the beacon
Post on 30-Mar-2016
233 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
BEACON Lansingburgh High School March/April 2011 Double Issue 4
With St. Patrick‘s Day, a notorious drinking holi-day (right there next to New Year‘s), nestled in-
conspicuously in March and with Prom coming, it
seems like now would be a good time to address drunk driving. In fact
this year, it‘s expected
that 10,839 people will die in drunk driving
crashes, one every 50
minutes, and every minute, one person is
injured from an alco-
hol-related crash. Teen alcohol use alone kills
about 6,000 people
each year. Also, one in five teens binge drink,
though only 1 in 100
parents believe their teen binge drinks, and
car crashes are the
leading cause of death for teens, with one out
of three of those being
alcohol related. Drink-ing also affects school.
High school students
who use alcohol or other substances are
five times more likely
to drop out of school or believe good grades are not important. But because one in three 8th grad-
ers drink, this is a big problem. Since March was national kidney awareness month, let‘s also take a look at how alcohol effects
your kidneys. Researchers have observed alcohol-related changes in the structure and function of the
kidneys that coincided with impairment in their
ability to regulate the volume and composition of fluid and electrolytes
in the body. Chronic
alcoholic patients may experience low blood
concentrations of key
electrolytes as well as potentially severe al-
terations in the body‘s
acid-base balance. Al-cohol can also disrupt
the hormonal control
mechanisms that gov-ern kidney function.
This can lead to im-
paired sodium and flu-id handling, and even
acute kidney failure.
So remember, don‘t
drink and drive. It kills
thousands, injures
more, and can hurt
your kidneys. And
what did your kidneys
ever do to you? You
may have two, but you
shouldn‘t take them for granted. So have some
corned beef and cabbage instead.
Life Destination with Drinking: CRASHED
Kaitlyn Curtin
BACON
Lansingburgh High School
DOUBLE ISSUE
Cover 2
In some parts of the world, there have been reports of what can only be described as ―real Pokemon‖ roaming the
area. When asked about the sightings, Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri had this to say: ―Well, with the new game coming up, we wanted to try to improve the graphics by using real life models. So, we
hired some of Japan‘s top scientists to genetically engineer some of my creations in order for us to record how they moved and then stimulate it in the game, and possibly come up with new attack ideas. However, they got a little
enthusiastic with it, and the radiation leak only enhanced the effects to actually give them some of their abilities.
With the chaos following the recent tragedy most, if not all of the creatures, actually managed to escape, and only a
few have been captured.‖
Kind of puts a new meaning to ―Gotta Catch ‗em All,‖ huh?
However, some of these creatures among our natural species and humanity could obviously prove a little danger-
ous, and Satoshi Tajiri has warned the public that, unless caught, some could theoretically breed with similar ani-
mals in our world. So to prevent this, a tentative list of the location of a few of the escaped Pokemon, along with
pictures shot by professional photographers, has been made available:
Pikachu (left): This infamous face of the Pokemon franchise was one of the first
created and, unfortunately, the most common. This is one of those caught, amazing-
ly enough found in a pet shop mistaken as one of the pet mice, but they have been
sighted roaming in urban and forest areas, mainly in Japan, England, Germany, and
the United States. Reports say some have even been sighted in some residents‘ very
houses chewing on wiring.
Rapidash (right): These Pokemon have been
sighted in grasslands and warmer temperatures,
mainly in the Midwest United States, Australia,
the grassier countries of South America and
even some areas of Africa. This is one of the
more elusive Pokemon due to its
wild nature and incredible speed.
Growlithe: This Pokemon has been occasionally mistaken as a house
pet, but this little puppy has been sighted in grasslands and the Sahara
in Africa; the Midwest United States; Osaka, Japan; Australia; and
similar locations.
BREAKING NEWS: You Really do have to ―Catch ‗em All‖!
Back when Knickerbacker Middle School was built, it was built with the best materials possible at the time; that
is why it has marble floors and excellent walls and ceilings. In addition to this, there was also a pool in the pro-
cess of being built in the basement of the building; however, the project was never finished due to short funding.
You may have noticed lately the increased amount of workers in and around school grounds. Well, good news
everyone! Only through the thorough investigation of yours truly, have we uncovered the following confidential
information. The pool is finished and ready for use! The teacher‘s lounge is currently located in the middle
school where the pool is built. Unfortunately for us, the teachers are using it exclusively. As previous investiga-
tions have shown by generations of student reporters, the teachers already have private restaurant-quality snack
bars in the teachers‘ lounges. Now they practically have their own country
club in the middle school. Through only politely asking can the student body
unlock this precious resource for our use; we need to be responsible and well-
behaved to prove ourselves worthy of this privilege!
BREAKING MORE NEWS: The Pool is Finished!
The Twilight Saga will soon have another book!
Stephanie Meyer announced on CNN just yesterday that Breaking Dawn, her fourth book, is getting a sequel! Due
to the amount of fame that the last book got, Meyer decided to take her series in a new direction. Breaking Dawn
ends with Edward and Bella‘s daughter, Renesmee, being proven harmless by Jasper and Alice. Edward, Bella and
Renesmee retreat to their house and live happily ever after…or so it seems. The new book, named Forever Dawn, shows what happens after the events of Breaking Dawn. Meyer said that Bella‘s powers increase to a point
where she could shield many people at once. As well as the development of Bella‘s powers, Renesmee grows
about seven years but her body grows faster. She is physically about 17 in the book. She and Jacob Black begin a
relationship. Her development is fast throughout the novel. This book has gotten amazing reviews from the critics
allowed to read the book prior to its release and the release date is to be announced.
The Continuation of Twilight!?
Happy Belated April
Fools‘ Mini Edition!
Drawing by Kaitlyn Curtin.
Visit her gallery at mikashennon.deviantart.com!
Real Life Reels with Donovan Ryan Addressing the Matters which Matter
Finally, we have intervened in Libya! We imposed a
―no-fly zone‖ and we fired at their anti-aircraft guns
and missiles. Many people think we were the first west-
ern nation in Libya but we really weren‘t. France had
planes in Libyan airspace before we could institute the
―no-fly zone.‖ About a few hours after France had their
planes in Libya, we shot nearly 200 tomahawk missiles
into Libya. After much talk from the media and people
all around him, President Obama pulled most of our
resources away from Libya. Now, as I write, NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is taking over the
Libyan revolution management role. The US as a na-
tion should not get into Libya more than it did because
of our intervention in many different Arab nations, not
to mention that a war would cost us millions of tax-
payers‘ dollars. The tomahawk missiles alone cost the
US people and government 68,425,000 dollars.
Libya
Japan Japan is slowly recovering after its earthquake. It was the
strongest earthquake ever recorded. At a 8.9 magnitude, it
was stronger than the Haiti earthquake and stronger than
the 8.8 earthquake in Chile that knocked the earth off its
axis a bit. Japan‘s nuclear plants are failing and their peo-
ple are being exposed to horrible levels of radiation; lev-
els not healthy for anyone alive. The people of Japan are
in peril and need our help. You can help them by texting
REDCROSS to 90999. Or, you can go on your iTunes
and donate your money through there! In the words of
Lady Gaga, ―We pray for Japan.‖
The levels of radiation in Japan near their reactors are
exponentially growing. The radiation level is at the high-
est it can go: a level 7. To put this in perspective, the
Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine in 1986 was a level 7
as well. After Chernobyl, about 300 thousand people
were evacuated and the cost to the Soviet Russian econo-
my was substantial. There are many risk problems asso-
ciated with the high radiation. For example, birth defects
and radiation poisoning that could cause death and forms
of cancer.
You‘ve all heard the story of how ―the Mayans predict-
ed the end of the world to be 2012.‖ Well, I‘ve done
some research and actually went to Chichen Itza, the
biggest Mayan city. I was brought on a tour and the
tour guide, who was Mayan, told us what was really going on with the whole end of the world nonsense.
She said that the Mayans didn‘t say that the world was
going to end; they simply said that it would be the end
of an age. The Mayan calendar ends on December 21st
2012. However, the Mayan calendar is circular. There-
fore, it could be seen that the calendar and history will
repeat itself. Or, as I was informed by my tour guide,
they believe there will be a grand explosion of better-
ment in people.
2012
It‘s been 150 years since the Civil War started at Fort
Sumter on April 12, 1861. However, a new poll by
CNN has found that people are still divided with their
ideas on the views of the Confederacy and the role that
slavery played in the divide. When people were asked if they thought the reason for the Civil War was slavery
or states‘ rights, nearly 52% of people said that the
leaders of the Confederacy were trying to keep slavery
legal in their state but 42% said that the thought slavery
was not the main reason why the states seceded. When
this is broken down by political party, it was seen that
Democrats sided on the side of slavery being the reason
while Republicans said it was not the main reason at
all. Independents however, were split on the issue.
Civil War Unrest
As all months have a variety of meanings and dedications. April is no exception in this. As well as being Autism
Awareness Month and Poetry Month, April is National Stress Awareness Month. Stress is more than a just some-
thing you accept as a natural occurrence; it greatly influences behavior and can even affect health.
Stress in an empirical application such as Physics is defined as being ‗tension‘. When applied to the human and
mental health, it is similar, for it is the mental or emotional tension of an individual. Not many people like stress but it is a natural response of the person to the internal and external factors of life. Therefore, one must be aware of
how to manage their stress to keep it at a healthy rate and prevent major detrimental side effects of poorly managed
stress.
Managing stress is something which requires effort. Exercise and proper sleep are two monumental steps in doing
so, helping to keep the body in shape. With a healthy body, there is less physical stress on one‘s body and helps
them keep a clear mind. Meditation can also be applied to help manage stress. When on often imagines meditation,
a stereotypical monk chanting often comes to mind; however, that is but one type of meditation. A contemporary
practice in the West is meditation now, derived often from Eastern practices with the spirituality removed. Medita-
tion helps one relax their body and helps clear one‘s mind, with only the need of 20-30 minutes a day. Eliminating
drug use is also essential to keep away stress as almost all recreational drugs, even marijuana which is proclaimed
for its ‗medicinal‘ ways, ultimately cause un-needed anxiety on the mind and the body. Drugs create an addiction;
addiction leads to the user becoming dependent on said substance, and make the user become sensitized to the en-vironment. Also, creating a stable schedule and life is essential as well, for it prevents unexpected issues from aris-
ing.
Unmanaged or poorly managed stress create a plethora of issues in all aspects of a person‘s life. Physically, the
person may become ill with gastrointestinal problems, headaches, muscle tension, sleep disturbances, muscle
aches, and fatigue. Mentally, the person may become anxious, nervousness, a change in eating habits, loss of en-
thusiasm or energy, and even depression and mood swings. Thus it is very important to manage stress in one‘s life,
whether it be through exercise, meditation, or preventing stressors all together through good decision making.
Stress and Stress Management Jamie Abbt
Women‘s Awareness Month
Kaitlyn Curtin
March was National Women‘s History month (it‘s okay, I didn‘t know either), and so let‘s take some time to acknowledge it exists. For starters, how did this happen? When? Why? Well, I‘ll tell you, dear
reader! The public celebration of women's history in this country began in 1978 as "Women's History
Week" in Sonoma County, California. The week of March 8th, which is International Women‘s Day
(it‘s okay, that‘s news to me too). In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women's History Month. But this all started because, before 1970, women's history was
rarely the subject of serious study. Two significant factors contributed to the emergence of women's his-
tory. The women's movement of the sixties caused women to question their invisibility in traditional American history texts. The movement also raised the aspirations as well as the opportunities of women,
and produced a growing number of female historians. Therefore, the inspiration was original political.
However, women's history was also part of a larger movement that transformed the study of history in the United States. "History" had traditionally meant political history—a chronicle of the key political
events and of the leaders, primarily men, who influenced them. But by the 1970s "the new social histo-
ry" began replacing the older style. Emphasis shifted to a broader spectrum of American life, including
such topics as the history of urban life, public health, ethnicity, the media, and poverty. Since women rarely held leadership positions and until recently had only a marginal influence on politics, the new his-
tory, with its emphasis on the sociological and the ordinary, was an ideal vehicle for presenting women's
history. It has covered such subjects as the history of women's education, birth control, housework, mar-riage, sexuality, and child rearing. As the field has grown, women's historians realized that their defini-
tion of history needed to expand as well—it focused primarily on white middle-class experience and
neglected the full racial and socio-economic spectrum of women. And thus it was born! Women‘s histo-ry month! Now, let‘s also let the spotlight shine on the women who make this month worthwhile:
Jane Addams (1860-1935) - Social Activist, founder of Hull House, charter member of the NAACP, Nobel Peace Prize winner and labor union organizer.
Clara Barton (1821-1912) - Civil War nurse, founder of the American Red Cross.
Martha Jane "Calamity Jane" Cannary (1852-1903) - A lone woman in the wilds of the Rocky Mountain west
Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) - Aviatrix.
Annie Oakley (1860-1926) - World famous markswoman from Ohio Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) - Famed American artist who defied convention in both her art and
her private life.
Eleanor Anna Roosevelt (1884-1962) - Wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, first activist First
Lady Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) - Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Annie Sullivan (1866-1936) - Helen Keller's teacher.
Sojourner Truth (Isabella Baumfree) (1797-1883) - African-American abolitionist, Civil War nurse, suffragette.
Harriet Tubman (1820?-1913) - Underground Railroad conductor, Army scout, African-American
suffragette. Rosa Parks (1913-2005) - an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called
"the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement".
Sacagawea (1788-1812) – Lemhi Shoshone woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark as their
guide Remember women have a pretty cool legacy.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, March is Kidney Month. Your kidneys are very im-portant organs in your body. A person is naturally born with two, though it can survive with but one.
However, without at least one, a person would be depended on a dialysis machine until a transplant
can be found. The kidney has many functions in the body, such as excretion and regulation. The kidney filters the blood in a person‘s body. It uses a complex system of capillaries, lymphatic
structures, and tissues unique to the kidney to filter out old blood cells and wastes in the blood system.
It turns this into urea and sends it to the bladder to be excreted through urine. The kidney also secretes a plethora of hormones to regulate many chemical reactions in the body, such as the absorption of cal-
cium in the bones and stimulates the production of red blood cells in bone marrow. These are only but
a few things it does as well!
People with high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history
of kidney disease are at risk for chronic kidney disease. There
are steps one can take to help protect their kidneys though
through simple eating choices. To keep one‘s kidneys healthy,
one must also keep oneself healthy. That is, the leading cause
of kidney disease is Diabetes Type 2, which is in turn caused
most commonly by obesity. By being conscious of good por-
tion sizes, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole
grain over processed grains, and eating fish two to three times
a week, as well as consuming probiotics found in yogurt and
sauerkraut, one can help keep its kidneys healthy and happy
for years to come.
Love Thy Kidney
Jamie Abbt
Dublin Coddle With St. Patrick‘s Day having only have just passed, a traditional Irish dish seems appropriate to add to our recipe
corner this month. While many people are familiar with dishes like potatoes, cabbage and corned beef, there are
other dishes less popular in America. One such dish is Dublin cobble. Not only is it unique and mentioned by au-
thor James Joyce in many of his works, but it incorporates bacon! Here‘s how you make it:
Ingredients: 1 pound bacon of slices
2 pounds pork sausage links, bacon fat or oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic
4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 large bunch of fresh herbs, tied with string or in a cheesecloth bag
black pepper
apple cider
fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Preparation:
Lightly fry bacon in skillet until crisp; drain. Crumble the bacon and place in a large pot. Pour off most of the bacon grease. Brown sausage in the skillet. Remove and add to the pot
with bacon. Soften sliced onions and whole garlic cloves in skillet over medium-low heat, then add to pot along
with potatoes and carrots. Bury the bunch or bag of herbs in the middle of the mixture. Sprinkle with pepper. Cov-
er with cider. Cook 1 hours and 30 minutes over medium-low heat; do not boil. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Serves 6.
CritiCs’ Corner
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Now that Radiohead has established itself as a group of
generous, environmentally conscious rockers, they‘ve
got nobody left to please but
themselves. As one could guess,
that‘s not all that the new songs have accomplished. The band‘s
eighth studio album employs tra-
ditional rock instruments as well
as electronic effects and programs
to create an abnormal, yet very
interesting record. On more up-
tempo, claustrophobic tracks such
as ―Good Morning Mr. Magpie,‖
simple reverb laden vocals and
ambient sounds float and subtly
build over skittering percussion.
Later in the album, tracks such as ―Codex‖ and ―Give Up the Ghost‖
showcase a much more simple Radiohead. Using a pi-
ano or acoustic guitar as a backbone, the astral noises
artfully placed throughout them contribute to the overall
mood of the song. The amount of different sounds on
any given song is impressive, and not one little blip or
handclap seems out of place. Radiohead included a few
of their classic ―chill groove‖ songs to boot, providing a
peaceful, yet interesting break from the layers of percus-
sion. Lyrically, listeners may become easily lost. As on
previous albums, Thom Yorke, the band‘s lone vocalist,
mumbles something terrible. Even listening hard,
Yorke‘s lyrics are at times impos-
sible to comprehend. As it turns
out, the lyrics are all interesting series of metaphors or detached
phrases that take more than a
minute of thought to fully under-
stand. Content varies from letting
go of relationships to reincarna-
tion. Who knew? The album was
made available for download in
two different quality file types on
their website in early February,
and will be released on CD and
two 10‖ vinyl records in late
march. (I highly recommend listening in high quality, to better
experience unadulterated emotion and bass lines.) For
people who are not fans of Radiohead, King Of Limbs
may prove inaccessible as a result of the unorthodox
sounds and incomprehensible vocals. After a couple of
listens, the schizophrenic and psychedelic overtones
could grow on you. I especially found myself digging
the half-drunken babblings of Mr. Yorke. In short, Radi-
ohead is still as fresh as daisies.
Arden Yonkers
I know there are a lot of burger places out there. So this review may seem a bit unnecessary. However, there is one
burger chain that is worth every penny and is shockingly small in the mind of the general public around here...Five
Guys.
Every restaurant in this chain has a similar design scheme. It‘s dominated by white and red checkers, and small
posters shouting their fame in places like Washington and Orlando, with cafeteria-like tables. This oddly 80s de-sign is matched by another eccentricity, peanuts. Peanuts, bought in bulk and ready and waiting for whomever
wants them, are offered as a free appetizer or even meal companion, and are usually somewhere near the counter.
But these aren‘t the only things unique about this burger joint. Their burgers are also customizable, with fifteen
separate, free toppings available to make each burger unique to for its individual customer. In fact, there are
250,000 possible ways to order a Five Guys burger. And the best part is, they‘re very health conscious, in fact they
only use fresh meat and peanut oil for cooking, and their food contains no trans fats.
But say you aren‘t a burger fan. Not a problem! This restaurant also offers three different types
of hot dogs, as well as veggie sandwiches and grilled cheese. Of course, such good food isn‘t as cheap as a place
that just throws food together like McDonald‘s. A cheeseburger costs $5.69, with a hamburger costing 60 cents
less and a bacon cheeseburger 60 cents more, and a drink and fries will add another $4.58. And a hotdog is $3.49.
However, compared to the quality and fullness of the food, I‘d say it‘s worth every penny.
Five Guys Burgers Kaitlyn Curtin
The film Let Me In was released into theaters October 10th, 2010 and was released only last month for purchase. It
is based after a 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In and the novel of the same name by John Adjvide Lind-
qvist. This romantic horror drama film is rated ―R‖ for violence, gore and adult situations. One would not guess
this based on the twelve year old leading characters, Owen and Abby. Nonetheless, with its repeated use of bloody
gore, a scene with slight nudity, and the large amount of violence throughout the movie, it is most definitely for mature viewers only.
Based in 1983 Los Alamos, New Mexico, the movie follows the lonely, bullied and socially estranged twelve year-
old, Owen and his encounter with a strange new girl to the housing complex. Owen is bullied by vicious boys at
school and is driven away by his over-protective mother and distant father as his family goes through divorce. He
first meets the girl when he is sitting alone on the playground like he does every night. She is silent and initially
tells Owen that they cannot ever be friends. However, as time goes by, the two become closer and Owen eventually
uncovers that his new and sole friend is in fact a vampire who has lived many years more than the twelve she is
frozen at physically. Abby, the vampire girl, must struggle with her need for blood, her want to be with Owen, and
her Guardian‘s means of providing her with blood. Meanwhile, Owen struggles to hide his vampire friend, with his
divided family, and the bullies at school. Both must make a decision of whether to stay strong or run, or both. The
conclusion of the film reveals this decision as well as the possible future.
The title of the movie serves a dual meaning; both that the vampire needs to be invited into Owen‘s home in order
to come in as well as their awkward struggle to finally let a person into their previously isolated lives. This film is
unlike both vampire movies from the past and present.
That is unlike 1992‘s Bram Stroker‘s Dracula, the
vampire is not solely a blood-thirsty monster and vil-
lain, but Abby is rather a complex being who does not
see everyone as a blood buffet. Also with the recent
Twilight series of movies, Let Me In does not depict
vampires as creatures of angst and almost harmless
creatures, concerned about school and dances. Abby, while not evil, also follows the original idea of a vam-
pire: fierce, unable to survive on anything but human
blood, cannot be exposed to sunlight, unable to enter
homes without invitation and uncontrollable. She kills
many people to drink their blood out of instinct and
burns in the sunlight, not sparkle.
Overall, the movie was fairly decent. It is not the pre-
dictable horror vampire flick one is accustomed to,
nor the vampire drama of recent publicity. It is a
unique mixture of these two ideas, creating an entwin-
ing story of two children desperate for companionship and secrets. However, it is one of those movies one
either hates or loves. I liked it due to the interesting
twist on a vampire plot. However, another viewer of
the movie remarked that it moves relatively slow and
the conflicts throughout the movie are not as action-
packed as one could desire. In the end, if you plan on
watching it, renting would probably be the best means
to see which perspective you take before you buy it.
However, it is definitely worth its 116 minutes to see
it at least once.
Let Me In Jamie Abbt
Literary Corner
In honor of April being poetry month, the Lit-
erary Corner has been dedicated to poetry
from students throughout our school! See how
many of your friends contributed!
Father, Friend, and Forgiver Written by Kate Barker
He has many names…
Father, Friend, and Forgiver
If you asked Him
Who are You? …Bam!!
He would say ―I am the I am.‖
I can call Him Father
Because He made me and you
Even if you don‘t believe it
It doesn‘t make it not true.
I can call Him Friend
Because he‘s there ‗til the bitter end. I can depend on him every day,
Because all I have to do is pray.
I can call Him the Forgiver
Because he forgives me even though I‘m a sinner.
Just because you can‘t hear His voice,
Does not mean He did not say ―Rejoice!‖
He has many names,
Father, Friend, and Forgiver.
All these names have one thing Something in common that they bring;
It is hard to see, but if you look up
It will be something that shines from above
If you look close at the three
You will be able to see, it is love.
Troy, My Beautiful Hometown Written by Destiney Woodley
A beautiful city under a dusky film cover, surrounded by
colleges and universities. Streets lines with trees cov-
ered in thick layers of ice or white pollinated flowers,
depending on the season. A politician once said to me,
―It is really beautiful isn‘t it?‖ pointing at the dark sil-
houette of the city against the night sky. Ugly buildings,
ugly cars, ugly personalities, ugly people, yet still oddly
attractive. Troy, my beautiful hometown.
I Once Played Baseball Written by Andrew Oligney
I once played baseball for little league in Troy. I started out on the second stage which was farm. I was nervous
to join the team because none of my friends were on the team, but the coach was able to persuade me to stay. He
said, ―in the presence of adversity, one must jump on the ladder not climb the ladder.‖ At first, I had no clue what
he was talking about but when I stopped to think about this I understood more and more. This man changed the
way I think today all because of great people in the city of Troy.
Breath Upon My Brain Written by Donovan Ryan
Sailing on the seas of old,
Battered by the night and cold.
Dragons roar above my head,
Calling me to meet their dead.
Fire pours itself to me,
Burns as bright as bright can be.
A million years they pretend,
They turn to face the end.
Reign of time and power come,
For the newly crown-ed one.
Only breath still lingers there, In the place where dragons stare.
The hearts of beasts alone,
Can't beat out the hidden drone.
Breath is there upon my brain,
This is my time, my time to reign.
My Bicycle
J-hops, wheelies, tail whips too,
When I ride this is what I do.
Dodge cars, sun in my face,
When I ride my bike my heart begins to race.
Faster and faster my wheels start to turn,
Like coals in a fire my calves begin to burn.
Bang, crack, pow I just fell down,
I look at my arm and it looks a little brown.
Hisssss my bike tire pops.
This is when my journey stops.
Simon
I wake up and do my stretches
Itch myself and clean my patches
Get myself a drink and go to work
Because my work involves going berserk
Hopping, Jumping, running around
Making noise and making sounds
Waking them up, that is my job
Getting them up to do their jobs
Still hopping, jumping and running around
Until I get told to cut it out
Then I go back to bed to lay myself out
Because a cat doesn't need to do much to chill out
Grandpa Dave Written by Casey Lennon
My grandfather is very wise,
He barely ever lies.
We call him Honest Abe,
because of his honesty.
Whenever our family fights,
He always makes things right.
He tells us his stories,
About his old glories.
He always makes us laugh, And we forget about the past.
Whenever I am down,
I know that he's around.
But lately he's been ill,
And he started to write a will.
My family is upset,
And we're confused on where he's at.
He has cancer, stage four,
And he's very, very sore. So we're praying and hoping he'll be okay,
He's getting stronger every day.
I love my grandfather without a doubt
I know we will be able to figure this out.
So keep on praying for us too,
And he may be okay because of you.
Francisco the Poem Written by Joe Patricelli
A pony born to a frog and a dragon. His body, strong as
a post steroid
Barry Bonds, his mind as wise as pre-nuke Einstein.
His name is Francisco.
He is just a child.
His frog mother refuses to let him be educated and let
him see the world
for what it truly is. Her small, underdeveloped brain
hinders her ability to
know how to make her child happy.
Francisco, as his tears splash rain drops on his bed, calls his friends for
some support.
Renaldo, useless.
Teena, a turtle, known Francisco all his life. Goes to
school. Tells
Francisco to be mature, stand up to his mother.
Francisco, as wise as the owl from the Tootsie Pop
commercials, knows
he only need to worry about 3 things.
Tone.
Diction. And poise.
Thinking this, he approaches his mother and musters up
a very phony
British accent and speaks his mind to his mother. She
finally understands.
The world is now Francisco‘s oyster.
Becomes CEO of company known as,
My Little
Pony.
Clearwater Beach: (a prose poem) Written by Noah Cipperly
The sand was as hot as an oven. A girl was holding a
potato chip under her bright, striped umbrella as the
noisy gull swooped down and snatched it from her hand
as she was about to chomp down on it. Power boats
raced and roared across the surf, churning the water int
a bright white foam. The sun was beating down on the
hot, sweating bodies running, sunbathing, swimming in
the surf. With the gulls, the sight of kites flying in the
bright blue sky mixed with the colorful sailboats in the
water. The smell of suntan lotion and salty sea air
mixed to make that ocean beach scent that makes you know you are in Florida. The restaurants along the
beach created those mouth-watering aromas that make
you hungry. My Mom was unaware, happily picking up
and collecting beautiful shells as the surf came in and
out, in and out.
Beauty Sleep Written by Alexandra Patlaw
All around are the stones that commemorate those who
have passed away,
And ensure the memories of them never decay.
Some are large and elegant, others are simple and small.
No matter the size or style, they give personality to one
and all.
In this peaceful atmosphere one may hear,
A sparrow singing a sweet song, from far away or
somewhere near.
On every side trees sway and swish, sometimes loud,
sometimes low,
As the breeze blows them to and fro.
The sun shines down, giving the land a beautiful sheen
And warms the air, so crisp and clean
And the smell to which this places given birth Is fresh and clear, but touched with the smell of green-
ery and earth.
A squirrel sometimes decides to climb the bark,
Of a tree gorgeously colored, brow and dark.
A butterfly often chose to fly,
Its colorful wings rising up into the baby blue sky.
Along each path are big green trees,
That provide shade and beauty, and never cease to
please.
Their branches reach high and stretch so wide, With thousands of leaves surrounding them on every
side.
This is the place in Troy that I admire and love.
It‘s Troy‘s little gift from the white place above.
It is the perfect place to be.
Every smell, every sound, and everything you see.
The wind whispers. a quiet voice
in this silent night.
A dog barks to be let in
somewhere on the next block.
Like me, he understands
no one should be out tonight
when the air quivers
with the knowledge,
"Something's coming".
I turn my head
as the leaves crunch under the heavy
footsteps that are coming up
behind me, trying to
stay silent, but to no
avail. I hear them. How could
I not hear them when
even the air
foretold of them.
It is him, the
man in the black cloak, the one who has
been watching my every move
for even longer than
I've known of his presence.
He holds out his hand to me
and I hesitate
before finally
accepting it.
And then I too
am a whisper
in the wind during silent nights, a feeling in
the air that foretells of
something coming. Something
that makes dogs bark to be let
in, and makes people
anxious, aware,
but still afraid.
A Shadow in the Night Written by Kaitlyn Curtin
Herb James
Jazz Trumpet player
Prefers his old trumpet
Higher IQ
Rarely removes his hat
Smokes a modest pipe
Drinks nothing over 10 proof save for wine on special
occasions
Enjoys Italian food
Submits anonymous articles to newspapers
Lives alone but rarely stays in his house Goes through phases of facial hair
Gets frequent buzz haircuts
Not married, sort of resents he could never settle down
Has a best friend, married with grown kids
Favorite color is green, but hardly
Doesn‘t leave town much
Doesn‘t own a car
Wears plastic or bone frame glasses
Talks to lots of people in jazz clubs
The Ballad of Samuel J. Ferrington in D
minor Written by Arden Yonkers
Have a Happy and Safe Spring Break Everyone
With spring break just around the corner, a lot of people are heading out of town for the
vacation. But what about those of us who are staying home? Well, to those fearless few, I‘d
like to offer some ideas for making the best of the vacation.
1. Sleep in! Most of us are hammered by school work during the year, so why not take this
time to enjoy being able to wake up at noon on a Monday morning?
2. Get moving! The weather‘s been beautiful lately, so why not enjoy it? Even if you aren‘t
going anywhere special for vacation, you should take this opportunity to go out and do
something outdoors-y; like bike riding, hiking, playing a sport for the fun of it, or whatever
else you can think of.
3. Go ―day tripping‖! You never know what‘s going on around you, so check out what‘s going
on nearby. You may find out that somewhere fun is having a special event, or a new place is
opening, or who knows what.
4. Makeshift tournaments! Get a bunch of your friends together and have your own tourna-
ment! It could be a video game challenge, or a board game, or cards, or anything you can
think of. If nothing else you‘ll get bragging rights for a little while.
5. Be creative! You‘re at home anyway, why not use a little bit of creativity? Draw, write,
sing, do something to show your own creativity while taking up some of your time.
6. Plan a day trip or two with your friends! Even if you aren‘t getting out of town for long, you
could at least plan a trip with your friends for the day.
7. Plan a party! What else to do while you‘re stuck at home with nothing to do? Invite some
friends over and have a party, from a small get together to a full on bash!
8. Get money! It may not sound like the most exciting thing, but if you‘ll be home anyway you
might as well add on some extra hours and earn some money.
9. Go to the mall! Even if you‘re poor, there‘s nothing wrong with window shopping.
10. Read something! Educate yourself! It won‘t kill you! There are some really good books out
there, and it can be a great way to unwind.
BONUS
11. Play a new video game! If everything else fails, a new game can break the monotony of a
week long vacation. or revisit an old game you haven‘t played in a while for nostalgia‘s sa-
ke, or just to see how you or the sequels have improved.
Kaitlyn Curtin
Mrs. Jarem would like to thank the Student
Government and the students that sent her
flowers! She truly appreciates it!
top related