2019-2020 Middle School Admiral's Pen Literary Magazine

The admirals’ pen Literary Arts Magazine Compiled and Edited by Middle School Students

2020

Greetings!

Welcome to the 8th annual Admirals’ Pen literary arts magazine. On these remarkable pages, you will view a variety of writing, photos, and art pieces from Severn’s middle school students. From editing to cupcakes to coffeehouses, we really enjoyed being a part of the literary magazine this year.

Collaborating on this publication helped us learn to take on responsibilities and work together as a team. Thank you from all of us here on the Admirals’ Pen staff! We appreciate your submissions. Enjoy reading the 2020 edition of the magazine!

Sincerely, The Admirals’ Pen Editors

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Table of Contents The Lady in the Dress, Finn Freas Civic Responsibility Speech, Bella Liberto Contrast, Tara Qualey An Empty Design, Charlotte Weny Flourish, Summer Hilliard Forest of Wonders Review, Kate Grimes Creation of Adam’s Hands, Courtney Zwick Knowledge, Alex Zaremski Eye See A Ferris Wheel, Ainsley Grow Approaching Riches, Raeha Richman Tear, Stella Habashi Night Essays, Emily Sutton, Ben Veiel, Whitney Grimes Color My Eyes, Charlotte Reilly Flashback, Camille Rouiller Illuminated Manuscript, Aliza Monaldo Bromine Project, Elianna Nicole Chesapeake Bay Speech, Caroline Brenia Element and Principle Squares, Emma Patrick Bennah, Deanna Banks Visual Journal, Anonymous Chesapeake Bay Speech, Bronywn Bolton Toast, Genevieve Henrietta Beryllium, Whitney Grimes Gulf Sunset, Summer Hilliard Empathy in Under A War Torn Sky, Finn Freas Butterflies in the Summer, Layla Mitchell-Abdul Swimmers Take Your Mark, Caroline Stites Sunsets Over the Plains, Finn Freas A Sun’s Colors: A Haiku, Alex Perritt Flaming Flamingo, Stephen Brown

5 6 9 10 12 13 16 17 18 19 21 22-29 30 31-34 35 36 37-39 40 41-44 45 46-48 49 50 51 52 53 54-56 57 58 59

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London Calling Essays, Ellie Hill, Lawrence Jacobs By the Seashore, Emmie Kanelos The Edge, Erik Maltz Girl in Disguise, Giorgi Moore The Bus Stop, Ben Veiel See Through My Eyes, Lily Weny Just a Dream, Anonymous One Eye Open, Lydia Saunders Drift, Raeha Richman Swinging Dog, Layla Mitchel-Abdul Civic Responsibility Speech, Zahria Grimes Good Days, Gabby Zsakany Civic Responsibility Speech, Zoe Smith Feathered, Lydia Saunders Failure, Caroline Brenia Picasso Foam Carving, Lizzie Veiel Gen Z, James Cravens Candy, Mayo Mabifa Memories, Davis Mann Looking Over Washington, Finn Freas Nature, Tenley Mann Our Future, Natalie King Writer’s Block, Anna Clark Cozy, Olivia Cochran Most Wanted, Kate Grimes Battle of Normandy, Nate Konkel Arbre Généalogique, Sam Grady Rainbow at Severn, Tara Qualey Cattle Cars, Whitney Grimes Life is on the Line, Tenley Mann

60-73 74 75-82 83 84-87 88 89-92 93 94-95 96 97-99 100 101-103 104 105 106 107-108 109 110 111 112 113 114-118 119 120 121 122-124 125 126 127

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The Lady In The Dress

By Finn Freas ‘26

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8th Grade Civic responsibility Speech

By Bella Liberto ‘24 Hello Severn School, my name is Bella Liberto and sexual violence is a struggle in the everyday lives of men and women across the world. In the United States, every 73 seconds an American citizen will be sexually assaulted. According to Rainn Statistics, every year in America alone, 322,000 Americans 12 years of age or older will face sexual violence (2018). Every year, 60,000 children younger than 12 years old are victims of sexual harassment and abuse. Sexual assault is a widespread problem that effects a large amount of people and how they live their everyday lives.

First, sexual assault perpetrators rarely face the consequences they deserve. Throughout all cases of harassment, only 9% of those who are guilty of sexual assault are prosecuted for their wrongdoings.

For example, only 5% of all sexual abusers face a felony conviction.

This leads to around 97% of perpetrators walking free with no charge of felony to their name. To make this easier to process, it is proven by

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Rainn Statistics that out of every 1000 sexual assaults, 995 of those perpetrators will be admonished (2018). Only 4 out of every 1000 offenders will be incarcerated for their deserved amount of jail time.

This makes it much harder for victims to speak up when they are abused.

According to the Criminal Justice System, victims have cited fear of reprisal, the justice system, and lack of evidence or proof as the reasons why they may not report their case of harassment. Many others feel it isn’t important enough, feel the police won’t do anything, or think that it will ruin their reputation in work places or among classmates or family. This impacts how they live their lives because they never get the help they need, which leaves them feeling unsafe or uncomfortable.

When survivors and victims do not report their case, they are not given the help and support they need. This can greatly affect their mental health in the long run.

The National Mental Health of America (2019) states that sexual assault can and will have a large variety of long-term effects on a victim’s mental health. It is proven that survivors have reported flash backs of their assault, feelings of shame, isolation, shock, and guilt.

Those who have been exposed to sexual assault and harassment are at an increased risk of developing depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, eating disorders, and anxiety. Also, the National Institutes of

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Health has investigated the relations between suicide attempts with history of sexual violence. A sample of 158 females who had attempted suicide was taken. Of the 158 females, 50% of the subjects reported to have been sexually abused at some point. Victims of sexual abuse will have to deal with lifelong effects, while the perpetrators rarely deal with any type of punishment or admonishment.

Because the statistics of being sexually assaulted are so high, it is important to know how to stay safe. I urge you to not go anywhere alone that may put you in danger. It is a good idea to bring a friend or a trusted person with you. It is also necessary to know when you are in danger. Warning signs could include noticing someone following you, feeling unsafe in crowded areas, or being alone in an unsafe environment. When you can notice these warnings, it is wise to leave if you can. You can call to be picked up, you can ask for help if someone is near you, and if it is worrying enough, you could call an emergency number. It is important to understand and be aware that sexual violence is very real and it happens around you more than you realize. I urge you to please recognize how sexual assault has major negative effect on both men and women across the whole world and it is crucial that a way to end sexual assault is found.

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Contrast

By Tara Qualey ‘25

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An Empty Design

By Charlotte Weny ‘26 Below my skin.

Below my hair.

No one alive knows what you might find there, inside my head.

All you see, all you feel, is a comfy memory foam bed.

It’s tired, It’s empty, yet I feel so wired.

Why is my imagination so tired?

My big brain feels so raw, like an empty whiteboard free to draw.

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Just the one thing, no taste, no sounds, not even a bing.

But all of a sudden, one little thing.

It soars through my body, up my arm like a lion’s roar.

A tan but white paper I sketch and I etch.

Then I etch a sketch for a pink puffy skirt for my close friend Kurt,

black glitter top it all works.

If her hair doesn't look like a mop now on the runway.

She and I strut our stuff because dang, these designs are rough.

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flourish

By Summer Hilliard ‘25

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Forest of Wonders Review

By Kate Grimes ‘26 Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t put a book down?

Wing and Claw: Forest of Wonders will definitely have you feeling this way. Wing and Claw: Forest of Wonders is about a boy named Raffa who is a 12 year old apothecary, who finds a vine that takes him on an amazing adventure that changes everything. Along the way he heals a talking bat and has to make many decisions that will forever impact his life. Linda Sue Park’s Forest of Wonders: Wing and Claw is a wonderful book to read because of its unique details and suspense provided by its creative setting.

The story provides fascinating characteristics about the fence around the shed compound, the Forest of Wonders, and the laboratory.

The book describes the fence as, “A solid heavy fence built higher then a man’s head and topped by boards studded with fierce nail points and and broken glass”(Park 246). This feature is very important to the story because it shows that whatever is behind the fence is meant to stay hidden and a secret. It will also make the reader want to continue to read the book because it adds suspense to the story. The

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fence around the shed is similar to the Forest of Wonders because they are both very mysterious. Raffa describes the Forest of Wonders as, “A place of whispers and secrets,” where, “phosphorescent fungi glowed in mossy shadows” (Park 41). He continues, “There was a dense grove of bamboo-like trees that he didn’t remember, and parts of the trail were now edged with scratchy spikes of orange beardgrass” (Park 41). This is a significant detail in the story because it tells the reader about the enchanting features of the Forest of Wonders and captivates the reader because of the intriguing descriptions. One quality that the Forest of Wonders and the laboratory have in common is that they both spark Raffa’s interest. Park describes the laboratory as a cleverly arranged space with not only tables and shelves filled with plants, but also cantilevered tires overhead, which were staggered to make sure that all of the plants got plenty of sun. The tires were also attached to pulleys so that they could be easily reached (Park 202).

This aspect is important to the novel because it shows how convenient and amazing the laboratory is which makes Raffa even more determined to convince his father to live there. One feature someone reading the book might have enjoyed is how well the author describes the laboratory because it creates a picture in the reader’s mind of how it looks, and makes them want to continue reading to find out about Raffa’s encounters.

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One might enjoy how the author doesn’t give the reader a closely detailed description of the settings, but still manages to get a good idea of what everything looks like into the reader’s head. One element to tweak is to have the author be more descriptive and tell us more about the Forest of Wonders. Another improvement to the story that one would suggest the author change would be to better describe the colors of different sights. Evaluating the story allows the reader to make connections between the setting of the novel and other real life places like the City of London, and New Zealand. It also made the reader appreciate the author’s scene setting abilities. Forest of Wonders: Wing and Claw by Linda Sue Park is a terrific novel to read due to its science fiction, fantasy elements and the thrill created by its enchanting setting.

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Creation of Adam’s Hands

By Courtney Zwick ‘26

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Knowledge

By Alex Zaremski ‘25 Above knowledge is happiness.

Left, is reading books of greatness.

Right, is schooling, Where teachers do what they love.

And under, hidden below, A surface of despair, hardship.

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Eye See a Ferris Wheel

By Ainsley Grow ‘25

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Approaching Riches

By Raeha Richman ‘24 Abel was driving along on a rainy night in his old car when, suddenly, it broke down. He sought shelter in an abandoned castle not far from the road. The doors were bolted shut, and there weren’t any windows. As he crept around the castle, he spotted a hole in the wall that he could climb in for shelter. Coming closer, he found himself almost surrounded by scurrying rats. Abel had severe musophobia, and instantly shrieked like a howler monkey. However, he needed shelter.

Some bricks on top of the hole fell. Crash! Abel cautiously poked his head into the hole and noticed some miner’s tools: a pickaxe, a shovel, and a sack. Intrigued, he entered and picked them up. There seemed to be some sort of trap door or grate beneath them. Abel slowly removed the grate. It was very dark down there. Just as he was about to put the grate back, he tripped on a brick. He. Went. Plummeting.

He landed on something soft, probably hay or an old coat. Abel fumbled around for hours only to run into the rough, firm, walls.

Exhausted, he sat down to rest. By this time, it was nearly dawn, and the tiniest stream of light was coming in. It was just enough for Abel to see a glint of sparkle. Perhaps this isn’t just an old cellar. As more light

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peeked in, the man realized it was a pile of silk dresses. The pile of what he thought was bricks was actually gold bars! He stuffed as much gold as he could into the miner’s sack and his knapsack. Abel went through the pile of dresses. Jumbled in was a faded piece of paper. It read, “Golden Silk Kimonos, Kamakura Dynasty, 1185-1333.” He put on as many layers of kimonos as could possibly fit. Because of the light, he also saw a staircase opposite the hole he fell through. The creaky stairs brought him to the other side of the castle. As he walked out into the daylight, he knew his life would never be the same.

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Tear

By Stella Habashi ‘25

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8th grade students were asked to use text evidence from Night to discuss the change the reader sees in Elie Wiesel’s faith thoughout the course of the novel.

A wavering faith

By Emily Sutton ‘24 Night, by Elie Wiesel, is a memoir about a young Jewish boy, Elie, and his experiences in concentration camps during the Holocaust.

While he is in these camps, he sees people being tortured, and he begins to see negative changes in himself, as well. All of these atrocities happen while the rest of the world stays silent, which causes Elie to question his faith in God. Therefore, Elie’s faith changes over the course of the novel.

In the beginning of Night, Elie is very religious, and he does not understand why he is faithful. Religion is natural for Elie, like sleeping and drinking water. He prays and studies automatically and does not question why. When Moishe the Beadle asks why Elie prays, Elie responds, “Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (4). Elie needs faith and belief in God as much as he

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needs essentials to live; like air. However, in the middle of the novel, after Elie arrives at the camps, and witnesses horrible events happening to people, he feels helpless. He sees babies being burned, his father being beaten, and a bad reflection of his own self, who is too scared to help his father. These events are going unnoticed by the rest of the world, while the Nazis torment the Jews. Elie is angry at God for not helping him and the others at the camps. After a while, Elie accepts that God is not going to help him, and that he is dying in the camps. In Buna, Elie watches as a young boy, a pipel, gets hanged, because his Oberkapo stole and hid weapons. During this time, Elie recalls someone saying, “‘For God’s sake, where is God?’”(65). Elie thinks, “Where is he? This is where—hanging here from this gallows” (65). Elie thinks that God is being murdered along with the Jews, and that even God cannot help Elie anymore. He believes that the Nazis have murdered his God, so he loses all faith. This is a big change from the beginning of the novel because Elie would never have thought that God would not help him. Also, he never would have even thought about losing his belief in God or being unfaithful to him. Finally, at the end of the novel, Elie gains back a little faith, and shows it by asking God questions, and thinking about staying loyal to Him for survival. When Akiba Drumer dies, after losing his faith, Elie thinks to himself, “Poor Akiba Drumer, if only he could have kept his faith in God, if only he

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could have considered this suffering a divine test, he would not have been swept away by the selection. But as soon as he felt the first chinks in his faith, he lost all incentive to fight and opened their door to death� (77). Elie thought that if Akiba Drumer had kept his faith and considered the suffering a test, then he would not have been chosen to die. With this same logic, Elie passes the selection because he still has a little faith in God. Elie uses his faith in God to keep hope for survival.

Throughout the novel, Elie’s faith in God changes. In the beginning, Elie is very religious, and he needs to believe in God just as much as he needs life. Then, in the middle of Night, Elie loses all faith and hope in God, and believes that He is dead. Finally, at the end of the novel, Elie’s faith returns a little, and is not all lost. The Holocaust tore hope and faith away from its from victims, like it did to Elie. Some of these survivors gain their religion and belief in God back, but for others, it was stolen from them, and they never receive it back.

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A change in beliefs

By Ben Veiel ‘24 The book, Night, by Elie Wiesel is a heart-wrenching memoir about Elie’s experiences in the Holocaust. Before his life in the concentration camps, Elie’s Jewish faith is very important to him. His life revolves around his faith, and he wants to study Kabbalah. However, when he is taken away from his hometown of Sighet, his faith is put to the test. During his time in the concentration camps, Elie’s faith is fundamentally changed.

Before he comes to the camps, Elie is very faithful and devoted to God. His faith is everything to him, and it is always in the back of his mind, no matter what he is doing. At one point, he even thinks; “Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (4).

Prayer and faith are so important to Elie that he feels like he could not live without them. But that faith is slowly chipped away during his time in the camps. When the young pipel is hanged for allegedly aiding the Oberkapo in sabotaging the factory, Elie, along with the rest of the prisoners, takes it very hard. When the prisoners are forced to walk past the dead bodies on the gallows, a man behind Elie asks where

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God is, and Elie replies in his head; “Where is He? This is where — hanging from these gallows” (65). It seems to many prisoners that God died in the camps, right alongside so many of His disciples. However, despite the countless horrors he is forced to endure, he still manages to regain his faith. When the inmates are forced to march away from Buna, fleeing the Soviet army, he is approached by Rabbi Eliahu, who asks him if he has seen his son, whom he lost. Elie says no, but then remembers that he did see him, and that he left his father behind on purpose. After this, he says, “‘Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son has done” (91). Not only is Elie praying, he is calling God the Master of the Universe, recognizing His authority once again.

The Holocaust is an incredibly difficult test of Elie’s faith, which fundamentally changes it forever. At times, it even seems that his faith is destroyed completely. Although, he eventually regains his faith toward the end of the book. The events of the Holocaust that the Jews of Europe are forced to endure are horrendous, and it makes sense that many of them could lose their faith in similar ways to Elie. However, God is not to blame for what transpires in the camps, since there, it is the Nazis that are playing God.

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To believe or not to believe

By Whitney Grimes ‘24 Written by Elie Wiesel, the novel Night follows Elie’s journey through the horrific and disturbing tragedies he experiences during the Holocaust. These terrible times in Elie’s life force him to question the presence of the God he knows; a good, just, and powerful God. God’s silence during the Nazis’ acts of dehumanization tests Elie’s faithfulness.

Over the course of the novel, Elie’s faith in God changes due to the experiences he endures.

In the beginning of the book, Elie devotes himself to God and his faith, which are both essential parts of his soul and livelihood. Elie is dedicated to his beliefs when Moishe the Beadle asks Elie, “‘Why do you pray?’” (4). In response, Elie wonders, “Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (4). Praying comes naturally to Elie, like a normal human function. Without his prayers and faith, Elie would have nothing and perish, as if he had stopped breathing or living. In contrast to these beliefs, as Elie survives in the concentration camps, he questions his faith, and sometimes he nearly loses it. Elie’s faith waivers when he confronts God during Rosh

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Hashanah and thinks, “I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy” (68). God is no longer present in Elie’s life, even after all that Elie devotes to him. Elie receives no help from God, who is not fulfilling his promises. This produces a wave of anger towards God that is vastly different from Elie’s past communications with Him. Elie explains his prior beliefs about God when he thinks, “In those days, I fully believed that the salvation of the world depended on every one of my deeds, on every one of my prayers” (68). In the past, Elie displays great devotion for God during Rosh Hashanah. His faith and priorities change because of God’s absence and loss of power. Although Elie loses his faith at this point, he somewhat regains it as the book nears an end. A glimpse of faith shows when Elie reflects on fellow prisoner Akiba Drumer’s death, thinking, “Poor Akiba Drumer, if only he could have kept his faith in God, if only he could have considered the suffering a divine test, he would not have been swept away by the selection. But is soon as he felt the first chink in his faith, he lost all incentive to fight and opened the door to death” (77). Elie believes that to survive, people must keep their faith in God. This means that because Elie remains alive, he still holds on to the last of his lingering faith. No matter what, his faith will always have power over him because he cannot live without it.

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Throughout Night, Elie’s trust in a just God changes dramatically.

These changes show through the differences in Elie’s faith at the beginning, middle, and end of the novel. At the start of the memoir, Elie’s faith plays a key role in his life, and he cannot live without it. However, as time progresses, Elie believes that God has disappeared and is not powerful. God’s absence fuels Elie’s anger towards Him and causes him to lose faith. His faith revives at the end of the book, where it concludes that Elie’s faith in God keeps him alive.

Without any faith, Elie would suffer a death like Akiba Drummer’s, and have no motivation for survival. Therefore, Elie believes in God’s power to make decisions about who lives and dies. By carefully studying this journey through faith, it can bring alight the bigger picture of the Holocaust’s impact on Jewish faith. The Nazis’ ability to commit such evil crimes forces the Jews to question God’s presence, power, and justice. Overall, the Nazis use of cruelty and dehumanization towards Jews tests their faith in God.

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Color My Eyes

By Charlotte Reilly ‘25

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Flashback

By Camille Rouiller ‘24 The light was so bright when I woke up. It was just plain white, no people, no sky, no ground, no nothing. Just a bright white light, then suddenly the light left and I saw a figure in a large open field standing in the dark. “Pony!” I yelled sure hopin’ it was someone I knew. Then I noticed a bunch of other guys. They wore nice clothes and came out of a blue Mustang. They were real good lookin’ people, I saw something gold glint off of one of them’s hand. Wow those rings really were cool. My eyes made their way up to his head and I recognized him immediately.

How, you bled out, I saw you dead, I thought as I saw Bob and the others walk over to the figure. I yelled and yelled for the figure to leave that he was gonna get hurt, but nothing came out my mouth. The boy’s shadow was real frail, he wouldn’t last long in a fight with those Socs.

Then they beat him to a pulp. I tried to help him but my feet wouldn’t move. I was stuck, I couldn’t move a muscle. Eventually they left and I could finally move. I ran over to the kid and recognized him. How?

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“Johnny?” someone yelled. I turned to face him, it was Steve. “Thank God,” I began to say as Soda pushed right pass me and lifted the motionless hump off the ground. This scene felt so familiar. I looked in Steve’s hands and saw my jacket, with a red stain. That’s when I realized this was the night I got jumped. A light flashed and I was in my house sitting on the couch. Listening to my parents arguing when the door opened. I came through it, but I was sitting on the couch, I didn’t understand it, it was just like when I saw myself beat up by the Socs. I realized it was probably a memory. My dad walked over and slapped me across the face.

“Why you been gone so long, boy?!” he yelled.

“School got out late,” I answered.

“That’s no excuse!” he yelled then proceeded to hit me multiple times.

The real me, sitting on the couch, looked at my mom, she didn’t care one bit, didn’t surprise me. Then the light flashed again. To a memory of me and the gang hanging out and having fun, then again to the day we met Cherry at the movies, and again showing me more happy memories. Then it stopped at one memory. It was sitting on the side of the fountain, face in my hands crying. I looked over to the side to see

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Bob dead, a pool of blood beneath him. Next to him was Pony unconscious, soaking wet.

The feeling of complete defeat came over me again as the memory made me realized he had just killed a man. And then the light came and it was gone. I saw the whole gang this time. They were in the field where we played football. I don’t remember this memory. Pony still had his tuff hair when he came up to me. “Johnny remember the fire?” It seemed like he was actually talking to me, not some other memory of me. I nodded. “You’re in the hospital, you’re unconscious, and you’re not doing too well.” Then the entire gang spoke at the same time, kinda creepy like. “You have to fight if you wanna live.” Then Steve came up to me. “I know it’s hard Johnnycake, and blast it life’s terrible sometimes but you have to decide.” Everything around me faded away to blackness. I was about to die, if I didn’t fight I would be gone. My mind flashed to all the bad memories I had, then to all the good ones.

There was way more bad.

Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower; but only so an hour.

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Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief, so dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

I had a choice to make, to live or to die. After all nothing gold can stay.

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Illuminated Manuscript

By Aliza Monaldo ‘24

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Bromine Project

By Elianna Nicole ‘24

Hi my name is Bromine! I am a nonmetal and in the halogens group. I have 35 protons, 45 neutrons, 35 electrons, and 7 valence electrons. My atomic mass is 80. I was discovered by Antoine-Jérôme Balard and Carl Löwig in 18251826. I was named Bromosh, after the Greek word for stench. I was used in fire extinguishers, meaning I got to help take out fires and save lives! I am no longer used in fire extinguishers because of my toxicity and therefore I am very sad. One fun fact about me is that have a rare property, I am the only nonmetal to exist in liquid form at room temperature. I am one of only two elements who have this trait. Another interesting fact about me is that I am very harmful to the ozone layer. My last fun fact is that 30% of me is in the atmosphere and the reason for this is that Bromine is released due to human activities.

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Chesapeake Bay Speech

By Caroline Brenia ‘25 Good Morning Madam President, Imagine hundreds of years ago, when millions of fish and oysters were thriving in the clear blue waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This scene is vastly different from the Bay we have today, with dead animals floating in murky water. The objective for Virginia is to reduce nitrogen levels by 38 percent, phosphorus levels by 44 percent, and sediment levels by 34 percent. In order to reach this goal, and others, Virginia proposes a plan that uses the $100 million grant to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay across the watershed.

Virginia is negatively contributing to the pollution of the Bay in a variety of ways that harm the Chesapeake Bay. In Virginia, over 18 million pounds of toxic chemicals are dumped into the Bay. One way that pollutants enter the Bay is through toxic chemicals deposited by factories, car washes, and other businesses. When these chemicals are in our water, they can harm the population by causing cancer, problems with reproduction, and other medical issues. Another way Virginia pollutes is through human waste that enters the Bay when

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septic tanks break. Virginia was even once called the “septic repair capital of the east coast” because of how many septic tanks were overfilled and broke in Virginia. When they break, they release bacteria that prevents the water from being available to use for swimming and recreation.

One way the states in the Watershed can help the Bay is by planting rain gardens, which absorb and slow down polluted runoff that harms the Bay. Polluted runoff occurs when sediment, nutrients, and chemicals enter the Chesapeake Bay through storm drains. To stop this, the states in the Watershed should hire the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s staff to plant native species in rain gardens. This is an initiative that the CBF has already implemented, so the states could provide more funding for them, which would cost about 40 percent of the $100 million dollar grant. Also, we can help the Bay be cleaner by minimizing the amount of toxic chemicals that we put into it. These chemicals can come from factories, car washes, and even household products such as shampoo or paint. Instead of trying to remove the chemicals from the Bay, we should stop them at the sources. To do this, factories could be payed or given a tax break to implement more eco-friendly practices, which would cost about 30 percent of the grant.

The longer we wait, more of the Bay becomes “impaired” and more

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marine life dies, but these initiatives can save the Bay and the creatures and plants within it.

The other states in the Chesapeake Watershed also propose plans that can solve problems, but Virginia strongly believes that it’s solutions can make the biggest impact on the health of the Bay. No matter what other states claim they need, Virginia’s plan focuses on the specific things that we are all doing wrong, and the ways we can fix them. Since Virginia’s initiatives can help other states and the entire Bay, our plan is the best option. As the 2025 deadline gets closer, the senators from each state in the watershed must agree on the best plan to help the Bay, and Virginia believes that its plan includes the best ways to do so.

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Element and Principle Squares

By Emma Patrick ‘26

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Bennah

By Deanna Banks ‘26 Two young girls danced through the large flowers and fields on the floating island they grew up on, Lintanda.

Bennah was a young elf with brown hair that only went down to her shoulders. Tekie, short for Tekina, had long blond hair that reached her butt, and moved through the air, swirling and dancing, even without wind. All elves’ hair flowed like that, unless your hair was as short as Bennah’s.

Bennah was an elf like Tekie, but she was a warrior elf, not a magic elf. Her hair could have flown like Tekie’s, but it didn't suit her.

Plus, it got in her way when doing things, so it wouldn't be of much help in a fight. So she cut it.

A pixie, about the size of her pinkie finger, flitted over. “Elt ent!” she said in Entine, the language of magic. “Oke,” Bennah replied. (”Grow me!” she said. “Okay,” Bennah replied.)

Bennah touched the pixie. It grew to the size of the elves.

“This’ll be fun!” Tekie said. Linta, the pixie, was named after the island and one of the two elves’ best friends. “Tag, you're it!” she said, tapping Tekie on the shoulder then running quickly away.

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Bennah disappeared. Tekie mumbled something under her breath then yelled, “Bennah! That's not fair! You can't use your warrior powers!�

Bennah laughed, then reappeared behind Tekie. The three girls played for a long time, laughing, dancing, and running.

When they were finally tired, the girls lay on their backs in the grass, staring up at the cloudless sky. Bennah and Tekie were only five years in elf and eight in human years at the time. How were they supposed to know the dangers this world held?

* * *

When Bennah opened her eyes, dark red clouds filled the sky. She must have fallen asleep! Linta was gone, but Tekie was lying there, asleep. Bennah never saw or heard from Linta again. Bennah saw that red moss was growing up her arms. It was a bit past her wrists.

Bennah looked at her hands. There was moss, starting at her fingertips, spiraling all the way up to her elbows! Bennah never figured out why the moss infection went farther on her than on Tekie. The moss left scars, almost to her shoulders before the moss suddenly turned to dust and crumbled at her feet.

Bennah tried to wake Tekie. She would not budge. The planet was on the verge of exploding, Bennah could feel it in her heart and soul.

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Tears streamed down her face. Tekie could save them if she would just wake up. Bennah could save herself, but she was going nowhere without Tekie.

She could feel the second the planet was going to explode, which would be quite soon. “Ki ten, oi ten,” Bennah said. It was a saying used by soldiers in the Elf and Human war. It translated to “born brave, die brave.”

At the last second, Tekie’s eyes snapped open. Suddenly, they were on a different floating island. Tekie had saved them with her mystic powers!

But the infection had injured Tekie, and the strain of transporting them so suddenly was large. Tekie died soon after. Her loyal friend sat by her side and cried for a long time.

A new life came to Bennah. She learned about all types of creatures she never before knew about. She patrolled the boundaries of the island, Isra, and kept it from harm. A new world unfolded before her, and a beautiful one at that. She made a new friend, a small dog she called Cloud. Her scars healed. Her best friend had died protecting her. Wasn't she supposed to be the one protecting?

Almost all her family members were gone. But she was making new friends.

Though those friends were mostly dragons.

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There was one special thing she could do. She could save the planets. Possibly stop the moss. And she was ready to sacrifice for that.

Bennah climbed to the tallest tree on the tallest mountain on Isra and looked up at the sun. She could see Tekie looking down at her. Tekie was beautiful. Crying, Bennah said, “Alle ton trelk, my friend. I am ready to return to your side.”

As her life force left her body, Bennah saw a glow encase Isra, protecting it from danger. Bennah smiled, then looked back at her friend.

Bennah liked Isrla, though it was different. It had so many new creatures and species! Bennah almost never slept. When she did, her dreams were invaded by red moss and her best friend’s sacrifice. It was a horrid life, one she had now been living in for 30 years.

One day, Bennah got sick. The scars on her arms turned bright red, and her head hurt like crazy. Many people came running to her, claiming sightings of red moss, and horrible feelings in their gut and souls. The planet was going to explode.

Bennah jumped out of bed. She had to do something. She couldn’t let another planet die. There were so many creatures that called this place home!

She was finally going home.

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Visual Journal

By Anonymous

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Chesapeake Bay Speech

By Bronwyn Bolton ‘25 Good Morning Madam President, Would you want to swim in a bay tainted with mud and dead fish beneath your feet? If we continue polluting the Bay like we have been, then the Bay will be devoid of all life force in a few decades.

The biggest watershed in the U.S will be useless, and tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs, causing a drop in an economy that has been thriving for many years. The culprits, nitrogen, sediment, and phosphorus have overpowered and polluted the Bay for many years. We, the state of Maryland, have a plan for the watershed to use the 100 million dollar grant that, in the end, will be the most beneficial to the Bay. To get there, we must address the problems that are falling squarely on our shoulders. Firstly, one big contributor to this pollution is nitrogen emissions from factories dotting the hillside of the state. This adds up to 1/3 of all pollution in the Bay. Nitrogen fumes and other gases pile up in the air and slowly the particles settle on the ground.

Then, when rain falls, the nitrogen particles are carried by the water into the Bay, creating dead zones. Not only does this affect the sea

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creatures, it also affects people. Maryland has the highest death rate of all fifty states because of all the pollution coming out of all the factories.

Another factor is ozone smog. On summer days in the heat, the temperature and the sun trigger a chemical reaction using pollutants and other compounds in the air coming from the factories. This multiplies the ground ozone. When this is created, the pollutants fall onto the ground, somehow ending up in the Bay. First, we propose continuing to spread the word through license plates. What most people don’t know is that these license plates help the bay. Each license plate that gets put onto a car, native plants and trees are restored. So far, we have planted 220,648 native vegetation and 63 acres of wetlands and counting. We would spend around 20% of our fund to pay for the manufacturing of these plates and advertising them around the state. Finally, we would enforce the Clean Water Act throughout the states. The Clean Water Act is a law that the federal government passed a few years ago that required nine Maryland counties and the City of Baltimore to collect a fee from property owners to implement a program to help clean up storm water runoff from impervious surfaces. We would put in 30% of our grant to create advertisement through the state-run TV channels to spread the word about the state of the Bay.

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The state of Maryland also realizes that each state in the watershed has very different settings causing them to prioritize their grant differently. For example, West Virginia has had problems with sediment runoff from fracking in the mountains. I hope that we will find a happy medium where every state gets what they want with a little bit of sympathy for the other five. In the end though, Maryland’s plan for how to save the Bay through license plates and the Clean Water Act will be the best bet. The Clean Water Act, if other states followed our lead, would help with all the polluted runoff that flows into the Bay every time it rains. The license plates spread awareness and donate to help plants that will protect the water. When thinking about how to restore the Chesapeake Bay to its full potential I realized that using this grant will maximize our efforts and truly show how much we care about the Bay.

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Toast

By Genevieve Henrietta ‘24

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Beryllium project

By Whitney Grimes ‘24

Hello there! I’m Beryllium, but you can call me by my element symbol Be. I got my name from the Greek word for the mineral beryl, beryllos. Originally, I was called glucinium which came from glyskys, a Greek word meaning sweet. Sadly, I am definitely not sweet because I’m very toxic, and can even cause lung cancer for people who are exposed to me on a regular basis. I was discovered by Louis Nicholas Vauquelin, a French chemist, in 1798. If you are wondering where to find me in the periodic table, I am located in the alkaline metals group, above my buddy Magnesium. In case you didn’t know, I’m a metal like many of the other elements. Guess what! I can come in many different forms other than my regular grey, including emerald, aquamarine, and morganite! I am also very lightweight, so I have 4 protons, 4 electrons, and 5 neutrons.

With an atomic mass of 9, my atomic number is 4. I have a very high melting point compared to other lightweight elements, at 2348.6 degrees F, which I think is pretty impressive. Plus, my extremely light but strong material makes me perfect for making cell phones, missles, and aircrafts!

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Gulf Sunset

By Summer Hilliard ‘25

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Empathy in Under a War torn Sky

By Finn Freas ‘26 Many people showed empathy toward Henry during the course of Under a War Torn Sky. One example was the man at the cafe. After Henry entered the cafe and starts washing dishes, the man speaks in a gruff tone, “no speak”.

He says that because following it, some Nazi soldiers come into the cafe and when they walk towards Henry, he doesn’t speak. That man actually saved Henry because if he spoke in English, the Nazi soldiers would know he was American and they would take him. Another example of a time a character showed Henry compassion is the old German solider. After he captures Henry, he makes him dig his own grave. After he finishes the solider takes out his gun and points it at Henry. But instead of shooting him, he grumbles in a low tone, “Auf, geh hiem”, which means “ come on, go home”, and then shoots into the air. The soldier showed Henry sympathy by sparing his life, and shooting into the air so the rest of the Nazis think he is dead. The last, but not least, example of empathy in Under a War Torn Sky is when Henry had to leave Pierre, he sang “You are my Sunshine” to him. Henry had spent so many happy times with Pierre and saved him so many times before. Henry gave Pierre the last piece of love he could before saying goodbye. Many people showed Henry empathy throughout Under a War Torn Sky, and he gave the empathy back. That can teach us that even in the middle of war, there is still kindness and love.

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Butterflies in the Summer

By Layla Mitchell ‘26

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Swimmers Take your Mark

By Caroline Stites ‘26 “Swimmers take your mark...GO!” I heard the splash of the swimmers hitting the water and the loud cheering of the crowd. As I walked around, I saw the event board that informed swimmers of what events they’re in. I scanned the board for my name looking for which event I would swim. Once I had finally found my name, I wrote on my arm that I would be swimming the 200 freestyle. Good, at least I knew what I was doing. “Lindsey! Finally, I found you!” I turned around and saw my best friend, Bethany Smith. “Where have you been!” She yelled. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Guess what?” She looked around and seeing no one was there to eavesdrop, she shoved a ribbon in my face, “Agh! ribbon attack!” I laughed. She pulled the ribbon away, and I finally got a closer look. “Wait you won! You’re going to the Olympics!” If anyone was watching all they would have seen is two crazy screaming girls in the middle of the Jr. Olympic swim meet, but to us it was one of the biggest moments of our lives. I thought back to yesterday and to our last and most important practices of our lives. I thought of how long and hard I had worked to get here, and how long

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I had trained every day. Then I turned around and looked at my friend.

Bethany and I had been swimming together since I could remember.

“How much did you win by?” I asked not needing to ask what it was for. I’ve known her long enough to know that she is the champion of backstroke, the stroke that I can’t even attempt without nearly drowning.

“It was really close,” she whispered, “only about .75 of a second I think.” “That’s awesome!” I was so excited for her. “Now all you need to do to is win the...” She looked at the board, “Oh! Right, I should have known! You’re so going to crush freestyle!” I shifted my feet. “I’m so nervous!” “Well, you’re going to be great!” She encourages me.

All of a sudden it was time. I walked up to the starting block while the announcer called everyone’s name. “Jennifer Wilson, Ava Petersburg, Lindsey Sterling,” I sucked in my breath when my name was called. This was it, this was the last step of the stairs that I had been climbing my whole life. This could determine my future.

“Swimmers take your mark....” I slowly pull down my goggles and take a deep breath. I can do this. “GO!” I dive into the water and start swimming faster than I ever knew I could. I swim so hard that when I finish my eighth lap of 200 freestyle, I have to wait for the secondplace swimmer to touch the wall. Bethany meets me at the edge of the pool screaming. I very carefully turn around and look at the timer. He

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nods very animatedly. “I’m going to 2020 Olympics!” I’m screaming as my parents run down and congratulate me. My mom tells me that I took twenty seconds off my fastest time and won by 7.34 seconds. I was in shock. “Lindsey we’re going to the Olympics together!” Once the meet was over and we had gotten home from celebratory dinner, I got a phone call from a number I hadn’t seen in years. “Coach Nichole?” I ask quietly, “Hey Lindsey! I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to watch you crush the Olympics!” I hadn’t heard her voice for three years since I left non- competitive swim when I started high school.

“Thanks coach!” I say, wondering who was going to coach Bethany and I at the Olympic level. “Oh by the way,” says Coach Nichole quickly, “Get ready for a hard practice tomorrow. Wait tomorrow? I thought, then it hit me, “YOU’RE COACHING OUR TEAM FOR THE OLYMPICS?” I yelled. “Yes, and I’m not going to go easy on you!” she laughed. I smiled knowing that with Coach Nichole and Bethany, the Olympics would be a piece of cake.

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Sunsets over the plains

By Finn Freas ‘26

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A sun’s colors: A haiku

By Alex Perrit ‘25 The sun rises up Brilliant colors fill the sky The sun later sets

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Flaming Flamingo

By Stephen Brown ‘26

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In History 7, students dove into the causes of the American Revolution.

They were tasked to pick a topic that they believed was the most interesting or important cause of the Revolution, to argue whether or not the colonists were justified in rebellion. As "London Called", these students answered, in a culmination of an entire quarter of study, research, and writing, they displayed their proudest work yet.

Writing for the revolution

By Ellie Hill ‘25 Although there was much violence and questionable actions from both the colonists and the British, the colonists were justified in their rebellion to gain independence following the French and Indian War, however many accounts on behalf of the British falsely paint a picture of how the colonists acted. The rivalry between the French and the British was large before the war started, and their dispute over the Ohio River Valley, rich of resources and terrain, is considered to be the cause of the French and Indian War. After the war had begun, the colonists fought for the British due to their mutual interest in beating the French and gaining more Native American allies however after the war ended, the colonists were forced to pay for the war, despite the British

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promising otherwise. Essentially, the colonists fought with the British and then the British abused their power and angered the colonists pushing them to rebellion and the American Revolution. A rivalry between the French and the British led to an unforgettable war that unfairly involved the colonists, despite their mutual interest to beat the French and gain Native American allies (The French and Indian War, Background). First off, the British had a massive rivalry with France which extended far past Europe, into North America, where the colonists had settled. Both Great Britain and France believed that the Ohio River Valley was their own.

The French were aware of Great Britain longing for the Ohio River Valley so they built Fort Duquesne to keep the British away from the priceless terrain (Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States, pg. 101). The valley being rich in resources was the key to success in North America. Fertile land was still fairly bare, but would soon be the cause of a war. Since the French still had a major presence in North America, they kept the colonists in a relatively controlled area because the colonists were scared of the French and their power, something they lacked without Great Britain’s help (Declaring Independence, pg.

10). However, once the Seven Years War began, the French had an automatic advantage, which worried the colonists. They had many Native American allies who undoubtedly knew the land way better than both the French and the British. France earned their allies due to paying

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the Native Americans for land, trading furs, and marrying between the two civilizations. Once the British realized this and came to the conclusion that they were not willing to give as much to the American Indians, they ran to a tribe they were friendly with, the Iroquois, for an alliance. The Iroquois decided that they would remain neutral in the war, not wanting to involve themselves. Before the war started, American Indians and Great Britain got along well (The American Colonies and England, pgs. 86-87). It wasn’t common to have a disagreement. As long as the Natives had their land, they were happy. But after the war started, things became uneasy. Many Natives allied with the French and couldn’t be peaceful with the Mother Country, and after the war the British stole from the Indians, angering them. Throughout all of this turmoil and conflict, the colonists remained loyal to the British. But Great Britain not only deceived the Native Americans, they lied to the colonists, planning to make them pay for the expenses of the war and restrict them. The colonists trusted in the British, due to their mutual interests of gaining Native American allies and pushing French powers out of North America. But soon, Great Britain would abuse the colonists trust and manipulate them in a way so severe, it caused a rebellion.

The colonists fought and died for the British, enduring many difficult battles that contributed to the British victory of the French and Indian War, which the colonists never truly benefited from. The

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colonists neglected to understand that Britain did not treat them with respect. In1757, the newly elected, high-up British man named William Pitt, changed the predicted outcome of the French and Indian War. He sent hundreds more British troops to North America. At first, it seemed as if he was just trying to have a strong victory, but soon, it was revealed that he sent so many more troops to keep an eye on the colonists and make the expenses of the war greater, but colonists refused to think this (Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States, pgs. 103-105). But this wasn’t even the worst Pitt did.

The colonists complained about the unfair cost of the war, he promised to the colonists that Great Britain would pay for 100% of the war, knowing that as soon as he could, he would tax the colonists on just about everything. Although he had a deceitful personality, he was a step up from the previous ruler in regards to the military. After he was elected, Great Britain began to win more battles. They won Fort Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac, Fort Quebec, Fort Duquesne, which was later named Fort Pitt, and many more (The American Colonies and England, pg. 86). To resolve the war, they ended it with a treaty. Many of the wars fought between France and Great Britain resulted in treaties, but arguments continued, only causing more tensions. The Treaty of Paris stated that France was obliged to give lands East of the Mississippi River to Great Britain, therefore ending France’s power in

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North America. However, the Treaty of Paris recognized that Spain, France’s ally, still held power in North America. In addition, it left the Native Americans, who were now not on the British’s side, alone and without allies in North America (The Treaty of Paris). With Great Britain’s expanding power in North America, the Native Americans were increasingly concerned, especially without France keeping the colonists from settling beyond certain boundaries. Great Britain was still dissatisfied. With Spain’s presence, they could not be the only European power in North America. With their discontent, they bent rules and restrictions of the treaty to slowly steal away Spain’s land and power.

The treaty also recognized the colonies as a new country, the United States of America, which had yet to gain independence from Great Britain. Great Britain, specifically William Pitt, lied to the colonists about the expenses of the war, and then imported more British troops into North America, but would use the British men to control the colonists.

After the colonists suffered for the British, they expected the British to cover the cost of the war as they had promised, but instead, the British began to unfairly tax the colonists and place more and more restrictions on them day after day, ultimately leading to the American Revolution. Now that the British, including the colonists, were the main power in North America, the Native Americans were endangered.

After a few months of colonists taking over their lands and settling past

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imaginary boundaries that had been enforced when the French were around, they became angered with Great Britain as well. With Great Britain’s great thirst for land in North America, the Mother Country soon suffered consequences because of their general disrespect for other groups on the continent. A Native American man named Pontiac led a rebellion against the British, killing settlers and winning over British posts, like the one in Detroit. The British had underestimated the strength of the Native Americans, controlling them and raising the prices of British goods and getting away with it. But now that the Native Americans had expressed their strength, the British became worried.

Instead of fighting back and attacking the American Indians, they decided that introducing the Proclamation of 1763 was a safer and cheaper alternative. The Proclamation of 1763 deterred the colonists from settling West of the Appalachian Mountains, into present day West Virginia and Pennsylvania, keeping them close to the coast, which also allowed the British to control the colonists from the coast (Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States, pg. 105 and Proclamation if 1763). Following the Proclamation of 1763, the British decided to enforce new taxes on just about everything. However, many of them backfired, for example, the Sugar Act. The British taxed sugar, to the colonist’s disapproval, and the Colonists began smuggling sugar in from other sources, causing British companies to suffer the downfall. Several

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other taxes ended up repealed, like the Sugar act, Stamp Act, which caused riots, the Quartering Act, the Lead Act, and a few more. But they decided to keep the tea tax. It was only three cents, but for the colonists, it wasn’t about the money, it was about the control the British had over them (Grievances against the Stamp Act). The British lied to the colonists, but it seemed as if they did not take the colonists seriously because they believed that they could control the amount of power the colonists had, which proved itself to be untrue in following years. The British began to tax and restrict the colonists, when they did not have anyone to represent them in Parliament and it deeply angered the colonists (Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States, pgs.

113-115,119).

As a result of the British violating the colonists’ rights and freedom, the colonists were justified in their rebellion caused by the French and Indian War, yet the blame tossed around by propaganda causes some opinions to be skewed. The colonists trusted in the British relying and working with them for things they both wanted only to receive pure disrespect. Also, the colonists fought for the British refusing to comprehend that the British’s only want was to control the colonists and keep them closer to the coast. Lastly, the war has ended and with Great Britain’s great debt, they pushed the colonists to the edge with taxes and such until they had finally reached a limit. All of

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these accumulated events caused the colonists to rebel and start the American Revolution, and they proved they would not be controlled unfairly by overpowering governments.

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The Colonial Phoenix Reborn from the Ashes of the Dead

By Lawrence Jacobs ‘25 In a combination of events before and after the Boston Massacre, it is clear that the colonists were provoked and had multiple probable reasons for their rebellion, and therefore, were justified in their fight for independence. Many things gave the colonists reasons to rebel against the British in the Boston Massacre. These include unreasonable taxes imposed after the French and Indian War. Then comes the actual Boston Massacre itself, where 5 colonists were slaughtered by British soldiers in a protest in the streets of Boston. The effects of this horrifying event were immense, including more uprise and anger coming from the colonists. To combat this, The British sent more soldiers to control the protests, which made the colonists feel like they were being forcefully controlled by enemy foreigners. The importance of the Boston Massacre is that it was the first blood of the conflict that would become the Revolutionary War. This event showed that the tension between England and the Colonies could not be settled easily.

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After the French and Indian War, the British introduced taxes that, along with the shock from recent war, made the colonists furious.

These taxes include the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act, and the Townshend Act. These taxes were placed on the colonists to force them to pay for the war that they had no role in starting, even though William Pitt had promised the war would be for in full by England (Annotated Research Packet,16-19). After William Pitt had left office during a debate about the repeal of the Stamp Act, George Grenville said, “The objection of the colonies is from the general right of mankind not to be taxed but by their representatives” (Parliament Debates the Stamp Act, February 1765, 2). It was clear the colonists felt as though they weren’t politically a part of England anymore, and therefore should not be taxed by what they viewed as a foreign power. In addition to taxes, the French and Indian War, spanning from 1754 to 1763, was a point of high tension between these two powers. For one, the colonists had been allied with the British in the war effort to take the Ohio River Valley and defeat the French, which gave them a valid reason to trust the British. Though the conflict ended in a British and Colonial victory, the colonists, which as mentioned earlier, were promised to not have to pay for the war. Going against this agreement, the British Parliament imposed ridiculous taxes on the relatively poor colonists. To rub salt in this expensive wound, Parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763, which not only forbade

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colonists from settling on the land they had recently won in the French and Indian War, but gave it back to the enemy they had just defeated, the Native Americans. The colonists were obviously terribly angry, as they had given their lives in the French and Indian War and were promised to not have to pay for it, but were lied to and had taxes instituted on them. This was all just to have the land they won given back to their enemy so they could be controlled by foreign soldiers in a small area (Annotated Research Packet,10-13).

All these restrictions placed on the colonists made them extremely angry, and they had good reason to rebel in the Boston Massacre. This terrible event started on the night of March 5, 1770, when a group of colonists approached a British sentry in front of the Customs House in Boston and removed him from his post so they could protest British rule. This sentry sent 9 British soldiers, led by Captain Thomas Preston, to quell the colonial uprise. When the British squad of soldiers arrived with loaded muskets and bayonets, the colonists sought to defend themselves with non-lethal items, such as sticks and snowballs. The British saw this a threat, and brutally slaughtered 5 innocent colonists at a moments notice (Annotated Research Packet, 20-21). WIlliam Tant, a colonist who witnessed the event, even said he heard the word “Fire� come from the direction of

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the Captain, ordering his troops to murder the innocent colonists (Testimony from Bostonian WIlliam Tant). At trial for this horrific massacre, Captain Preston admitted the colonists were, for the most part, well behaved and weren’t causing much trouble (Testimony from Captain Thomas Preston). Also at trial, of the 9 British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, only 2 of the soldiers were convicted of manslaughter, while the other 7, including Captain Preston, were declared innocent and left the courthouse free of charge. The reason so many of these soldiers may have been found innocent was because they were represented by Samuel Adams, a successful Patriotic lawyer who despised the British but chose to represent the soldiers because he believed in a fair trial above all else (Class notes). Another reason it was odd that so many British participants were found innocent is because the Boston Committee, who played a role at the trial, agreed that although the colonists were somewhat aggressive in their protest.

The British acted radical and extremely harsh (Boston Committee Formal Letter to Boston). This event is quite possibly the most important cause of the Revolutionary War, and was the first blood of the conflict that became the war as well as being the first sign that the colonists were not going to be pushed around by the British without a fight (Annotated Research Packet, 21-23).

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The effects of this horrifying event include uprise by the colonists, colonial propaganda, and heightened British control in the colonies. The seed of this uprise after the Boston Massacre was sparked by the colonists feeling as though they had the right to protest in any way, even violently. Therefore, the colonists started a series of protests against the British soldiers stationed in colonial lands, as well as terminating anybody that was involved in the British cause. Methods of rebellion got even more drastic, including pouring hot tar and feathers on British tax collectors, and assault on colonists from British soldiers. To get people interested in the rebellion, many artists and colonial workers developed propaganda that portrayed the British as menacing killers with no soul, and colonists as innocent people (Annotated Research Packet, 22-27). One such example of this persuasive propaganda is a picture of Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Crispus Attucks being carried to their graves (The Boston Massacre, Boston, March 5,1770,10). These pictures and depictions sparked hate against the British, and got many previously neutral colonists involved in the uprising. In the end, the colonists were furious at the loss of fellow colonists and rebelled, forcing England to put an even tighter grip and control on the colonies, putting the two enemies in even closer proximity, which brought their opinions even farther apart (Class Notes).

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All the reasons mentioned above make it clear that the colonists were basically bullied and pushed around by the powerful British empire, and therefore had every right to rebel. Just to recap, the British made the poor colonists pay unreasonable amounts of money for conflicts they didn’t start, as well as making them fight and die, just to take their earnings away. All this led the colonists to protest relatively peacefully, but the British murdered the innocent colonists without a hint of mercy. This led to more colonial uprise, causing British to pack them into a small area of land so they could be easily controlled by British soldiers. So, in conclusion, the colonists were under appreciated and were used as an inexpensive way to win wars, were taxed by the British for helping them defeat France, then had their land taken away as a reward, and finally, were brutally slaughtered by foreigners that would force them into a small area so they could be controlled more efficiently. There is no way to look at this situation and say the colonists were wrong for their actions, and that Britain was fair and reasonable.

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By the seashore

By Emmie Kanelos ‘25

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The edge

By Erik Maltz ‘24

Vegas illuminates the night sky. And, just as I think it’s over and I’m going to prison, it appears. From out of nowhere. As if it were my unknown savior. As if it were destiny.

A Fox News chopper appears before me.

It comes up, about height level with the edge where I was standing. It had cameras hanging out the side, filming my every action. Lights were illuminating right where I was standing. And wind with the force of a tornado blows every where.

And the best part. The part I noticed almost immediately is that the chopper wasn’t actually that far away. About forty feet or so.

And if I got a running start. I could grab onto

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the landing skids.

I could get away and be completely free.

I could almost feel being free. Starting a new life. Clean conscience.

Yolo.

So I turn around and start heading, very slowly towards the FBI, who were still shouting at me with their M4s training me every step I took. I did the math quickly in my head. It would take me fifteen steps to reach my max speed. I knew what to do.

I was on step eight of fifteen.

Nine of fifteen.

Ten of fifteen. Almost there.

Then, right when I hit my count, I spun on my heels and sprinted at the chopper. And as my foot

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hit the edge of the building it hit me what I was doing.

I was leaping forty feet through the air.

The cold air which was blowing my short hair slightly to my left and making the end of my tux jacket curl. The air in the night sky fifty stories, six hundred feet in open space, solely relying on my ability to leap forty feet through the open space and grab onto a metal bar. And do all this without getting shot by the bullets that were now flying past me. The bullets of which would end me if I got hit. And yet, my life didn’t flash before my eyes like the people who face death in the face and survive say it does.

Only the past couple of months. Only the parts of my life I was in control of. Only the part of my life worth remembering. Now I’m in free space. My foot has left the edge. And the bullets have stopped coming. And it’s such an amazing feeling. Like I’m detached

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from everything around me. Like it’s only me in the world. It feels as if the air is reaching out to me, calling to me to stay floating there forever. And it feels like an eternity.

But it’s not. Because a moment later I feel smooth, cold metal brush against the palms of my hands. And I latch on like a leach.

And there I was, hanging six hundred feet above the rest of the world.

Then I came to my senses, and pulled myself up. I opened the door to the cockpit as screams erupted from inside.

I climbed inside, threw the cameras to the ground six hundred feet below, and took control of the chopper.

I steered towards the far side of Vegas and landed on top of a building where I let the previous captain and reporter out, unharmed.

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Next I flew towards a lake where I jumped out into the water, ditching the chopper to its demise.

Then, after swimming to shore, I disappeared. I vanished into thin air. I was just...gone.

I left Vegas and came here.

I came here to New York for two reasons; reason one: I had to get away from everything; reason two: I had to thank Izzy. I because if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be here. I would never have learned the name of Katlyn. I would never have escaped the FBI, who have yet to find me. If it weren’t for her I would never have been able to give her the audio recording of Katlyn and, after a month of research, give her the location of Katlyn’s production lab.

From what I know, the FBI raided the place and there was an explosion that

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killed many people. Including Katlyn, Robert, and about fifty others.

And now here I am. I live here because for the past two months I have done the most in-depth research in stocks and made over five million dollars after an original investment of five thousand.

And here we are. Sitting at this table. With you listening to me ramble about why you should accept this.�

I slide a small, tiny, itty-bitty, minuscule, blue pill over to him.

Me:

I sit there dumbfounded as this man who just told me about the best thing ever is now just.....offering it to me.

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“So,” he says, “would you like to join me?”

Me:

I stumble for a second, observing the tiny, itty-bitty, minuscule blue pill that’s about to change my life forever. Then I look at him.

“Yes.”

He smiles. “Good.”

Him:

“You start tomorrow. But first you need to be briefed. Katlyn isn’t dead. She wasn’t in the explosion. Neither was Robert. I know this because Robert was the guy driving the suv when I picked you up. He works for me now. He was the one who gave me the formula for the V-21 hop. He came to me after the explosion when he was scared to go back

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to Katlyn.

Him and I and now you, will be working together to find Katlyn. Who I know wasn’t in the explosion because I saw her here, in New York City, one week ago.

Although I highly doubt her name is still Katlyn or that she has so much as that necklace from before.

She is nobody. She is nonexistent. She has no name, no home. And unlimited resources.

Me:

So,” he says looking at me with a hint of revenge in his eye.

“Are you ready to catch a ghost?”

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Girl in disguise

By Giorgi Moore ‘26

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The bus stop

By Ben Veiel ‘24 As I lay there On my couch The tv is on It’s some type of sport There might be a ball Might not I can’t bother to care I stand up Get a soda and some chips I try to enjoy the food I can’t bother to care I try to watch the game The team in the orange is losing I think My dad would’ve cared But I’m not him I stand up Stretch I should go for a walk

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Get some fresh air That never hurt anybody I get my headphones Play some music Put on my coat Put on my shoes Tie them up Step out the door I walk past the crabgrass covering my yard Look at the empty spot in the driveway Mom’s still not home I think about where to go The park?

Nah, too many people The convenience store?

Nah, I’m all stocked up on stacks Screw it, I’ll just see where I end up I walk roughly northwest Passing dilapidated houses Wow, what dumps I look back at my house Never mind

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I look to my left I see something It’s the old abandoned bus stop It’s used more for drugs than for getting rides these days The buses don’t even stop there for fear of the junkies But today, it’s druggie-free Yeah, I could sit for a bit I brush away the ash on the bench Apparently people think it’s an ashtray I sit for a while Occasionally, a car will drive past The driver will glance at me Probably wondering why I’m here I take in the scenery That tree still has like 3 leaves left I can see the sky in that puddle I turn my music all the way up Eventually, I get bored Just before I leave I stand up And my phone Falls out of my pocket

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Into the street Music is still blasting I step out into the street Kneel to pick it up While I’m on the ground I hear something faint off to my left I turn Oh no It’s a car He’s going too fast He doesn’t see me I panic for a second And that’s it

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See through my eyes

By Lily Weny ‘25

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Just a dream

By Anonymous The neon light from my clock blinks.

On Off On Off 12:07 the bright lights flash at me.

I hear a noise.

It sounds like it’s coming from the closet.

I sit up to get a good look at the door.

It’s too dark to see anything though.

Oh, whatever.

I roll back, and lean into my fluffy pillow.

Just as my heavy eyelids, that are weighted blankets, begin to close, I hear it again.

Creeeakkkk The closet door slowly opens.

A rush of adrenaline

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courses through my veins that are spiderwebs spreading across my body.

I can make out the silhouette of a dark figure, tall, broad-shouldered, and a jawline so sharp it could slice through diamonds like warm butter.

It creeps out of the closet doorway, toward my bed.

I sit up, my spine as straight as a ruler.

As the figure comes closer, the light from the lamppost outside my window illuminates it.

My heart stops.

It lunges toward me.

I gasp.

The last thing I hear before being jerked out of my terrifying dream is a gravelly voice whispering into my ear, “Wake up.”

My eyes shoot open as I wake from my nightmare in a cold sweat like ice bleeding through my frozen skin My ears still scream from the sound of the figure’s voice.

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I sit up, gasping for air like I had nearly drowned.

Just a dream.

Just a dream.

The reassurance only lasts until I see my clock.

12:07 My door begins to slide open, screeching like the stairs in an old, haunted house.

I panic.

Maybe this wasn’t just a dream.

A figure steps through the door.

This was it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the figure to pounce on me.

“Honey, did you hear that sound?”

I turn my head and squint my eyes.

That is not the figure from my dream.

This one is shorter and slimmer with a shoulder-length hair cut.

“Mom?” I stammer.

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“Sorry to wake you, but did you hear that noise? I thought it might be coming from your room,” She explains.

“Uhhh, nope. I didn’t hear anything.”

“Oh, must have been my imagination. ‘Night honey,” she whispers as she tiptoes out the door.

I relax as an ocean wave of calm washes over me.

Just before I drift off to sleep I hear a voice coming from the closet.

One I would recognize anywhere, gravelly, like nails on a chalkboard.

“That was close.”

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One eye open

By Lydia Saunders ‘26

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Drift

By Reaha Richman ‘24 A leaf Breaking off the tree in the wind Drifting in the space between the clouds And the highway Where cars rush past the scenic forests Catching leaves on their windshields And letting them travel To the city, To the mountains, To the beach, Where a child makes a sandcastle With the leaf as a flag

The tide comes in Eroding the castle Washing it away And taking the leaf for itself Letting it drift off

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Like a mother rocking her baby to sleep Drifting off To the banks of an inlet Where kayaks and canoes slide past Where acorns fall off trees And onto the soft soil To sprout new trees New life Nourished by the soil Of a decayed, frayed, leaf From the branch of a tree

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swinging dog

By Layla Mitchell-Abdul ‘26

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8th grade Civic responsibility Speech

By Zahria Grimes ‘24 How would you feel if every time you walked out of your house you were at risk of being abused, arrested, or even killed by policemen for doing absolutely nothing? Hi I’m Zahria Grimes, and I’m here today to talk to you about police brutality. Imagine if one day you were walking home and suddenly policemen are surrounding you, beating you up, then arresting you. Well this happened to Josh Bills in 2013 as he was leaving his home. According to ACLU.org, someone reported him because he was black and wearing black clothes. As he was walking 5 policemen approached him and even though he wasn’t armed or acting aggressive in any way they started to abuse him. They kicked his feet out from under him, swarmed him, and an officer put his knee on his back to pin him down. The racial profiling of minorities in the United States has led to constant discrimination of these groups at the hands of law enforcements.

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According to Vox.com the U.S. population is made up of approximately 76.5% caucasians, 13.4% black or African American, and 18.3% Hispanic or Latino. Even though the percentage of minorities is much lower than the population of caucasians, the number of police brutalities for minorities are much greater. Minorities make up 46.6% of armed and unarmed victims in the U.S., but they also make up 62.7% of unarmed people killed by police. This speaks to the negative bias that law enforcement has towards minorities.

Social Media, television programs, and movies are popular sources that helps increase awareness about police brutality. Social media uses modern technology to broadcast police brutality and allows people to voice their own opinions. It informs people on how serious this issue is and how it effects the world and people. Television shows like “When They See Us� uses fictional characters to portray real life situations. Being able to see TV shows, movies and witness things on social media has affected me by helping me understand that this a serious issue that needs to be improved immediately.

On November 22, 2014, in Cleveland Ohio, 12-year old African American Tamir Rice was shot and killed by police officer Timothy Loehmann. Someone had reported that Tamir had been pointing a gun at several people before the police had arrived. When Officer Loehmann had arrived at the scene he asked Tamir to show them his

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hands. According to Officer Loehmann instead of showing his hands he was taking the gun out. Officer Loehmann then shot Tamir not thinking twice if he was really drawing a gun, or if the gun was real. The gun was later found to be a toy gun that had the orange safety tip removed.

Tamir had not verbally or physically threatened Officer Loehmann in any way. This case shows that even minority children are at risk of the injustice displayed by law enforcement.

In 2014 more then 2 out of 3 unarmed and non-violent black people were killed by police in the U.S. In 2015, 99% of cases where the officer abused or killed an innocent victim, the officer was not convicted of a crime. As middle schoolers, I urge you to take the time to think and understand the struggles of others, to speak to minorities and ask how they’ve been impacted and affected by their struggles. I also encourage you to write local politicians or ask the school to bring police chiefs and politicians to speak to us about how they are helping to improve police brutality. I understand that not all cops discriminate against minorities and take part in the injustice against them. However, it is the responsibility of our government and community to recognize the discrimination and hold the officers responsible accountable for their actions.

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Good days

By Gabby Zsakany ‘25

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8th grade Civic Responsibility Speech

By Zoe Smith ‘24 Have you ever felt out of place in an environment because of your race? I definitely have. Along with a handful of other students attending Severn, I am a minority. A minority is the smaller number or part, especially a number that is less than half of the whole. Being a minority at Severn School has increased my fear of being treated differently at times because of my race. Though, never once has any student made me feel that way. Not only is there a lack of racial diversity here at Severn, but many other schools as well. I also know that there are many other minorities that happen to feel the same way I have. I believe that it is very important to have diversity in school environments.

Studies show that African American students face greater rates of suspension, expulsion and arrest than their Caucasian classmates.

The Civil Rights Data Collection provides detailed information of the 2015-2016 school year. More than 96,000 public schools offer evidence that young students, including African American males,

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Hispanic males, and American Indian male students face harsher discipline than their Caucasian classmates. That sounds unfair, right?

These types of incidents are happening more and more every year.

This is the reason why it is important for other people to learn about each other’s cultures, race, and religion in order to gain a better understanding of each other and treat them with kindness and equality.

It is with that mindset that the unfairness found in schools across America is dealt with and situations among students are handled fairly and correctly.

Studies show that in a diverse environment, students perform better in terms of concentration, focus, and drive. A study from the Child Development Journal states that kids also tend to feel safer in more diverse environments (2019). Learning about other cultures and backgrounds allows them to feel comfort with each other and themselves; making them feel safer. Educators and administrative leaders can help students better understand that while everyone is different, in the most fundamental ways, everyone is the same and should be treated with respect. This will help students accept diversity and promote it in their daily lives.

In conclusion, it is always important to have and acknowledge diversity. Being kind and understanding toward people of different races is an amazing way to educate yourself on other people’s cultures and

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experiences. Encourage schools and other facilities to gain diversity in their environment as well. It is always important to know your surroundings, and understand them. So, Severn School, always encourage diversity, and treat people with respect and kindness no matter what.

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Feathered

By Lydia Saunders ‘26

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Failure

By Caroline Brenia ‘25

(after Jeffery Yang) West of failure is shame east, acceptance embracing it knowingly north, a rebound south, self-doubt a downward spiral of sadness and out, growth

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Picasso foam carving

By Lizzie Veiel ‘26

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Gen Z

By James Cravens

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Candy

By Mayo Mabifa ‘26 Some people are like sour patches, sour until they are sweet, but the people like warheads are sour all the way through. But just because there are people who are sour doesn’t mean there aren’t people who are like starburst, sweet. Some people have a spicy personality like a cinnamon fireball, or people that have a Reese’s personality that can be very nutty. Everyone is unique like the different colors of M&M’s or the individual flavors of the dum dum lollipops. You may have a flavor or a type of candy you don’t like, or a person you might not care for, but without those disliked flavors your world wouldn’t be the same.

So, enjoy all the flavors and candy in your candyland!

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Memories

By Davis Mann

(after Jeffery Yang) To the right of sight is sorrow To the left is what we’ve seen In front what we remember Behind what we believe But rising up through it all Is a happiness we will never meet

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Looking over Washington

By Finn Freas ‘26

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Nature (after Jeffery Yang)

By Tenley Mann ‘26 North of nature is A bird, soaring above, East, wind With you everywhere South is life, where Everything is believed to Be okay, West, quiet, where Everyone is heard and Understood, And up, memory, That is loved and appreciated

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Our Future

By Natalie King ‘25

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Writer’s Block

By Anna Clark ‘25 As I begin to pack up my things for the weekend, I hear my English teacher announce that we have to write a short story for her to review on Monday. With that the bell rings and it is time for us to leave.

Once everyone has emptied out of the classroom, I walk up to my teacher and say, “Mrs. Jones, what should I write a story about?”

My friend Marissa cuts in saying, “I’m writing a story about a wild adventure in the rainforest, and it’s going to be amazing.”

Trying not to be too annoyed, I reply, “Great for you Marissa, see you on Monday.” Then I turn back to Mrs. Jones.

“Write a story about anything; if you feel passionately about an idea, a story will just flow.” I still don’t have an idea.

Stepping out into the slow drizzle of the Friday rain, I search the pickup line for my mom’s silver minivan. Once I spot it, I climb into the backseat. All four of my siblings are in the car as well, meaning that the peaceful car ride I had hoped for is a figment of my imagination.

Colorful toys fly above my head and music blasts from all of the speakers. “Mom!” I shout. “I need to have a story written by Monday and I need an idea.”

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“Turn down that music,” she yells into the backseat before answering, “Write from the heart, honey. That’s where the best ideas come from.” I have absolutely no idea what that means.

“Ok mom,” I say with an eye roll. “What would you write about?”

She ponders this for a moment before replying, “A love story.” I regret asking.

That evening following dinner I go to my room and dial my friend Lily’s number. We met at camp and have been best friends ever since. She is always making up crazy stories and has a wild imagination, so I figure that she should be able to give me something to work with.

She picks up the phone almost immediately, “Hi Mia! What’s up?”

“Hi Lily. Do you have any ideas for a short story? My teacher is making me write one by Monday.”

For a moment there is silence on the other end of the line before she answers, “I usually like to write fantasy. I also like to read other people’s stories to get inspiration.”

“But what should the storyline be?” I question.

“That is for you to decide. If I told you then it wouldn’t be original and it wouldn’t be fun for you.”

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With a sigh I reply, “I know, but it was worth a shot. Thanks for your help. Bye!” So far, this has been no fun for me. I plug my phone into the charger and climb into bed. Maybe an idea will come to me while I sleep.

Early the next morning I wake with a start after a restless night’s sleep. I dreamt that it was Monday and I still hadn’t written my story. I stood in front of my teacher, trying desperately to make up an excuse, but I couldn’t think of one. In my dream, I got an F on the assignment. Now fully awake, I decide that yesterday I was overthinking the task— I simply need to start writing and the ideas will flow. Taking a seat at the desk in the corner of my room, I pull out my notebook and my lucky blue pen. I still need all the luck I can get with this story.

After around two hours, I don’t have anything; my page is completely blank. I decide that I have to ask somebody else because all of the advice that I already have isn’t working. Not wanting to wake up my sleeping siblings, I creep down the stairs to the living room where my dad is sitting on the couch watching TV. I approach him and ask, “Dad, do you have any ideas for my story?” He turns down the TV, lowering the voices of the yelling sports announcers before answering, “Write about your experiences.”

“But, dad,” I say, “I don’t have any fascinating experiences.”

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He considers this for a second before exclaiming, “Then go make some!” I do not like where this is going.

“What kind of experience?” I question.

“I once wrote a story about the first time I went skydiving.”

“Skydiving! Are you crazy? There is no way that I am going skydiving. There has to be another way to get a story written.”

“Well, you asked. You do want an unforgettable story, don’t you?”

“I guess so,” is all that I can manage to say.

By three o’clock we are suited up and standing in the plane getting ready to jump. All that is running through my head is “this is crazy.” I tried to convince some of my family and friends to come with me, but they all claimed to already have plans. So, it is just my dad and me. He has done this before, so he is completely fine, but I am freaking out. My heart is pumping through my chest, and I’m so nervous I can’t stop shaking. After they review our instructions, I hear someone in the distance counting down from ten. All of a sudden, I’m falling from the sky. It feels amazing. I make sure to remember every moment, from the wind blowing through my hair, to seeing my town from a much different angle. Eventually, I pull my parachute and float gently down to the field that is our landing point. My dad landed before

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me, so I run up to him and say, “That was amazing! Thank you so much!”

The next day, I sit down at my desk again with my lucky pen in my hand. But this time I have an idea after my adventure yesterday, or so I thought. I stare at the paper for a few minutes and then realize something— I don’t have a story. Skydiving was a great experience, but it isn’t a story. I am back where I started without a narrative. There are only a few more hours left in the day. Unless I think of something fast, Monday morning I will get an F on my short story.

I never did think of an idea for my story. Or did I?

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Cozy

By Olivia Cochran ‘26

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Most wanted

By Kate Grimes ‘26

Manuel “Muscovite” Maldonado is a vitreous to pearly nonmetallic mineral that escaped from the county jail on Friday the 29 of November.

While he doesn’t seem to have any special properties to help identify him, witnesses have reported him leaving white streaks behind him, but others say that the streak is nonexistent. He is often seen wearing a variety of colors including white, silver, yellow, green, and brown. When the mineral takes on an apple green color, it is known as "fuschite".

“Muscovite” can be found in shimmering paint or even in your cosmetics.

According to the Mohs Hardness Scale, if you were to encounter him you would be able to scratch him with your fingernail, as he is only a 2-2.5.

“Muscovite” has been seen all over the world in Pakistan, India, Brazil, and many places throughout the United States. His perfect cleavage allows him to be split into thin, flexible, transparent, sheets. He is the only common mineral with this ability. You have probably heard of “Muscovite,” as he is the most common mineral in the Mica Gang. If you spot this dangerous criminal, please report it to the local authorities immediately!

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Battle of Normandy

By Nate Konkel ‘24

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Arbre GÉnÉalogique

By Sam Grady Connie Hopp Ma grand-mère Connie Hopp. Elle est vieux.Elle est agréable et amusante.

Elle n’aime pas dessiner ou étudier l’algèbre. Elle a des grands yeux bleu.

Elle aussi a des courts cheveux marron raides. Elle est petit, mince et de taille moyenne. Ma grand-mère habite à Illinois.

Domenick Grady Mon grand-père Domenick Grady. Il a quatre-vingts ans. Il est bavard et bizarre. Il n’aime pas oublier ou danser. Il a des grands yeux bleu.

Il aussi a des courts cheveux blanc. Il est de taille moyenne et gros.

Mon grand-père adore les Eagles.

Verona Grady Mon grand-mère Verona Grady. Elle est brillante et charmante.

Elle n’aime pas danser ou nager. Elle a des grands yeux bleu. Elle aussi a des cheveux marron raides. Elle est de taille moyenne. Ma grandmère habite à Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mom Mon mère Stephanie Grady. Elle a quarante quatre ans.

Elle est décidée et drôle. Elle aime skier ou gagner. Elle a des grands yeux bleu. Elle aussi a des longs cheveux blond raides.

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Elle est de taille moyenne. Elle est blonde et très belle.

Dad Mon père Jim Grady. Il a cinquante-et-un ans. Il est énergique et formidable. Il n’aime pas oublier des choses ou danser. Il a des grands yeux marron. Il aussi a des courts cheveux noir raides. Il est grand et musclé. Mon père aime skier avec moi. Il aussi aime nager.

Sam Je suis Sam Grady. J’ai treize ans. Je suis intelligent et intéressant.

Je n’aime pas chanter ou dessiner. J’ai des grands yeux bleu. Je aussi a des courts cheveux blond raides. Je suis de taille moyenne et mince.

Je aime skier avec mon ami Joseph.

Lily Mon sœur Lily Grady. Elle a douze ans. Elle est occupée et patiente.

Elle n’aime pas étudier ou oublier de choses. Elle a des grands yeux bleu.

Elle aussi a des longs cheveux blond raides. Elle est de taille moyenne.

Mon sœur aime skier et nager.

Henry Mon frère Henry Grady. Il a neuf ans. Il est poli et sociable. Il aime jouer au basketball et flag football. Il a des grands yeux marron. Il aussi a des courts cheveux blond raides. Il est de taille moyenne. Il est bronzé.

Eleanor

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Mon sœur Eleanor Grady. Elle a quatre ans. Elle est agréable et amusante.

Elle aime regarder Frozen II. Elle a des grands yeux bleu. Elle aussi a des cheveux blond bouclé. Elle est petite et musclé. Mon sœur aime skier avec moi.

Martha Mon chien Martha. Elle a deux ans. Elle est énergique et sociable.

Elle aime jouer et nager. Elle a des grands yeux marron. Elle est blond.

Mon chien est toujours faim. Elle est une golden retriever.

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Rainbow at Severn

By Tara Qualey ‘25

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Holocaust cattle cars

By Whitney Grimes ‘24

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Life is on the Line

By Tenley Mann ‘26

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A Special Thanks To: § § § § § § § § § §

Ainsley Grow, Layout Director, ‘25 Emmie Kanelos, Student Editor, ‘25 Summer Hilliard, Student Editor, ‘25 Jack Hayman, Student Editor, ‘24 Erik Maltz, Student Editor, ‘24 Raeha Richman, Student Editor, ‘24 Anna Clark, Student Editor, ‘25 Caroline Brenia, Student Editor, ‘25 Nina Ambro, Student Editor, ‘25 Mrs. Steppe, Faculty Advisor

Front Cover Art: Natural Light, Erik Maltz

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Sponsored by Dean Douglas 129