The isolating, eternal chaser, A monotonous virus alarming our world Broke delicate bonds, Relations and connections lost in a dark standstill. The caution we evolved to have, Flexing and bending like a field of wheat in the meandering wind, Adapting and upending the world to a lively place, Protecting us from what is next to come. We will find a way or make one. Ubiquitous, scorching heat: Debilitating droughts, collapsing glaciers, Warming oceans have wrought Global challenge on an infinite scale. Fossil fuels illuminating paths to creativity: Physicists, engineers, mathematicians, To find change, to make change, As problem solvers. We will find a way or make one. Ocean plastics in the depths; microplastics on mountain peaks, Peaks mounded from the unwanted remains of our lives, carelessly discarded; Acidic rain from the infected carbon air, Evidence of our world neglected. Caring for the world by influencing others, Taking action to be responsible to the Earth, Finding ways to use less emissions And to polish our part of the community to revive this world. We will find a way or make one. Stop to lend a hand, Share your humanity, Make the world a better place with your actions, A place where kindness belongs. Compassion builds a stronger community, Uniting us all together, To give sympathy and appreciation, As benevolent world changers. We will find a way or make one. Our diversity centers us: Inclusion, equity, and individuality All befit a solid community, As each bloom shines in a field of wildflowers. The quality of being fair, Treating others in a just way, Building a robust connection With the people around us. We will find a way or make one. The answer in your mind, but hesitation of your hand rising Erodes the confidence you have in yourself, The talents that are unique to you. You have opportunities to advocate, The privilege to speak up, An atmosphere filled with assurance, To show the world what you can accomplish. It is up to us; We must find a way or make one.
Young Bloggers
Outdoor School, by Diya Chakrabarti, 12
Diya Chakrabarti, 12 (Cupertino, CA) Where I live, it is usually pretty pleasant this time of the year. So, my school arranged an outdoor school to enjoy the weather and allow us to learn more about nature. Nature is so beautiful, and we need to look outside more often, and be more mesmerized by its endless beauty. Anyways, let me share a little about what I learned in my science class—let’s talk about fractals and FBI. A fractal is an infinite shape, you can search it up if you need a visual! I learned that fractal shapes can be found in nature, even in the minutest of places. The most common places to find fractals are in snail shells, snowflakes, and infrequently appearing clouds! Secondly, the FBI does not mean the Federal Bureau of Investigation, because that’s what I thought when I first heard that word. In this case, it means Fungus, Bacteria, and Vertebrates. The organisms can break down dead organisms and create new compounds, like soil. I had read a little about these before, but a refresher is always welcoming! The dead plants and bodies are like fertilizers, making the soil more fertile, which means plants will grow healthier. As I mentioned before, nature is mesmerizing and has endless opportunities to explore. By going outside, I discovered so much. Readers, why don’t you go exploring outdoors since you probably finished reading my write-up? Have a great summer peeps!!
The Infinite Lives Of Maisie Day, reviewed by Pragnya, 13
Hypotheticals are born everyday, usually from seemingly insignificant occurrences that align together to form questions that aren’t necessarily easy to answer. Of course, they’re meant to stay inside the depths of our imagination, but sometimes they start to shape themselves into a culmination of coincidental thoughts. What if, one day, you woke up, only to find the world around you gone? What if all the color in the world had been sucked out of your body? What if, one day, you woke up only to discover yourself dead? What if you never woke up again? The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day is a show-stopping science fiction novel that follows child prodigy Maisie Day and all the events that take place on the day of her 10th birthday. Told from alternating first-person perspectives, the story starts with our protagonist waking up on the day of her 10th birthday to completely disorienting darkness. As she slowly but (un)surely navigates her way through a different environment, our perspective shifts to Maisie with her family, celebrating her birthday like any other person would. With added suspense, the story starts to pick up, providing much-needed context through monologues and fast-paced realization. Maisie starts to question everything she’s ever learnt and her existence starts to take on a whole new meaning. Who is she? And was her 10th birthday ever meant to be? This story, although relatively short, packed in an extremely complex plot by mixing in concepts of science and math, while never decreasing the interest. It chose to focus on a few characters rather than including too many of them, and the author skillfully constructed a narrative between Maisie, and her older sister Lily. I especially enjoyed Lily’s character development, who went from being portrayed as angsty and uncaring to mature, sensitive and creative. This ties into a very well-done aspect of the story, which is how the point of view affects our idea of the characters. Maisie, while being academically gifted, does not let it get in the way of her child-like nature, and seeing how she views the world around her elevates the story. I especially enjoyed reading her thought process and how she incorporates her learnings into the real world. With brilliant foreshadowing, a unique storyline and characters skillfully woven to come alive on the page, The Infinite Lives Of Maisie Day will suck you in and make you ask the question, “What would I do if I had never read this novel?” The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge. Random House Children’s Books, 2018.
