For Art's Sake Part 2025-2026

Mission Statement

The mission of St. Paul VI Catholic High School’s art and literary magazine is to create a kind of keepsake for our community to behold the individual essence of PVI student-artists who creatively express themselves, their interests, and their talent through the written word, the stroke of a paintbrush, or the click of a camera.

About This Issue

This year’s arts and literary magazine is overflowing with extraordinary work from PVI students. From an interview with an exchange student from Spain and the story of a student who fled Ukraine with his family, to an exploration of the fascinating world of fungi, a deep dive into a unique Minecraft challenge, and original student artwork, this edition celebrates the diverse student experiences and interests that shape our community.

St. Paul VI Catholic High School 42341

Chantilly, VA 20152 2025-2026

Nonfiction

“My Life in Kiev” by: Mykola Shostakovskyi ’28 02

“From Madrid to Virginia” by: Sian Chen ’27 06

“More Than Mushrooms" by: Alex Sumner ’27 10

“Why We Love a Love Story” by: Charlie Huly ’29 15

“Why We are Drawn to the Dark” by: Emma Fuller ’29 17

“The Birth, Death, and Rebirth of Physical Media and Retro Tech” by: Iyla Sharifahmadian ’28 19

“Two Miracles Amid Devastation” by: Roy Wulf ’26 22

“How to Beat Minecraft With Basically Nothing” by: Patrick Settle-Barron ’26 25

Poetry

“Stained Covers and nibbled edges” by: Maddie Allen ’26 30

“The Concept of Disappearance” by: Brooke Marsden ’28 31

“The Pond” by: Brooke Marsden ’28 33

“Lonely Tree” by: Charlotte Streeter ’28 35

“The door is open to the theater” by: Gabriella Bergstrom ’27 36

“O Fortuna” by: Matias Tarver Taboada ’27 38

03 Fiction

“The Space Between Us” by: Maddy Grimm ’26 43

“The Ferryman” by: Morgan Watts ’29 49

Katie Le ’26 54, 64

Valerie Porcelli ’29 59

McKenzie Gaskill ’27 60

Francesca Leiva ’26 61

Nikita Piper ’27 62

Jenna Pugsley ’26 63

Dani Bruno ’26 65

Sophia Kim ’26 66

Lauren Thompson ’27 67

Ryan Dearborn ’28 68

Madeline Lee ’28 69, 71

Jocelyn Sweeney ’28 70

Julia Tudor ’27 72

Lukas Broadwell ’27 73

Daniela Merhi ’26 74

Abrianna Culligan ’26 75

Chloe Rakowitz ’26 76

Isabel Lee ’27 77

Keira Malli ’27 78

Ryan McGinn ’26 79

Charlotte Byrdy ’28 80

Non fiction

My Life in Kiev

Growing Up in Ukraine Before the War Changed Everything

by Mykola Shostakovskyi ’28

Kiev(Kyiv),thecapitalofUkraine,sitsalongtheDnieperRiverandisknown foritsrichhistoryandculture.ForstudentslikePVIsophomoreMykola,growing uptheremeantsummersinthewoods,learningsurvivalskills,andenjoyingsimple joyslikefreshbread,berries.andhomemadebows.Hisstorycapturesthevibrant experiencesoflifeinUkrainebeforethewarupendedeverything.

MylifebeganinthecityofKiev.We werenotrich,butfreshbreadwas alwaysonthetable.Mylifewasnotthe mostunique,butIwillrememberthe dayswhenIwasinUkraineforever.At theageof7-8years,Iwonthreechess championshipsinthe1800Eloarea.I alsoplayedtheguitaralot,andthisyear willbethelast.NowIunderstandthat ifIwereborninAmerica,Iwouldnot beabletogetsuchexperienceand happinessinlifeasinUkraine.Every summerduringthepotatoharvest season,Icollected200hectaresof potatoesintwotothreeweeks.We collectedpotatoeswithashovelanda glassoffreshmilk.Also,dependingon theseason,weatealotofberries,very differenttypessuchascurrants, strawberries,cloudberries,mulberries, andothers.Ialsowenttoschool,where IstudiedlanguagessuchasSlavicand GermanwithEnglish.

InUkraine,Ididalotoffunthingsthat arelesscommoninAmerica.Starting withordinarybarbecuesandending withshootingahomemadebowat molesandsometimesatfish.Mydad andIoftenwentfishingandsleptin tentsinthewoods.

Inthesummer,Ioftenlivedinthe woodswithmyclassmatesorfriends. Evenduringtheschoolyear,I rememberhowwebuiltahouseoutof woodandlivedtherewithacoupleof classmatesandtheirsistersorbrothers, andsometimestheirparents.SoIhave experienceinthefieldofsurvivalinthe wildwithalmostnothing.

Asachild,Ilovedtoshootabow.My firstbowwasmadebymygrandfather. Soon,whenIlearnedtoshootwell,I decidedtosavemoneyforarealbow fromtheibisstore.

Iwillrememberthisstoreforever, becausemyfirstdreamcametruethere. ThebowIwantedtobuycostabout5 thousandhryvnias(atthemomentitis about$116).Atthattime,itwasavery largeamountofmoney,butafterayear andahalfofeffort,Iwasabletoachieve mydream.Atthatmoment,Irealized thatthedreamisthemeaningoflife. WhenIwas9yearsold,Igotthe opportunitytolearntoplaytheguitar forfreebyscoringaverylargenumber ofpointsforaperformancebeforethe Commission.Atthesametimeas playingtheguitar,Iwasengagedin chessandtaekwondo.Intaekwondo,I reachedthedarkbluebelt,butIwas veryunlucky,andatthetournament,I brokemylegverybadly,soIcouldno longerpracticethiskindofart.Despite theinjuries,Istillcontinuetoplay sports,andatthemoment,Idoboxing.

Ionlystudiedforsevenyearsatthe schoolcalledKlovskyLyceum,but duringthesesevenyearsIlearnedalot ofthings,becauseweveryoftenhad tripstomuseums.Itwasfun.Myfriends andIsometimesskippedschoolandsold allsortsofthingslikechewinggumand chips.Irealizedthatitwaswrong,butI stillcontinuedtodoitbecauseI understoodthatbytheageof16,I wouldneedmoneyforacarorother needsforlife.Ididitfor10to12years.

ThenIbecameveryinterestedinstones suchascrystalsorotherrocks.Wehada museumofstonesandtherewasavery largenumberofstonesoftherock,and onedayInoticedthatforsomereason theywerethrowingoutsome specimens,andbehindthemuseum therewasagarbagecanofstonesabout 50-80kilograms,andthereIcollected myfirstassortment.

BeforeIturned13yearsold,however,Russia invadedUkraine,andthegreatlarge-scalewar began.Wewokeupat6:40a.m.tothenoiseofthe firstsiren;inlessthanthreeminutes,wewere alreadydrivinginthecartothewest,andwith that,allmyplansinlifechanged.

From Madrid to Virginia

AnInterviewWithPVI’sInternationalStudent

BySianChen’27

Like

manyexchangestudents,

thethenfifteen-year-oldJaimearrivedatPVIfor aone-yearexchangeprogramwithamixof excitementandnervousness.Inhissuitcase,along withclothes,hecarriedasimpledream—to improvehisEnglishandexperiencelifeacrossthe ocean.HehadimaginedAmericaasitappearedin movies:loud,energetic,andfulloffreedom.But whenhefinallysetfootonthisland,herealizedit wasn’tjustamovie-likecountry—itwasalsorich indiversityanddeepculturalmeaning.Fromthe streetsofMadridtothehallsofaVirginiahigh school,Jaimebegantoseeeducation,tradition, andtheideaof“home”fromacompletelynew perspective.

Jaime’sschoolinMadridisaprivateschoolof about700students,rangingfromelementaryto highschool,witharoundsixtystudentspergrade. Eachdayconsistsofsixone-hourclasses.Unlike theAmericansystem,wherestudentsmove betweenclassrooms,inSpainit’stheteacherswho move,whilestudentsstayinonefixedclassroom. Therearenolockers;instead,booksandsupplies arestackedinsidetheirdesks.Bygradeten, studentsmustmakeanimportantchoice:the sciencetrack,whichincludesbiology,chemistry, andphysics;orthesocialsciencestrack,focused oneconomicsandcareertraining.Nomatterthe path,math,Spanish,andhistoryarerequired subjects,alongwithelectivessuchasphilosophy, physicaleducation,orpublicspeaking.

“InSpain,schoolexistsfortheexams,”Jaimesaid withahalf-smile.Theacademicyearisdivided intothreeterms,eachendingwithamajortest. TheBachilleratostage(gradeselevenandtwelve) isentirelyfocusedonpreparingforuniversity entranceexams.

Admissiontocollegedependsonbothschoolgradesandtestscores,andtopmajorsmayrequire ascoreashighas14points—aconstantsourceofpressure.Whenaskedwhathethoughtof SpiritWeekatPVI,Jaimelaughedandglancedaroundatthestudents—nouniforms,brightTshirts,even“PajamaDay,”whenpeoplecometoschoolinslippers.“InMadrid,”hesaidwitha grin,“ifyoucametoschoolinpajamas,yourteacherwouldthinkyoujustwokeup!”

Wheneverthetopicturnstofood,Jaime’shomesicknessbecomesmorevivid.Jamónibérico, paper-thinandrichinsmokysaltiness,tastesliketimeitselfpreservedundertheSpanishsun. Thetortilladepatatas,goldenandsoft,bringsbackthewarmthofhomekitchensonlazy afternoons.Pulpoalagallega,seasonedwitholiveoilandpaprika,tasteslikethesea.“Dinnerin Spainislikeanightlyritual,”hesaid.“Thenightislong—peopleeataroundten,sitting togetherasafamily.It’sabeautifultime.”

Whathemissesmost,however,isSemanaSanta —HolyWeekinSpain.EveryEaster,statuesof theVirginMaryandJesusarecarriedslowly throughMadrid’scandlelitstreets.Thesoundof drumsechoeslikeaheartbeat,andthescentof incensefillstheair.Theprocessionwinds throughtheoldstonestreetsasthecrowdfalls silent,prayingwithclosedeyes.“That’sthesoul ofSpain,”Jaimesaidsoftly,hiseyesshining. “Youcanfeelhistoryandfaithflowinginthe air.”

America,ontheotherhand,hasitsownkind ofpassion—patriotism.InSpain,there’sno dailyPledgeofAllegiance,andyourarelysee flagsonT-shirts,hats,orpillows.“That’sthe mostAmericanthingtome!”Jaimelaughed. “It’slikesomethingstraightoutofamovie— flagseverywhere.”

AtPVI,Jaimehasgraduallyfoundhis rhythm.ThemetroandbusesofMadrid havebeenreplacedbycars,something he’sstilladjustingto,buthishost family’swarmthhasmadethe unfamiliarfeellikehome.

Coincidentally,theyhadhostedhis sisteryearsearlier,andtheirkindness madehimfeelinstantlywelcome.

“They’relikearealfamily,”hesaid warmly.“TheyalwaysaskifIneed anythingandtakemetoexperience Americanlife.”Heappreciateshow friendlyAmericanstudentsare,how teachersencourageopendiscussion,and howclassesfeellivelyandcreative.Still, hemissesMadrid’ssenseoforder,latenightfamilydinners,andoldfriends.

More than Mushrooms

By Alex Sumner ’27

Exploring the World of Fungi

Exploring the World of Fungi

Originally,andstillcommonly,mistakenforplants,fungiareadiverseandfascinatingkingdomof life.Whileheavilyresemblingplantsatasurfacelevel,fungiareactuallymorebiologicallyrelatedto theanimalkingdomthantheplantkingdom.Theyareeukaryoticorganisms,multicellularwitha nucleusandmembrane-boundorganelles,whicharecapableofreproducingsexuallyaswellas asexually.

Thefungalkingdomconsistsofmanyvariousorganismsincludingmushrooms,yeasts,molds,rusts (differentfromoxidationofiron),smuts,andmildews,tonameafew.Sincefungiaresodiverse, manysimilarorganismsareoftenconfusedwithfungiandmislabeledasthem.Someexamplesare thoseofslimemoldsandoomycetes(watermolds).

Fungicanliveinmanydifferentenvironmentsallovertheworldandarecapableofterrestrialand aquaticlife.Whiletheyrequireadegreeofmoistureandorganicmattertosustainthemselves,the fungalkingdomishighlyadaptableandcanevensurviveextremeconditionslikecoldclimates,as seeninsnowmolds.

Thesizeoffungivarygreatlybetween species,rangingfromvastmycelial networksthatcovermilestoeven microscopic,single-celledyeasts.There aretwomainpartsthatmakeupa fungi,thefruitingbodyandthe mycelium.Whatmostpeoplewould seeinnatureandrecognizeasfungi wouldbethefruitingbody,orthe mushroom.However,themajorityofa fungus’sbodyistypicallythe mycelium.Itismadeofintertwined filamentscalledhyphae,witheach individualfilamentcalledahypha. Myceliumcanbemicroscopicorreach outseveralmilesandarenecessaryfor nutrientabsorptionandecosystem participation.Unlikeplants,fungalcell wallsaremadeofchitinwhichisa strongpolysaccharidealsofoundin insect’sexoskeletons.

Anotablespecializationoffungiistheirabilitytoreproducebothsexuallyandasexually,meaning theycanproduceoffspringwithapartneroronlythemselves.Thelatterofwhichisthepreferred methodbyspecimenbecauseitallowsforrapidcolonizationandismuchmoreefficientthan sexualreproduction.

Therearethreemainmethodsofasexualreproductionutilizedbyfungiwhichincludespores, budding,andfragmentation.Themostcommonmethodistheuseofsporescreatedbymitosis. Thesesporescanbeproducedwithoutasac(conidiospores)orwithasac(sporangiospores).The sporesarethendispersedouttogrowanddevelopontheirownasacloneoftheoriginalorganism.

Buddingiswhenasmallercelldirectlyformsontheparentcellandpinchesoffbecominga separatesinglecelledorganism.Thismethodismostcommonlyusedbyyeasts.Thefinalmethod mentioned,fragmentation,iswhenthehyphaebreakoffthemyceliumintopiecesandeachpiece developsintoitsownidenticalcolony.However,whenenvironmentalstressorunstableconditions occur,sexualreproductionisfavouredasitallowsforgenediversityandadaptation.Fungiareable toreleasespecialpheromonestoattractandlocateamate.Inordertomate,apropercompatible matingtypemustbefound,asfungidonothavemaleandfemalegenders,butrathermatingtypes.

Whentwohyphaearecompatible,themyceliumfusetogethertheircytoplasm.Thisiscalled plasmogamy.Oncebinded,thenucleidonotimmediatelyfuseandthefungimoveintothe dikaryoticstageinwhichthetwonuclei(calledadikaryon)existinasinglecell.Oncekaryogamy occursandthetwonucleiarefusedintoadiploidzygote,itimmediatelyundergoesmeiosisand produceshaploidsexualspores(usuallyfour).Thesesporesarethenreleasedtogerminate,grow, anddevelop.

Anotherdissimilaritytoplantsisthefactthat fungidonotperformphotosynthesisbecause theylackchlorophyll.Rather,theyare actuallyheterotrophsthatobtainnutrientsby consumingorganicmatterfromanother source.Manyfungiaresaprotrophic, absorbingnutrientsdirectlyfromtheir surroundings.Theyareabletodothisby releasingacidsandvariousenzymestobreak downorganicmatterintosimpler substances,whichtheycanabsorb.

Fungialsoplayacriticalroleinnature. Actingasdecomposers,theybreakdown deadplantsandanimals,whichisvitalfor recyclingnutrientsbackintotheecosystem. Manyfungiarealsoknowntoform symbioticrelationshipswithother organisms.Whilesomefungiareparasitic, suchasmildews,whichharmtheirhosts, othersarecommensalists.

AnotableexampleisCandidaalbicans, whichcanliveinthehumanbodywithout causingharmundernormalconditions.A well-knownmutualisticfungusis mycorrhizae,inwhichthefungus's myceliumandplantrootsexchangenutrients tobenefiteachother.Additionally,like manyotherorganisms,fungialsoprovidea foodsourcetootherorganismslikeanimals.

Outsideofnature,fungihavealsofoundsignificantimportancetohumansaswell.Manyspeciesof fungiareedibleandarecommonlyfoundingrocerystoresandconsumedasfood.Yeastisan essentialbakingandbrewingstapleusedtomakebreadriseandproducebeers.Themedicinefield hasalsodiscoveredusesforfungiinantibioticsandotherdrugs.Anyprocessesrelianton fermentationandsomeindustrialproductsalsohaveabaseinfungi.However,theycanalsobe harmfultohumansastheycancauseinfections,disease,orleadtofoodspoilage.

Overall,thefungalkingdomisadiverseanduniquegroupoforganismsthatareoftenunfairly overlookedandunderappreciated.Wemustnotforgetthepivotalroletheyplayinourecosystems andcontinuetostudyandcometobetterunderstandthem.

WHY WE LOVE A LOVE STORY Romance

by Charlie Huly ’29

Romance is – without a doubt – one of the most popular literary genres.

Every year, the lists of top selling books prove this time and time again. And modern audiences aren’t alone in their enjoyment of romance novels. One need only look back at classic examples such as Greek mythology’s Orpheus and Eurydice, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and, of course, Shakespeare’s beloved story Romeo and Juliet – to see that this fondness dates back thousands of years.

Romance

Why do we love a love story? A driving force of this phenomenon is that people tend to use the media they consume as a means of escapism. When times are hard for people, they often turn to things that can serve as temporary distractions and thus help them get through the difficulties they may be facing. Love stories give people something else to focus on that doesn’t remind them of their daily life. Romance writers make the reader invested in the lives of the characters, keeping them hopeful that the leading couple-in-the-making will eventually get together by the end.

Another factor is that love stories tend to have a positive and uplifting tone. Of course, there are some notable exceptions, but this is by and large the case for the genre. Reading a book about people whom you can relate to and who have experienced things that you have is already validating for many, but seeing them find something so precious as love can make people more optimistic about their own lives. They may experience newfound hope that they themselves can go on an emotional journey that is as life-changing and special as the characters they have read about.

Genre

“A love story can be set any time and anywhere.”

An aspect that must not go unmentioned is that a love story can be set any time and anywhere. It could take place during a historical period in a country many miles away, or even in Northern Virginia during the current year. There’s also no reason that the setting has to be a real place, either, as many fantasy stories contain elements of romance or may even be romances themselves. Whether you strictly read the classics, can’t get enough of historical fiction, or are an avid fantasy enjoyer, you can always come across stories in which characters find themselves falling in love.

Although this article focused on romance novels, the themes of love and connection appear in many forms of storytelling — from books to films to the stage. Exploring the genre might even lead you to discover a new favorite.

Why we are drawn

BYEMMAFULLER ’29

Exploring Fear, Fiction, and Human Curiosity

Psychologicalthrillers,dystopiannovels,crime dramas,horrorfilms—narrativescenteredon fear,danger,ormoralcollapsecontinueto dominatepopularculture.

Atfirstglance,thisfascinationseems contradictory.Inreallife,peopleavoiddanger. Welockdoors,followrules,andseeksafety.So whydowevoluntarilyimmerseourselvesin storiesfilledwithviolence,tragedy,orethical chaos?

Oneexplanationliesintheconceptof controlledexposure.Fictionprovideswhat psychologistsoftenrefertoas“safefear.” Whenweengagewithasuspensefulstory,our bodiesmayrespondphysically—faster heartbeat,heightenedattention—butwe remainawarethatwearenotactuallyin danger.Thisseparationbetweenemotional intensityandphysicalsafetyallowsusto experiencefearwithoutconsequence.Inmany ways,darkfictionactsasasimulation.Itletsus mentallyrehearsedangeroussituationswhile remainingsecure.

Darknessinstorytellingfunctionsasa powerfultoolforrevelation.When charactersareplacedinhigh-pressure situations—facingbetrayal,loss,moral dilemmas,orsurvivalthreats—their trueidentitiesemerge.Conflictstrips awaycomfortandforcesdecisionmaking.Itrevealspriorities.Itexposes values.Itchallengesloyalty.

Inordinarycircumstances,characters mayappearsimilar.Understress,their differencesbecomeundeniable.

Forwriters,thisisessential.Conflictis notincludedinastorysimplytocreate excitement.Itexiststouncovertruth.A character’sresponsetodarknesstells usmorethantheirbehaviorduring calmmomentsevercould.Courage, fear,selfishness,resilience—these qualitiesbecomevisibleonlywhen tested.

Darkfictionalsoprovidesstructuretothe unknown.Inreallife,fearoftenfeels chaoticbecauseitlacksexplanation. Tragedycanfeelrandom.Harmcanfeel senseless.Stories,however,create narrativeorder.Theyimposeabeginning, middle,andend.Evenwhenoutcomesare painful,theyareframedwithincauseand effect.Readerscananalyzethem.Theycan searchformeaning.Theycanreflecton consequences.

Inthissense,storytellingtransformsfear intosomethingunderstandable.

Thereisalsoamoraldimensionto consider.Storiesthatexplorecrime, corruption,orethicalfailuredonot necessarilyglorifywrongdoing.Instead, theyoftenhighlighttheconsequencesof harmfulchoices.Throughthesenarratives, readersconfrontdifficultquestions:What leadssomeonetocrossamoralline?Can apersonrecoveraftermakinga destructivedecision?Isunderstandingthe sameasforgiveness?

Darkstoriesallowustoexplorethese questionsatadistance.Theycreatespace forreflectionwithoutrequiringpersonal risk.

Additionally,contrastplaysacrucialrole. Darknessintensifieslight.Hopefeelsmore powerfulwhenitemergesfromdespair. Loyaltybecomesmoremeaningfulinthe presenceofbetrayal.Actsofcouragestand outmoreclearlyagainstfear.Withouttension, thesequalitiesmightfeelordinary.Within darkness,theybecomeextraordinary.

Ultimately,ourattractiontodarkfictionisnot rootedinadesireforsuffering.Itisrootedin curiosity.Humanbeingsaredrivento understandthemselvesandothers.Stories thatexploretheextremesofbehavior—both harmfulandheroic—offerinsightintothe complexitiesofthehumancondition.

IYLA'S INSIGHTS

BY IYLA SHARIFAHMADIAN ’28

Gone are the days of static-filled audio and scratches on your disc.

CASSETTES, CDS, DVDS, RECORDS…

These are words you’d expect to hear from a teacher or parent back in the “good ol’ days,” when music buffs could actually own their own physical media and movie enthusiasts could either rent or buy their favorite flick. Now, however, it’s as easy as opening up a streaming platform and clicking a few buttons.

Gone are the days of static-filled audio and worrying about getting scratches on your disc if you loan it to a friend. You no longer have to camp out in line at the crack of dawn to get your hands on a vinyl LP, because now, when you wake up in the morning, you can just open your app of choice and listen to your favorite album. No need to spend

hours making the perfect mixtape or having to carry around bulky players, because everything you need is available on your phone anytime, anywhere.

It seems like physical media and the concept of “owning” something are long gone, with the age of streaming seeming much more accessible, easier to use (as well as cheaper).

Fifteen dollars a month for a Spotify subscription will get you access to over 100 million songs, while only one album on CD would cost that much. Given, you could always try to burn them yourself, but that’d be much more time-consuming, and you couldn’t get nearly as many songs on a single disc as you could in a playlist.

Physical media seems more of a hassle than a brag these days, and the concept of “owning” art is an idea that has faded into irrelevance. There’s no worth in having the rights to “view, sell, lend, and give away” because with a simple subscription, everyone else is able to access that same content. It’s much more convenient now to be able to watch a movie whenever you wish — whether it’s on a Friday night or a rainy Saturday afternoon — than how it used to be, where you’d have to hop on over to your local Blockbuster to rent a movie (if it hadn’t already been rented out!) And once you get your hands on it, the enjoyment won't last for long, because you have to give it back within a very short period, or else the late fees could stack up to be three times the price of actually buying the disc.

WHY STRESS YOURSELF OUT WHEN WHAT YOU WANT TO WATCH WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE ON SOME STREAMING SERVICE?

Netflix's conversion to a streaming service in 2007 was the catalyst for the switch from physical media, like VHS and DVD, to watching shows on streaming platforms. By the 2010s, most people favored these platforms over physical media because of the ease of access to so many titles all in one place. Instead of having to hoard collections of movies and seasons, you could have a wide selection for just a few bucks a month. By the mid-2000s, platforms like MySpace became the optimal way for artists to showcase their music and allow fans to stream. Further, it allowed up-and-coming or little-known artists from more niche genres to get a platform and reach success.

If record stores didn’t carry CDs or records from artists who aren’t mainstream, you could simply go to their MySpace page and listen to it from your computer. These artists could then be recognized by major labels and hop onto mainstream fame. MySpace’s popularity played a pivotal role in popularizing music streaming, and many other platforms borrowed from its model. Spotify was also released around this time (2006), and while it wasn’t popular at first, by 2012, during the “big bang” in streaming following its release in the U.S., it grew to have millions of active listeners and premium users. Despite the many controversies concerning how much they’ve paid artists, Spotify has been one of the main platforms that helped popularize music streaming and led to the death of physical media.

CD sales were already declining around this time, helped along by a healthy dose of illegal downloads. That, paired with the switch in popularity from DVDs, marked the "unofficial death” of physical media. Blockbuster started closing its doors by 2014.

Stores started stocking fewer CDs and DVDs, and even sections dedicated to physical video games started shrinking. Streaming took over anything physical. Besides a small percentage of people who still chose to use good ol’ discs, physical media was a thing of the past.

RIGHT?

Well, in more recent years, sales of physical media have peaked (slightly) back up again. More and more people are getting into physical media again -whether for personal collections or for its intended use. Movies and TV shows, in particular, have experienced a slight jump in popularity. In 2023, “DVD and Blu-ray” was eBay’s third-highest-selling category, and Google searches for “DVD for sale” had also gone higher.

Vinyl sales have also been increasing since 2016, with independent record stores accounting for 45% of sales. According to data by Luminate, 50 million vinyl records were sold in 2023. CDs have been especially popular with younger generations, with Billboard reporting 37 million units sold in 2023. Even if sales haven’t reached their peak, it’s clear that physical media has a newfound popularity, and record stores are still kicking. Even albums-oncassettes, which were considered long extinct, have had a slight peak in popularity, with 436,400 sold in the U.S. in 2023. Even if streaming still dominates music charts, and most people are using apps instead of discs to watch movies, it's clear that physical media is suddenly becoming more popular, and not just something those who grew up on it still appreciate and access.

I’m really glad that physical media is regaining popularity. I’ve always had a particular fondness for physical media and have been building a CD collection for several years. DVDs, too, have perks, like extra scenes, behind-the-scenes content, director's commentary, and interviews with the actors. These are things that are hardly ever available on streaming platforms; you’d be lucky to get a post-credits scene. CDs and vinyl have so much more room for album artwork, and can include additional pages or booklets showcasing things like lyrics, photoshoots, or even comments from the artists themselves. Physical media has charms that streaming can’t replace. And even if sales aren’t booming, I’m glad more people are getting into collecting and using it as a means of entertainment besides streaming.

Overall, despite not being completely mainstream, it’s clear that a revival is going on for physical media, and more people are starting to get into and appreciate it, which is for the better, honestly.

The Return of Catholic Culture: Two Miracles Amid Devastation

by Roy Wulf ’26

ItwasthefatefulmorningofAugust6,1945,at8:15a.m.AboveHiroshima,Japan,aB-29Superfortress bomber,theEnolaGay,droppedtheworld’sfirstatomicbombusedinwarfare,codenamed“LittleBoy.” Whenthebombdetonated,ithadtheexplosiveforceof15kilotonsofTNT.Thetemperatureintheblast wasover7,000degreesFahrenheit.Ashockwaveandblastwindsofupto184milesperhourcaused buildingstocollapseandburn.70,000to80,000peoplediedinstantly.Manypeoplewerecompletely vaporized,withonlyhauntingsilhouettesleftonthepavementtoindicatewheretheyhadbeen.Asmanyas 140,000peopleperishedbytheendof1945duetoburns,injuries,andradiationsickness.

However,amidthislandscapeoftotaldestruction,asmallbuildingstoodneartheepicenteroftheblast.Its windowshadshattered,butthestructureitselfwasintact,anditseightoccupantswereinexplicably unharmed.ThiswastherectoryoftheChurchofOurLadyoftheAssumption,andtheseeightindividuals wereJesuitmissionarieswhowereintheirrectoryatthetime.Thechurchitselfhaditsstainedglass windowsshattered,butthatbuildingalsoremainedstandinginthemidstofaleveledplain,surroundedby completeannihilation.

ApriestonceinterviewedoneoftheJesuits,FatherHubert Schiffer,whenSchifferwasvisitingtheUnitedStates.Thispriest recountedthefollowingdetails:

Thenextthingheremembered,heopenedhiseyesandhewas lyingontheground.Helookedaroundandtherewasnothing inanydirection:therailroadstationandbuildingsinall directionswereleveledtotheground.Theonlyphysicalharmto himselfwasthathecouldfeelafewpiecesofglassinthebackof hisneck.

Asfarashecouldtell,therewasnothingelsephysicallywrongwithhim.Manythousandswerekilledor maimedbytheexplosion.AftertheconquestoftheAmericans,theirarmydoctorsandscientistsexplained tohimthathisbodywouldbegintodeterioratebecauseoftheradiation.

ManyoftheJapanesepeoplehadblistersandsoresfromtheradiation.

Tothedoctors'amazement,FatherSchiffer'sbodycontainednoradiationorilleffectsfromthebomb.

IthadbeeninNagasakiin1930thatthePolishFranciscanfriarMaximilianKolbehadtraveled,lookingto spreadMariandevotion.Withtheblessingofthelocalbishop,Kolbepurchasedaplotoflandonthesteep slopeofMountHikosanasalocationtobuildafriary.Therocky,unevengroundwasselectedbecausethe landwasextremelyinexpensive.Kolbemadethepurchasefortheequivalentofjust$46.Aftermucheffort, theFriaryoftheImmaculateVirgin,completewithagrottohousingastatueofOurLadyofLourdes,was completedonMay1,1932.

Astonishingly,theFranciscanfriaryinNagasaki,liketherectoryinHiroshima,remainedstandingafterthe explosion.Apartfromafewshatteredwindows,thefriarywasundamaged,andtheFranciscanmissionaries insidewerelikewiseprotectedfromtheblast.

First edition of Mugenzai no Seibo no Kishi – Knight of the Immaculata, published by the friary founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe

Indeed,despiteremainingintheareatoministertotheinjured,theywerepreserved fromillnessanddeathfromtheeffectsoftheradiation.Ithasbeenpointedoutthat themountainitselfmusthaveshelteredthefriaryfromtheexplosion,andthismaybe true.Nonetheless,itwasastonishingthatKolbewouldjusthappentohaveselecteda rarelocationforhisfriarythatwouldbesafefromanatomicbombfallingnearby overadecadelater.MaximilianKolbeobservedthesurvivalofhisfriaryfromthe vantagepointofHeaven,ashehadhimselfperishedintheAuschwitzconcentration campin1941butwascanonizedasaintin1982byhisfellowPolishcountryman, PopeJohnPaulII,whodeclaredKolbeaconfessorandamartyrofcharity.

Amidsuchcataclysmsofdevastation,whywouldmiraclesofthissortoccur?For Catholics,theseamazingstoriesofsurvivalinthemidstoftwoatomicblastscanonly beattributedtothepowerfulintercessionofMary.TheJesuitsofHiroshimawere livingouttheFatimamessage,recitingtheRosaryeverydayforthesalvationofsouls. AccordingtothepriestwhointerviewedFatherSchiffer,heattributedhissurvival“to devotiontotheBlessedMother,andhisdailyFatimaRosary.”Thepriestexplained, “HefeelsthathereceivedaprotectiveshieldfromtheBlessedMother,which protectedhimfromallradiationandill-effects.”SchiffermetboththepilotandcopilotoftheEnolaGay,theB-29thathadbombedHiroshima.AlltheJesuitslivedfor decadesaftertheevent,somelivingintotheir80sand90s.

How to Beat Minecraft With Basically Nothing

The Ramblings (and Plan) of a Man Who Thought About This Too Much

by Patrick Settle-Barron ’26

Introduction: Some Background and Useful Info

As many people know by now, Minecraft is a sandbox game — one with near-infinite resources and structures to explore. People have done great things in this game; they have made things like computers capable of playing the game itself; they have pushed challenges to their limits; people have survived the hardest of difficulties for thousands of in-game days. But it is never enough…people will always look for new things to do, more complex things to build, more monsters to hunt. And when we have people with too much free time looking for something extreme, we end up with people like BudgetMC, Mud Flaps, and Yeah_Jaron.

Yeah_Jaron, a popular Minecraft YouTuber known mainly for the extreme things he does, decided to do something similar. Jaron was neither the first nor the last to survive in a super-flat Minecraft world. But he pushed it to a new level. He decided to survive +500 in-game days, over an irl (in real life) week of nonstop playing of Minecraft, on a super-flat world without structures. While he did start with a bonus chest, which he only kept one log and two apples of (the importance of these will be discussed later), Jaron managed to get good tools and armor as well as thrive in the world he made.

Jaron has faced other crazy challenges besides his super-flat survival. He has beaten Minecraft on a 100 by 100 world, spent 100 days on a bedrock-only world, and even “beat” Minecraft on a 1 by 1 world. Jaron is the main reason I wrote this article; besides my friend encouraging me to write this to truly get my ideas out there, Jaron inspired me to do something similar due to his entertaining, super-flat survival video. And doing these challenges takes massive amounts of time.

So I respect all those out there who decide to take on challenges similar to the ones mentioned both earlier and later in this article. Moving on to an inspiration other than Yeah_Jaron — BudgetMC. BudgetMC is an interesting person as he has only posted one type of video, and those are the progress reports for his true vanilla one-block series. To give some background, there is a fun and engaging mod/data pack called “One Block.” This pack restricts the world to a single block, which, when broken, regenerates to a different block in the same “state” or “biome” the block is currently in. BudgetMC, which may or may not have a separate main channel, decided to strip everything away to just the grass block. While he may seem slightly off in the head, he has made it to 1,400 days and is gaining fast. This is a momentous historical occasion, and I applaud him for his commitment and time spent on the challenge. I also would like to shout out Mud Flaps. Mud Flaps has done many challenges (from what I can see, they are all pushing Minecraft to its limits), and the one I stumbled upon while attempting to gather information for my challenge was his survival in a completely empty world. A world with no blocks, no mobs, nothing but air and void. He managed to glitch the files and get a platform to stand on, as well as three biomes instead of one (for those confused, when you create a void world, the biome is set as “the void,” in which absolutely nothing can spawn). He also found many other methods to get various structures into his world, which allowed him to beat the game.

But I want to be different, get my name out there, and I want…a true challenge. So I decided on something. Hopefully, I would be the first to thrive in a pure, super-flat world — no structures, no bonus chest, nothing but dirt, grass, and bedrock. But that is easier said than done. In this article, I plan to walk you through how, even you, could do something like this.

Chapter 1: Generation

To get this show on the road, we have to talk about world generation. Most people know it as the system Minecraft uses to generate the infinite world you play in and determine the placement of everything; it's all based on random number generation (RNG). But when talking about world generation for super-flat worlds, I am talking about the presets. Most people who have played super-flat worlds know about the preset screen. It tells you what layers of blocks will be in the world, and above it is a string of words that correspond to those layers, as well as the structures and biomes that will be generated. In order to make the challenge even remotely possible, we need a taiga biome. That is the one thing we must change in the preset menu before moving on to the challenge; we change the current biome from plains to taiga. Once we do that, we should spawn into a world of grass blocks, and if we did everything correctly, we could check the F3 menu, and we will find that we are indeed in a taiga biome, and thus, the struggle begins.

Chapter 2: Early Beginnings

First, we have to mine blocks until we can bridge up to y=40. We have to do this in order to prevent slimes from spawning and filling up the mob cap, which will stop foxes from spawning. If you didn’t know, slimes are able to spawn in slime chunks during the day as long as the y-level is lower than y=40. Then, we make a large platform at the top, and we start waiting. There are two options to continue: we can continue waiting for the grass to spread to the top, or grab a grass block from an enderman. In this document I will mainly be going over the method for waiting, but if you wish you can attempt to get one from an enderman, but remember that enderman can only grab blocks next to and not under them. For the path of waiting, we need to make sure that we are in range of the grass at the bottom so it is able to spread all the way to the top platform we made because, guess what, passive mobs can only spawn on grass blocks. This process takes a long time. I suggest letting it run while you do something else, like go to school, but it's not impossible to wait for it to finish. After we finish that bore of a task, we are waiting for one thing in particular: foxes; an obscure choice, I know…but for those who don’t already know, hear me out. Foxes have a 5% chance to spawn into the world holding an emerald, which we need. But in order to get that emerald, we need to sneak up to a fox and trade for it. We do this by throwing it an edible food item (foxes always prioritize edible items over non-edible items).

Once we get the emerald…we need to get four more. Yes, you heard it: we need a total of five emeralds. We need these emeralds in order to trade with a wandering trader for a sapling (dark oak saplings and mangrove propagules should never be bought; birch or oak are desired trades). Once we get a sapling, the actual grind begins.

Once we have made a crafting table, we must get 10 iron from zombie drops. We need these for a bucket and a cauldron. Once we get a cauldron, we place it down and wait for it to fill up in the rain. Once it fills up, we take our bucket and make an infinite water source by either bone mealing the ground or flowing water with kelp to turn the bottom block into a source block or by filling a glass bottle from the water and filling up the cauldron with it.

We must start farming potatoes or carrots once all those items are in line. We will use these to breed pigs and turn them into zombified piglins. To do this, we need two things: a lightning rod and lightning. To get a lightning rod, we need copper, which can be dropped by drowned. The lightning part is pure chance. Once we eventually get lightning to strike our, hopefully, massive pig pen, we kill all the piglins for their gold nugget drops. We hopefully have also been getting apples from our tree farm, and as such, we can move on to the next part of the plan.

Chapter 3: Villagers

The next step is to take the gold nuggets from our pig endeavors, turn them into gold ingots, and then take those and the apples from our tree farm and turn them into at least two golden apples. Once we have our golden apples, we need to find two zombie villagers, who have a 5% chance to spawn as opposed to regular zombies, and get them in boats. Once we do that, we need to get a witch to splash the zombie villagers and ourselves with a weakness potion (easier said than done). And once the pain of getting the weakness effect on the zombie villagers is over, we can feed them our golden apples to cure them, and we get the first-ever villagers in the world.

Once we get villagers, we open up many possibilities for ourselves. Some include good tools, saddles, automatic farms, and enchantments. Hopefully, you've been buying sugar cane from wandering traders when you can, as that will be important now. First, we want to get all the job blocks we can for our villagers. Those such are a cartography table, composter, barrel, fletching table, loom, smithing table, cauldron, and a lectern. These let us get trades that are useful to us for many reasons other than decoration. The loom is useful for wool trades, the fletching table for stick trades, the cartographer for paper and map trades, the composter for food/crop trades, the cauldron for leather and saddle trades; I should not have to explain the usefulness of a librarian or toolsmith, and barrels for campfire trades. Campfires are an odd choice to list, but other than manually farming wood, they are the only way we can get charcoal and, thus, torches. They are also the only way we can cook our raw food.

Chapter 4: Endgame Gear and Farms

We are almost getting to the end of my plan. Such fun I am having writing about this, but I don't truly realize how much time this will take from me. Now, we need an iron farm. Due to the fact that we don't have lava in this world, iron armor will be the best armor we can get in this world. If there is a way to remove the incredible blocker, which is not having a lava bucket, with only in-game methods…I haven't found it yet. But other than that, the maximum gear and armor we can get is max enchanted iron armor and diamond tools. The iron we will get from an iron farm, as killing zombies is now inefficient. This is because there is a 100% chance to get iron from an iron golem but only a 0.83-1.82% chance if we kill a zombie. And the diamond tools we get from a toolsmith. The enchantments are supplied with enchanted books from the librarian. We are able to get totems of undying by starting raids near villages and killing evokers, and we can get golden apples through lightning-ifying pigs and killing the zombified pigmen, then crafting gold ingots through the pigmen drops and crafting golden apples.

Chapter 5 (Finale): The Meaning of the Challenge

And we reach the end of my thoughts on this challenge. The only thing holding us back from many items — such as beacons, cobblestone, and brewing stands — is the lack of lava. If we were to obtain even a single lava source block, we could create a cobblestone generator and produce infinite lava using dripstone mechanics with cauldrons. From there, we could obtain infinite obsidian and most Nether-related items.

Sadly, as of now, there is no 100% vanilla way to obtain lava. We would either need a mod that allows us to craft it, or we would need to introduce it into the world by altering files.

But in the end, what matters most is not the limits of the world, but the experience of working within them. The best challenges don’t just test what you know — they push you to think differently, to adapt, and to find meaning in the constraints themselves. A good challenge sets the path forward, whether through major milestones or small, almost invisible steps that still matter just as much. Sometimes the goal is the world itself; sometimes it’s just a single item that represents everything you’ve worked toward. That’s what makes Minecraft challenges so powerful — they’re flexible, and they reflect the creativity of the person playing them.

When I eventually attempt this challenge, I plan to focus on several goals: obtaining emeralds, a sapling, and a totem of undying; building a villager setup; acquiring a full set of maxed iron armor and diamond tools; constructing a house I am proud of; creating a villager hall; improving my farms visually; building more automatic farms; designing a parkour course; and earning my friend’s approval of a mega build. You can follow the same goals, but I recommend creating your own as well. I also want to play with friends and surprise them with what I’ve accomplished.

In the end, this isn’t really about completing everything perfectly. It’s about enjoying the process of getting there. With my final thoughts out of the way, I hope you continue to value yourself as much as you value others, and that you only take on challenges like this because they bring you joy. Never feel forced to push through something that stops being fun — take breaks when you need them, and take care of yourself along the way.

Poetry

Stained covers

by Maddie Allen ’26

Stained covers and nibbled edges

A broken spine and dusty pages

Austen, Orwell, Hemingway all on display

In the great room where they stay

Collecting dust with their stories going unread

And through the years, no one dares take a peak until cherry red

Yes!

That cherry red spine is all it took

For one little girl to free it from its nook

And as the dust from that old shelf dispenses

A scent of vanilla and spice fills her senses

And from those dusty pages, she read “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is what it said

As she flipped through the pages dusty and stained

The sky opened up and began to thunder and rain

Though she didn’t notice, all alone

Immersed in a world not her own

And through the years she came back to that nook

And it wasn’t just cherry red that she took

White, Yellow, Blue, and Green

Old books, vanilla and spices,

Though some may disagree

Is the best smell in the world to me

The Concept of disappearance

I want to disappear

I want to softly vanish from sight

Leaving nothing to show I was ever alive

My footsteps tracing back through my years

Dusted over with snow and become covered up

My troubles are no longer, and I can know peace

Once I disappear

I don’t want to disappear

I want to remain ever glorious

My life resounds and affects the world

My footsteps are driven deep into the tough ground

The people who come after me will fall into the craters I leave

My troubles are no longer, and I can know peace

Once I don’t disappear

The pond

Brooke Marsden ’28

The still pond holds depths of my truth

Untouched and undiscovered I stare into the water

I fall in

Realization trickles into my body but settles in my eyes

I stumble and return to the sand

The pond now ripples and flows

I open my eyes and life’s grandeur is revealed

The trees are no longer green but a shade of a deep jewel

The birdsong no longer a background song but a sweeping orchestra

I stare into the water

I see that the life of the pond has flooded my soul

Reviving me again

Lonely Tree

By Charlotte Streeter ’28

No leaves on its branches,no squirrels around

The lonely tree was on the top of the hill above the town

Little did he know, little did he think, that a little girl would sit under this lonely tree

She looked up and then sat down opening a book and ignoring the loudness of the town

Try as she might she couldn’t concentrate and the tree saw her in such a horrid state

So the tree reach down with it’s branches and all and covered the ears of the little girl with his branches

So she could read her book beside his branches

She stayed until the end of the day and then suddenly she walked away

But then again she came back another day and then the next

And the lonely tree was never alone again because he always had a little girl sitting under his branches again and again

The Door is Open

by Gabriela Bergstrom ’27

The door is open to the theater, and on the floor, a library card. I’m standing there in the center; picking up the card, its edges are paper thin.

Behind me is a glowing door with a slot that’s left empty. My card becomes a golden pour, and now a shimmery key.

The door is open, the theater has left me. Theater walls are now clouds; the floor a sandy grain. I’m on an island, and in front of me, a pixie’s frame with a blonde bun, green dress, and says in mischievous glee: “Hey there, this is Neverland! Wish to climb a tree?”

The sand then goes; the land becomes flat. Turning around, I’m in a chocolate-made field. A man in purple, with a long coat and hat, smiles and hands me a sweet candy tack.

The world changes again, and I appear like I’m seven in the middle of a supermarket near my parents. Their looking for fruit while I look for the floor, watching the tiles morph into planets. There goes the market, and I’m dropped into Broadway.

A friendly green lady dressed in black wrath stands with another who wears a crown and pink dressway. They say,“Funny child, have you lost the yellow brick path?”

This place is now empty; there’s no face to meet. All that’s left is a shallow office cubical and sitting on the chair is Seven-Years Me. She has her knees to her chest and toddler tears falling free, gripping that same card, the paper rotting at best. She looks up to her, the now grown-up teen blonde.

“This place is sad. I don’t like it,” and holds out the card. Miss Blondie takes it in hand, and the world switches again. She’s finally back at the theater, standing center-ward.

I fear entering the College’s Land of Undecided, believing it will land me in a state of withdrawal. They are me: both Seven-Years and Miss Blondie, and both share the same thing overall. I want to live to tell each play, show, and story. But never have to answer some office call — How boring!

I want to write the lives of many self-made characters: Should I start with Pinovelo and his home of peculiar inventions? Or with Narro, a pesky narrator who watches the one named Karter?

What about Isla De La Clave, where lies the isle of musicians? Or my retelling of the Lady of the Lake and her lost daughters?

All of these worlds I have scribbled on sticky notes.

So I will continue to be like I’m five, I will keep coloring my nails bright neons and colors, rereading each storybook like a surprise, and keep crafting paper stars from my notebook with markers.

Sorry if I’m so scatterbrained, I’m busy being me writing a paragraph on a pirate’s boat rowing forward. So if one person tries to tell me, “Grow up, you're immature.”

My inner child will say,“Fight me, you coward.” and will fling a paper star into where you think you see is true.

by Matias Tarver Taboada ’27

I dedicate these movements to those who find hopelessness, whether it be in love or in other actions in life, may you who struggle finally find what you desire, if it aligns with God's will.

Movement 1 “O Fortuna”

You know that I’m not good I’m never gonna treat you like I should Always gonna keep on running Whatever am I going to do? Will this be understood

This heart that I own Will always be running Searching for care and the love that I yearn for Looking to heal The heart that I own

They say “The fates find a way” Well where is she now? When will they come And bring me peace

It runs and keeps running From home to home

Often put out and always unfound by my truest home

This cold place Could be where I Drown

Movement 2

“sky full of stars”

Always been searching Looking for my guiding star She could be anywhere Anyone

Oh how I’ve been running Looking out for her My lights been beaming

But my shores have been left Empty

When will I find my guiding light?

When will she light my worn, torn path? When can we finally meet?

Can I finally have a star to warm my burning core? So so many walk my path And so so many go

My doors open And my heart Is Worn.

Oh when will her light Shine on my sky?

How can this nighttime end?

Can I find her shine? In a sky full of stars…

Movement 3 “Starshine”

Whenever I’m moving After I saw him

This joy that I feel.. He was so kind so sweet and so fair He makes my heart go a flutter

But can my heart have its peace? Do I have my hope Can I have my sweet sweet thing? Will we ever Come together? Can we please Find the peace And the love And when we at last Finally meet I can finally Finally my starshine

Movement 4

“Spring”

She is my butterfly So delicate

So sweet and peaceful too Regrowth, regrowth, Life seems to regrow I finally see hope

When my spring walks by Life feels so vibrant

Everything sings When she walked by She radiated joy Flowers grew at her feet

She is such a treat

Once she met I felt her care

Her tender care

Mends my paths

Rebuilds my worn worn home

Will she finally end my winter?

fiction

The Space Between Us

By Maddy Grimm ’26

ThefirsttimeClaranoticedthat somethingwasmissing,shewas standinginlineatthecornercafeona shallow,grayMondaymorning.She orderedherusual,whichwasanoat milklattewithtwopumpsofvanilla andsweetcreamcoldfoam.Asshe waited,shescrolledthroughherphone, watchingvideosandreelsofother people’slives.Engagementposts. Londonvacations.Smilingcoupleswith captionslike“foundmyperson.” Herreflectioninthewindowbehind thecounterlookedfine.Neatblazer, subtlemakeup,andaconfidentstance. Butherchestfelthollow,likeshewas holdingherbreathforsomethingthat neverseemedtocome.

Attwenty-six,shehadthejobshe workedfor.Shewasamarketing coordinatorindowntownChicago,but everydaybledintothenext.Shewent hometoasmallapartmentfilledwith absolutesilenceandquiet.Herphone litupmostlywithgroupchatsthathad gonestaleandworkemailssenttoo lateatnight.Shedidn’tneedsomeone, shetoldherself.Sheneededsomething thatmadeherfeelaliveagain.

The“something”cameintheformof spilledcoffee.ItwasaWednesday. Clarawasrushingtocatchthetrain, latteinhand,whensomeonecollided withherjustoutsideofthecafedoor. Hercupwentflying,splatteringall acrossthepavementandonthefrontof astranger’snavyhoodie.

“Ohmygosh,I’msosorry!”shegasped, reachingfornapkinsfromherbag.

Theguylaughedandhelduphishands. “Don’tworryaboutit.Ishould’ve lookedwhereIwasgoing.”

Hehadthekindofsmilethatreached hiseyes,warmandeasy.Therewasa smallpaintsmudgeonhischeek,and hishandswerestainedfaintlyblueand green.

“Ifeelterrible,”Clarasaid,handing himanapkin.“CanIatleastbuyyou anothercoffee?”

Hetiltedhishead.“Ifit’llmakeyou feelbetter.I’mMilo.”

“Clara.”

Andjustlikethat,shewassmiling, reallysmiling,forthefirsttimeina while.

Theysattogetheratthecafewindow, watchingthedrizzleblurthestreet outside.Hewasanartteacherata communitycenterafewblocksover. Hetalkedabouthisstudents,about theirmessy,fearlesscreativity,and remindedhimwhyhelovedpainting.

Clarafoundherselftalkingmorethan shehadplannedto.Aboutherjob. Abouthowshe’dthoughtshewanted thesecurityofanoffice,asalary,a five-yearplan,butlately,itallfeltlike aslowfadeofcolor.

“Doyoueverthinkmaybesecurityandhappinessaren’tthesame thing?”Miloasked.

ItstuckwithClaralongaftertheysaidgoodbye.

Theystartedrunningintoeachothermoreoften.Sometimes intentionally,sometimesnot.AcoffeeonaSaturday.Awalkalong thelakeafterwork.Heshowedherhisartstudioonce,asunlit cornerspacefullofcanvasesandchaos.Clarafeltsmall,butalso strangelyfreethere,surroundedbythingsthatdidn’tneedtomake sensetobebeautiful.

Butwitheachmeeting,herneed,whichwasthequiet,grew stronger.Shewantedtobenearhim,yes,butshealsowantedtobe seenthewayheseemedtoseeher.Notasaresumeoraplan,butas someonestillbecoming.Thatwastheproblemthough. Milolivedbyinstinct.Hetaughtartclassestopayrent,pickedup gigspaintingmurals,andsometimesdisappearedfordaystowork onnewpieces.Claralivedbyspreadsheets,deadlines,andquarterly goals.Theirworldsranondifferentclocks.

AndthentherewasJack,hercoworker,herboss'sfavorite,theman whohadbeencasuallyflirtingwithherformonths.Whenhefinally askedherout,herroommatespracticallysquealed,“Youhavetosay yes!He’sperfect!Verycareer-driven,smart,andstable.”

Stable.Thatwordagain.

Clarasaidyes,becausethat’swhatshewassupposedtodo.

DinnerwithJackwaseverythingthatitshouldhavebeen.Hewas charming,confident,andpolished.Hetalkedaboutstocks, networkingevents,andhisplantomoveuptoseniormanagement bythirty.

“You’reverysmart,Clara,”hesaidoverdessert.“Youcouldgofar hereifyoufocus.Icouldevenputinawordforyouwiththe regionaldirector.”

Itwasmeantasacompliment.Itfeltlikeacontract.

Thatnight,Milotextedher.

“Youfreetomorrow?IgotsomethingIneedtoshowyou.”

Shestaredatthemessageforalongtimebeforereplying.

“Can’t.Bigmeetingtomorrow.”

“Someothertimethen,noworries!”

Buttherewasaworry.Aquietonethatlivedinherchest.

Aweeklater,Clarastoppedbythecommunitycenter.Milowaspaintingamuralwitha groupofkids,hishoodiesmearedwithbrightorangeandgreen.Whenhesawher,his wholeentirefacelitup.

“Youcame,”handingherabrush.“Caretohelpusout?”

Clarahesitated.Thenshedippedthebrushintoacupofbluepaintandbegan. Forawhilesheforgotabouteverythingelse,includingthedeadlines,theexpectations, evenJack.ShewasjustClaraagain,messyandhuman,laughingasakidsplatteredpaint acrossherjeans.

Whenthemuralwasdone,aswirlingexplosionofcolorandhope,shestoodback,heart racing.

“Youhavethatlookagain,”Milosaidsoftly.

“Whatlook?”

“Likeyou’refinallybreathing.”

Andthen,beforeshecouldthink,heleanedinandkissedher.

Itwasn’tadramaticmoviemoment.Justaquiet,certainone.Thekindthattellsyou:this matters.

Thatnight,Clarawasnotabletosleep.Everypartofherwantedtotexthim,butevery rationalpartofhertoldhernotto.

Atwork,sheburiedherselfintasks,ignoringthewayherstomachtwistedwhenJack leanedonherdesk.“Youokay?You’vebeendistractedlately.”

“I’mfine,”shesaid,lyingtothemboth.

AweekpassedwithnowordfromMilo.Shefinallywenttothecommunitycenter,onlyto findhisstudiohalf-empty.

“Hey,doyouknowwhereMilowent?”Claraaskedthefrontdeskclerk.

“Oh,he’sinNewYork.Gotinvitedtoagallerytoshowhiswork.Leftafewdaysago.”

NewYork.Hehadmentionedwantingtogosomeday,butsheneverthoughtheactually would.

Hehadn’ttoldher.

Thatnight,Clarastoodbyherapartmentwindow,citylightsflickeringdownbelow.Her reflectionlookedthesame,buteverythinginsideherhadshifted.

Forthefirsttime,sherealizedherpressingneedwasn’tforMilo.Itwasforcourage,the couragetolivealifethatfeltreal.

Twomonthshadpassed,andJackhadbecomeClara’sboyfriendbydefault,theirlives slottingneatlyintoroutine.

Workdinners,politelaughter,andplansthatsoundedgoodonpaper.

Butoneevening,duringanetworkingeventatadowntownrooftopbar,Claracaughther reflectionagain,thistimeinthemirroredglassbehindthebar.Perfectoutfit.Perfect smile.Emptyeyes.

WhenJackintroducedheras“thefuturemarketingdirector,”somethinginhersnapped.

“I’mnotsurethat’swhatIwant,”shesaidquietly.

Heblinked.“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Imean,”shesaid,hervoiceshaking,“Idon’twantthis.Themeetings.Thepretending.I wanttofeellikemyselfagain.”

Jackfrowned,“Clara,beserious.”

“Iam.”

Shewalkedoutbeforeshecouldtalkherselfoutofit.

Outside,theairwassharpandcold.Herphonebuzzedwithmessages—Jack,herboss, evenhermother—butsheignoredthemall.

That’swhenshesawit.Aposteronanearbywall:LocalArtistShowcase:FeaturingMilo Bennett.

Clara’sheartstumbled.Thegallerywasfiveblocksaway.Sheimmediatelyran.

Thegallerywassmall,buzzingwithquietexcitement.Canvaseslinedthewallswith piecesthatseemedtopulsewithcolorandemotion.

Andtherehewas,standingbyoneofthem,withaglassofchampagneinhishand.When hesawher,hisexpressionshiftedfromsurprisetosomethinglikeawe.

“Clara,”hesaid.“Youcame.”

Shelaughedbreathlessly.“Youdidn’ttellmeyouwereleaving.”

“Ididn’tthinkyouwouldwantmeto.”

“Iwantedyoutotellme,”shesaid.“Evenifithurts.”Milonoddedslowly.“Youwere alwayschasingtherightpath.Ididn’twanttopullyouoffofit.”

“Maybeitwasn’ttherightoneafterall.”

Theystoodinsilence,surroundedbyhiswork,bypiecesbyhimshe’dneverseenbefore.

“Thisone,”shesaid,gesturingtoapainting,whichwasaburstofblueandgoldstreaked withgray,”what’sitcalled?”

“TheSpaceBetweenUs,”hesaidquietly.“It’saboutwantingsomethingbutnotknowing ifyou’rebraveenoughtoreachforit.”

Clara’sthroattightened.“IthinkIfinallyam.”

Hesmiled,thesamespot,opensmilethathadstartedeverything.

Whenhekissedherthistime,hewasn'thesitant.Itwasthekindofkissthatcomesafter choosingsomething.Afterfinallysayingyestothelifeyouwant.

Laterthatnight,astheywalkedalongthelake,Claraasked,“Whathappensnow?”

Miloshrugged.“Weseewhereitgoes.Youfindyourowncoloragain.MaybeIcanhelp withthat.”

Shesmiled,thecitylightsreflectingthewater.“Maybeyoualreadydid.”

The Ferryman

Based on Greek Mythology and the figure Kharon. byMorganWatts’29

Heneverwantsamomentlikethistoend.Hewantstocherishitandholditclosesoit neverfadesfromhisagingmemory,whichwillcontinuetofade.

“Kharon.”Thetoneisarasphe’sfamiliarwith,disturbingthesilenceandstartlinghim fromhistrance.Thebirdfluttersaway,chirpinginwhatsoundslikefear. Kharonstands,meetingthegazeofHades,LordoftheUnderworld.Dreadcoilslowin hisgutashereplies,“LordHades,towhatdoIowethepleasure?”

“Sparethepleasantries,”Hadessays,wavinghishand.“MyfaithfulFerryman,you’ve finallydiscoveredthisplace.”

Henodsslowly,shouldersrelaxing.“IndeedIhave.Whyhaveyoukeptthisfromthe deceased?”

“Itisnotsomethingyoumerelykeepfromsomeone.Youthinkthisisasecret.”

“Woulditnotbe,LordHades?”

Hadeslaughs,richinhisthroat.“Kharon,youamuseme.Manyhavefoundaplacelike thiswhencrossingtheStyx.”Heturnstoleanagainstthenearbytree,watchingasa leaffallsupontheearth.

“I’mnotsureIunderstand,sir.”Kharonsays,thefeelingofterrorclimbingfurtherup hisspine.Animmortalhasnoreasontofearunlessanotherimmortalwasinvolved. “Theinnocentmortal,theoneindespair,”Hadesponders,tappinghischininmock thought.“Whatdoyoubelievehappenedtohim?”

Hislipspart,thethoughtdawninguponhim.He’dmomentarilyforgottenwhathehad beendoingbeforeappearinghere.

Ayoungman.

Theriver.

Thenitallfades.

TheGodoftheUnderworldsmiles,sinisterandwrong.“MypoorFerryman.You’reno longeralive.”

Kharonfreezes,hisentireimmortalformstilling.“LordHades,Iamalreadydead.”

“No,youweremerelyfloatingonthecusp.Deathandlife.Becauseofmymercy,you didn’ttrulydie.Butnow,theStyxhasswallowedyou,andyoumayneverreturntothe Underworld.Youaredoomedtoremainhereforevermore.”

Forever.

Hewouldgomad;theisolationwouldconsumehimuntilthoughtisnolongerrational. Hewillneverescortanothersoulacrossthewatersthatruinedhim.

AndKharon,FerrymanoftheUnderworld,watchesinresignationasHadesdisappears inacloudofblackvoid.

Art

What has been your favorite part about PVI Art so far?

My favorite part about PVI Art so far has been deciding what I make and creating beautiful pieces. I really love capturing moments in my life on the canvas; it's also the way I show myself to other people.

- Malena Pereira Sivulka ’27

The people are what make PVI Art such an important part of our school community. I am grateful to everyone who has helped me grow in grace and wisdom, as well as in my creativity.

- Nikita Piper ’27

My favorite part about PVI Art so far has been the calmness as soon as I walk through the door. All my worries about other classes sizzle down and my mind can just rest as I draw. I may experience stress about the art, but all stress about assignments in other classes disappears in thin air.

- Lauren Thompson ’27

Isable Lee ’27

My favorite part about PVI Art is critiquing in class. I love to hear what other people think about my art, the good and the bad, so that I can make improvements and be the best artist I can.

- Jenna Pugsley ’26

What is your favorite medium to use?

I love using Colored Pencils and Paints because of their versatility and color. The ability of even only two colors to be mixed in different amounts to create such distinct values, in both mediums, is remarkable and a display of their power. Additionally, the sheer variety of colors and values that can be created can invoke so many different emotions and can capture a moment very powerfully.

- Ryan McGinn ’26

I enjoy using graphite and colored pencils most because they can be more precise, and I feel like I have the most control over what I make with them.

- Jocelyn Sweeney

’28

My favorite medium to use is acrylic paint, because it is easy to correct mistakes and to create the exact colors I want. I also enjoy painting skin with acrylic, since you can layer it easily and create depth.

- Keira Malli ’27

Why have you decided to keep going with PVI Art and take more than the required credit?

For me, art at PVI was never a requirement to me but a dream I wanted to pursue. I not only get to express my talent but also expand it by learning new techniques and mediums.

- Ryan McGinn ’26

Lukas Broadwell ’27

I've decided to keep going with PVI Art because it's what helps my mind soothe, and I love expressing my creative freedom. My art might not have a profound theme with abstract elements, but my creative freedom is still expressed by drawing what I like to draw.

- Lauren Thompson ’27

Growing up, I've always loved making art, so taking it in school allows me to take a break from work. It also helps me develop my skills because I really want to improve.

- Jocelyn Sweeney ’28

Art is like a break from my day, where I can clear my mind and just focus on painting and listening to music.

- Keira Malli ’27

Why do you like art?

When did you start drawing?

I have liked art since I could pick up a pencil. I started art classes when I was 6 in Europe, going to adult art classes with my dad, and it just never stopped. Later, maybe in 7th grade, I joined an art school and spent around 10 hours there a week. It has always been a part of my life, and it just feels right; I will always enjoy seeing what I am able to create.

- Malena Pereira Sivulka ’27

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Both my parents are talented artists, and they inspired me to pursue art. The reason why I like art is that it doesn't have rules or requirements; I am able to draw what I want and grow at my own pace.

- Nikita Piper ’27

I have always liked to draw from a young age and it is a good way to relax. The art classes at PVI have helped me develop my skill.

- Avery Thom ’27

I like art because it gives me an opportunity to create something beautiful, while also giving me space to be calm and reflective on my life.

- Jenna Pugsley ’26

Ever since I was young, I had a deep appreciation for detail and expression. I started drawing when I was about 3 years old. I started by drawing my family and my favorite Superhero, Batman. The more I drew, the more I desired to grow in my ability to communicate the image in my mind to the page. As my ability has grown, so has my love for art as a whole. It gives me an outlet for my wildest dreams, helps to calm my mind, and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

- Ryan McGinn ’26

AWriter’sBlockClubProduction

Designers:SianChen’27,AveryThom’27,andGabrielleDelacourt’29

Moderator:Ms.VicqueFassinger

ThismagazinewasdesignedusingCanva.