Short Stories Poetry Essays
Oneida High School
Volume 5, Issue 2
A L A R M
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Our intention is to be a representation of the Oneida High School community. With that said, we would like to solicit submissions from outside our Creative Writing class as well. We are looking for original poetry, fiction, non-fiction, essays, and artwork that you are willing to share with the OHS community. Anonymous submissions will neither be accepted nor published. Works submitted are subject to editing for space and content. The staff reserves the right to not publish submissions as well.
Alarm volume V, issue 2
ALARM, the literary magazine of Oneida High School, is published by the students enrolled in Creative Writing. Submissions from the student body are encouraged. Please see Mr. Kirkpatrick in Room 112, Mr. Kramer in Room 120, or the student editor if interested in submitting your original writing or artwork.
staff
Editor: Isaac Colvin Contributing Writers & Artists: Reanna Bavo Arianna Bracy Mary Brown Isaac Colvin Jordan Grinnell Ayah Ottaifa Ella Rainbow Sophia Skinner Staff Advisors: Mr. Kirkpatrick Mr. Kramer
We would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to our fifth volume of ALARM. We invite you to share and create right along with us. So who are we? We are a collection and, hopefully, a reflection: a collection of voices, spirits, writers, sharers, surprises, wallflowers, athletes, dreamers, wanderers, naysayers, visionaries, punks, nerds, loners, jocks, gamers, artists, leaders, followers, geeks, heroes, victims, gladiators, jokers, truth-tellers, thespians, outsiders, emos, rockers, preps, mean girls, wannabees, skaters, musicians, adventurers, and homebodies. But mostly, we are you, and you are us. As you read through our current issue, maybe you'll recognize yourself in the following pages.
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Reanna Bavo
The Perfect Holiday Day It is the holiday time, everyone is happy singing Christmas songs while putting ornaments on the tree. It is the best time of year, no one fights. We all love and laugh a little too much, but it is okay. I make cookies and hot chocolate and dip them into the cocoa, while we sit cozy on the couch in a furry blanket with fuzzy socks. We watch Christmas With the Kranks, one of our favorite holiday movies, Then we will watch The Santa Clause movies - those are always the best. We have a good home cooked meal that night, spaghetti and meatballs with of course the garlic bread. It is the perfect day, sitting at home in the warmth, while the snow slowly falls. I realize this day, that the holiday time isn’t just gifts; it is the love you share with your family and friends. I am eternally grateful to have all those people to cuddle up to and be happy with.
Seasons Greetings Tis’ the season for family gathering, The season for fun and great food. Time to break out the wrapping paper, And the decorations and ornaments too! Don’t forget to be thankful for what you have, Or that which you’ll get soon. Because just maybe if you’re ungrateful, Something bad will change your tune. But with all the fun that comes with the holidays, There also comes a little stress. So be thoughtful and help your family prepare, So all the guests can be impressed! And when the holidays are winding down, And everyone goes back home. Do not forget to be thankful for everything, Even the backyard garden Gnome.
Arianna Bracy
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Mary Brown The Ornaments Every ornament has a story. Before I go to bed on Christmas Eve, I always love staring at my tree while all is silent in the house. No matter how old I am, I’m always the last to go to bed and the first to wake up on Christmas morning. As I sit in the front room with the only light coming from the colorful tree, I remember each one’s story. The two red and green bells that have always been my favorite are from my dad’s childhood. Each sibling had their own bell and placed them in the same spot each year. The skating Cabbage Patch Kid was given to me when I was younger by my aunt while we were at Christmas Eve dinner at my Nana’s house. I couldn’t contain my excitement as I jumped up and down on the slippery driveway, falling on my butt and almost smashing it into pieces. The glass heart was given to my mom from my dad on their first Christmas together. We have boxes and boxes of nick nacky ornaments and ones my brother and I would make in elementary school. The ones that were always my favorite are the ones that each have their own white box. Each year, my great grandma Nana would order gold ornaments for each of her grandchildren. They all have their respective year engraved somewhere in their intricate design. It turned into a game as to who could find the year fastest. No matter the theme of the Christmas tree that year, the golden ornaments will always be found on our tree and any tree in my family’s houses. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.
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¨Holiday Baggage Mix-Up¨
Every person with family members that live out of town knows that the holidays can be rough. The hassle of flying out and then flying back without forgetting anything is atrocious. The worst part isn't the actual flight, the sheer amount of people, or the overwhelming stench of hoards of sweaty people that are hurrying to get where they need to go. No, the worst part is trying to find your luggage. Let me tell you a story about a young couple visiting family in Florida. A couple had just got off the plane at Fort Lauderdale and were heading to the baggage claim to find their suitcases. They were waiting for a good half hour but still no sign of their luggage. After waiting another 20 minutes they finally spotted their luggage (well, what they thought was their luggage). The royal blue suitcases were scratched and dented as if someone took a hammer to them. Furious, they left, deciding to never go through Fort Lauderdale again. They got to their rental car and went to check their bags to make sure they had everything; only then did they realize they didn’t grab the right luggage. Racing back into the airport to the baggage claim, they spotted another couple who actually grabbed THEIR luggage, and they began to chase after them. But by the time they caught up, airport security was on their tail. The couple tried to explain to security what happened but they would not listen and kicked them out. Thankfully, the other couple noticed and came outside to get their luggage back. Apologies and thanks were given along with numbers to contact each other in the future to remember this hilarious incident. The moral of the story is to double check that it's your luggage or airport security will kick you out and you will make lifelong friends.
Black Friday One of my favorite traditions on Thanksgiving is going Black Friday shopping until one in the morning with my mom and older sisters. We go to every store, and it is super fun. Sometimes you'll get some crazy people who break out in fights and it gets super hectic. We usually have Thanksgiving at our house so we have to wait for everyone to leave before we go. We leave at 6 or so, and my dad sometimes stays if nobody is leaving. When I go Black Friday shopping I usually bring a friend. This year I brought Kaylin. My family and I usually go to Sangertown, but this year we went to Destiny. Destiny is more entertaining because it has a lot more stores in it and it has Starbucks and I love coffee. My mom usually buys us coffee so we all stay up and don't get tired. I've been telling Mr. Meeker for years that I would buy him a present, and maybe this year I might. I usually get to pick out most of my presents. This year I just want shoes, clothes and a new phone. Thanksgiving is a good holiday, but Christmas is by far the best.
Ella Rainbow
Holiday Joy:) The holidays are a wonderful time of joy. They make you happy. During Thanksgiving you get to eat everything and can’t get called fat once! At Christmas you give gifts and receive, its a win for everyone! Sure it may be cold outside, but the warm sweaters and fuzzy socks make it so much better. It's the time when family and friends matter the most. All the Christmas music and clothes you can wear, make it so festive. It's the best time of year!! No one is mad around this time unless you eat a "fruit cake" so stay clear. Other than that there is no possible way to be sad or angry at all. Just remember that once the holidays are over, its a new year. Which is even better!!:)
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The cinnamon scented candles, the candy canes hanging on the flimsy branches of a shimmering Christmas tree, and most importantly the comfort of being surrounded by family and friends. The holidays bring joy, love, and laughter. As I sit by the warm fireplace I notice the red devil head of my favorite glass Christmas ornament, Krampus. Although legend has it that Krampus is a half-animal monster who punishes those who misbehave on Christmas, the humor of his devilish appearance and backstory leads his scheming eyes, sparkling brown horns, and bright red face to a spot near the front of our tree. Decorating a Christmas tree is something that I always look forward to once the season comes along. Christmas decorations hold memories inside them. Each ornament carries a story or a memory of someone. The excitement of seeing all of the delicately placed ornaments come to life as they hang on each branch sparkling against the twinkling lights and glimmering garland.
A Christmas Snapshot
Sophia Skinner
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Each morning, I wake up and groggily make my way to the vanity mirror. I stand and stare just as any other human across the world does when they are facing the piece of reflective glass hung above the faucet. My eyes immediately go to the dark purple marks under my eyes and the little red spots scattered like constellations. Concealer is applied to show the world that I did in fact get enough sleep and that I have porcelain skin. The longer I stand in front of a mirror, the more things I point out about myself. My eyebrows are two different shapes, my body is far from perfect, and the hair is burnt to a crisp from the constant attempt to keep up with the latest trends of society. These things can not be changed immediately so I put them in the back of my mind. I save them for tomorrow morning as I do the same routine day after day. Whenever I pass a reflective surface, my attention is momentarily taken away as I look at the person I walk around as. How do other people see me? Do they notice the fact that I went to bed at 2 a.m. because I couldn’t get my brain to slow down? Can they tell that I tried on four different outfits this morning in an attempt to hide my body in just the right way? The only thing that really knows is the mirror. It watched me as I tossed and turned all night trying to rid my mind of the stressful thoughts that only come out when I am alone. It watched and judged me silently as all four of my outfits did not suit my preference for the day. It is always there watching my every move. It is both my best friend and my worst enemy. It shows me exactly what I do not want to see, but it also allows me to transport myself to another place. Beyond the surface of the shiny glass, there is another world waiting to be explored. It has a version of me whose eyebrows are the same and whose body is proportional. A version of me who always gets the outfit right on the first try. It has seen me at my best and also at my worst. It just sits there silently hanging and observing everything laid out before it. Reassurance is given in the quick glance it gets from me. I am still alive and I still look the same as I did this morning, and the morning before that. I am still displaying a smile on my face no matter what the mirror saw earlier. The problem is, it only saw what was on the surface. There is no mirror, that I have come by so far, that has been able to display who I truly am beyond my face and body. The mirror might see the way I act when I am alone, but it doesn’t display who I am as a person. All my life I have been subject to what I see in the mirror. I never take into account my caring personality or my joy for life. I label myself as the self conscious girl who hides behind a smile instead of the optimistic and giggly person I really am. I wish there were a mirror that had the power to go deep down in to the depths of my being and display what is hidden from the public. The mirror is both a friend and a foe. It shows me what I want to see and hides what no one has ever seen. I can pick apart every detail of myself from every angle possible but can never seem to find the real me in those nitty gritty details. I am not defined as my hazel eyes that change color depending on the color shirt I wear. I am not the bags under my eyes due to the lack of sleep day after day. I am not the marks on my stomach as I remember a time when I had no self control. People depend on the mirror to tell them who they are. All it is is a large shard of reflective glass that has been framed in different sizes and shapes. For all we know we could all be a form of a mirror. No matter how hard we try, we display our emotions on our faces whether they are positive or negative. We have all become walking and talking mirrors, judging what is in front of us without a second thought on what is on the inside.
Mary Brown
Mirror, Mirror
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