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Cornucopia

An Abundance of Thoughts

The English Online Journal of “George Călinescu”

Theoretical High School, Constanţa

2/2018

Iuliana Vizan

(editor)

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The publication of this second issue strengthens the idea that students use a variety of

literature(s) when learning English as a second language. Similar to the first issue of Cornucopia,

the present one demonstrates that English is a way of life, and not just a foreign language that

needs to be taught and studied thoroughly.

Special thanks to all the teachers from “George Călinescu” Theoretical High School from

Constanţa who offered their full support to this idea and who encouraged their students in

submitting their work(s) for the present issue. Moreover, the idea of Cornucopia could not have

been completed without Arissa Visinescu’s support and motivation in designing the cover photo

and the chapter images. Her talent is greatly appreciated.

IULIANA VIZAN teaches English as a second language at “George Călinescu” Theoretical

High School, Constanţa. She has a Ph.D. in New Historicism and Japanese American Literature

at Ovidius University of Constanta. She started her teaching career in 2012 and was the head of

European Projects and Programs Department (2013-2015) and the head of Educational Projects

and Programs Department (2015-2016). She is not only involved in teaching English to high

school students, but she is also an active member of RAAS - Romanian Association for

American Studies (RAAS is a branch of the EAAS - European Association for American

Studies), RSEAS – the Romanian Society for English and American Studies (RSEAS is a branch

of the ESSE – the European Society for the Study of English), MESEA – The Society for Multi-

Ethnic Studies: Europe and The Americas, and EDAR (Educational Drama Association in

Romania).

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Editor

IULIANA VIZAN

Cornucopia

An Abundance of Thoughts

Foreword by

Iuliana VIZAN

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Contents

FOREWORD …………………………………………………………………………...………. 6

POETIC IMAGERY ………………………………………………………………….…..…… 7

My Beautiful Country (Alexandra Avram) ……………………………………………………… 8

A Poem about My Country (Carla-Anca-Andreea Cernamorîţ) ………………………..……… 10

An American Rap Anthem (Şerban Nopcea) ……………………………………..……………. 11

Romania, My Country (Briana Ştefania Petrescu) ………………..…………………………… 12

The Sad Truth (Maria-Alexandra Crîmu) ………………………………………...……………. 13

A Real World (Andrei Dănuţ Savin) …………………….………………….…………………. 14

The Country of My Soul (Briana-Andreea Ivanciu) ………...………………………….……… 15

My Dearest Country (Mircea-Andrei Lupu) …………………………...………………………. 17

CREATIVE WRITING ………………………………………………..…….……………….. 18

Past Time (Daria Nicoleta Elisei) ………………………...……………………………………. 19

Which Country is in My Soul? (Ioana Gabriela Venţel) ………………………………………. 20

Fantasy (Ina Ana-Maria Munteanu) ……………………………............................……………. 21

My All-time Favourite Country (Petru Ogrinji) ………………………………………….……. 22

(TIME)TRAVEL WRITING …………………………………….…...……………………… 23

There’s no Place like Home: Travel Diary (Clara-Maria Clopoţ) ………………………...…… 24

Travel Diary in Time (Corina-Iuliana Chenac) ……………………………………...………… 26

Travel Journal to the UK (Răzvan-Nicolae Tincă) ………………………………..…………… 29

Letter to my Future Self (Petru Ogrinji) ……………………………………………………….. 30

Message to my Future Self (Ana-Maria Mihalache) ……………………………………...…… 31

Hello! It’s me, your Younger Self (Cristiana Tega) ………………………………………..….. 32

A Little Help (Alexandra Avram) …………………………………………………………...…. 33

Galaxy of Pure Friendship (Elisei Daria Nicoleta) ………………………...…………...……… 34

Letter to a Faraway Friend (Bucur Maria Mihaela) ……………………………………...…….. 35

My First Rain of Stars (Stoica Alexia Maria) ………………………………….………...…….. 36

Space Adventures with Ally and Coco (Ghiţă Alida) ……………..……………………...……. 37

TEEN JOURNALIST ALERT ……………………………………………….……………… 39

Summer ’18 Agenda (Beleşică Sabina-Andreea) ………….………………………….……….. 40

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FOREWORD

This second issue of Cornucopia: An Abundance of Thoughts comprises poems, stories,

letters, parts of travel journals and articles belonging to the “George Călinescu” Theoretical High

school students whose works were gathered during the second semester of the 2017-2018 school

year. The works included here are mainly concerned with Romania, the country in which

students were born and educated. Their works reveal positive and negative aspects connected to

Romania and other countries which had and still have a great impact in the development of their

identities.

The first section of the journal, “Poetic Imagery”, includes eight poems belonging to both

middle school and high school students. This part brings to light social and political issues of

Romania nowadays. While some pomes such as the ones belonging to Briana Ivanciu, Andrei

Lupu, Carla Cernamorîţ and Briana Petrescu, bring hope to the reader and to the citizen who

loves and respects the country in which he/she was born, Alexandra Crîmu and Andrei Savin

show us the other side of the coin: the corruptive power of politicians and the influence money

has on everyday life. Alexandra Avram and Şerban Nopcea do not see Romania as their dream

country. Instead they resort to Spain and America, respectively. The students’ poetic imagination

only proves that individuals think differently and have completely different ideas about their

idealized country and their utopian society.

The second section of the present issue, “Creative Writing”, is also concerned with the

ideal country from the points of view of four students. While Daria Elisei views her own country

as a place where all her experience gathered and titles it “Past Time”, Ioana Venţel prefers

Greece and Korea, as these are two places she has visited with her family. On the other hand,

Petru Ogrinji prefers Russia for its diversity and tradition and also for its winter activities. Ina

Munteanu supports the idea of Utopia and adds that neither country is perfect, but one should

take the example of Baltic countries.

The third and the most complex section of Cornucopia is titled “(Time)Travel Writing”.

The first three contributors (Clopoţ Clara, Chenac Corina and Tincă Răzvan) attempted and

succeeded in imagining themselves being able to travel in time, be it future or past, and shared

their life experience. The next three students – Petru Ogrinji, Ana-Maria Mihalache and Cristiana

Tega – chose to write letters to their future selves, while the last five students (Avram Alexandra,

Daria Elisei, Bucur Mihalea, Stoica Alexia and Alida Ghiţă) tell us about their adventures with

friends from oute space.

The last section, “Teen Journalist Alert”, presents Sabina Beleşică, an eleventh grade

student of our high school, who will undoubtedly become a successful journalist in the near

future. Her article is comprises fashion and travel tips for an unforgettable summer holiday.

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Poetic Imagery

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My Beautiful Country

Alexandra Avram

Grade 7A

Running through the old dirt roads

With colorful houses and breeze in my hair

Coming through tons of flowers, orange blossoms,

And sunflowers opening full.

I’ve never imagined something more beautiful.

Spain has to be my favourite country

Even if I have never been there.

I’ve always imagined myself on the streets of Spain,

Dancing in the middle of the night, in the light of the moon.

Detaching myself from the reality of these days.

Being on a beach at 6 a.m. watching the sunrise,

With all the birds singing on the rocks near the sea.

It’s my favourite moment of peace of mind.

I have always dreamed walking in the Seville Plaza

And going to museums and admiring all kinds of art

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Because I love feeding my soul with art…especially the one of Spain.

I’ve always dreamed of living in Spain

With the love of my life and my family.

Walking down the mountain

And looking for a forest to go camping…

Simply because I love the smell of grass

In those dark days when I’m sad.

Spain has my heart

And it will always have it.

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A Poem about My Country

Carla-Anca-Andreea Cernamorîţ

Grade 7A

Sweet, beautiful country

In my soul it is your place, and if you ever

leave me, I’ll miss you more than you think.

I will never let anyone destroy you, have faith in me.

I’ll take care of you every second of my life on this Earth.

I’ll take care of you like you’re my only precious child, have faith in me.

You are my friend,

you are my everything.

Thanks for always being here for me.

You know my dreams, you know my feelings.

and you are better than Canada or America.

You are better than everything and everyone

and I will never let you down.

Thank you for everything!

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Şerban Nopcea

Grade 7A

Fifty states united and very happy

From New York to Cincinnati

To Chicago and L.A.

From Hollywood Walk of Fame to Broadway.

Don’t forget Texas, Florida,

Washington, Central America

Alaska, Alabama, Arizona,

Mississippi, Missouri, Minnesota,

Maryland, Kansas and Georgia

Iowa, Massachusetts, California…

Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio,

Wyoming, Wisconsin, there is so much we can do.

Every state, major beauty of itself

Makes the perfect mood for oneself.

Visiting America is a pleasure

Every city has its treasure.

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Romania, my Country

Brianna Ştefania Petrescu

Grade 7A

Romania, my country

I really love living here.

It has mountains and forests

And wheat on the plains.

I only have beautiful things to say about

Our language…sweet and melodious

I kept it for thousands of years;

I did not give it to the enemies.

Dear country, you make me proud!

The woods start singing.

And the people who listen to them

Relax and go deeper into the forest

With waters flowing down the valley.

My country is all I am.

Love and everything I feel.

I will always be here..

Belonging to the country.

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The Sad Truth

Maria-Alexandra Crîmu

Grade 11D

Not everywhere flowers are blue

And smiles can warm you.

Indifference is haunting you

Because people want to hurt you.

In my country this is priority

To grow up and learn that

Money is all you want.

From this point of view

The world is upside down;

Evil is spreading now.

You don’t have to forget:

The only things that make us human

Are happiness and emotions,

And without them

You are nothing at all.

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A Real World

Andrei-Dănuţ Savin

Grade 11D

They want you to obey like a dog

While the truth is hidden in the fog,

To keep your eyes blind

And every retail impossible to find.

You have to make your first steps in this dense fog

And step up like an underdog.

Trying to create a better place to live

Forgetting evil deeds but not the kindness that people give.

A world where you rule by rules,

Not the rules lead you…

Where you can erase unpleasant memories

Just like a simple tattoo

Where everyone can forgive a mistake

And no one has to be fake.

A place without laws

Where everyone can live without those.

We do not need a new demagogue,

But conflicts that can end with a simple dialogue.

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The Country of my Soul

Briana-Andreea Ivanciu

Grade 11D

Do you think I’ll choose another one?

All your memories here are gone?

Did you forget about your roots?

About family, friends and goods?

You probably don’t think I’ll choose that

It’s the last thing you thought for..

Your soul seems so flat

If you don’t want it, just close the door.

Romania is the country of my soul

A lot of traditions and that’s not all

A lot of influences, but still authentic

Please, don’t be so skeptic!

Here we have Dracula and ancient ruins,

A colorful tradition, a lot of ethnicities

If you don’t want to believe it,

Look at our native fields.

In small words I can say everything

About this country and how bad is it,

But we didn’t do anything

We just want the first step from it?

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First, let’s think about that,

We can make a change

I think it’s not really hard

Let’s get our revenge.

We can be among the first,

Just give it a try.

You can’t lose anything here

Let’s succeed and fly!

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My Dearest Country

Mircea-Andrei Lupu

Grade 11E

Oh, my country with green fields

I see the black sea in the winds.

Oh, you, my dearest place

You’re the one who makes my pace.

In the mid ‘18s

When the union has been made,

Our nation made the grates’

Ceremony in the bay.

Day by day passes

You’re getting old, dear lady…

Dobruja, sweat county,

Many times you’ve been away.

We are glad that you are back

Even if we lost our track.

Many people you have made

Together for you to raid.

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Creative Writing

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Past Time

Daria Nicoleta Elisei

Grade 7A

My soul is able to change by the things that are happening to me. In my soul I have the

“memory book” where you can find all my memories written piece by piece. Also, here my feelings are

at home.

Why do I say that? Well, it’s too difficult to show my feelings to people…because they can

hurt me with them. In my soul, many galaxies of dreams, feelings and experiences are playing in

peace. From the voice of my soul many sparkles walk down my mind. This is like a magic formula to

keep your dreams alive.

Millions of metaphors fight reality when my spirit is ready to decide. Millions of words are

waiting to be heard. Here the flowers begin to smell when the night is full of peace and with the

nostalgia of falling stars. Everything is both insane and understood. Every day here the show begins

with real subjects. The bad part is when dark clouds send me thunders of the past. The present clouds

are constantly fighting with the moon of the past.

The country of my soul is called “Past Time” and the key which can open the locked door is in

your heart. You must know how to get it and, more importantly, how to use it. At first, it can be a

strange world and if you can stand and feel it, you can travel into my past and watch the movie of my

life.

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Which Country is in My Soul?

Ioana Gabriela Venţel

Grade 7A

I do not have a favourite country. I have my preferences, which is why there are a couple of

countries that I like. One of them is Greece. Since my early days my parents have taken me on trips.

Egypt, Croatia…you name it. There was one in particular that stuck to their hearts. It was Greece. My

parents loved it. That beautiful culture captured their hearts. So, they decided to visit it almost every

year. I was their companion, so it grew on me, too. I took after my parents and now I consider Greece

to be one of my favourites. My sister also loves it, as she was a toddler on her first trip to Greece.

The country itself is pretty nice. As a person who likes water a lot, the Greek beaches amazed

me. Also, last year I took a diving lessons and the experience was more interesting than I have ever

imagined. Since I grew up with it, I consider it my second home. As I previously said, Greece is not the

only country that is in my soul. This is a more recent discovery, but I feel like it’s stuck to me pretty

well. I’m talking about Korea.

It may seem weird to others, but Korea is a pretty interesting country. It has an exquisite

culture, as well. However, I think that the main reason I like it is because it is so different that other

countries I’ve visited. I am a curious person, so I like different things. Asia itself is attractive. I like that

it is one step ahead in terms of technology. I also love their food, I admit. And let’s not forget about

their TV series and anime.

I guess this wraps it up. As I said, I am a curious person, so I wouldn’t be surprised if in the

future I decide to move to one of these places. But in order to do this, I must study hard and my

dreams will most likely come true one day.

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Fantasy

Ina Ana-Maria Munteanu

Grade 11D

In my opinion the perfect country does not exist; the perfect country is more like

an utopia, a fairy tale for kids. We all dream about changing something of our current

situation, the invisible plague that turns us against one another. Corrupt people care

only about themselves and steal money which can be used to develop our sanitary and

education system.

Although our country is a mess, new mentalities are rising to change some

conditions like young and bold entrepreneurs, doctors who choose not to leave the

country, saving desperate and ill Romanians. I think we should take inspiration from

other states which somehow managed to find a path towards perfection, like the Baltic

countries. There the citizens live a relaxing, stress-free life. They only work five to six

hours a day because the state representatives realized that the employees are more

efficient that way. Children like going to school, their teachers being respected and

having one of the biggest salaries in the system.

We have a beautiful country, but we do not benefit from it, our leaders being

preoccupied with fraud and corruption. I really hope we will learn from past mistakes

and that the next generation will not be influenced by old, slow-witted minds. This

would be the only way to regain our past glory.

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My All-time Favourite Country

Petru Ogrinji

Grade 11D

The biggest country in the world that can envelop what until recently was considered

to be the smallest planet in our Solar System, Pluto, is the country that my soul belongs to. It

has a multitude of diversity and colorful tradition, from Tatars, Moldavians to the famous

Cossack that make up the ethnic groups.

Russia’s biggest cities are worth visiting at least once in your lifetime. Here we can

mention Moscow for its Red Square and Saint Petersburg for the beautiful 18th century

architecture from the time of Peter the Great, one of the greatest and most important Czars.

The people are usually warm-hearted like most Romanians, but they are more firm and

serious. The fun part is that if you try to speak a just a little bit Russian, you have just

become their best friend.

Another thing Russia is famous for is the wilderness of the Ural Mountains, the

Siberian tundra and taiga. For centuries have people tried to settle there, but very few have

won the battle with the Russian winter. The tundra is home to a multitude of animals, from

the wild boar to the famous tigers, elks and wolves. Apart from that, historically speaking,

the first “Russians” who settled to the northern lands of Europe were Vikings, and everyone

knows how famous they were.

So, Russia is a country that offers a lot to someone who knows and wants to cherish

and learn more about it. Going there would mean enjoying a wide range of activities from ice

fishing, hunting, even water skiing on the freezing water to the famous activities that are

seen on YouTube. Here we can mention being chased by bears on the streets, driving tanks

and so on. The only problems someone might encounter are the visas and we all know that

Russia does not really have open borders for everyone.

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(Time)Travel Writing

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There’s no Place like Home

Travel Diary

Clara-Maria Clopoţ

Grade 7A

May 7, 2022

I am in Italy, at a ballet workshop with Maria Postelnicu, at Vaganova Ballet Academy. I am

very excited to be here.

Status: happy

May 10, 2022

After three days of training, I am finally going to the san Francisco Academy of Ballet, thanks to

my Dance World Cup 2020 scholarship.

Status: excited

May 12, 2022

I am still in San Francisco and I can finally go to McDonald’s without gaining weight. I am so

excited to eat my favourite chicken nuggets.

Status: hungry

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May 14, 2022

I’m starting to miss my mother…and my cat … and my gold fish ☺ I hope they miss me, too. Just a

few more days and I’m home.

Status: lonely

May 17, 2022

I am now at the San Francisco International Airport. My twelve-hour flight seems to be delayed.

I’m soooo hungry….

Status: bored and starving +

May 18, 2022

Finally back home. Ah, Romania, how I’ve missed you. I’m very proud of myself because I

travelled alone, made new friends and gained tons of experience for my career.

Status: proud

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Travel Diary in Time

Corina-Iuliana Chenac

Grade 11E

Day 57 – Present day

If my researches were correct, this discovery will change the world.

I have just found out a way to build a time machine and I hope it will

work.

Day 98 – Present day

Eureka! The time machine is ready but first I need to test it. I set

the timer to the 1980s, a period that I like most. I press the button, but

nothing happens.

After ten seconds, a void appears. It’s blue and the light hurts my

eyes. I walk through it and enter into a world that looks like ancient

Greece. I panic and start running to the void, but it disappears. This is

not the right time period. What have I done?

Day 1 – Ancient Greece

After a very stressful night I wake up and start exploring the land.

I need to get some clothes really fast, Greek clothes, because mine look

very futuristic.

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I realized I need to make money in order to buy clothes, so I start

looking for a job.

Day 14 – Ancient Greece

The last two weeks passed so fast and after another hard night, I

woke up and went looking for a job again. Although I found some nice

places, they didn’t want to employ me. After some time, a tailor accepted

my request because he liked my odd clothes. “They look extravagant”, he

said.

I made some money after helping him sawed a dress for a wedding

ceremony that took place in the same day. With the money I gained I

bought clothes and food, which was very delicious.

Day 28 – Ancient Greece

After a good night’s sleep I started to discover the things around

here. I saw some people working hard to build some strongholds. “This

must be one of the three ancient cities from the Dobruja”, I thought,

“Tomis, Histria or Callatis”.

A funny thing happened today, though. I was strolling through the

city when I saw a noble lady being attacked. She was desperately trying

to escape from the man who was clearly trying to harass her. I decided

to help her and the authorities come exactly when I start pushing him.

The lady thanked me and gave me a ring as a reward.

Suddenly, the void appeared and I got through it. Finally home! “I

should destroy the machine”, I thought, “It’s too dangerous for people to

use it”.

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Day 102 – Present day

Oh, what a journey! I’ll definitely start writing about my time

travelling experience. It’s just a pity that I had to destroy the machine. I

can’t risk anything now that it’s possible to travel in time. I don’t want

to cause problems in the time-space continuum. Altering the past could

cause serious consequences to nowadays’ society.

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Travel Journal to the UK

Răzvan-Nicolae Tincă

Grade 11D

August 15, 2016

Today I arrived in the UK. I won’t be here for long, just 3 days. Yet again, it would

be great to visit several locations. I was pretty tired after the trip, so I decided to leave

the visiting for tomorrow. I walked around the city and maybe entered in a few shops,

but I never thought about something else. The best part today was one of their parks. It

was amazing!

August 16, 2016

It’s my second day here and I decided to visit the thing nobody visiting this

country can miss: the famous Big Ben! It’s even higher than I imagined! I mean, I saw

pictures, of course, but none come close to this. It was a pretty long tour, but the guide

obviously knew what she was doing. She told us many interesting facts about the tower

and the UK in general, also making jokes, making the time fly.

August 17, 2016

Well, today is the day I return home, but I had to keep a promise first. A good

friend of mine moved here, so we talked and decided to meet since he had a day off

from school. He wanted to show me one last place before I left: the 0° Meridian. I’ve

heard about it myself. People all over the world go there just to put their feet on both

sides and say they are in both western and eastern hemisphere at the same time. As

expected, the crowd there was huge and if I decided to stay there, I would have missed

my flight. So, we just went and ate something before taking a cab to the airport. This

wasn’t a long trip and I’m certainly looking forward to visiting it again.

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Letter to My Future Self

Petru Ogrinji

Grade 11D

Dear Petru,

You are going to be quite surprised who sent you this letter; the 15-year younger version of

yourself! Take a deep breath and hear me out.

I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that you've already finished the University of Law and

have even become a judge or prosecutor just like you wanted all those years ago. I hope you haven't

changed a lot and still keep a good sense of humour even in stressful moments; I've always loved smiling in

the hardest moments of my life. You should keep your heart and soul pure and white as paper especially

when you have a job that is full of many perilous paths around every corner.

If you haven't changed a lot from 15 years ago, you should try to improve by gaining more and

more knowledge, reading and don't overthink every thought that comes into your head just like I do. Try

to get a little better at swimming; the last time I checked my swimming skills, my ski jet got out of fuel in

the middle of the lake...that wasn't really fun at all, swimming and carrying a 130kg jet for 2 hours

straight is quite the memory.

I really hope I helped you develop more and more by reminding you about your 15-year younger

self, about my little achievements and my little past mistakes and I can't wait to live those 15 years for

myself and see what you've been through.

Yours,

Petru

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Message to my Future Self

Ana-Maria Mihalache

Grade 11D

Dear me from the future,

I’m writing you at the age of seventeen, when problems are represented by quarrels with

parents and best friends. There are also other things which I have worked for in order to have

a better life; some of them are the ECDL Certificate and the German language one for level A2.

I hope that after all the work you have put into your formation, your suffering and worries

that you have endured all these years, you have finally succeeded in attending Law School, and

you have graduated with very good results. You now have a job, a home you are proud of, and

the people around you respect you, just like you dreamed of.

And above all, I hope you will not stop here. You’ve work so hard, but you should not only

stick to this job and a simple home. Do not forget about the rest of your plans; those plans you

dreamed about while in high school.

I hope you’re just as proud of yourself as I am now writing this letter.

Love,

your younger self

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Hello! It’s me, your Younger Self

Cristiana Tega

Grade 11D

Dear Future Self,

Hey, it’s me, the 18 year old Cristiana. I hope you are doing well. You must be with your family, your husband and

children, and you are extremely happy and have fulfilled almost all of your dreams. I’m sure that you have finished college

and you are doing what you love.

You know that I like travelling a lot, so I hope that you have visited lots of places. No one lives forever, don’t forget

that. You must live your life by going to different places, doing just what makes you happy and meeting new people.

You must be 28 years old by now, so you are a mature person. At my current age, the relationship with my parents

is really good and I hope I will remain the same and that YOU will be the same. What advice can I give you? Try to be a

good mom and spend as much time as possible with your kids. In this way, you will be able to understand them better. It is

compulsory that you have a good relationship with both your kids and your husband.

Given the fact that I am still a teenager, I use to get angry very easily. I can only hope that you have learned to be

calm and patient. I only have one question for you and maybe you can answer me: if you could change one thing about your

life, what would it be? Oh well, this is where I leave you. See you in 10 years.

Blue skies,

Cristiana

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A Little Help

Alexandra Avram

Grade 7A

One day, I was at school, upset because I failed my Biology test. I decided

to study for the next test, but I couldn’t understand anything so I left because I

was angry.

While I was in the parking lot, I saw something similar to an airplane or

a helicopter. Suddenly, that thing landed on the ground and I realized it was a

spaceship. But not any spaceship, it was Yoggy’s, my secret friend from Mars!

We hugged and I brought him home, so everyone in my family could

meet him. Once we arrived home, he asked me why I was upset. It took a lot of

courage to tell him about the test. At that very minute, I remembered that he has

the ability to memorize everything from a library in only one night.

So, I put him in my bag and he helped me during the test. Not very fair,

but, hey, I really wanted to pass that test. After this, he went straight home and

through messages I told him that I got a big grade and thanked him for his

help.

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Galaxy of Pure Friendship

Daria Nicoleta Elisei

Grade 7A

My bizarre friend, who lives on Saturn, is called Zeppy. He is a

better friend than the ones on Earth because he does not judge you and

he always listens to you. Zeppy has a special ability: together with his

warm words, his feelings and his experiences, he builds a powerful

latch that would not allow you to be defeated by the force of evil

created by the words of those next to you.

The funny thing is that in the evening, we use to communicate

through some sea shells that we gathered from one of our adventures.

When I look at him it’s like I’m in a spell; when I look into his eyes, I

can see in every galaxy. One time he told me how each falling star

headed to Earth. I still remember how I felt when I heard that.

His biggest fear, however, is to talk to the girl he likes. Deven is

her name. Oh, and his greatest desire is to make peace with all the

landlords from the Universe. We were even thinking of writing a book

about the beautiful things on Earth and Saturn. In this way, we would

be able to show the landlords that true friendship is not about the one

near you, but about the one who is there when you need help and who

keeps his/her promise regardless of the situation.

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Letter to a Faraway Friend

Maria Mihaela Bucur

Grade 7A

Dear Nova,

It’s been a long time since we last talked. But that’s alright. I mean, there are 58.232 years light

between our planets, so it’s hard to keep in touch.

What have you been doing lately? For instance, I’ve done lots of things. As an Outer Space

Treasure Hunter, I never have time to relax. This week, I’ve been travelling to Milky Way to find some

ancient artifacts and relics. Fortunately, I had found them immediately! Then, I went to the

constellation Orion, to collect some stars and investigate them. Tomorrow is a very exciting day,

because I’ll visit Neptune, the farthest planet from Earth and the coldest, for the first time. There, I’ll

search for alien colonies. I’m looking forward to making new friends on Neptune. Before I go there,

I’ll have to take some very warm clothes, because it’s awfully cold on that planet.

And, don’t forget: You can’t say a word about what I have just told you. The Police of the Galaxy

will arrest me, because, apparently, it’s forbidden to travel to different planets more than once a year.

P.S. I’m coming to Saturn, your native planet, next week and I hope we can meet. I miss you so much.

After all, you’re my best friend! Please send me a letter as soon as you can!

Lots of love,

Maria

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My First Rain of Stars

Alexia Maria Stoica

Grade 7A

I once made a friend on the Moon and I thought I would make him a

surprise and go visit. When we met, he was very happy; he did not expect me to

do that.

While I was unpacking my luggage, he was making a list for us with all the

things that we needed to do during my visit. We went looking for the most

beautiful flower on the only and the highest mountain on the Moon. A few days

later, I reached the top of the mountain and found the flower. He carefully

picked the flower and gave it to me to keep it as a souvenir. “This is friendship”

I thought. We even swam in the Star Sea near his house. On the bottom of the

sea, we found the most beautiful and brilliant star and he decided to name it

after me.

I spent a month there, which on the Moon means three days. On the last

day there was a rain of stars. I was able to watch it from my plane. I felt so

complete, and at the same time, extremely sad because I left the Moon.

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Space Adventures with Ally and Coco

Alida Ghiţă

Grade 7A

My name is Ally. My story started a few years ago, when I created a machine that transports

anyone and anything to any space in the galaxy. At the beginning I was fascinated of what I created,

and visited many countries but then, I went a bit too far and got myself on a planet called Unistar.

Unistar was full of magical creatures like Dragons, Unicorns and mermaids. There, I met my best

friend, Coco, a unicorn.

Since then it has been two years, and now I am 14 years old and living a boring and

ordinary life.The reason I haven’t visited Coco for so long is that after I returned from Unistar, the

machine broke down. Since then, I have been trying to repair it, but I haven’t been able to, at least

not until today!

As soon as I heard the “beep” that the machine makes, I hopped into it and went straight

to Unistar. When I got there I almost thought that I got to the wrong planet; everything was almost

destroyed and no creature to be seen. I felt something grabbing me from behind, so I turned

around a saw Coco.

“Omg! Coco I am so glad to see you ! How are you?”

“Shhhhhhhhhhhh ! Follow me NOW!” She said madly. Once we got into a weird trench-

looking room, we hug and talked.

“Ally I am so sorry for earlier, but we just could not talk. We are in war with the Shark

Kingdom” my friend quickly explained. After we talked a bit more about almost EVERYHING we

suddenly heard a big “BOOOM”!

Coco grabbed my hand and we ran off, but got stopped by some sharks. I grabbed a bat

from the ground and started hitting the sharks with no mercy along with Coco. After the fight, we

ended up on a ship. We headed straight to the cockpit, I sat in the co-pilot seat and Coco sat in the

pilot seat. Even if it was not the first time I was piloting a ship I was scared that if I did something

wrong, the ship would explode. Feeling my uneasiness, Coco put her hove on my hand as an

encouraging gesture.

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“Everything will be fine, girl!” She says turning on the radio, our favorite song starts ‘Oops,

I did it again’ by Britney Spears.

“Oops, I did it again, I played with your heart” I continued.

“Stop singing, Ally! We have other things to worry about” said Coco at once.

“You are no fun!” I said acting mad.

After some time, we got on a planet called Gingerland, where every single thing was made

out of candy and the people on the planet were gingerbread men. I fell in love with most of them

and instantly asked one to marry me, so I can eat him, but Coco dragged me out of that situation.

They probably thought I was some lunatic, but I do not care - gingerbread is delicious!

After we walked a bit, Coco told me that we have to meet with the King for a formal dinner

because Unistar wants to sign a peace treaty with Gingerland. When we got there, the room was

full of sharks that attacked us, but one in particular sprayed me with some liquid that made me

hallucinate.

All I saw were Gingerbread men…everywere.

“AllY lOvEEs GINgerBREad!” I started saying, or singing…I’m not sure.

“Ally, what the rainbow is wrong with you?” asked Coco.

“AllY allrIGHT, you Crazy!” I said with a drunk Australian accent.

Coco came to me and injected a weird liquid that made me feel better. A few seconds later

I got up and started fighting with the sharks, putting every piece of combat I know in practice. After

days of endless fighting, the Unistar kingdom defeated the Sharks and I could return home to my

family.

“Ally, thank you so much for your help. We would not have done it without you!”

“Coco, I promise I will return as soon as possible” I said with tears in my eyes.

With one last hug I entered my machine and teleported home, where I needed to confront

another war, but with my parents for being gone this long.

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Teen Journalist Alert

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