9th & 10th Grade Writing/Art Contest – A Single Place

9Th & 10Th grade writing/art contest: A single place

eva berglund (winner)

Dozens of gray plastic desks line the room in rows and large round tables line the back wall. Hard blue chairs matched neatly with each one, metal baskets underneath the seat. The squeak of whiteboard markers on the board, notes written from period to period. A large desk tucked securely in the front corner of the room with dark wooden drawers and nicked table top. Sunlight streams in from the windows, illuminating dust specks that float through the hazy afternoon air. Faded maps decorate the walls, showing the world in shades of every color in the rainbow. Afternoon class.

neko lin (runner up)

Kőbánya cellar system

josiah mo (runner up)

The looming vaulted arches, uniformly situated, perpendicularly casting their shadows upon the pathway below. Eerie torches allocated at the base of the wide arches, humming gently as they give off their radiant glow. The moist ashen limestone walls, their insalubrious contents infested with mold, their dilapidated quality quid autem pulchritudinous. A well trodden passage, saturated with water on both sides, as if they contain the souls of those who walked here of yore. Gloomy shadows, looming over the path, all is quiet bar the gentle pitter patter of loose water drops. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

sriman iyer

THERE’S AN EERIE SILENCE ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

hannah berkun

There’s an eerie silence on the top of the mountain. 

Peace before everyone awakens. 

With the sun in its early stages,

fighting the moon for power. 

 

It’s the first day of spring

and yet the weather feels far from it.

I can see my breath. 

Snow is still visible from the peak.

 

But when the sun rises,

Illuminating the sky with its yellow rays.

The ice seems to melt away, 

The lake becomes vibrant and blue.

 

In a few minutes the whole world 

goes from silence to booming.

Looking down from the summit 

Reveals a forest bustling with creatures.

 

The sky now filled with colors,

Is something I could look at everyday.

mary keniry

“Restless” by Jack McBain / “Untitled” by Elliot Martin

Restless

jack mcbain

Losing focus

as thoughts

race through my head a mile a minute.

Bouncing leg

joining my brain

in the ever, changing, current, 

of thoughts.

Fingers tapping, the relentless, beat, of my mind.

TapTapTapTap

Following the chorus, of the sound, while it races through me. 

Thoughts derailing

as others take their place

and continue down the tracks.

elliott martin

Dear Younger Self… (10th grade writing contest)

10th Grade writing contest

DEAR YOUNGER SELF,

I‘ll never understand how you survived those days living in the plague
How you accepted all those answers never understanding how vague
The toxicity should have killed you, it would have killed a thousand men
Yet there I stand, hoping to teach you a lesson

rachael perez

(winner)

“untitled” / julia waldorf

If I could say one thing to my younger self, it would be to live in the moment. Every year I look back at the year before thinking wow that was the best time of my life. I never learn to appreciate the present, but wish I was in the past.

evie Vincelette

(runner up)

What´s it like?

What´s what like?

What´s it like being grown up. 

Responsibility, accountability, and maturity. 

What are those? 

Don´t worry about it. 

Worry about having fun and being a kid.

But I want to be an older kid. 

You don’t want to. Stay young we aren´t anything cool.

peter resnick (runner up)

HONorable mentions

Hey, Lindsey. 

I’m writing to you to give you valuable advice.  Don’t do the handstand on the coffee table.  It’s not as amusing as you thought.  Your older self is now suffering with a scar across her forehead that stands out in the sunlight.

Lindsey mcculloch

Dear little Emma,

I know you’re having fun right now, and I’m proud of you. But always remember to enjoy the little moments. Never take for granted what you have and always believe in yourself. Growing up is scary, but it comes with its advantages. Just remember, you’ve got this.

emma rosekrans

Dear Sam,

Hey, it’s you from 3 hours in the future… While you recover from that shock, here’s an idea. Try to finish your submission for the school writing contest.

4 hours later:

Dear Sam,

Hi, it’s 1 hour later… You finished it. Let’s hope we can win this thing!

sam mclaughlin

What’s going on past me? I’m from the end of this year. And no, it’s not a good year, but make it better and Listen Up. You wanna get rich? You need to invest in GameStop stock – trust me. On January 22 this year, it’s going to skyrocket. Get rich.

tyler groeber

I am 15 and you’re 4 so you should trust me when I say don’t go sledding. If you do, you better move when your cousin Malik says, “Watch out!¨  Don’t be a fool and try to turn around to see what is about to happen.

Daiveon richards

To Spring We Go by Sai Thimirisetty / Untitled by Sneha Malneedi (Senior Edition)

To Spring We Go

Sai Thimirisetty

The days are brighter,
The leaves finally green,
Rain in place of snow
And scurrying bugs and critters.
What I see is new
But seems hidden deep in my memories.
Coming out now I feel
A slight and wonderful
Release.
Escaping from the constraints of four walls
Relishing in the sweet, intoxicating smell of Spring,
Burning in the hot rays of the sun
I am able to break free,
Away from any screen
I can see the world through my own eyes,
Looking toward the skies, it’s clear
Winter is over, here comes
Spring.

Sneha Malneedi

When I Look Out My Window by Atharv Agashe / Stealth Mode by Leah Geel (Senior Edition)

Stealth Mode / Leah Geel

When I Look Out My Window

Atharv Agashe

I see the tree we planted, 10 years ago.
Back then it was just a young sap that clashed
Against the rest of the lawn decor
Against the green grass and tidy bushes,
He sat more like a thorn in the roses than the rose of our lawn

Over the years,
He’s grown bigger and taller,
Now, he stands out amongst his peers,
The other shrubs can’t compete with his buds and flowers.

I get a sense of pride
Every time
I look out my window.
I think it’s because I was there from the beginning,
I’ve seen him from the start
Back when he was barely anything
More than a little seed in the dirt.
Now, when the sun sets, I can see the way his petals glow,
Gleaming as they rain down when the wind blows.

I have to leave him behind now.
I don’t want to.
But I have to.
Now, I’m left to dream of the next time I see him,
In another 10 years,
When I look out my window.