The Ivy | #29 | February 2022

THE IVY ISSUE XXIX | PHS

THE IVY

ISSUE N . 29 O

The Ivy began in the 1960s. Its serialization began in 2014.

Editors’ Letter Dear Reader, We feel it’s only befitting to celebrate the start of the new year with a new issue of The Ivy! Our staff, current and new, have worked enthusiastically to bring together our first physical issue in over a year! We hope you enjoy the glossy pages as much as the captivating art and literature that Issue 29 brings.

This issue is comprised of poetry with a variety of topics ranging from an emotionally gripping story of self-discovery to the simple joy of baked goods. So it’s safe to say there’s something for everyone. We hope these pieces inspire you, resonate with you, or at least amuse you as much as they did for us. And of course, we offer our deepest gratitude to all the incredible submissions we recieved, for this magazine would not be possible without them.

We want to thank our wonderful and dedicated staff who continue to surprise us with these captivating spreads and designs at your fingertips. If you’re interested in joining our growing team, we welcome you happily in Room 154 on Tuesday afternoons. Our inbox is always open for any questions, comments, or concerns at theivy.phs@gmail.com. If you like what you see here, be sure to check us out on our Instagram @theivy.phs where we highlight our amazing staff and works from previous issues. At last, we present to you: Issue 29!

Kind regards, Shaila & Lawrence

Table of Contents DIA .......................................................................... 6-7 Emily Smerkanich

WHY I CRY... ..........................................................17 Joycelyn Brobbey

A DARK LIGHT ........................................................... 7 Sarah Villamil

COFFEEHOUSE AMBIENCE .................................18 Shaila Sachdev

A GLIMPSE ................................................................. 8 Yunbing (Emily) Qian

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE .................................19 Audrey Peel

UNINSPIRED POEM .................................................. 9 Anonymous

TREE AND MOON .......................................... 20-21 Luca Balescu

UNTITLED .................................................................10 Livia Boulding

UNTITLED ............................................................ 21 Breno De Sousa Lima Azevedo

ACROSS CANADA .....................................................11 Tracey Liu

WINTER IN NEW YORK ....................................... 22 Lydia Madamopoulou

FRUITS .................................................................12-13 Michelle Zhu

WHITE .................................................................. 23 Santiago Saavedra Ortega

POTION ....................................................................13 Carys O’Connell

ARIZONA PLAINS ........................................... 24-25 Laura Liu

THE OVERPASS ...................................................14-15 Harmonie Ramsden

THE SUNDEW ...................................................... 25 Mulin Huan

NOVEMBER 1ST .......................................................15 Ruchira Banerjee

COVER ART: CHINATOWN MARKET, Tracey Liu photography

EVERYTHING CAN BE ART .......................................16 Mia Gatzke

TITLE PAGE: UNTITLED, Athénaïs Le Rétif photography

DIA, Emily Smerkanich photography

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h Villamil

T, Sara A DARK LIGH

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Lights go out on a q uick Sund with only ay myself ma de out in t When loss he d fulfills me it overwhe ark with unne lms me ces and now w sary doubts and lov able mem ill never b ories e

so I just st

and alone

in the dar k

of what life

was

In the dar k light I ca n only fee standing a l myself lone with no one to I picture t hold hose who used to ac Those wh company o haunt th me e dusty pic but I don’t tures that feel them decorate m anymore y dreams so I just st and alone in the dar k

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mix e

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e dm dia Yunbing (Emily) Qian

A GLIMPSE,

UNINSPIRED POEM, Anonymous

Perhaps un-inspiration is the feeling that occurs when inspiration is thrown at you from the outside, like a blanket tossed over the cage of a noisy bird.

You were the bird.

Perhaps un-inspiration inhabits a world where some words form ideas, but only from a certain angle, where the wind claws through the brittle branches of the mind, whispering too loudly searching – desperately – for the place it just passed.

You cannot follow your thoughts to wherever they have flown.

Perhaps un-inspiration created a small disturbance as it slowly approached in soft satin slippers and informed you that it was here to stay for a while.

You showed it to its room, and made small-talk with your new reality.

Perhaps it began to drain the colors from the walls -- and from the sky – absorbing them like a grey sponge slowly – at first – so that you would not notice, it spread beyond its room into all the corners of your life a distraction from form an unraveling of purpose.

Do you remember?

– perhaps – you brought its morning coffee and politely asked it to mind its own business but by that point it was too late to rescind the invitation.

Un-inspiration has its own agenda, which is nothing.

I think that nothing would suit me quite well, actually.

I would drape it over my shoulders like a tattered cloak.

It would billow behind me like a cloud, and cling to all my footprints.

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UNTITLED,

Livia Boulding it’s all a blur wait two beats then up & over the steady 3 beat purrs sliding next to the rain the birds in the rafters rumble blowing dust down the stop is sudden breath escapes the light of the sun has been spotted too bright to handle the pines bend away the wind whispers turn around steering inside the beat returns 123 up & over once again

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ACROSS CANADA, Tracey Liu

photography

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oil paint

FRUIT, Michelle Zhu

POTION, Carys O’Connell a magic wand that can hold magical potion, with self-expression and empowerment all tied in, a way to reinvent yourself, a new you, creams and powders, lights and darks, shimmers and mattes, all blend together with ease, or maybe not ease, no longer a dowdy caterpillar anymore, i emerge a refreshed butterfly, ready to spread her wings, in a world of heartache, you need to emerge, find your niche, find you, but that is easier said than done, it was for me.

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THE OVERPASS, Harmonie Ramsden photography

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sedqe

NOVEMBER 1ST, Ruchira Banerjee If I have to open up Naviance one more time, To see the scattergrams stare at me like darts, To hear the breaking of my heart, It should surely be a crime.

Common App’s timer ticks away, As I scramble to fit the word count, And hear my parents shout, You need to finish this by the end of the day, Oh, would you look at the time…

I shudder to think about November 1st, Switching my decision with every minute, I might just reach my limit.

I swear, this paper is cursed, When all I can do is sit here and rhyme.

I am sure everyone is in the same boat, All sitting here, desperate to stay afloat, So I say this with a heavy sigh, If I have to open up Naviance one more time, I think I just might cry.

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EVERYTHING CAN BE ART, Mia Gatzke

mixed media 16 | PHS

Our tears flow like the rivers that once fueled our ancestors before.

Instead of feeding further segregation, It is the glue that binds and builds us.

There is a destructive vigor that is exuded from a broken-hearted tear

They empower and elevate the

burdens we all have to bear When they cried these tears consoled the eye that pleaded “free me” and “save me”

To the ignorant ear that wielded the weapon of destruction.

WHY I CRY..., Joycelyn Brobbey

When they cried these tears branded their faces under the unbearable scornful sun,

Scarring and commemorating their trials and sufferings.

These scars are now etched into the hearts and Faces of the new generations Reminding them of what was once before So I say, Cry Cry till your heart’s content And cry without fear.

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photography

COFFEEHOUSE AMBIENCE, Shaila Sachdev

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE, Audrey Peel Melted chocolate smeared on my cheek, Buttery crumbs on the floor.

I couldn’t ask for anything more After the hell that was this week.

It felt like playing hide and seek, Trying to find free time to ignore The stress I did not expect as a senior.

The state of my college apps may be bleak, But at least I have this cookie to eat – Or maybe two or maybe three.

Wow, this made things less crappy!

I’ll put the extras in the backseat So I can give others something sweet.

Funny how cookies fill us up with glee.

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TREE AND MOON, Luca Balescu photography

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UNTITLED, Breno De Sousa Lima Azevedo I met you when I was 13 Not so long ago it seems You’ve helped shape me into a man I remember where we got our start Riding my bike through your novel land A quaint little town at its heart You embraced me like your own child No questions or complaints As the ivy grew on your hallowed halls And the fawns that frolicked became deer I remember reveling through the years Admiring you every day Never taking for granted the simple beauty Your splendid summers, Amazing autumns, Wicked winters,

But places are only as good as its people So this town supersedes the rest Teeming with all-star athletes and Nobel laureates So I want to say to the 609 That I’ve loved and cherished all our time But soon it will be time to go Take new risks as I aim to grow This little town owns a piece of me But the rest I need to set free This town I always will revere But my future lies outside of here

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pencil

Pencil Sketch

WINTER IN NEW YORK, Lydia Madamopoulou

WHITE, Santiago Saavedra Ortega People are taking shelter, getting ready to receive the long-awaited visitor people have already prepared in advance, others have not anxiety is the most common factor that can be observed when the light is no longer present when the noise is no longer a nuisance when warmth and comfort is the most important thing the thought of the future is dominating the environment. time passes and darkness becomes more and more dominant. white the whole environment is white you know that something is waiting for you on the other side.

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ARIZONA PLAINS, Laura Liu

film photography

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As bugs saw the dew as food They won’t realize they are doomed

THE SUNDEW, A tiny red plant in the bog Thought it’d be fun to eat a bug It slowly uncurled its furry leaves Reaching higher over weeds Water absorbed from the soil Became shining drops of morning dew

Entangled they were in the sticky goo The bugs realized they were screwed The leaves began folding up Soaking bugs in corrosive saps And as nutriments from bugs were derived The fed sundew merrily thrived

Mulin Huan

Leaf with dewdrops shimmered in light Captured views from bugs in flight

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STAFF LIST ADVISORS Mr. Gonzalez Ms. Muça

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lawrence Chen Shaila Sachdev

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Yunbing (Emily) Qian

MANAGING EDITORS Christopher Bao Heidi Gubser Serena Lathi

PUBLIC RELATIONS Laasya Gadiyaram

COPY EDITORS Irene Dumitriu Emily Saunders Lana Swindle

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TECHNOLOGY Lindsay Hirschman

BUSINESS Zara Chen

SECRETARY Delaney McCarty

WORKSHOP COORDINATOR Hillary Allen

SPREAD DESIGNERS Mia Gatzke Blake Jung Han Li Ming Li Zeynep Oral Todor Pophristic Maxine Slaymaker Zixuan Su

COLOPHON The artworks in this issue were accepted through standard review board voting and group discussion. During this process, the artists’ names were kept anonymous to everyone besides the managing editors, who had compiled all of the submissions beforehand.

Each staff member voted anonymously either “yes” or “no” on a Google form. All art and literature pieces with higher than 50% approval were published. We keep a consistent art-to-literature ratio. We are Princeton High School’s only art and literature magazine. We are an extracurricular club that meets after school; on normal meeting days we meet for half an hour on Tuesdays. When we are designing layouts we meet for three hours every day for four days. For Issue XXIX, distribution took place in person through printed copies.

FONTS COVER AND TITLE PAGE | Minion Pro 60pt, 12pt; Open Sans 14pt TABLE OF CONTENTS | Open Sans 11pt, 14pt, 24pt SUBMISSION TITLES | Open Sans 22pt; Open Sans light 18pt, 22pt, 23pt, 24pt; Minion Pro 18pt, 23pt SUBMISSION TEXT | Open Sans 12pt; Open Sans light 14pt, 15pt, 16pt, 18pt, 30pt; Minion Pro 12pt, 14pt, 15pt, 16pt STAFF LIST | Open Sans semibold 30pt; Open Sans light 24pt; Open Sans 13pt COLOPHON | Open Sans semibold 30pt; Open Sans 13pt PAGE NUMBERS | Open Sans semibold 12pt

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