EXPOSURES 2020 A LEELANAU COUNTY STUDENT JOURNAL - LEELANAU.COM
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Exposures 2020 A Leelanau Co unty Student J ournal
Exposures 2020 Exposures is a collaborative project which
depends upon the time and talents of many
people in our community, including:
Project Coordinator
Welcome to this 32nd issue of Exposures! This is a collaborative Deb Freed
project designed in 1988 to challenge Leelanau County students in
Art Editors
grades 7-12 to express themselves through art and writing. It provides a Will Case
showcase for their work. Deb Freed
Donna Popke
It is a testament to the commitment of our teachers and fine arts Writing Editors
devotees that we have been able to produce this publication every Char Bickel
Nellie Danke
year for over a quarter century, during good economic times and bad, Lynne Rae Perkins
and especially with the extra challenges this year associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic and closures. School Coordinators
Nikki Ackley
Cindy Crandall
We are grateful for the continuing support of the administrators and Jennifer Evans
boards of education from Glen Lake, Leland, Northport, Suttons Bay, Mary Hall
St. Mary’s, Pathfinder, and the Leelanau School. We appreciate the help Lani Hoenscheid-Smith
Kaz McCue
of Suttons Bay Public Schools, which serves as project fiduciary. Kathryn Murphy
Duncan Moran
Ongoing contributions from many generous individuals and Genuine Andy Smith
Leelanau, Suttons Bay Art Festival, Glen Arbor Arts Center, Leelanau Jill Walker
Jennifer Walter
Township Foundation, Leland Educational Foundation, Suttons Bay- Anna Wassa
Bingham Fund, and the Youth Advisory Council of the Grand Traverse Lori Wille
Regional Community Foundation are also gratefully acknowledged.
Participating Schools
Glen Lake Community Schools
Special thanks go to the Northport Arts Association for their support in Home Schools
offering to host the show that presents Exposures to the community. Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s School
At the time of production of this issue, preparations were beginning for The Leelanau School
a first – to host a virtual show! Leland Public School
Northport Public School
Pathfinder School
Each year hundreds of poems, stories, photographs, paintings, drawings, Suttons Bay Public Schools
and sketches are submitted for review. This year, 150 pieces were
Proofreaders
selected to best represent the heartfelt thoughts, dreams and hopes of Toddy Rieger
Leelanau County students. Andrea Seeley
Community Liaisons/Funders
You can tell from the work inside these pages that our young people Glen Arbor Arts Center
have a strong bond with the place where they are growing up. Leelanau Genuine Leelanau
County is a special place and we hope you enjoy the inside look at it Grand Traverse Regional Community
from our students’ perspectives. Foundation
Leelanau Township Foundation
Leland Educational Foundation
On behalf of all the editors, school coordinators, writers and artists, Northport Arts Association
we congratulate the students whose work is included within these Suttons Bay Art Festival
pages. Enjoy their beautiful art, listen to their voices, applaud their Suttons Bay-Bingham Fund
Sally Viskochil
imaginations and enjoy Exposures 2020! Youth Advisory Council of the
Grand Traverse Regional Community
Foundation
1
Things Will Come Again
Madison Malone, Grade 7
Winter, expanding, contracting and shifting.
It seems so strange these months.
Tiny beautiful things fall onto a bleak and lifeless ground, and all the world becomes still.
It is a time for rest and sleep, but it seems that we cannot.
A darkness spills over us and drowns many.
Even though everything is white, it’s so black.
Everything crunches beneath us. We are not supposed to be here.
Fragile these things are, tread slowly, don’t make a sound, just like the sleeping earth.
Take a breath, feel the coldness fill you up. It flows inside of you and seems to last forever.
Our eyelashes become speckled with white.
We long to return for the warmth but it’s vanished, just as quickly as the cold takes its firm grip upon
you, asking for death.
Branches struggle to hold up. Many secret things lie under this blanket.
Things will come alive again, the tunnels, the seeds and the longed for green.
I promise you they will come again, the cold will leave its last touch and disappear. Our feet will
soon feel the ground beneath us. The waves will come alive, roaring for freedom.
And the air will gently grace us, telling us that it’s our time to come alive again.
Ashley Croff, Grade 8
Reagan Middleton, Grade 12
2
Flu
Harper Flees, Grade 7
The flu, it changes annually
And makes you feel quite ill.
You’ll reach a high of 103,
A fever, if you will.
Stomach’s doing somersaults,
Saline spray, thermometers,
Bubble baths with Epsom salts
And rising temperatures.
You’ll sit and watch TV all day,
’cause there’s nothing else to do.
You think you felt the whole room sway,
And that’s not good for you.
And to all those feeling under the weather,
I sure hope that you’ll get better.
Henry Stanton, Grade 11
Henry Stanton, Grade 11
3
Her Ashes to Immolate
Josephine Stillwell, Grade 7
She sat
On the ashes,
Was new,
Like fresh wood.
Held a box
Of matches;
Was untold
Of their power.
A man
Walked by,
And waved
With a smile.
She did not
Look at him
Or make
A sound.
She grew
As she lit
The first match,
Olive Ryder, Grade 8 And watched it burn.
Many people
Asked her
To help
Dark Winter With real work,
Caroline Best, Grade 7
But she sat,
Where do we go when that time comes?
And grew,
Are we near?
And started
Is this it?
A fire;
This cold shed of tears is all we have?
Constant questioning of that bitter day.
A small one,
But as
I hear a knock below me,
She grew,
I brush past the thick, moaning wind,
So did it.
I creep down to the brown cellar in the middle of the woods,
Open the door, holding back my shrieks,
And hear a whisper.
“You’re the last one, you, you, you…”
Silence.
They’re coming.
The dead and broken souls,
Moving toward me like a mouse to cheese.
I just stood there knowing, this is it.
Hisses, shrieks and pounds is all I hear.
Goodbye.
4
Last Thought
Sara House, Grade 8
The snow lightly drifts down from the gray sky,
It settles on the ground but quickly vanishes.
I know the water will be near unbearable,
But I think the experience will be worth it.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Inhale,
Exhale.
The chilling breeze runs over my skin as I strip to nothing but my swimsuit,
Take my messy bun out of my hair,
Letting it fall carelessly into gentle waves upon my shoulders and down my back.
The heat in the car is still on and my towel is under my arm.
The water is just feet away,
So still it’s as if it were earth itself.
I rest my towel on a piece of driftwood and think about how crazy I must look,
Then step one foot in front of the other, closer and closer.
The water is only just above my ankles and I can already feel myself going numb,
I walk in a little further before I take a deep breath and brace for the plunge.
All in an instant, I can’t think straight and my instincts don’t know what to do,
The pressure engulfs me and clear thoughts don’t seem like a possibility.
That didn’t stop you from being my last thought.
Thoughts
Sam Vukasovich, Grade 10
I find myself awake at night,
Looking at my ceiling,
Deep in thought.
No matter what I do,
I can’t be like them.
I feel like I am just half a man,
Trying to find my purpose.
People tell me that I have a great life,
And that I have it all,
But why don’t I feel that way at all?
I feel like I’m not good enough.
Like I’m always second best.
Like maybe I will never win,
Why can’t I put these thoughts to rest?
But I put them aside for the day,
And put on a happy face.
Maybe I will win in the end,
And get the appreciation I long for.
But who knows?
I sure don’t.
Sara House, Grade 8
5
Eden Wolf, Grade 11
Thomasin Bison, Grade 9
Loss
Sofia Brady, Grade 11
Why do we cry over people we
don’t know?
I remember a single afternoon in
a small, blue farmhouse with worn
brown recliners and a view into a
peaceful pasture of cows. I remember
a kind, petite woman, and watching
my two second cousins cling onto their
aunt. And here I stand beside them,
unsure but crying alongside them
over someone whose face I have no
memories of. I remember no smiles,
no bocce on the soft lawn, no golden
childhood memories, no eyes filled
with the special love of a grandparent.
Only a memory of an open oak casket
and the terrifying realization that death
was a made up, unsmiling face.
Leona Begeman, Grade 10
6
Amanda Herman, Grade 11
ABC
Jake Murphy, Grade 11
None match the corresponding letter.
Across the lines you read, Often wanting to stop writing, but I am
Blandly words are composed. Persevering through, but seriously, what word starts with a
Coming in so rapidly. Q
Do you Running out of ideas.
Even have time to process this? Starting to regret this.
For my poem is so complicated. The end is near in sight, so I cannot stop.
Gaining complexity as it goes. Using all of my brain to finish writing this
Having doubts that I can finish this poem? Vivacious poem.
I could write forever. Wishes have been granted because I am almost done.
Just Xylophone
Kidding, this is getting tough. You had doubts that I would finish, but I only have left the
Lacking brain power to finish. letter
Many ideas flowing through my head. However Z. Which is at the beginning of the word zipper.
7
Euphoric Felicity
Cody Deisler, Grade 11
What makes you so astonishing?
Is it your hair, with dark waves more elegant than the ocean I’ve never seen?
Or maybe it’s your smile, leaping like a graceful gazelle across your face for mere moments.
It’s all you.
Is it your eyes, inviting and eccentric like a shadowy forest filled with wonder?
Or maybe it’s your laughter, gifting the air with a morning birdsong.
It’s all you.
Ella Stockfisch, Grade 11
8
The First Catch
Blake O’Connor, Grade 9
I was at the creek, slowly wading upstream, as the cool water
rushed around me. I felt groggy, unmotivated. It had been hours
since the last bite. On a whim, I decided to cast one more time.
I opened the bail, carefully pinched the line with my finger, and
flipped the rod toward a fallen log. The plop of the lure rang out in
the near silence. I reeled in slowly, on edge, my whole body tense.
All of a sudden, a tug on the line. I reeled in quickly, glimpsing a
healthy trout struggling beneath the water. At last!
Brandon Hobbins, Grade 11
Josh Van Thomme, Grade 11
9Annual Camping Trip
Emma Griffith, Grade 9
My brother and I sneak out of our tent and grab damp towels off the clothesline
as the sun begins rising from the earth. We race up the path in the woods leading
to the best spot in the campground. After hiking a little farther we hear the roar
of rushing water and the falls appear. We inch down into the frigid pool until our
shoulders are submerged and swim upstream. Knowing this is the last moment of
summer, I dare to take a risk. I plant my feet on a rock inches from the current,
brace myself, and jump.
Lindsey Somero, Grade 12
Helene Mitchell, Grade 12
Sarai DeKorne, Grade 12
Lizzie Brown, Grade 11
Mariah Rioux, Grade 10
10Losing Your Grip
Rylee Memberto, Grade 10
During repairs, I lost my grip.
During repairs, I let go of the ship.
Drifting in a sea of darkness,
No destination in mind.
Drifting farther from the ship.
No one coming, radio silence.
Air running thin, drifting farther,
If only I didn’t lose my grip and let go of the ship.
If I hadn’t lost my grip and let go of the ship,
I wouldn’t be drifting in space.
If only I hadn’t lost my grip, letting go of the ship,
I wouldn’t be suffocating.
If only I hadn’t lost my gri...
Colin Cain, Grade 8
Emily Reynolds, Grade 11
Tamana Queen, Grade 8
Sophie Stowe, Grade 11
11A Home
Madison Malone, Grade 7
It is scary on a dark night in a tent. The patter
of the rain coming closer to you, or a mere
twig falling seems to erupt a volcano of a
fearful imagination. The thunder cracks down
and seems to nearly miss you. The lightning
seems to illuminate the tent fully, showing
all the vulnerabilities. But after a while when
the thunder ceases, you hear the soft patter
of leaves, and the rain seems less intrusive.
The blackness becomes tranquil instead of
frightening, and your body seems to sink
into the leaves as the stars grow brighter. You
can hear the pad of the deer’s feet, there is a
baby mewing. You feel the soft breathing of
everything alive, and your breath too becomes
synchronized. You realize how well you fit
here, the ferns and the trees a shelter, the
berries, nature’s way of welcoming you. Why
haven’t you been here all along?
Toby Ryner, Grade 11
The Society
Amelie Sack, Grade 9
Sitting across the room staring at my turned over phone, I’m eager
for more and more notifications to arrive on my phone with a BUZZ.
Anxious, Anxious, Anxious. I scroll through Instagram pictures of
girls with the “Ideal Body Type” and slowly fade away into my own
headspace. Self-Conscious. Eat less, party more, TRY HARDER. Am
I not doing enough already? I’m sorry. My voice, pounding against
my lips trying to make myself heard, but nothing comes out. Silenced.
People’s judgment raining down on me like confetti, but all I do is
sit still and use whatever is left of my confidence as a shield. Why?
Overthinking every single decision I make, every situation, every
sentence, every action I take. I keep telling myself that more actions
bring more mistakes to be made. Are mistakes all I can do? Words twist
my mind and circle my thoughts countless times. But it is all okay if I
look fine on the outside. Right?
Eden Wolf, Grade 11
12Friends
Kaci Kilinski, Grade 9
Don’t blink cause not everything lasts forever.
Don’t wait for them because you’ll be endless waiting.
Don’t allow yourself to see the good when you feel the unacceptable.
Mirror
Lindsey Somero, Grade 12
You I
Strange excitement
Sad thought
Particular
Reclusive
Two-sided
Me
You are the Sun
Mahrle Siddall, Grade 11
My lungs tighten in my chest as
their voices echo off the metal
lockers and encapsulate me
in a cocoon of chaos I cannot
seem to escape. My breath is
heavy and quick. My heart is
pounding out of my chest and
the achy feeling in my stomach
continues to grow. I falter down
the hallway and I’m afraid I will
fall, but then the sun shines its
light on me and my fears melt
away.
Emaline Buhr, Grade 12
13Teenage Boys
Mahrle Siddall, Grade 11
While I am searching into your soul, you
are looking at the cage that traps mine.
Fake
Emma DePuy, Grade 9
Keep real friends close because the
fake ones can sometimes get in the
way.
Crumbling Austin Agosa, Grade 12
Mahrle Siddall, Grade 11
The same people who tell me to keep
it together are the same ones who
keep telling me to let go.
How do I know which to choose?
Darkness
Rebecca Nowicki, Grade 11
The room rumbled with noise; the
Used to Be Love
Taylor Semple, Grade 9
lights flickered out. Then all was gone.
How? How could you do this?
How could you be so ignorant
of the fact that I love you?
Well, used to.
Eternal Blindness
Taylor Semple, Grade 9
I used to see the world in color,
but now it’s as if I’m blind, to both
color and life.
Ashley Croff, Grade 8
14Lily Julian, Grade 11
Saving Lives
Mayzie Dingman, Grade 11
Butterflies fluttered swiftly within my stomach as I nervously waited in the glossy metal folding
chairs that were placed outside of the hemoglobin testing booth. Despite my brain’s best efforts
telling me to just donate later and that I couldn’t do this, my name was called and I entered the
booth.
As the phlebotomist prepared the minuscule needle to prick my finger, the butterflies flew
rapidly as if they were trying to escape. With a quick prick, my hemoglobin was confirmed
healthy and I was escorted to a navy blue reclining chair. I apprehensively leaned gently back
into the chair and the good-natured phlebotomist secured the tourniquet onto my tricep. She then
smeared thick and at-first pungent orange iodine onto the inside of my elbow.
It was now time for the needle.
My heart raced as I watched the woman gently pierce my skin with the long and daunting
needle. Immediately after the needle was inserted, blood started rushing through the tube and
filling the pint-sized bag.
At that moment, my adrenaline kicked in and my mindset shifted. I was no longer burdened
with anxiety: I was bursting with excitement. My perspective changed because this is no longer
for me; it’s for other people and I am saving a life, one pint at a time.
15Greyson Booth, Grade 11
Lindsey Somero, Grade 12
16God Is
Lauren VanderWulp, Grade 9
God is loving and protective
God will never leave you
God is the creator of everything
God answers all prayers
God is endless
God is loving and protective
God knows everything
God will forgive all sins
God will never get mad at you
God will help everybody
God heals and makes miracles
God is loving and protective
God will fight for you
God is always there for you
God is amazing
God has a plan for everyone
God protects everyone
God is loving and protective
Nakisha Floyd, Grade 11
Cecelia Schaub, Grade 11
The Lake of Wonder
Leah Fleis, Grade 8
As I think of what lies in the depths I have to hold back until summer
I can sense it calling me For my desire to be satisfied
Inside me, deep inside, it screams To take in the fresh scent
Every single night in my dreams That used to follow me where I went
The Lake of Wonder In the Lake of Wonder
The need to go in is compelling This is Lake Michigan
It’s all I think of throughout the winter This is the Lake of Wonder
I try calming the urge but it won’t dim
All I long to do is swim
In the Lake of Wonder
17Corbin Robertson, Grade 7
The Inevitable End
Lizzie Brown, Grade 11
She lies on the hospital bed, no longer smelling like the sweet pea lotion from Bath and
Body Works. She sounds like she’s snoring: the breaths remind me of the inevitable
end to come. This deafening sound reminds me of a monster, hungry for its next victim
to take to the other side. Sooner than when I’m ready, the monster gives out its last
growl. And all that is left is the single tone going out.
18Words of Wisdom
Emilee Bellant, Grade 11
Dear Preschool Self: I know colorful things look very appetizing but whatever you do, DON’T EAT THEM.
Playdough is not for eating even though there are all those reds, oranges, purples, and blues; it tastes like salty
chemicals. Also, when making bracelets for Mom and Dad, it doesn’t mean you shove the beads so far up your nose
it starts to bleed. It bleeds so much your eyes are streaming with the saddest, tiniest tear. The dark red blood keeps
rushing down for another five minutes. So after that experience, my suggestion is to just put them on the string and
keep going. When you shoved beads up your nose you didn’t get to make bracelets for the next two years at daycare,
so nice one.
Dear High School Self: There are many things we need to talk about. For the past two years in high school, you’ve
done many things wrong. Grades are important but they do not mean everything. You need to have fun and focus on
your grades at the same time. Your grades do not define who you are. Although they determine your future, they don’t
determine you. All you need to do is work hard but have fun sometimes. And if you get a bad grade, it’s not the end
of the world. Secondly, you do not need a boyfriend. Do not rely on guys, because all they do is bring heartbreak.
That guy will come when it’s time. And most people find their boyfriends in college so just wait for that. Now, most
importantly, please love yourself and who you are. You may not think this of yourself but you are beautiful, kind,
loving, adventurous, and the most amazing girl I have ever seen. So, if you are feeling sad, not loving who you are,
come back and read this because you have no reason not to love yourself.
Sam Zwiefelhofer, Grade 12
19Joplynn Moser, Grade 8
The Dracolich
Tucker D. Brown, Grade 9
You descend the depths of the rumored dungeon through the rotting, giant door that is said to open into the dungeon’s main
chamber. You look around at your comrades and they all nod as they prepare themselves for what is to come. You push open the
door and pool out into the giant room. As you look around you hear a cold, drawling voice say, “So you’ve come to slay me;
well, you’re not the first and you won’t be the last. But I don’t have the time to play with you right now.” He then says something
in a different language. Suddenly a giant figure slams into the ground in front of you, causing a giant cloud of dust and sand to
billow into the air. Once the dust settles you see a giant dragon-like creature but it is hollowed out and only a skeleton of what
it once was. You stare in horror as the dracolich rears its head, you hear a piercing shriek come out of it as lightning seems to
gather in its mouth, then arcs as it cuts a path through the sand and slams into you.
20Austin Clarke, Grade 12
365 Days
Kennedy Leader, Grade 9
One year ago
Everything changed
One year ago
Hearts were crushed
Trust was destroyed
One year ago
Everything was different
It was January 23rd
When four lives changed
Izzi Feringa, Grade 9
One day
One house
One family
Four shattered hearts
One year ago
One year ago life was better
Hope
Love
And trust
Was lost
Forever
David Love, Grade 8
21Sicily Mattis, Grade 9
A Rose
Cierra Jones, Grade 11
A rose was born on
December 31, 2001
A pretty rose
A rose that grew up
With two parents
A rose that went through a lot
A rose that soon
Became a wonderful teenager
A rose that kept
Her emotions away
A rose that tried her best at
Everything
A rose that seemed to realize that
She could not do anything right
A rose that knew how to help herself, to
Take care of herself, learned to realize
That it was just her
A rose that is now with other roses
A rose that is still trying to care for herself
A rose that is happier but still sad. Madison Malone, Grade 7
Two Hearts Into One
Cody Deisler, Grade 11
All is silent. I cannot shift my weight, lest the infant be
disturbed from his deep slumber. His tiny heart feels like
a drum, beating an elegant melody to my own. Peace
reigns in my whole world, if only for a moment.
22Olivia Lowe, Grade 11
Manuel Villaveces, Grade 12
Sam Zwiefelhofer, Grade 12
2324
Grace Corbin, Grade 11
25Eden Wolf, Grade 11
Glazed Crystals Brooke Duffiney, Grade 10
Lauren Mansuy, Grade 7
There I was in my room
Looking out my window.
It looked different today:
Glazed tiny crystals falling
From the sky, each one
Different from the other.
Some had indigo hues, others
Were just straight up white,
But this white wasn’t plain.
It had marvelous crystals inside.
I walked outside to see them closer.
One falls on my fluffy mitten.
I move my finger around. While I
Was rotating it, it looked like you
Just walked into a jewelry store. Now I’m
Lying in the snow just sitting there
And wondering.
Davin Glidden, Grade 9
26Dani U’Ren, Grade 9
Sunset
Lauren VanderWulp, Grade 9
Beautiful colors
Purple, blue, pink, and yellow
Setting sun tonight Skylar Wiesen, Grade 10
Mackenzie Proudfoot, Grade 9
Eric Steinhebel, Grade 9
27Ash Memberto, Grade 9 Jack Joyce, Grade 8
Grace Hester, Grade 10
Kaylee Priest, Grade 12
Alyssa Korson, Grade 7
28A Night On Lake
Leelanau
Blake O’Connor, Grade 9
A full moon glowed in the black night
sky. Stars were sprinkled everywhere,
and small lights danced across the cool
water of Lake Leelanau. It was a cold,
cloudless night, and as I marveled
at the sky’s endless beauty, I knew
just being here, on a small boat in
the middle of a wide lake, was the
most meaningful pleasure I could
experience.
Zoe Korson, Grade 10
Arôme Passé
David Love, Grade 8
Frozen in the winter, everything is bitter.
The only time of the year I really feel at home,
The only time of the year everything feels as cold as me.
My heart like a lake, once affectionate and aqueous,
Now feels like a winter, it’s insensible and frozen and everything
torpefied,
Except occasionally, the hollow-hearted ice fisher.
But it all goes the same, with them leaving with what they wanted.
And here I sit, cold as ice, cold as an eternal winter.
With a simple cold tree in the corner. It’s losing its needles,
Just like me, all the color has been forgotten.
No decoration put on it, not a simple bulb on a single branch.
But to some, it still is happy, whether they think it is or know it
isn’t, they lie to themselves.
All the world is a stage, and all the roses have forgotten their
sweetness,
And I, a simple actor, hiding my one-time sweetness, and others
not knowing.
Anissa Wille, Grade 9
29Hidden in the Pages
Amelia Kish, Grade 9
She sits staring, feeling life’s burden upon her shoulders. She gazes
at rows of books, places where people feel safe sharing their stories,
hiding hints of themselves in the pages. She wonders why they let
their minds run wild just so others can take a peek. She admires how
their thoughts and ideas spread like wildfire across the pages. How do
they have the strength to share their stories with strangers? They put
their faith in unfamiliar people to appreciate their works of art. She
glances back at each tome, coming to the realization that each hides a
different message, a life yet to be shared.
Maycee Duncan, Grade 9
Name
Wambli RoanEagle, Grade 11
Wonderful
And
Mature
Buzzing
Like an
Intelligent bee
Keegan Monroe, Grade 10
30Dominick Cavasos, Grade 10
The Fall
Savannah Thompson, Grade 11
The angel wanted to love.
Nothing else came above.
She fell for his darkness
And was taken from her light.
He had convinced her that he was harmless.
And she didn’t put up a single fight.
She dismissed her fellow angels’ advice.
And in the end, she was trapped in his arms.
Forever banished from paradise.
Connor Ciolek, Grade 10
31Lanoirah Bradford, Grade 7
Riley Truog, Grade 9
Pick One
Riley Loeffler, Grade 9
Inspired by Sandra Cisneros
Cliques, clubs, and fellowships alike. Tags flutter from our necks
in the wind, suffocating us from the possibility of polymorphism. Their
stitches cut away at our desires and ambitions, heavier than they seem.
The options are endless, but you can only take one. Don’t even think
about ripping up your hems and changing your label – it will always
lie tattooed on your back. Jock? Nerd? Band geek? Which one are
you? Both classical and reformed societal labels continue to hang on
shoulders, and glare at nonconformity.
Pick, hurry up. But why? Why can’t I be an athletic bookworm, who
knows how to strum a ukulele? It seems “multi-talented” is too much for
Grace Oskaboose, Grade 8 our small-minded colleagues to digest. Time fleets, but barbed boxes do
not falter under society’s folds.
Ed Shemwell, Grade 11
Maycee Duncan, Grade 9
32Ashlie Proudfoot, Grade 7
Odin Leutz, Grade 12
Isabella Aucello, Grade 9
Isabella Aucello, Grade 9
Grace Murray, Grade 12
33The Third-Floor Bedroom seconds then bawled, “We are above the clouds!” She stepped
Tyler Jon Conant, Grade 7 back at least four steps, tripped on one of the gaps in the stone
path, then fell on something feathery.
It was a sunny day, birds singing, flowers blooming, a perfect Evangeline took a look behind her and saw Star, still as huge
day to open a window and feel the breeze; which is exactly what as ever.
a girl chose to do. Her name was Evangeline A. K. McDowell. “Wh-wh-what is going on?!” she stuttered.
Evangeline was still in school, she lived with her dog, Rufus, Evangeline’s attention was quickly drawn to the door of the
and soon a new, small friend. Evangeline was 17 years old. Her house. It opened and a person stepped into the light. She was
parents died in a car crash but she was told otherwise. surprised as to who it was. At the door was her sister! Evangeline
She had one sister, they were very close until their parents was astonished. Her sister was wearing a mage outfit; but after all
passed; she hasn’t been seen since then. Evangeline is also a very she’d seen, she wouldn’t even be surprised if mages existed.
loud, peppy person. She lives in South Portland, Maine. One more “You know what, I’m not even going to ask,” said Evangeline.
thing about her: she really doesn’t believe in magic or anything “Oh, hey,” said Evangeline’s sister.
like that. “Actually, what are you doing here, Grace? What is going on
She went to school the next day, forgetting to close the and why?” Evangeline asked, walking up to her.
window. Little did you know, this simple mistake would suddenly “I’ll explain later, but for now, come on in,” Grace insisted,
give her a new, strange friend. When Evangeline came back, she opening the door more.
found that she had forgotten to close the window but before she The house was even better on the inside, decorated with
did that, she noticed something strange about her wallpaper. A incredible art, and even incredible furniture.
bird’s wing was sticking out of one of the bird silhouettes! “Take a seat wherever,“ Grace offered.
Not believing in fantasies or magic, she just tried to yank it Evangeline sat down on a chair. It was very comfortable.
off, thinking it was one of her friends that stuck a paper wing onto Grace came back into the room with some tea.
the wall with some tape. When she touched it, it felt real, like it “Anyway, I’ll explain,” Grace was interrupted by a loud
had real feathers; but it didn’t stop her from yanking it off the banging on the door. It sounded quite violent.
wall. “We need to get out of here, and fast,“ Grace declared.
Before Evangeline knew it, out came a live bird. “Wait, wh–”
“What in the world!” she blurted, shocked and confused. “NOW!” Grace demanded, interrupting Evangeline.
Strangely, this bird was no bird Evangeline had ever seen. It was a Grace had said it in an almost afraid tone. Evangeline was
white, small, yet chubby bird, but the strangest thing about it was shocked as well as afraid. She heard the door burst open; it
that it had a small, black star on its forehead. sounded like it was blasted right off of its hinges. Loud, ominous
Evangeline then came up with an idea. steps could be heard as she and Grace opened a strange door
“I’ll keep it as a pet; its name will be…” She paused. Really, silently.
she had no idea what to call it, and she was, along with being Grace pushed Evangeline through the door. Before she could
happy about having another pet, incredibly confused about how a even see what was making those footsteps, they were at a castle.
bird came out of the wall. “We are being hunted,” explained Grace, in an almost ominous
“I’ve got it: Star! Not very original, but it’ll work!” Evangeline tone.
then got a birdcage out from the closet and sneaked up on the bird,
hoping it wouldn’t fly out the window. She succeeded in catching
the bird inside of the birdcage.
She’d gotten another idea.
“I’m gonna go outside with it; I’ll take Rufus, too!”
she thought ecstatically. Her thoughts of going outside with
the bird quickly went away, as she realized, “The bird is
just going to fly off.” Then, she got another idea: “I can just
take it while it’s in the birdcage!”
Off she went to go outside with the bird, but not without
getting a leash for Rufus. Right as they went outside, the
bird started flapping its wings. Evangeline was confused,
very confused. She decided to let it go, thinking it wanted
to be free. Evangeline was sad as she saw her new friend
Star go away, but was very surprised when she saw that he
was flying back at her!
“Wait, why is Star so huge?” Evangeline ruminated as
the bird got closer and closer. Star picked her up! Evangeline
was afraid of heights and passed out on the spot. She then
woke up in what seemed to be a house in the sky! She’d
never seen such great architecture before – it was like the
house of a royal!
Evangeline decided to peer over the edge and noticed
something very, very strange. She paused for a good five Jack Boquette, Grade 8
34Hands
Amelie Sack, Grade 9
Hands.
They will always find their way back to you.
Hands are a very powerful weapon.
No matter what I do, they follow, they lurk, they make it so hard to forget.
Hands can be like knives, piercing whatever happiness I had left amidst all
of the chaos.
I can never forget.
Your hands stole me away from all of the good things in life, all of the love,
laughter, and smiling.
Some use their hands for brilliant things and others choose to use their
hands against naïve people who are just trying to get by and live their lives
like any other person.
Why can’t I forget?
You brought me to a dark place and chained me so that I could never escape
all of the awful, wrong things that you did to me.
You wrapped your hands around my mind and twisted my thoughts. You
took away my voice and my say in anything.
I can’t breathe.
You silenced my opinions and warped my point of view to match yours.
It took me a very long time before my hands could overpower yours.
I push you out of my life with MY hands.
I unravel your hands from my mind.
Why does this have to be so difficult?
My hands rip your hands off of my throat and my bruised arms so that I can
finally breathe.
Healing is a process.
My hands are the keys that unlock the chains that you put me in.
Nigel Nolan, Grade 7 My wrists are finally free.
Finally, I am free, I can breathe, I can feel.
You numbed me and turned me into someone that I never wanted to be.
No more hiding.
You are not a part of my life anymore.
I am not yours, I am my own person and now you can’t stop me from being
everything I’m aspiring to be.
Logan Zamora, Grade 11
35Madylin Ingwersen, Grade 10 36
Leland Leiter, Grade 10
The Red House
Emma Griffith, Grade 9
I peek my head out of the car window and see The Red House. there? My first five birthday cakes were placed on that very table,
I throw myself off of the cloth seat and jump down, feet hitting a glow with candles and envelopes and sweet pink frosting. But
gravel. Slowly, I walk up the wooden steps with the peeling paint. now, as I pull out a chair and sit, the table is empty. Many minutes
I open the door and it groans loudly. I hold my breath and step tick by. I stare out the glass sliding door from my place at the table.
inside. Memories flooded back like a river. I tried to stay afloat. After some time, I hear mom come in with her cleaning supplies.
It was many years ago that I lived in this house. Strangers A duster and vacuum. A broom and mop. Paint and brushes. Tools
lived here in the space between now and then. But it is still mine. to clean up the house to get it ready to sell. A tear pricks my eye as
My first house. My first home. We moved out of The Red House I think that, and the large oak trees in the backyard become blurry.
when I was five. It was five years ago, but as I walk it feels as if Mom and I brush, scrub, mop, dust, polish until the sun starts
I was never gone. I stepped through the front door into the living to sink behind the oaks. By the time we are done, no grain of sand,
room. I see the tan speckled carpet. I feel the absence of our black speck of dust, or smudge on the wall is left. I grab the vacuum and
leather couches and the small TV that used to be hung on the brick mop, and she clutches the duster and broom and we walk to the
wall. There is only one red brick wall. The rest are plaster, painted car to load everything in. We don’t bring paint and brushes back.
tan. I step gingerly through the empty living room towards the Those are for tomorrow. To cover our walls with paint. To block
kitchen. In seven strides my feet reach the blue tiles and I see the out the memories of the house when it was ours. In my room,
small dining table in front of me. How many times have I eaten beige paint covers pink walls. New times cover old.
37The Light
Michael Dickinson, Grade 7
I give you this light to guide you
home if you are ever lost or feel
shame collapsing you down.
If you find yourself to be lost
the light will be there to give you
guidance.
This light is a beacon of hope
that you can use to push yourself
up.
This light is a key
now, I say you, use this
for it is assurance
that it will guide you to
the place you call home.
Elizabeth O’Neill, Grade 12
Jack Simermeyer, Grade 12
38Brayden Opie, Grade 10
Nakisha Floyd, Grade 11
39The Win
Blake O’Connor, Grade 9
It all came down to this. I stood over the putt, my hands shaking
at the thought. My vision seemed to narrow so I could just see
the ball and the hole, yet I could feel the eyes of my teammates,
hoping, praying for me. I make this and we win. I took one last
look at the hole, steeled my nerves, and made my best stroke.
Time slowed down; the ball inched forward, sat on the edge of the
hole, and dropped in. Cheers erupted around me, but all I felt was
relief flooding through my veins.
Keaton LaCross, Grade 7
40Faith Fowler, Grade 9
My God-loving, Latex Glove-wearing Hero of a Grandma
Eleanor Valkner, Grade 8
Who is my personal hero? Well, that’s a hard question to strength. She also goes out and feeds her 40 some chickens giving
answer, I have so many people in my life who influenced me in them fresh water and feed, along with going out and weeding the
every way. People who always pick me up when I’m feeling down, garden and helping to harvest crops. This is so much more all in a
who will help me, or anyone else, no matter what is currently days work. Every day she works as hard as the day before, doing
happening in their life. My personal hero was a person who is more and more. Either when we’re out working in the garden,
loved by everyone they meet, they are a person who will always picking the sweetcorn to sell at our stand, or even when we are
make time for you, and even when they are hurting, they will going on a ride in the woods on the Corndog or the Gator, you will
continue to work as hard as ever. always find her wearing her blue latex gloves and her work boots.
The hero in my life is my grandma. She is one of the strongest Just like you would wear gloves and winter boots during winter.
women I know. She is so courageous in everything she does and Not only does she have a strong personality, but she also has
doesn’t care what people think of her. She works hard every day, a strong connection with God. It is so strong she was willing not
she will help guide you through thick and thin, always staying to celebrate her birthday with her family, just so she could go
positive, always knowing what to and what not to say. If you need to church. In my opinion, this takes a huge person to be able to
something she will make sure you get it as soon as possible even do this because I can’t imagine ever passing up an opportunity
if it is just some of her homemade chocolate chip cookies. to celebrate my birthday, especially with my family. She will do
My grandma starts her day off strong by getting up around anything for God because she has so much trust in him. Because
6:30 every day and going out to feed the cows. She has to wheel of this she would never pass up an opportunity to spend more time
wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows of feed she feeds by hand with a with him. This is why my grandma is my God-loving, latex glove-
shovel up and down a 50-foot manger so many times I lose count. wearing hero.
This takes a lot of hard work and not only physical but mental
41Hammers
Ethan Verellen, Grade 11
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Lillian Brown, Grade 10
oldwe
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withsparksofiron, Ethan Vitale, Grade 10
itismadetoover
com Survival -
egre Fear and loneliness is all I feel,
atar I am trapped in the endless forests that surround me.
mo Begging to get out,
ur But there’s no one to beg to.
s Focus is what I need.
I must rethink my necessities.
With a boost of confidence,
With a boost of hope,
I get to work.
Melissa Mooney, Grade 10
42Diamante
Ella Sommerfield, Grade 11
Whole
Happy, Together
Smiling, Laughing, Loving
Family, Love, Heartbreak, Fracture
Crying, Separating, Yelling
Cracked, Shattered
Delaney Jackson, Grade 12 Broken
Those Games
Ruby Hogan, Grade 9
Remember that feeling, the feeling of relief, but
also thrill and excitement. It ran through my body
throughout that game. I knew I had to finish every
chance I got. Every time we would have the ball it
seemed like I became undefeatable, putting up back-
breaking shot after shot, getting those same feelings
every time I saw a shot go in.
It wasn’t until after the game when I began to get
that proud feeling of myself and my team. Those are
the games you remember. The ones that made you
work harder than you ever imaged you could. There
aren’t many of these in memory, but the ones that are
will never escape my mind. I still look back on them
before I step out on the court today planning to do
exactly what I did in each of them. I just close my eyes
and breathe, saying to myself, “It’s that kind of game.”
Wyatt Pugh, Grade 11
Gavino Martinelli, Grade 10
43Dylan Lopez, Grade 11 44
Drew Barber, Grade 11
Names
Ella Metcalf, Grade 10
Names. Names are what we give people when they are born. They are like memories, something you carry around with you your
whole life. My name is Ella. My name means, “A beautiful fairy woman,” but to me it’s like my title. Books have titles to help
people know what’s inside them. My name is my title to help people know who I am. My title is Ella because when my parents
were naming me they wanted me to have a beautiful growing name. If I could change my name, I would want it to be Valeria. I
would want to be named Valeria because it means “Brave” and “Strong.” I would want to be named Valeria because I want my
title to show that I am a brave and strong woman. I want my title to show this because I want to be known to be able to stand up
and show people I am not afraid of the world. My name might not be Valeria, but my name is Ella. Even though Ella doesn’t mean
“brave” or “strong” it’s still my title and I get to choose what’s inside my book, behind the title.
45Fiona Moord, Grade 8
Major League Grandpa
Jacob Switzer, Grade 8
My hero is my grandpa, Bruce Look. From being in the army and playing many sports at high levels, my grandpa has had some crazy
experiences. At the age of only 46, his dad passed away, making life harder than others. His dad never served in the army, but did sign
with a Minor League team for baseball. He returned home shortly after because he missed his wife. My grandpa attended Michigan State
University but left during his freshman year to serve in the army. He went through basic training army boot camp, spending eight weeks
in Fort Knox and then spent time in Oklahoma before being sent to Florida. During his experience with the army he was the number five
man on a team that shot an artillery gun about ten to fourteen miles. His battalion was stationed in Florida due to the Cuban Crisis. They
waited and prepared for any potential attack from the Russians. After he served two years in the military, he returned to Michigan State
University and played quarterback for the Michigan State football team and played catcher for the Michigan State baseball team. His
brother, Dean Look, also went to Michigan State University and also played football for them, a few years before Bruce. Dan also went
on to play professional baseball for the Chicago White Socks and professional football for the New York Titans, a rare accomplishment
to play two different professional sports. My grandpa, on the other hand, only played professional baseball. My grandpa played for the
Minnesota Twins as a catcher. He played in seventy total professional games. On his baseball card they had his birth year one year after
he was actually born, but his manager told him not to worry about it because it would make people think he was younger than he actually
was, making him seem like he would burn out and retire later than he actually would. During his career he batted in nine runs and had
a batting average of .246. Grandpa’s accomplishments led him to be in the Lansing Hall of Fame among greats such as Magic Johnson.
Now as a veteran of the military and baseball, he still meets up with some of his friends from the army and his baseball days. He also does
a training clinic in northern Michigan for youth baseball players to come together every year and teaches kids about playing baseball and
how to play their positions. I was proud and fortunate to be able to participate in a few of the clinics. After all that going from the army
to Michigan State to playing professional baseball, my grandpa, Bruce Look, is the best grandpa ever.
46Mayzie Dingman, Grade 11
Christmas
Emma Griffith, Grade 9
Christmas is my favorite holiday. It is more than a holiday, Christmas is kindness. It is love. Christmas is a chance
though. It is a feeling. It is the feeling of the very first flakes of for everyone to forget their fears. To embrace their joy and
snow falling on your nose and hair in early December. It is the contentment. It is a string of lights, each one of us a bulb, wrapped
feeling you get when you find the perfect pine tree, covered in around the tree that stands tall amid the snow. Together, we make
snow, ready to be cut and taken home. Christmas is the song that it shine with the radiance of true contentment. That is the feeling
plays on the car radio and lights up everyone’s hearts as they drive that Christmas brings.
slowly and see twinkling lights. It is the taste of sweet frosting Why can’t all days be Christmas?
and rich gingerbread on your tongue as you decorate cookies with
red and green. Christmas is the faded pictures in a scrapbook that
show holidays and traditions past.
47Index
Agosa, Austin, Grade 12....................................................................... 14 Malone, Madison, Grade 7.............................................. 2, 12, 22, Front
Albu, Natalie, Grade 7...................................................................... Back Mansuy, Lauren, Grade 7..................................................................... 26
Amalfitano, Ali, Grade 9 .................................................................. Back Martinelli, Gavino, Grade 10............................................................... 43
Aucello, Isabella, Grade 9.................................................................... 33 Mattis, Sicily, Grade 9.......................................................................... 22
Barber, Drew, Grade 11........................................................................ 45 Memberto, Rylee, Grade 10...................................................................11
Begeman, Leona, Grade 10.................................................................... 6 Memberto, Ash, Grade 9....................................................................... 28
Bellant, Emilee, Grade 11..................................................................... 19 Metcalf, Ella, Grade 10........................................................................ 45
Best, Caroline, Grade 7.......................................................................... 4 Middleton, Reagan, Grade 12................................................................. 2
Bison, Thomasin, Grade 9...................................................................... 6 Mitchell, Helene, Grade 12................................................................... 10
Booth, Greyson, Grade 11..................................................................... 16 Monroe, Keegan, Grade 10................................................................... 30
Boquette, Jack, Grade 8........................................................................ 34 Mooney, Melissa, Grade 10.................................................................. 42
Bradford, Lanoirah, Grade 7................................................................ 32 Moord, Fiona, Grade 8......................................................................... 46
Brady, Sofia, Grade 11............................................................................ 6 Moser, Joplynn, Grade 8....................................................................... 20
Brown, Lizzie, Grade 11.................................................................. 10, 18 Murphy, Jake, Grade 11.......................................................................... 7
Brown, Lillian, Grade 10...................................................................... 42 Murray, Grace, Grade 12..................................................................... 33
Brown, Tucker D., Grade 9................................................................... 20 Nolan, Nigel, Grade 7........................................................................... 35
Buhr, Emaline, Grade 12...................................................................... 13 Nowicki, Rebecca, Grade 11................................................................. 14
Cain, Colin, Grade 8..............................................................................11 O’Connor, Blake, Grade 9.......................................................... 9, 29, 40
Cavasos, Dominick, Grade 10.............................................................. 31 O’Neill, Elizabeth, Grade 12................................................................ 38
Ciolek, Connor, Grade 10..................................................................... 31 Opie, Brayden, Grade 10...................................................................... 39
Clarke, Austin, Grade 12...................................................................... 21 Oskaboose, Grace, Grade 8.................................................................. 32
Conant, Tyler Jon, Grade 7................................................................... 34 Priest, Kaylee, Grade 12....................................................................... 28
Corbin, Grace, Grade 11...................................................................... 25 Proudfoot, Mackenzie, Grade 9............................................................ 27
Croff, Ashley, Grade 8....................................................................... 2, 14 Proudfoot, Ashlie, Grade 7................................................................... 33
Deisler, Cody, Grade 11.................................................................... 8, 22 Pugh, Wyatt, Grade 11.......................................................................... 43
DeKorne, Sarai, Grade 12.................................................................... 10 Queen, Tamana, Grade 8.......................................................................11
DePuy, Emma, Grade 9........................................................................ 14 Reynolds, Emily, Grade 11.....................................................................11
Dickinson, Michael, Grade 7................................................................ 38 Rioux, Mariah, Grade 10...................................................................... 10
Dingman, Mayzie, Grade 11........................................................... 15, 47 RoanEagle, Wambli, Grade 11.............................................................. 30
Duffiney, Brooke, Grade 10................................................................... 26 Robertson, Corbin, Grade 7................................................................. 18
Duncan, Maycee, Grade 9.............................................................. 30, 32 Ryder, Olive, Grade 8.............................................................................. 4
Feringa, Izzi, Grade 9........................................................................... 21 Ryner, Toby, Grade 11........................................................................... 12
Flees, Harper, Grade 7........................................................................... 3 Sack, Amelie, Grade 9..................................................................... 12, 35
Fleis, Leah, Grade 8............................................................................. 17 Schaub, Cecelia, Grade 11.................................................................... 17
Floyd, Nakisha, Grade 11............................................................... 17, 39 Semple, Taylor, Grade 9........................................................................ 14
Fowler, Faith, Grade 9.......................................................................... 41 Shemwell, EJ, Grade 11........................................................................ 32
Glidden, Davin, Grade 9....................................................................... 26 Siddall, Mahrle, Grade 11.............................................................. 13, 14
Griffith, Emma, Grade 9........................................................... 10, 37, 47 Simermeyer, Jack, Grade 12................................................................. 38
Herman, Amanda, Grade 11................................................................... 7 Somero, Lindsey, Grade 12....................................................... 10, 13, 16
Hester, Grace, Grade 10....................................................................... 28 Sommerfield, Ella, Grade 11................................................................. 43
Hobbins, Brandon, Grade 11.................................................................. 9 Stanton, Henry, Grade 11........................................................................ 3
Hogan, Ruby, Grade 9.......................................................................... 43 Steinhebel, Eric, Grade 9...................................................................... 27
House, Sara, Grade 8.............................................................................. 5 Stillwell, Josephine, Grade 7.................................................................. 4
Ingwersen, Madylin, Grade 10............................................................. 36 Stockfisch, Ella, Grade 11....................................................................... 8
Jackson, Delaney, Grade 12................................................................. 43 Stowe, Sophie, Grade 11........................................................................11
Jones, Cierra, Grade 11........................................................................ 22 Switzer, Jacob, Grade 8........................................................................ 46
Joyce, Jack, Grade 8............................................................................. 28 Thompson, Savannah, Grade 11........................................................... 31
Julian, Lily, Grade 11............................................................................ 15 Truog, Riley, Grade 9............................................................................ 32
Kilinski, Kaci, Grade 9......................................................................... 13 U’Ren, Dani, Grade 9........................................................................... 27
Kish, Amelia, Grade 9........................................................................... 30 Valkner, Eleanor, Grade 8..................................................................... 41
Korson, Alyssa, Grade 7....................................................................... 28 Van Thomme, Josh, Grade 11................................................................. 9
Korson, Zoe, Grade 10......................................................................... 29 VanderWulp, Lauren, Grade 9........................................................ 17, 27
LaCross, Keaton, Grade 7.................................................................... 40 Verellen, Ethan, Grade 11..................................................................... 42
Leader, Kennedy, Grade 9..................................................................... 21 Villaveces, Manuel, Grade 12............................................................... 23
Leiter, Leland, Grade 10....................................................................... 37 Vitale, Ethan, Grade 10........................................................................ 42
Leutz, Odin, Grade 12........................................................................... 33 Vukasovich, Sam, Grade 10.................................................................... 5
Loeffler, Riley, Grade 9......................................................................... 32 Wiesen, Skylar, Grade 10...................................................................... 27
Lopez, Dylan, Grade 11........................................................................ 44 Wille, Anissa, Grade 9.......................................................................... 29
Love, David, Grade 8...................................................................... 21, 29 Wolf, Eden, Grade 11.................................................................. 6, 12, 26
Lowe, Olivia, Grade 11............................................................... 23, Back Zamora, Logan, Grade 11..................................................................... 35
Zwiefelhofer, Sam, Grade 12........................................................... 19, 23
48$5
Natalie Albu, Grade 7
Olivia Lowe, Grade 11
Front: Madison Malone, Grade 7
Ali Amalfitano, Grade 9You can also read
