It's November now and students are getting closer and closer to December 2, the day service hours need to be turned in. Make service hours fun and easy by doing them for a cause you are passionate about or in a place where you know you can really make a difference. The website Volunteer Match is a great way to look into these opportunities. By becoming a member and by giving the location where you wish to do your hours and for what causes you would like to volunteer for you can receive weekly emails on exciting new ways to get involved. If Volunteer Match isn't helpful to you, look on the Rosary Website, on the Campus Ministry bulletin board, download the app Volunteer Finder, simply search "volunteer opportunities in my town", or try to pay attention to local non-profits signs. If history, giving tours, marketing, or customer services are of any interest to you, look into local museums. They often offer opportunities for teens to give tours, help with exhibits, and work with visitors. Museums are a great place to volunteer long term, and by doing so, you will probably get to know the people there really well which could eventually result in a great reference letter for college. If you like working with kids, volunteer at your old school, your church, any local schools holding any camps over school breaks, your sibling's sports team, or your sibling's scout troop. Maybe you like to build things or work on houses. By join-ing Mission Club you can meet new friends and improve these skills. Habitat for Hu-manity is a great organization that also focuses on these skills, but additionally offers volunteer opportunities in areas like cooking for the crew or helping to fundraise. Both Mission Club and Habitat for Humanity build and improve homes for those in need. If you enjoy spending time with the elderly, volunteer at a Retirement Center, they are always looking for help. They are great places to volunteer that just need people to keep seniors company and help them have some fun. For anyone who wants to volunteer in various areas, try In-teract Club. This club tries new projects of-ten and is still looking for new members. Thanksgiving is also approaching, meaning that food pantries and soup kitchens will need extra help. There are all kinds of ways to get involved on this holiday like: stacking cans, serving food, cleaning up after meals, or making a meal for the Fire/Police Depart-ment. No matter what you enjoy doing, there is always some way to get involved. Try new volunteer op-portunities and share your ideas or experi-ences with students.

Making Service Hours Easy

by Kaitlyn Schatteman

Rosary High School

Fecha del boletín

The Royal Exchange

Newspaper Staff: Editor-in-chief– Caroline Mejia

Co-Editor- Heather Hawkins

Faculty Editor- Mrs.Shay

Contributors: Constanza

Ms. Etheredge

Sarah Foley Heather Hawkins

Catherine Hayes

Mrs. Letourneau

Kourtney Lipps Caroline Mejia

Katie Paradis

Victoria Pho Rosie

Kaitlyn Schatteman

Marissa Sepulveda

Isabel Trujillo

In This Issue:

Spotlight Saint 2

Homecoming 2014 3

It Was Epic 4

Society’s Farfetched Norm for Beauty

6

Ask Rosie 7

Health 7

Cardboard Castle 8

Poetry 9

Fun Fall Ideas 10

Comic 10

Reviews 11

Word Search 13 Photo from Rosary High School Facebook

Each year, on the fourth of Oc-

tober, many churches in the United Sta-

tes celebrate the feast of St. Francis of

Assisi. You may be familiar with this

feast because it is usually the

day when churches plan a spe-

cial blessing for pets. But what

is the reason for this?

The blessing of the pets

takes place on the feast of St.

Francis of Assisi because it is

part of the Catholic Church’s

celebration of the patron saint

of animals and the environ-

ment. St. Francis founded the

Church’s Franciscan order, and

he is remembered for his gene-

rosity to the poor and his love

for animals and nature. Many

churches will hold a special ser-

vice that includes a spoken

blessing with holy water, and is

usually held outdoors where a

large variety of animals can

gather.

Because he cared deeply for animals

and the environment, this outdoor cele-

bration reminds us of the importance of

these things in our lives.

The traditional Blessing of Pets is as

follows:

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker

of all living creatures. You called

forth fish in the sea, birds in the

air, and animals on land. You inspi-

red St. Francis to call all of them

his brothers and sisters. We ask

you to bless this pet. By the power

of your love, enable it to live accor-

ding to your plan. May we always

praise you for all your beauty in

creation. Blessed are you, Lord our

God, in all you creatures! Amen.”

Next time you take your pet to a

blessing service, know that you are

really celebrating the life of St.

Francis of Assisi and his devotion to

God and all of God's creations, big

and small.

Spotlight Saint: St. Francis of Assisi by Sarah Foley

Page 2 The Royal Exchange

Francis of Assisi

Legend of St. Fran-

cis, Sermon to the

Birds, located in the

upper Basilica of San

Francesco d'Assisi

If you ask any girl at

Rosary what the she was loo-

king forward to do during the

first month of school, her ans-

wer would probably have so-

mething to do with that one

big event on Saturday, Octo-

ber 4th: Homecoming. Who

could blame her? It is a night

of dancing with friends and

dates and just forgetting

about schoolwork and stress.

Homecoming week kicked off

with the Bonfire, hosted by

Marmion, on Saturday Sep-

tember 27th, just a week be-

fore the dance. Everyone was

invited to watch the parade at

the football field; after that,

they all went over to the bon-

fire lighting near the field

house. Everyone played ga-

mes, ate food, walked

around, or just sat by the fire.

There was even a volleyball

tournament that both Mar-

mion and Rosary students

were allowed to participate in.

The rest of the week

was full of silly spirit days.

The week started with Pajama

Day on

Monday,

and the

girls got

to practi-

cally roll

out of bed

and go to

school.

The next

day was Toga Tuesday; all

the girls were able to show off

their fashionable togas and

stay in warm bed sheets at

the same time. Then there

was Wacky Wednesday, which

was most likely the craziest

day of the week. Rosary stu-

dents could show up in the

most insane outfit they could

think of. Each homeroom

elected the wackiest of the

class; the girls elected were

then featured on stage in the

morning assembly in a "wacky

-off." After that was Throw-

back Thursday. Each grade

had their own throwback ye-

ar; seniors dressed as the

sixties, juniors dressed as the

seventies, sophomores dres-

sed as the eighties, and fresh-

man dressed as the nineties.

Finally, at the end of

the week, was Frat Friday. On

this day, the girls were able

to dress up as preppy school-

boys or just wear a college t-

shirt. The homecoming foot-

ball game was also that Fri-

day, and there were many

supporters from both Mar-

mion and Rosary. Overall, the

whole week was a fun expe-

rience, even for freshman,

who were new to this entire

thing.

During the whole we-

ek, girls were waiting in anti-

cipation for Saturday. Not

only was it the weekend, but

it was also Homecoming.

They got their hair and nails

done and wore beautiful dres-

ses. The boys looked sharp,

wearing their best suits to

match their dates. The theme

for Homecoming was Casino

Royal, and the decorators did

not disappoint. Part of the

dance was set apart for dan-

cing, while the other was for

playing cards or fake-

gambling. It seemed like

everyone had a great time!

Homecoming weekend has

left all girls with one thought

left lingering in their mind: "I

can't wait till Turnabout!"

Homecoming 2014 by Marissa Sepulveda

“Overall, the

whole week

was a fun

experience...”

Page 3 The Royal Exchange

Photos from Marmion

Academy Facebook

Page 3

It is cold, forty-nine de-

grees to be exact. Not my typical

race morning, usually I see tem-

peratures in the high sixties. In

Edmonton,

Alberta, this is

how a late

August mor-

ning feels.

Great, seven

am, I cannot

feel my toes and I do not know if

I packed enough clothes. We are

all freezing as my friends on Te-

am USA and I go through our

warm up dynamic stretching, jo-

king and laughing as we move

across the wet field. I may be

cold, but this experience is worth

it.

In less than three hours, I

will toe the start line of the 2014

Age Group Triathlon World Cham-

pionships. I have waited over a

year for this since I qualified in

early August of 2013 in Milwau-

kee, Wisconsin. I am not nervous,

just excited. My injured foot does

not faze me. I will finish. I do not

care if I have to limp, walk, or

even crawl. I will cross that finish

line.

After finishing

dynamics, I lounge

around on a bench,

waiting for my team-

mates to finish their

pre-race shake out

runs. I have not run in

three weeks, since I

crossed the line at Na-

tionals, and I am not

about to break that

streak just yet. When

my teammates return

the gymnastics begin. I

am not talking about some absurd

yoga poses or intense stretching.

I am talking about the personal

wrestling matches we all have

with our wetsuits – the water is

about twenty degrees Celsius, or

sixty-eight Fahrenheit, making

this race wetsuit legal. It takes

me almost ten minutes, with

the help of PAM, shopping

bags, and my experienced

father, to get my wetsuit on.

Less than thirty minutes to

the start.

I am not nervous, only

excited to represent my country.

My result is irrelevant; I know I

will not place as high as I have in

past races. I accepted

that fact the moment

a boot went on my

foot. I am here to

have fun.

We get to the

start area without any

trouble, our greatest

source of excitement

comes after talking to

a cute British boy we

met during opening ceremonies

the night before. When my wave

– all the girls competing in my

age group of 16 – 19 – is next up

to walk down to the beach I start

to feel some butterflies, but the

excitement wins over. I am al-

most giddy. When I get

down to the beach I still

have about five minutes to

wait. The boys go off first

at nine-thirty.

I am now three

minutes out from my first

world championships. Back

home, it is ten-thirty and I

know both my mom and

my fourth hour AP Brit Lit

class are gathered around

computer screens as they

await the start of my race. I know

this, but my focus is on my race.

The officials call us to the line and

I run down the row, selecting a

box third from the right. We seem

to wait a lifetime until the horn

blares. A lapse in concentration

on my part costs me half a se-

cond off the line; it is not much,

but in video recap, my hesitation

is evident.

The swim is chaotic, but

remarkably calm compared to my

usual races. There is no punching,

kicking, headlocks, or ankle pu-

lling. My swim is decent and my

focus is centered on getting my

wetsuit unzipped and my arms

out as I run up the beach towards

my bike in transition. My foot

does not hurt yet which is a

good sign. I kick my legs out

of my wetsuit and toss it besi-

de my bike before grabbing

my glasses. Another good

sign is when I get my helmet

buckled on the first attempt, I

usually fumble with the clasp

and loose precious seconds. I

snatch my bike off the rack

and head towards the bike out.

My mount is neat and

quick, my gearing is set just right

for the small hill that leads out

onto the bike course. The bike is

my strongest leg and according to

Craig, my coach, this course is

made for me, lots of rollers, and

plenty of turns. Triathletes are

typically atrocious bike handlers

but I have a background of bike

racing both on and off the road

and my handling skills are a huge

advantage. The bike is tough and

I am cold. My legs burn with lactic

acid. I live for this stuff. As my

favorites cyclist, Jens Voigt says

“Shut Up Legs;” this is one of my

mantras. I round the final 180

within a mile and a half of the

entrance into the park. Frustra-

tion at the pain in my legs that

will not be ignored fuels me du-

ring that final stretch.

It Was Epic by Katie Paradis

“I do not care

if I have to

limp, walk, or

even crawl. I

will cross that

finish line.”

Página 4 Page 4 The Royal Exchange

Coming into

the park is my favorite

moment of the bike

because my dad is

about a hundred me-

ters from the dismount

line. My dismount is

flawless as I move my

right hand to my sadd-

le, pushing my bike as

I sprint through transi-

tion toward my shoes.

I find my spot on the

rack, shoving my bike

up onto the rack befo-

re whipping my helmet

off. The compression

sock on my right foot

is interfering with my

ability to pull my shoes on and I

quickly tear it off. Usually I wear

an ultra-light Nike running shoe

with almost no padding and bun-

gee laces. These race flats are

lighter and the laces decrease

transition time by eliminating the

need to tie. My dad, my doctor,

and I decided this was a bad idea

considering how severe my plan-

tar fasciitis is. I lose about thirty

seconds as I tie my shoes but

those thirty

seconds will

be valuable in

a different

way. I need

the support of

my usual run-

ning shoes.

I feel

great the first

two and a half

kilometers of

the run. I am

not pushing

myself too hard because I know

that the pain in my foot will be

crippling once it hits and I want to

prolong that as long as possible.

But, after two and a half k

the pain hits. It hurts. It

hurts so bad my entire stride

changes as I try to minimize

the pain of each stride. The

finish line keeps me going. I

saw a picture of the medals

on twitter and I want one,

but more than that, I want

to say that I finished. This is

a big deal.

The last k is excruciating;

I can feel my run form fa-

lling apart as my body tires.

It all goes away the moment

my feet hit the blue of the

finishing shoot. A smile

stretches my face and all the

pain is covered by the adrenalin

of the moment. An official from

USA Triathlon stands at the final

corner holding American flags out

to all American racers. I take the

flag without a second thought.

Running down the finis-

hing shoot is indescribable. I just

remember thinking that I could

let my smile show because this

was a reason to smile. I held my

flag high, waving it was I ran

down the shoot and crossed

the finish line. Other people

must have thought it was

impressive because my fi-

nishing clip made it into the

final three-minute highlight

reel of all the races.

The pain returns the se-

cond I cross the line. After a

few photos with my team-

mates, I hobble to the exit.

I do not make it all the way.

My dad runs for my boot as

I sit in the grass, drinking

my water and chatting with my

friends. I have never been so

happy to see an inanimate object

as I was to see my boot. Putting

it on was instant relief. I could

stand without assistance now. A

bonus of the boot came when

people asked about it. When I

told them I raced with plantar

fasciitis their respect for me visi-

bly increased along with my sense

of pride in my race. I had just

finished the World Championships

and I was injured.

I would not trade this ra-

ce for the world, no pun intended.

I may be on crutches now and

unable to do much more than

aqua jog, but it was worth it to

me. Many people think I am crazy

for racing, especially when I tell

them how not only is a three and

a half centimeter section of my

plantar fascia inflamed, but also

six of the eleven bones in my foot

have stress response, but to my

family, my friends, and myself, I

am just Katie. Yes, I may be cra-

zy, but so are they. They do not

see my choice to race injured as

stupid or idio-

tic, they see it

as brave. To

me, it was my

only option and

they agree.

Triath-

lon is who I

am. Injuries

are just part

and parcel of

the deal. It

happens. I was

meant to get

injured, but I

was also meant

to toe that line

in Edmonton. It was my toughest

season yet as I battled injury af-

ter injury from the get go, but I

grew. I learned. I became more

than I was. Call me crazy, but this

is who I am.

It Was Epic cont.

“I saw a picture of

the medals on

twitter and I want

one, but more than

that, I want to say

that I finished.”

Page 5

“Thigh gaps”

“Skinny” “This makes you

beautiful.” These words and

phrases are society’s only

qualifications for a woman’s

beauty. Society does not

acknowledge and consider

one’s personality, essence,

or inner beauty. By ignoring

these vital aspects to one’s

beauty, society is assembling

unhealthy and inaccurate

standards for the girls of

today’s world.

An article in the New

York Times titled, “Is There

Too Much Pres-

sure on Girls to

Have ‘Perfect’

Bodies?” repor-

ted that more

than eighty per-

cent of ten-year

-old girls are

afraid of being

‘fat’. Think

about it. Ten-

year-olds are

fourth and fifth

graders. When I

was that age, I remember

not caring about my body.

But because society has in-

grained certain standards,

young girls do worry about

their bodies. Some girls-

grade school through high

school-even feel anxiety just

to go to school and be jud-

ged for who they are based

on how they look; when in

reality how they look is not

who they are.

Not only do

these girls develop

anxiety over looks

and physical appea-

rances, but they de-

velop unhealthy

habits to achieve

society’s require-

ments. Sadly, some

young women will go

to the extremes of

eating disorders in

hopes of fulfilling

society’s requirements-to

simply fit in. And the

most influential sour-

ces that we are im-

mune to are the mo-

deling, movie, and

music industries. Ma-

ny stars and celebri-

ties set the tone of

these extremes for

young women. But

we can find inspira-

tion in strong women

who do not conform

to society. Jennifer

Lawrence is a fierce woman

who depicts this inspiration

very well. “I'm never going to

starve myself for a part. I

don't want little girls to be

like, ‘Oh, I want to look like

‘Katniss’ (her character in

The Hunger Games), so I'm

going to skip dinner. That's

something I was really cons-

cious of during training, when

you're trying to get your body

to look exactly right. I was

trying to get

my body to

look fit and

strong, not thin

and underfed.”

The

thing that ma-

kes me the

most curious is

-when, where,

and why did

society esta-

blish such a

biased and uncompromising

system for something that

can never be weighed, avera-

ged, or measured? Because

something that we all learn

here in our Rosary community

is that everyone-regardless of

gender, appearance, etc-have

dignity that can never be lost.

Our Rosary community over-

comes these standards by

accepting newcomers, no

matter what they look like.

Everyone is here for a

reason and everyone is beau-

tiful in their own way. Cheesy,

yes, but true. But we are all

called to be ourselves and

who God calls us to be. So,

why try so hard to fit in, when

we’re each born to stand out?

Society’s Farfetched Norm for Beauty

By Constanza

Page 6 The Royal Exchange

DISCLAIMER: This article was not directed toward anyone in particular. It

was not a self-esteem talk. It was simply to raise awareness of society and

what it has come to.

The author has chosen to remain anonymous.

….more than

eighty percent

of ten-year-old

girls are afraid

of being

‘fat’….

...where when

and why did

society establish

such biased and

uncompromising

system….

Dear Rosie,

I have a dilemma and don’t know what to do. I have a sports tournament this weekend that will take

up my entire weekend. Unfortunately, I have two major assignments due for school as well. I tried to

get an earlier start on them but with all my responsibilities, I am not even close to finishing either

assignment.If I don’t complete these assignments my grades could really suffer, but if I don’t compe-

te in the tournament I would really be letting my teammates down. I want to participate

in the tournament, but if I do, there is no way I’ll complete my homework. I feel like no

matter what I choose I am going to be letting someone down. If I ask my parents, they

are just going to say that homework comes first. If I ask my teammates, they will just

say I have to play in the tournament.

Sincerely,

Stressed and Confused

Autumn is a beautiful season, but flu season is not. Coughing, sneezing, and

nose-blowing are becoming more common, which should be a great reminder for you

to strengthen your immune system! Bring some vitamin C into your diet, use hand

sanitizer more often, sneeze and cough into your elbows, wash your hands, and get

plenty of rest! This year, prevention and sanitation is crucial to our health. Talk to

your doctor if you feel unwell, and stay home from school if you have contracted the

flu, common cold, or other type of illness. By playing it safe and being smart, Rosary

can avoid the disastrous sniffles and nose blowing during major exams.

Ask Rosie

Health: Flu Season by Isabel Trujillo

Dear Stressed and Confused,

That’s quite a dilemma you have there and one that is common to high school

students everywhere. The main point that you are overlooking is that you never mentio-

ned about talking about the problem you face with either your coach or teacher. I would

start by talking with your coach. Explain that you are very concerned about being able to

complete your assignments. You may be surprised at his or her response. If they have enough

players to compete at the tournament, they might be able to excuse you this time from participa-

ting. If that isn’t an option, try your teachers next. Maybe they can grant you an extra day if it’s a

school function that is preventing you from completing it on time. The main point is to discuss it

with the right people and I am sure a resolution can be found.

Yours Truly,

Rosie

Want to ask

Rosie for

advice?

Write a

question and

leave it on

locker #658.

Page 7

Cory lay in her bed, tossing a baseball up at the ceiling. She was trying to hit the yellow Christ-mas lights strung around her room. They were left over from the holi-

days, and she rather liked the soft glow that they gave off, so she had never gotten around to taking them down, despite the fact that it was nearly the end of August.“Why did kids in ’90s movies do this?” She asked her cat Hawk, who was

perched on her windowsill. The tabby turned his head to look at her

and gave an irritated flick of his tail, as if he were annoyed that his owner had disturbed him from his bird-watching.Cory sighed and threw the ball up at the ceiling

again, getting distracted by the way the light shifted as the strings were brushed aside. She didn’t have time to recollect her thoughts and catch the ball, so when it plummeted, it hit her square in the eye. She swore loudly and swung her legs

forcefully over the mattress, pro-pelled herself off of it, and stormed into the bathroom. That, at least, got Hawk’s attention. With a con-

cerned meow, he hopped down from his ledge and padded after

her.The girl was examining her eye in the mirror, still cursing, although a little more softly this time.“Great,” she muttered, poking around the tender skin and wincing. “Even when I have nothing to do, I manage to screw that up.” She

stepped away from the mirror and looked at Hawk, who had leaped up to the counter. He meowed again.“I suppose you’re right.” She mur-mured, before scooping him up un-der one arm and carrying him away, despite his adamant protests

that that had not been what he im-plied. “Oh, shush you.”Cory set him down in the kitchen and let him scamper away to the couch, where he assumed an indignant position and expression. As Cory began fix-

ing the two of them lunch, she glanced out her window and saw the little neighbor girl – Abby – drawing on a cardboard box with a huge marker. A roll of duct tape

and some scissors lay beside her, as well as a number of other folded boxes and assorted items. Her blonde pigtails bobbed as she scrib-bled happily.Before she knew it,

Cory had jogged out the front door and down the sidewalk to Abby’s house. Even playing pretend with an eight-year-old was better than boredom, she figured. Besides, Abby was a pretty cool kid. Cory had babysat for her a few times

before, and that had always been more fun than she’d expected. As

she ran outside, she didn’t even care that her short red hair was messy, or that she was wearing sweatpants and a tee instead of her usual high-waisted shorts and tank

top. This wasn’t a day for being perfect.“Hey, Abby!” She said with an enthusiastic grin.The child looked up, a large smile blossoming across her face. She jumped up and ran over to Cory with a squeal of delight. “Cory!”Cory grabbed Abby

in a large hug and swung her around, as was their customary greeting. When she set the girl

down, Abby looked up at her with large blue eyes and a very serious expression. “I’m building a castle.”

She stated, as if it really were an enormous castle of brick and stone and mortar. “If you would like to help, you can, but we can’t mess around.”Cory fought to keep a grin off her face; Abby was always like this about her games – one hun-

dred percent convinced that they were real. “Okay, Abby. I promise. No playing.”Abby nodded, satisfied by this answer, and smiled again. “Okay!” She grabbed Cory’s hand and practically dragged her back to

the cardboard boxes. “Here’s the

main building. It’s got a gate and some places at the top where the knights can hide if they get at-tacked.” She pointed to battlements that had not yet been cut out. “Mommy said I couldn’t use the

scissors myself, so she has to cut them.” Then her face lit up, as if coming up with an idea. “But you’re an adult! You can use the scis-

sors!”Cory chuckled. “I’m not an adult, but I can use the scis-sors.”“Okay!” Abby said, handing her the black scissors. Cory nodded and set to the job.They worked in

silence, mostly because Abby point-edly ignored any attempt at conver-sation starters. It was obvious she preferred to concentrate. The entire project took just over two hours, and when they were done, the cas-tle was huge. A total of twenty-

three boxes had been used, as well as three boxes of tinfoil for the

moat, and two spoons for draw-bridges. Abby even drew little green crocodiles on the silver expanse of the water.“Hey Cory?” Abby asked, her voice quiet and question-

ing.“Yes?”“Once you become an adult, do you still have your imagi-nation?” She sounded genuinely troubled.Cory had to think about this. Not very many of the adults she knew exercised their imagina-tions regularly. Her parents both

worked office jobs, so they just sat at a computer and typed all day. That didn’t seem very imaginative to her.But she didn’t want to tell

little Abby, who was so full of hope, that. So instead, she simply an-

swered, “You have to work hard to keep it, but I think you will always have it.”Abby nodded, satisfied with this answer. “Okay. Time to play.” With that, she dove behind her wall and peeked over the top of it. “You’re attacking, okay?”“Okay.”

Cory said, grinning.And so, the bat-tle began. She crawled around to the very right edge of the castle, but Abby anticipated her move. She rained down pebbles from her cata-pults, forcing the older girl to re-treat. Cory then moved to the left,

but still couldn’t get in. Attempt after attempt, Abby repelled her, until suddenly Cory moved too quickly. She vaulted over the walls and tumbled into a somersault be-hind them, leaping up with a victo-

rious howl. However, she was met with the sounds of a raging battle. The clashing of steel and scent of burning sulfur was in the air.

Cardboard Castles by Catherine Hayes

Page 8 The Royal Exchange

Fun this is not,

spending time in a parking lot?

Not fun. This lot is

stuck in this spot.

What? Please, appease

the lot- is not, is caught here

in this spot, why?

Why knot this spot?

over and over again?

Fun? This?

I think not.

Ugh. Why not break

this knot? keeping us

in this spot? Cannot

we tie the ends and

make a loop-

hole? Let's try,

why not?

It could even be fun.

Let's start here,

right in this spot.

These are my trials and tribulations,

and I’ll do with them what I want to.

If I want to.

Do I want to?

These are mine,

these trials and tribulations.

Do I want you?

Must I have you?

Mine

trials and tribulations

break and bleed and- Scars

They are

Trials and tribulations

Do with me what you will.

I am yours; I love you,

and you are mine.

Knot by Heather Rose Hawkins

Trials and Tribulations by Heather Rose Hawkins

Page 9

courtyard.“So we meet again.” A familiar voice called to her. Cory spun around and saw Abby, dressed in shining blue armor, a red crest on her head that marked her as

commander. She also somehow knew that their game was still going on.“We do.” Cory answered, moving a little closer. Abby closed the dis-tance, and the two danced around each other in a strange dual. Nei-ther drew their sword, but instead

chose to use their hands. They threw punches, but neither landed one until Cory misplaced a step and

slipped on a loose cobblestone. She saw a blue metal glove striking to-wards her, and then stars. “Cory?” A faint voice called. “Cory, are you

okay? I didn’t mean to actually punch you, I’m really sorry, I-” The voice broke off with a small sob.“Hey, hey, I’m okay Abby.” Cory croaked, obviously not sound-ing okay.Abby sniffed, but the tears stopped. “I’m really sorry.”Although

Yellow torches burned from stone walls that now towered over her. She glanced down at herself and saw that she was covered in glimmering silver ar-

mor, gilded golden around the edges. A sword hung from a scabbard at her hip.She glanced up and saw a large man coming at her, a huge two-handed sword raised above his head. Cory yelped and dodged to the right,

ducking just as the weapon sliced the space she’d occupied a second ago. She didn’t give the

man time to recover and sprinted away from him, but there was no escape. All around her, people were fighting. She

punched a man as he staggered towards her, wincing at the sick-ening crunch her mailed fist had made when it collided with his face. This sort of thing carried on for some time, until she finally made it to the middle of the

her head really was hurting, she would not admit it to Abby. She’d have to find another excuse. “It’s really okay. Hey, what time is it?”“It’s almost 4:00.”“Oh man, I

have to get home. I promised my mom I would clean the house, and she gets home soon.” Cory slapped her forehead for added effect, al-though deeming it a bad idea at the throbbing spikes of pain it sent.“It’s okay. Thank you for

playing with me!” Suddenly Abby was all smiles as she leaned for-ward and hugged Cory.“You’re

welcome.” She said with a sincere grin, and walked back to her house.When she got in the front door, Cory immediately grabbed

the bottle of Advil from the medi-cine cabinet and took a few. Then she stopped in the bathroom to check out the damage – two blos-soming black eyes, one with more color than a normal eight-year-old girl could account for.

Cardboard Castle cont.

The autumn season is here again. If you are having a pro-

blem finding decorations, no problem! Homemade items are always

a nice touch, and it may give you a chance to try something new.

For this October issue, we have a crochet pattern for a nice little

pumpkin that is easy enough for beginners (you can find the link at

the end of this article). Other than being a table decoration, you

can also make it as a pincushion, a stress ball (because we all need

one), stuff it with beans to make it a paperweight, or put some lavender

in it. Get creative with it! (pattern by June Gilbank)

http://www.planetjune.com/blog/free-crochet-patterns/pumpkin/

Fun Fall Crafts by Victoria Pho

Page 10 The Royal Exchange

Photos from Planet June

Catch a Date by Caroline

On June 9th, British indie

band alt-J announced the

release of a new album,

“This Is All Yours”, on

September 22. I was so

excited about this that I

preordered it in July and

began a countdown in Au-

gust – and let me tell you,

I was not let down. There

is not one song on this

album that I dislike. In

fact, I like it so much that

the CD hasn’t come out of

the CD player in my car in

three weeks since I put it

in (go ahead and ask my

brother). One of the rea-

sons that I enjoy listening

to “This Is All Yours” so

much is that alt-J has a

unique musical style

unlike anyone I have ever

listened to before. Their

melodies are different,

their lyrics are obscure

and ambiguous, and the

overall structure of their

songs is very untradi-

tional. Even the songs on

the same album are very

different from each other.

I recommend this album

to anyone who is a fan of

alternative or indie music

and listens to 101.1 (RIP

Q87.7), and I give it 4.5/5

stars, simply because my

favorite songs don’t last

longer.

sages in the mail. He

must decipher the cryptic

messages in order to ac-

complish the tasks in-

cluded within. Throughout

the story, Ed tries to puz-

zle out who is sending

him the messages and for

what reason. I loved

reading this novel be-

The best book I read this

summer is I Am the Mes-

senger by Markus Zusak,

author of The Book Thief.

This novel, which is avail-

able at the Rosary library,

tells the intriguing story

of a young taxi driver

named Ed who begins to

receive anonymous mes-

cause the reader is kept

on the edge of his seat

trying to figure out, along

with Ed, what the letters

mean. I would definitely

recommend this book that

manages to be thought

provoking and interesting

at the same time to all

my students.

Music Review: “This Is All Yours” by Catherine Hayes

Book Reviews:

Page11

Books, TV and Music…

Best Book of the Summer by Mrs. Wollwert

of the political spectrum.

For me, Things that Matter

is a wonderful collection of

Dr. Krauthammer's writ-

ings and work over the

past thirty years. Not only

is Dr. Krauthammer posi-

tively brilliant, but he has

the sharpest wit and fun-

niest dry sense of humor

of any author I have read

in recent years. Two

thumbs up!

Two Thumbs Up! by Ms. Etheredge

Winner of the Pulitzer

Prize and named by the

Financial Times as the

most influential commen-

tator in America, Charles

Krauthammer has been

honored from every part

aquatic center. After reminisc-ing about the fun times they had, along with their es-tranged friend Rin, they de-cide to start a swimming club

at their school. Haruka, Ma-koto, and Nagisa make new friends and conquer obstacles that challenge their friend-

ship. Together, they learn what it means to "swim free." In the second season, Free!

Eternal Summer, the gang is back to try and win nationals. Along with training for compe-titions, Haruka, Makoto and Rin have to think about what they plan to do after high school. This second season is

a great sequel full of strong friendships, crazy antics, and cute and quirky characters. Free! is a great anime for

swimmers and non swimmers

alike. Its characters are easy

to relate and sympathize with.

They provide a great example

about how one can overcome

any obstacle with hard work

and determination. Even

though this anime is only cur-

rently available with English

subtitles, it is worth watching

and who knows, you may

even learn a little Japanese!

Personally, I think Free! is

worth missing sleep.

Amazing Anime! by Caroline Mejia

For years, Japanese graphic novels and television shows have been gaining popularity in the United States. These shows, or anime, are loved

for their adorable characters, unique plot and great charac-ter arcs. This summer, the second season of a popular

"swimming anime" called Free! was released. The thir-teen episode season aired

from July to September. Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, the first season, is about three high school students named Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa. They are childhood friends that met through their local

George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution This is an interesting story

about six almost or completely

unknown names of the Ameri-

can Revolution. The authors,

Brian Kilmeade and Don Yae-

ger, conducted and extensive

research about events that

took place when General

Washington had to retreat

from New York City in August

1776. Washington correctly

judged that he could not ade-

quately respond to a strong

British army power, and in-

stead he conceived a plan to

form a secret group of people

whose task was to sneak into

New York. I think this book

has the intrigue of a Sherlock

Holmes adventure and the

mystery of an Agatha Christie

novel. If you like American

history and adventure, this is

the book for you.

The Islandman This is the autobiographical account of a fisherman, Thomas O'Crohan who lived on the Great

Blasket Island off the southwest coast of Ireland, in the second half of the nineteenth century

and beginning of the twentieth century. It was originally written in Irish Gaelic and was later

translated into English by Robin Flower.

Historical Fiction by Ms. Etheredge

Irish Autobiography by Ms. Etheredge

Page 12 The Royal Exchange

Reviews cont.

One book I read over the summer was Animal Farm. I have not read it since high school.

Thumbs way up! We need to be reminded that Communism has never and will never work.

Classic Book by Mrs. Letourneau

Page 13

Faculty Word Search