008). Informed consent can count as communication, another protocol needed in space exploration. Communication is effective when the means of collaboration and innovation are articulated well. Hence, research findings support a greater relevance and impact (Sciendo, 2020). Lastly, moral agency is the ethical obligation entities have towards moral subjects (Rummel, 2017). It promotes all people to a moral responsibility not to cause unjustified harm. A protocol such as this enables accountability and merit for all. It is nearly impossible to cover every scenario that could occur while in space. Therefore, the likeliness of success is dependent on scenario planning before missions. Disasters and mistakes in space exploration are only lessons learned. Remembering that we are all only humans shows that much sacrifice will have to be made when advancing outside Earth. 6
References Cedengineering.Com. https://www.cedengineering.com/userfiles/Engineering%20Ethics% 20Case%20Study%20The%20Challenger%20Disaster%20R1.pdf. (2022). Retrieved 9 January 2022, from https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Shared%20Documents/conferences/20 17-business-and-economics-of-space/John%20Rummel.pdf Murphy, J. (2008). Benefits and Challenges of Informed Consent. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 83(3), 272-273. doi: 10.4065/83.3.272 The power and benefits of effective science communication | Sciendo. (2020). Retrieved 9 January 2022, from https://sciendo.com/news/the-power-and-benefits-of-effective-scien ce-communication
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I’m Bored By Anonymous Read A book Pass the time Do not be bored You will enjoy it. You will learn something new. Find an interesting book. Go on and educate yourself. A new opportunity is here.
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The Crooked Man with his Crooked Plan By Sean Bryant From the shadows arose a tall and skinny man. In his head, he had a mischievous plan. And with a smile across his face, he disappeared without a trace. Then he reappeared amidst a great fog; bringing with him his little red catalog. As he ventured through the empty town, his wide grin became a frown. He now realized that the people had left, and to him, they committed great theft. And now with all his plans in shambles, his fate became something he gambles. Realizing this newfound truth, he went to a telephone booth. As he read from his little red book, he had now accepted that he was viewed as a crook. If it was a monster they wanted, then one they shall receive. And with that knowledge, a crooked plan he will conceive.
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Trapped By Alillia Bowden I awoke underwater. Not clear beautiful water, but dark, cold, thick water that is trying to squeeze the breath out of you. I didn’t know which way the surface would be. I decided to begin thrashing my legs hoping for a breath of air to come quickly. I struggled in the darkness, hoping to find something lighter at the surface, something light like air, clear and easy to breathe in. It felt like days, but itI couldn’t have been more than a few seconds until I broke through the crushing weight of the dark water and emerged into the bright light air. I gasped and sputtered, relieved to be free of the crushing darkness. As I surveyed my surroundings, I realized I wasn’t as free as I had hoped. Where there should have been a nice beach or a rocky coastline, I instead found myself trapped once again, this time in a glass bottle. I knew that the oxygen in here wouldn't last long. I slowed and controlled my breathing trying to develop a new plan of escape. As I looked up to the mouth of the bottle, I could see something brown trapped in the bottle with me. Except it wasn’t trapped with me, it was the thing preventing my escape. A brown cork, at first glance floating in the sky. I decided to focus on the cork, if I could move it maybe this was my ticket to escape. What did I have to help me? I was utterly alone. The water couldn’t help and I couldn’t fathom going back into its crushing depths to try to find anything of use. I only had myself to rely on. I tried to climb up the bottle first, but the walls were slippery and the cork was high in the sky. I made attempt after attempt but I was getting tired, using up my air, and I kept getting pulled black into the clutches of the cold water. I racked my brain for a solution. Time was running out and my heart was beating quickly. 10
My fingers had pruned, hair sopping, everything was cold. As I stood there shivering, the only other idea I had was to break the glass. I did my best to gain some traction placing my feet and hands carefully so I might be able to have some force, and pushed with all my might.
Provided photo credit: https://www.literacyshed.com/the-images-shed.html
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Fiery Sunsets By Anonymous Bright, Sun rays, Peek through the Lush bountiful Forest of tall trees, Setting a blush on the Clouds above me as I stand Listening to the cicadas Who vibrate their drum in unison, While the sun colors the air all around
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The Ethereal Green Tunnel By Maiya Gonzales As we skipped through what felt like an endless ethereal tunnel, the light at the end shone brightly through. With every skip, the light became brighter. His hand met every crevasse on my palm, squeezing tightly as if he would never let go. The various layers of green life around us fueled a feeling of warmth under my skin. With every step I took, my feet were tickled by the skinny stems and the floppy leaves of the plants beneath me. The rays of the sun reflected the wall of leaves around me as new shades popped from every corner the sun reached. As I gazed upwards, I could see the old sturdy roots and branches connect to the vines of the leaves that formed tiny holes for light. The fresh breeze brushed upon my face as the still yet vibrant life around us froze us in time. The greens and browns surrounding us started from the bottom of my toes, where I could feel the dirt nestle beneath my toenails, to high above me, where I could feel the warm rays shine down on my head. The sound of stillness broken up by a few chirps and the stomping of our feet filled the air, and the little whistle from the air brushing through the ivy walls sustained a smile on my face. I felt warm and comfortable as I looked over at him and saw the light illuminate his hazel brown eyes. I didn’t want this moment to end, but eventually, we met the bright light at the end of the ethereal green tunnel.
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Isolation By Anonymous Isolation A tickle in the back of your throat A tickle that locks you in a room The sun is shining but you are trapped Family so close but you are alone The tickle becomes a monster That shuts you away and creeps A tickle that comes and goes quickly A tickle that can kill
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Childhood By Anonymous A prologue to the rest of your life. Best spent finding what you want to do. Cherish the memories you make and the advice you receive. Don't pass up opportunities, they may never come again. Enjoy time spent with your family and friends. Forge new connections. Get to know your strengths and weaknesses Help those who need it, your kindness is never forgotten. Intend to do something every day, and set goals for the future. Jokes are a great source of laughter, but “know your crowd.” Knowledge comes in many forms, so Listen to everyone even if you don't agree with them. Mental health should take priority over everything else, No one is alone and reaching out is the first step to recovery. Owning up to your mistakes is always better than hiding them. 15
Procrastination is your worst enemy. Question the norm and understand: no one is perfect. Remember the compliments, forget the insults. Studying can never hurt, even on a Friday. Trust your friends, and know that they come and go. Understand that life is not fair. Venture beyond your comfort zone, Walk your own path. X does not mark the spot. You only have one life, and it can Zip by, so don't miss it.
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Magical Moss By Sophia Aldrich Look closely, a figure in the thick and grey fog. Its mysterious presence stays hidden from the viewer and lurks in the most unclear corners of this magical place. No one has ever seen them, however, the one person who has describes a small mint green bunny, with cotton candy-like fur, and piercing gold eyes, retreating whenever there is sunlight. The bunny swims in the crevices of this unknown place and feeds on the green moss. Despite the innocent-seeming description of this creature, it is said that this bunny possesses’ traits, making the deadliest predators squirm in their place. Searchers, scientists, and sailors have been the only individuals who dare set foot on this land. Some say the waters look shallow, however, they are supposedly 50 feet of ice-cold water, freezing everything that disturbs its calm surface.
Photo provided without credit. 17
Soccer Sunday By Owen Gladwish the ball rolls a crisp pass we’ve trained to win but they have as well we just need another goal limitless chances in the game ninety should be enough for fame a through ball played, another goal kick a confident header, a breakaway
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The Slip Streamer By Anonymous I rush out the door I already know I am late With my keys, coffee, and credit card I frantically open the driver’s side door Sinking into the glossy, leather seat I rapidly click the ignition Exiting the driveway My foot slowly eases into the accelerator Like lightly closing a drawer Moving through several green lights And rolling through stop signs I finally cross paths with a slip streamer My face suddenly transitions From focus to disgust The slip streamer races past Cutting in front of me Forcing a staring contest Between me and the red light
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Squinting my eyes Focusing on the license plate My fingers grip the wheel tightly The irkson continues his journey Hindering the travel of many As my face cools off And the vibrant green hue appears My foot stomps on the gas pedal Hoping to make up for lost time
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Frozen Air By Anonymous Hot steamy handprints on cold icy windows With each release, breath that curls into smoke Went clammy footprints paint the sprawling ground Tiny taps at the window call out for attention Brisk sweeps of air knock loudly Intricate little legged creatures crawl between floorboards Pinpricks of frost cover bare skin Sun battered clouds form mismatched shapes Grey fog seeps through open cracks Composed of dull spirits and heavy eyes Lagging yawns triumph Tight confounding bristled bonds Warm red lights pound over closed eyelids Dancing shadows of leafy green shimmers Grey sunny smiles The freeing feeling of fresh frozen air
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I Am Not a Single Story By Anonymous I Am Not a Single Story like everything on this planet i am a product of my environment. of everything that came before me everything i’ve felt, noticed, or not noticed. i come from dadima’s kisses. from my childhood home in the southern Californian foothills. the heat. my parents’ love, my parents’ fights. the tears. i come from cardamom and cumin and cinnamon sticks and Allah. the orange towel i’d wrap myself in as a child getting out of the pool. my mother’s voice she acquired by surviving Midwestern winters. my little brother’s smile. i come from the ocean. the smell of sunscreen. my sister’s hand-me-downs. from weekend trips to LACMA, the aquarium, and Half Dome. i come from rain. 22
i was raised by my mother, Mother Earth. she opened her green, blooming, luscious hands and gifted me with my father, my mother, my sister, my brother. my family. she taught me to observant and to question everything around me. i was taught to fear what i do not yet know. to respect nature and all her creations. i was raised to be compassionate. to think before i speak. i was raised to know how to light my own fire. to flick the light switch on when it’s dark outside. to know when to ask for help. i was raised to listen to love. this is who i am. and this is where i come from.
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Meditation on Physics By Ben Gillen
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Womanhood By Rose Huskor Life grows within the fortress of Eve. Our bosoms pour sweet milk Into the gaping mouths of our offspring, From our wombs emerge our lifeblood incarnated. From Adam came Eve, Though upon the back of Eve came the rest of humanity. Eve, tempted by the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, Sinking her teeth into the ruby skin of temptation, Blossoming with eternal life As the juices coursed through her veins. As the moon hung over the newly created world, Eve gazed at the stars and the clouds Looming overhead. Without warning, A stirring rose deep within her As liquid began to trickle down her thigh. Frozen, petrified: A stream of copper-red– The color of the forbidden fruit– Stained the leaves beneath her naked figure.
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Every cycle of the moon, The juice of the forbidden fruit is released through our bodies; A reminder of the strength and beauty Of the divinity of womanhood.
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An Ode to Rain By Riley Potvin Tip tapping the tops of roofs, Showering the ground with light drops, Perfectly descending With an urgency and gravitude Kindly greeting the showered below How soundly must you sleep Ascended in the air Gripping to the clouds In a beautiful pool of potential, Washing away old sidewalks and grime Drenched clothes feel like weighted layers Hugging and clinging like a warm embrace, Stuck to linger as the fall reiterates its relevance And soothing sounds of banter As windows act as race tracks The dampened air Cleaning the breeze of ambiguity, Clearing lungs of smog, And restlessly reassuring The inevitable return of the rain
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2 Thirds of a Classic By Henry Thompson The Heiké Story is a unique story that I found gripping because of its historical context, characters and themes, despite issues with the ending and how the novel handles some characters. The Heiké Story is a fascinating piece of Japanese literature that retells an important novel, the Tale of the Heiké. The Tale of the Heiké retells the clashes between the Minamoto and Taira warrior clans during the Heian Period through the Heiké and Genji. The retelling of the almost 800 year old medieval classic is done with immense care and detail. This allows anyone who has spent time studying Japanese history or literature to see the parallels to real events that happened in Japan. The novel goes through the Hōgen Rebellion, a civil war regarding imperial succession. The Hōgen Rebellion led to the Minamoto and Taira going from minor warrior clans to powerful political rivals. The Heiji Rebellion was a civil war that almost destroyed the Minamoto and resulted in the Taira becoming the leading political faction in Japan. This led up to the Genpei War, where the sons of the head of the Minamoto gathered the remaining Minamoto to defeat the Taira. They formed the Kamakura Shogunate, the first Shogunate in Japanese history. The Heiké Story is a retelling of these events with slight embellishments. Unfortunately, the story is not complete. The novel only gets through two-thirds of the original story and then ends abruptly. Due to the ending, there are a few problems in this version. The novel has many story lines that are going on simultaneously. The story masterfully makes these storylines distinguishable because of the detail of the characters. There are two warriors that end up 28
converting to Buddist monks because of their struggles as warriors. the struggles of their lives as warriors. On the surface this is a weirdly similar story to have been told twice. However, these characters are wildly different in their underlying characteristics that you wouldn’t be able to mix them up. That is one of the beauties of the book, it's a complex web of characters and their interactions. Unfortunately, some of the minor characters are lost in the web without a conclusion for their story or having any effect on the plot. This is made apparent by the abrupt ending of the story. The ending cuts off a lot of the characters final conclusions. Take the two monks that I mentioned earlier as examples, one of the monks becomes a sagely guide figure who gives characters advice that leads them to rework their whole plan. The monk was supposed to play an even bigger role later on. And the other monk writes poems… that’s about it. There are a handful of characters like this that the story spends a fair bit of time focusing on despite the fact that they don’t have any importance to the plot. In the grand scheme of the book this is a minor critique. When the story focuses on the important characters, the story becomes a broad display of war, politics, religion and ambitions. Every character has their ambitions. Whether it is power, wealth, revenge, to find purpose, or a more altruistic goal, they are all constantly trying to reach their individual goals. A lot of the time this causes them to butt heads, which may cause war or political issues that need to be settled. The characters ambitions and morals are constantly being put to the test, and no character is guaranteed to succeed in either respect.
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These struggles are best shown through the lens of the main character, Heiké Kiyomori, based on the real life Taira no Kiyomori. Because of his struggle for ambition and morals, Heiké Kiyomori is a great example of the book’s themes. The themes being how materialistic desire corrupts good, and how life is always changing. Kiyomori’s story is about a rise to power, similar to a hero’s journey. However, the further Kiyomori makes it into the hero’s journey, the more his morals and those around Kiyomori begin to give way to desire. This reaches the point at the end where Kiyomori manages to become the main power in Japan. But Kiyomori is a corrupted figure and the story already set the scene for his downfall. The ending in this version, while abrupt, does show the theme of impermanence as the golden age of the Heiké is going to be under threat constantly. Eventually it will fall along with Kiyomori and everything that he has worked towards. The tale is something really formulaic like the hero’s journey but altered to make it into a tragedy. It also focuses on a theme that I rarely see in western stories. I love to see stories tackle uncommon themes, as it makes the story feel special and unique. Which allows it to stand out among other stories. It's a breath of fresh air to see different themes being expressed in writing beyond what is considered common in modern literature. I mean how many times does someone have to read a coming of age story before they are even a little sick of them? Even though this is an 800 year old story and this version of the story was written in 1950, it’s nice to see something that would be considered new and different. Even with the shortcomings such as the abrupt ending, and some pointless characters, the book was still able to produce a truly fascinating and detailed roster of characters that helped present the 30
story’s unique themes of corruption and impermanence beautifully and is deservant of being called a literary classic.
Citations Cartwright, Mark. “Genpei War.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 22 Mar. 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/Genpei_War/. “Heiji Disturbance.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/event/Heiji-Disturbance. “Hōgen Disturbance.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/event/Hogen-Disturbance. “Taira Kiyomori.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Taira-Kiyomori. “The Tale of the Heike.” Visit the Main Page, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/The_Tale_of_the _Heike.
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Our Team Co-Editors in Chief: - Ella Jeffries (2022) - Zola Morris (2022) - Rocket Davis (2024) Faculty Advisor: - Kevin Kimura Contributing Editors: -
Annabelle Burg (2022) Wendy Amador (2022) Calvin Lundin (2023) Colson Struss (2023) Dao Ming Chau (2023) Elena Skirgaudas (2023) Emma Beane (2023)
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