The

Archer’s

Aim

CKMS Boys’

Literary Publication

2011

A Life on the Prairie by Nathan Giha

We was ridin‟ on the prairie, big an‟ open an‟ free,

Jest some friends of mine, the dogeys, my horse and me.

When you‟re outside on the prairie, with all the things you‟re makin‟,

I sure hope one of those things is a big ol‟ heap of bacon.

Why, there‟s miles of prairie to explore,

An‟ it‟s jest you an‟ me to open the door.

To the marvelous things you won‟t find in the city,

Wow, this prairie is awful pretty.

Some people think we‟re lonely, but in no form that‟s true,

We can‟t see our friends and family, but in some ways we do.

My friends are the horses, my family is the crew,

And we‟ll stay together, no matter what we do.

We mustn‟t forget the sight of the prairie at dawn,

To this lone fact is the thing to that I am drawn.

This ain‟t no job, it‟s a way of life,

That I defend with a holy knife.

I was getting‟ to bed and the wind was blowin‟,

Which I believe was surely showin‟.

The beauty of this land and the freedom, too,

That‟s why we‟re here, both me and you.

The Life of a Cowboy by Bryce Becker

The sun aint up but yet I am,

Awalkin‟ to the chuck wagon to get me some ham.

See the empty plains arollin‟,

Began to think if cattle‟d been stolen.

With boots in stirrups and hat in hand,

My horse galloped over the sand.

Thousands of cattle lining the prairie,

After I‟m done I‟ll be weary.

Ridin‟ on my leather saddle,

Roundin‟ up the stubborn cattle,

Thinkin‟,they aint so ferocious,

But their breath is quite atrocious.

I heard a scream from back by the feed,

That‟s when I knew it was a stampede.

Grabbed the reins to show my devotion,

Kicked my spurs to get my horse in motion.

Quite a while my horse did run,

I reckon he did run „til the day was done.

With the stampede over I thought about rest,

Then I remembered what I like best.

Soccer

by Harrison Chen

Cleats tearing up the turf

Legs flying, arms pumping

Dodging opponent after opponent

Sweat dripping down his face

Heavy breathing echoes through the stadium

The subtle sound of each hypnotizing dribble

The distant sound of fans cheering

The slows down

The shot

Impact.

The ball ripples through the net. GOOOOAAAL!!!!

I love to play sports. I have played on six soccer teams. The two Brookside teams are outdoor teams.

The Wizards and The Force are indoor teams, and Birmingham United is a outdoor travel team. I love

when you get a breakaway and score when you’re playing midfield. I have been playing soccer since

I was three. I also like to race ski. I have won two club championships at Otsego. I have been invited

to the national race in Colorado four years in a row. I’m starting to do slalom skiing, but I can’t race it

until next year but for now I have to race GS. At Orchard Lake Country Club, I do swim team, play

tennis, and play golf. I just started playing football. Sports are fantastic.

by Kyle Ghesquiere

Side by Side

by: Evan Sirls

When I was young, I always thought of a hero to be Superman, a famous sports player, or an actor who

starred in a cool action movie. As I got older, I grew out of this stage, and began to realize that my Michigan

hero was always right beside me no matter what. Throughout my whole life I have been dependent on my father

without even realizing it. He has guided me through many different journeys and has always helped me at times

when I struggle the most. My dad is not only a hero to my family but to the people around us as well.

Throughout most of my father‟s life he has worked as a surgeon helping people with their medical needs.

Once a year for a couple of weeks my dad will go to Mozambique, Africa. Here, he performs surgery on many

people that do not have the money or technology to seek medical attention. My dad has inspired me so much

because he travels so far to help people who are not as fortunate as my family. I always count down the days

until my father comes home but remembering the good he is doing in Africa makes the time go quicker.

From when I was born, my father has always made my family his top priority. He always is making an effort

to spend time with me on an open weekend or ask how my day was at school. I have no words to explain my

appreciation towards my father and his dedication and love devoted to me. When I am terribly sick he will sit

by my side putting his arm around me not caring how contagious my virus is. He is always the first one to

nurture me when I‟m hurt, or laugh at a joke that is not even funny. He has helped me all my life and has taught

me many lessons that I will never forget.

My dad always says that everything is just a learning experience and that I can always make up for my

mistakes if I work hard. My dad has taught me that if I do poorly on a test or break the rules, I should blame no

one but myself. He has taught me that no one can force me or influence me to do anything unless I let them. My

dad is not just a hero because of his dedication and kindness, but because of all the lessons and help he has

given my family and me.

I had never realized that the person who loved me most, and who would always help me no matter what was

always right beside me. I am always relying on my dad to give me criticism, teach me responsibility and

provide me with education. My dad and I have a great relationship that I hope will never end. I will love him

forever and he will always be my number one Michigan hero.

Seventh Grade Interim Reflections

Sonnet #1: Our Trip

by: David Darmon

The nights are very dark and they are cold,

All day it is hot, the sun did it shine.

The colors of the desert, they were bold,

The views were spectacular in my mind.

By plane and by bus to finally get,

To Woody Mountain of Flagstaff camp ground,

A trip I truly will never forget.

Did we set up our camp site in the round.

A vulture, condor, a squirrel did we see,

The mountains and river, how cool it was,

How pretty nature in Flagstaff could be,

The colorful flowers, with bees abuzz.

This Arizona trip, never forget,

A return trip there, my parents should let.

by Noah Momblanco

The bus ride was full of “Elden Pueblo!”

It was not very far from the campsite,

We learned all about many artifacts,

And then we learned all about the dwellings,

One wall looked like there had been some bombings,

During the weaponry, few made contact,

While excavating, pots were black and white,

Although the one I unearthed was micro.

Driving down the road seemed just a bit long,

Sliding down Slide Rock was surely worth it,

The water was icy, the rock mossy,

It was great fun, that you‟ll surely agree,

It was time to go, so I had to quit.

“Can we stay longer at Slide Rock?” we crowed.

Sonnet #2: The Grand Canyon by: David Darmon

With its sides so awesome and its paths steep

The canyon‟s depth, it took my breath away

The colors of the layers were vivid

A hike to bottom would be a challenge

A task so difficult, could I manage?

The views spectacular, days I could stay

I saw them clearly with my eyes I did

The Grand Canyon is beautiful and deep.

The canyon so dry during the hot day

You may see many of the colored rocks

The canyon so deep, I barely could see

The Colorado River, it did sweep.

By standing behind a wall made of block

It is cut by the River in one way.

Shakespearean Poem by Jordyn Finney

Slide Rock, a majestic natural slide,

A fun place play in water that’s cold,

Once you go down you are in for a ride,

Don’t be afraid of falling, we were told.

A big rock was falling from the blue sky,

It created a hole in the Earth’s side,

We saw a lot of birds that flew on by,

We wanted to go down but were denied.

We went to Sedona and bought some things,

We ate some dinner and decided to leave,

I know some people that bought colorful rings,

It was cold that night, so I pulled down my sleeves.

We arrived home at seven o clock,

That trip to Arizona really rocked.

Arizona by Blake Norwick

Arizona State is magnificent,

With wonderful stars glowing in the sky

Nature‟s alluring and enticing scent

Ominous volcanoes standing quite high.

With craters on the mysterious land,

Giving answers to archaeology

The Hoover Dam, made by the human hand,

It‟s a feat of modern technology.

Ponderosa Pines thrive in this great state,

Giving resources to Natives who know

Native American dwellings are great,

Protecting them from their dangerous foe.

The Grand Canyon tells stories of the past,

With the spectacular views meant to last

Interim Sonnet

by Alex Relle

Grand Canyon is vast I fell like a dot,

Grand Canyon is a big hold in the ground,

Meteor Crater so sunny I‟m hot,

Sis football fields long and perfectly round,

Zipping down Slide Rock feeling really bold,

Out of the water feeling like a star,

Sitting on cool ground feeling very cold,

Look up at the sky to see worlds so far,

A nice tribute to President Hoover,

Workers build the world‟s most impressive dam,

Mr. Williams worked hard like a mover,

Driving and schlepping the kids – what a man,

The world is so big and I‟m just a dot.

This trip was so great…I learned a lot!

Interim Sonnet by Nico Bennett-Carpenter

I saw the Grand Canyon near Flagstaff.

I saw the majestic condors, rulers

Of the Canyon, not slow, not dumb, not daff,

Not pretty, the vulture ruler, foolers

Of prey. I saw the ruins of Wupatki.

Pieces and parts of Wupatki still stand.

At Elden we dug and the rocks held the key.

We had plenty McNuggets, but not canned.

We shouted, swam, and played at Slide rock.

The water was freezing but we endured.

Not many lakes, very dry, so there‟s no dock.

Hungry were the boys, so the good food lured.

I will miss the tents and stand-up at night.

But I will come back; I do hope I‟m right!

Homework Stinks by Matt Thelan H omework is unnecessary O n and on I M ake no use of my time E verything about it is W orthless and it drags O n all through my R ecess, I want to drown it in K erosene and light it up. S o much T ime I s spent on N o-good assignments K ids have to S tart and finish in one night!

“NO!”

by Giuliano Stefanutti

A car once pulled up to my side

It smelled as if something had died

Infested with worms

And loaded with germs

And a man asked, “Do you need a ride?”

The Vine

by Chance McDermott

The vine twists and turns

It moves so soft and smoothly

Like a rope it twirls

It‟s a Wonderful World by Griffin Romney

I n spring

T he flowers bloom

S oft as a feather

A re the petals

W ith the help of the sun

O rchards grow many trees

N ew are the green leaves

D oing nothing but flowing

E verything seems nice

R ound fruits start to be ripe

F ound by young children

U se of the sprinkle is important

L ove is spread around by nature

W hen nothing else seems to be there

O ut there am I to think

R evision of life is not necessary

L iking the way things are

D o not change here, and now.

Springtime By Jonah Zekelman

S pring

P laying ball

R unning in the fields

I nspiring ideas

N ever ending excitement

G ames with my friends

T rouble makin‟

I magination

M eeting new friends

E verlasting fun

Man‟s Best Friend by Bennett Faliski

As I was pondering the question of who to choose as my Michigan hero, I couldn‟t single out just one

person. I am blessed to have many individuals I look up to and one hero, a four-legged critter who I “look down

to” every single day. They say that dogs are man‟s best friend, but I‟d say even more than that about our pet.

My dog, Cricket, is the Michigan Hero who I have finally discovered and inspires me with the way she lives

and who she represents.

Every day she wakes me up with a smile on her face and a big wet kiss. Cricket, you might think, is

quite a strange name for a dog, but she is named after my grandpa, Jim Williams, nicknamed since boyhood

Jiminy Cricket, who died of skin cancer following five hard years of fighting this terrible disease. I really think

he fought so hard to stay alive because he wanted to see my sister and I grow up. I know his blissful spirit and

loving personality lives vicariously through Cricket.

Surprisingly, when we got this super-dog, the owner told us that her sister had been diagnosed with

breast cancer the day Cricket was born. They had given our new dog the name Pink in memory of all the tough

women and even female dogs that have encountered the horrible disease.

When Cricket was only four months old the doctors told my family and I that she had severe juvenile

arthritis in both of her hind legs. Surgery was the only option for her to be able to walk. As the doctors gave us

the devastating news that surgery can also take years off a dog‟s life, I looked at Cricket, who just sat there

without a worry in her eye. After that day no longer did I wake up getting a kiss or a happy smile.

Following the surgery Cricket never gave up just like my grandfather. I cannot count the number of

steps she tried to take before she fell. Every day Cricket made more and more progress despite the painful

consequences of falling every time. But one day there was no consequence. She had the bounce back in her step

and the wag in her tail. When we took her to the doctor he said it was the fastest recovery from surgery he had

ever seen.

Cricket‟s joyful demeanor as I leave the house for school each morning reminds me to live my life with

a positive attitude. Through her embodiment of my grandfather and her struggle with her own physical

challenges, Cricket proves to me each and every day that I should stop at nothing to achieve my goals despite

any obstacles that may appear in front of me.

HERO PAPER

by Michael Wahrman

Everybody has character traits. No two people have the same character traits. I think there are six traits that sum up the good qualities of people. These traits are responsibility, justice fairness, trust, respect, and perseverance. If you can’t trust someone, you can’t rely on people to get something done. They may say that they will do something but what if you can’t trust them? You would have to do everything yourself. If you don’t respect people and their opinions then they will not want to be your friend. You will be lonely. Also, people must show perseverance. If we gave up the first time something didn’t work then we wouldn’t have most of the things we have today. It took Thomas Edison thousands of tries to make a light bulb but not once did he whine or stop working because it was too hard.

My hero is my mom. She is a great person who I think is capable, helpful, concerned, generous,

affectionate, responsible, intelligent, and resilient. She showed she was capable when she worked for eleven hours and then went to a charity meeting for another one and a half hours. She got home at ten. My mom was helpful when she worked at a charity for the whole day as a volunteer. My mom is always concerned. Every day she asks me how school was and how my day was. My mom is also very generous. At dinner she let me have the last piece of bread. She also donates lots to charities. Furthermore, my mom graduated from Michigan State University, so she is intelligent. A great trait my mom has is responsibility. One time I asked her to help me get some supplies for a project and I got the supplies by that night. She didn’t procrastinate at all. Both her traits and my important traits matched up some. We both had the general idea of respect and responsibility.

To me, the most important traits are all about trust, justice, fairness, respect, responsibility, and

perseverance. My mom demonstrates these traits and more. When I am older I hope to be as smart and as nice as my mom. Overall, she is a great person who everybody should look up to. I can always count on her and she is almost always in a good mood. That is why my mom is my hero.

Hero paper

by Samuel Leslie

I think the most important six traits are smart, adventurous, friendly, responsible, trustworthy, and

courage. I think these are important traits because they will help you make friends, have people trust you, and

responsibility will let people know they can trust you to do jobs that they thought a person without

responsibility couldn‟t do.

My hero‟s name is Julian and he is my hero because he has some very good character traits but not all of

them are my favorites but they are still good ones. They are active, friendly, helpful, mature, talented, wise,

responsible, and smart. Here are some examples of him showing these traits. When I needed help on some

homework he helped me without me even explaining what it was that I was that I was doing so that is an

example of him being smart. Here is another example, this one of him being responsible. When we were home

alone together he took care of me. The last example is him being active. Once every week I would go to his

house in the summer and swim in their pool and he even helped me learn how to swim.

Julian is a great hero and a great friend and shows many more traits that are good and I would put them

down if we could do more than six. But his best six are active, friendly, and smart. My favorite traits are smart,

adventurous, friendly, responsible, trustworthy, and courage.

Hero Paper

by Ryan Neff

Everyone in the world has different traits. These are the ones that are the most important

to me: compassion, wisdom, forgiveness, restraint, trust, and, loyalty. These are important

because if no one had had restraint or wisdom, no one would make the right decisions, and there

would be criminals everywhere. If no one had compassion or forgave, then wars would never

end and the world would be chaos. And, if no one was loyal or trusted, then everyone would be

suspicious of everybody else, and there would be no friends.

My hero is my dad. He is affectionate, crafty, cautious, generous, loyal, loving, lively and

clever. He is affectionate because he took me to a baseball game when I wanted to go. He is

crafty because he made me a winning pinewood derby car. He is cautious because he made me

wash my hands when I knew I did not have to. He is generous because he gave me the best

piece of steak. He is loyal because he stays with me wherever I go. My dad is loving because he

will fulfill my every need. He is lively because he will always make a joke that cheers everyone

up. He is also clever because he always gives me help on hard homework. These traits are

similar to my most important traits because he is compassionate, he has wisdom, he forgives, he

shows restraint, he trusts and he is very loyal.

My Dad is great. He is affectionate, crafty, cautious, generous, loyal, loving, lively and

clever. The traits that are important to me are compassion, wisdom, forgiveness, restraint, trust

and loyalty. My Dad and I value similar traits, and that is why he is my hero.

Maasai Position Essay

by Michael Bian

I think that the Maasai people needed to modernize. The Maasai people are a culture of

nomadic cattle raisers. The Maasai raise cattle to survive and have many ancient traditions. The

Maasai are located in central Kenya in Africa. The government has already taken steps to

modernize the people in Kenya by making them go to school which was not very effective and

did not help very much. They need to modernize because they have ancient and unnecessary

traditions which would not help the Maasai people very much.

Motor City

by Jeremy Cohn

Detroit is where I am from

Lately the city has been glum

We just need some time

To stop all the crime

The new beginning is to come.

I Am Proud to be a Michigander by Sukh Dhillon

Michigan, whose citizen I am,

Though many forget your toils,

You are a symbol of hope,

Magnificent from the North to the South,

From the East to the West,

And full of kind-hearted people,

Who are just as hard-working,

Yes, though many don‟t appreciate you,

I am proud to be a Michigander.

McDonald‟s

By Ethan Scherrer

me and my brother wanted pancakes

so we went to McDonald‟s because it was cheap.

we had only 2 dollars and 5 cents,

and when we got there, there was a long line,

and we waited and we waited.

and then it was our turn and we said we wanted pancakes,

and the cash register said it was 3 dollars plus tax,

we were sad because we didn‟t have enough money.

what would we do now?

But then this nice man behind us did a nice thing,

he lent us a dollar to get the pancakes.

I will always remember that wonderful day.

Birth

By Blake Rogow

Planted was a seed.

Once deep, now ready to sprout,

A baby is born.

Missing Shoes by Max Hermelin

Once a dog ate my shoe

And I didn‟t know what to do.

I asked my dad

Since I was sad,

And he said, “I ate one too!”

Agony by Cameron Maxwell

Pounding and pounding was my heart,

As I timidly took the start,

Took my position, ready to go,

Waiting for the horn to blow.

Vacation in Utopia by Naveen Karthik

i walked on the sandy beaches

and saw the majestic waterfalls

swam through the blue waters of a snaking river

climbed the steep walls of a soaring mountain

ran through the leafy plants of a forest

gave my greeting to the heavenly wildlife

sang a song to the mockingbirds

felt the drops of rain from the blue sky

i left in peace.

Man With Hernia Submitted by Grant Glover

A man with a hernia

Said to the surgeon Calpunia

“Now don‟t make a botch

Of this job on my crotch,

Or cut things that do not concern ya.”

Free Verse by Connor Paulus

Mountain Dew is yummy

Pitch Black is good

Livewire is great

Supernova is super

Original is awesome

Voltage is tasty

Baja Blast is special

Code Red is boss

Throwback is old school

Lucid Lake by Michell Buccalo

A lucid lake shines

Reflecting the moon‟s great glow

Like giant mirrors

Back for the Summer By Nate Misra

Leaves come back on trees

Cabins open for a breeze

Culver camps open

Inside the Rhythm By Joel Manley

M y escape

U nderstanding the world

S oul

I side the mind of geniuses

C alming

Living the Dream: Community Service Report

by Michael Bian

My Community Service project was at the “Gleaners” food bank. I went with a group of

other students including Derek Joslin, Ryan Neff, John Agnew, Matt Fitzgarld, and Cole

Smilisky. There was also a troop of girl scouts there too. I did this project because I did it

before in fifth grade and I learned that it was really helpful to kids who go to bed hungry. At

first we watched a presentation of how to food comes and where it goes. Next, we went on a

tour of the food storage facility including the freezer (which was really cold!). Finally, we

actually did the service by packaging foods in a production line to be sent off to various places

that will feed hungry people.

The people who benefitted were the hungry people we were packaging food. We know

that they benefitted because we knew that they would have another meal to eat and get farther

away from starvation. Money was sent in by small businesses and the USDA (US Department

of Agriculture) to buy food to be packaged. The Food would then be packaged by volunteers

like us then be shipped or sent out to various locations such as schools and soup kitchens. My

job was to double up the plastic bags to make sure that the bags won‟t break and the reviver will

get the food inside the bags. Later, I was hired to recycle the cardboard boxes and plastic bags.

This was fun because we got to go inside the boxes when they were full and step on the boxes

to decrease their level so we can place more boxes. Finally, I went to the end and tied bags and

handed them off to Derek who would run to boxes and place them in. One problem we

encountered was that after a while, we developed strategies to double up the bags extremely

fast. That made us have to stop frequently because the packagers could not keep up. We

overcome these problems by not doubling bags when the girl scouts took a break and instead

did what they would do so we could clear up all the bags that were piled up. Inside each bag

would be 1 oatmeal, 2 milks, 2 meats, 1 green beans, and 1 can of apple sauces.

This Community service project made me feel much more experienced. First of all, I felt

like I had really helped a lot of people a yet still had fun while doing so. It made me feel

experienced because I felt like I knew what it was like to help people and work on a production

line. I think this was a very worthwhile project because we made 950 bags. They estimated that

we had fed about 2750 people, that made me have a very warm feeling. Next time I think I

should work in the packaging places so that there would not be as much bags that needed

filling.

Closing by Maxwell Norris

Today we showed that Injun Joe is guilty from committing larceny and murder. Tom and Huck were witnesses who saw the crime. They went to the graveyard with a cat to get rid of their warts. They then saw Muff Potter, Injun Joe, and Dr. Robinson walk up onto the hill. They were carrying a wheelbarrow, a rope, and a couple of shovels. Tom and Huck then hid in the bushes. Injun Joe and Muff Potter began to open Hoss Williams’s grave. They went on digging. Then the coffin came out of the ground. Then they dumped the body rudely on the ground. They put the dead body into the wheelbarrow. The doctor was paying them to do this. Then Muff said he wanted more money than Injun Joe. Then Dr. Robinson and Muff Potter broke into a fight. Injun Joe got involved. Injun Joe said that he wanted revenge against Dr. Robinson because Dr. Robinson’s dad filed Injun Joe in jail for a vagrant. Dr Robinson then grabbed the tombstone and hit Muff Potter with it to get away. Muff Potter then was knocked out on the ground and unconscious. Muffs knife then fell on the ground. Injun Joe picked it up and stabbed the knife into Dr. Robinson’s chest. That caused him to die. Huck and Tom then ran away from the crime scene. Then Injun Joe stole all the valuables off of Dr. Robinson’s body. Then Muff potter woke up and Injun Joe was still there. Muff Potter saw that he had the bloody knife in his hand. He was bloody as well. Muff Potter thought he is the one who murdered the doctor. Injun Joe was the actual murderer. The next day a policeman walked up to the crime scene and saw Dr. Robinson’s dead body and Hoss Williams grave dug up. Injun Joe broke many laws when doing the crime. He made larceny and murdered an innocent man. Injun Joe also wanted revenge and meant to kill Doctor Robinson. Again, he wanted get revenge on the doctor because the doctor’s dad put Injun Joe in jail for being a vagrant.

Today you have seen our witnesses: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and the town sheriff. Tom Sawyer testified that he was an eyewitness of the crime. He previously brought in the map of the graveyard. He told you that Injun Joe murdered Dr. Robinson by stabbing him in the chest. He also told you that Muff Potter did not stab Dr. Robinson because Muff Potter was knocked out because he got hit with a tombstone. He also witnessed Injun Joe digging up the grave and rudely dumping it on the ground. He saw the whole thing. Every little moment he saw he testified to. Huckleberry Fin also testified to being an eyewitness of the crime. He previously brought in the dead cat. He also told you they both were there because they were getting rid of their warts. That proves that they saw the whole crime. He also saw when Injun stabbed Dr. Robinson. He saw the whole crime as well. The sheriff testified to seeing the crime scene. He brought in the dead body. He saw that Hoss William’s grave was dug up which Injun Joe did. He also saw the wheelbarrow which Injun Joe put Hoss Williams in. He also saw none of the valuables that Dr. Robinson owned were with him. That is because Injun Joe stole them.

In our minds our witnesses have proven that Injun Joe is a guilty man for murdering Dr. Robinson in the graveyard. We have proven Injun Joe has committed larceny and murder because: he dug up a body and rudely dumped it on the ground, he lied that Muff potter did the crime which he didn’t, he also stole all of the valuables off of Dr. Robinson’s body, and we are not over yet he also stabbed and killed an innocent man. Thank you for your time today and that is why Injun Joe is guilty for the murder and larceny of Dr. Robinson.

My Hero and I

by Rod Myers

There are many values that I find to be very important, one of which is honesty. If

I do something wrong, like stealing a friend’s pencil, for example, I always fess up to a

teacher and I never make the same mistake again. Trust is also very important to me.

If someone tells me to do something as a favor for the person, I always do it. People

should be able to trust me and I have to be trustworthy to earn their trust. I am always

compassionate. If someone forgets their homework in class, I comfort them if they feel

bad. Let’s say someone spilled their tray at lunchtime. I always will help them clean up.

I also find humor to be an important value. You can use humor to cheer someone up if

they feel bad or to just lighten up a sad moment.

My hero is trustworthy, honest and responsible. Who is he? Teddy Ajluni! One

time Teddy forgot his homework in class. Before the teacher even asked for the

homework, Teddy was honest and told him that he didn’t have his homework. That

must’ve taken a lot of guts. Another time I was home sick from school. I had asked

Teddy to tell me the homework and e-mail me what I didn’t have. Teddy did this right

away. Thanks to him being trustworthy, I had enough time to get my homework done

nicely. Teddy is very responsible. He rarely forgets his homework, even when he has

tons to do. I really think that’s admirable.

My hero Teddy and I are very similar. We are both honest and trust worthy. But I

also value other things, such as humor, which is very important to me. Teddy is also

more responsible than me. All in all, though, we are very similar in what we value.

A Different Kind of Hero

by Harrison Chen

My personal Michigan hero is an important person in my life. She is someone I look up to, someone I

can strive to be like. She has had a great impact on my life, helping me when I need it, yet pushing me to do

better. That hero is my older sister, Olivia.

As a student in elementary school, I could never relate to my classmates when they talked about bossy

or annoying siblings. Back then, whenever I was in need of assistance, whether it was homework or studying,

my sister would gladly lend a hand. Even now, almost five years later, I can always rely on her help when I

require it. Her support has allowed me to do extremely well in school intellectually. Entering the Cranbrook

Boys‟ Middle School in seventh grade with no previous world language experience, my sister voluntarily took

the time over the summer to tutor me in the entire sixth grade Spanish language course, which was a big help in

my transition to the new school.

In addition to being a great help in my education, my sister also pushes me to excel in my studies,

without even realizing it. She is an excellent student in her own right, taking difficult science and math courses

that are several levels above her grade, while still receiving excellent grades. My sister and I are relatively close

in age, so it‟s no surprise that there is some rivalry between us. Therefore, I am constantly trying to hold my

ground against her stellar academic performances. This is good for me because it gives me encouragement to

work hard and hopefully surpass her. To me, this kind of motivation is even more helpful than what a tutor or

teacher could give.

Help doesn‟t just come in the form of education. My sister is there when I need her, just like a good

friend would be. When I talk, she always listens, and I can rely on her to be sympathetic and understanding

toward my situation, even if it‟s only a trivial matter. I also feel extremely fortunate that she has such an

awesome personality, because I don‟t know many sisters who play sports and video games with their younger

siblings. She doesn‟t look at me as someone beneath her, but as an equal. Olivia has been the greatest influence

in my life this way, because without her moral support and company, I wouldn‟t be the kind of person that I am

today.

My sister is not a hero in a way one might think. While being someone I am able to look up to as a role

model academically, she‟s also someone I can converse with at any time. Olivia is special to me as a friend and

as a family member, and someone who is an important part of my life. She is my personal Michigan hero.

Q & A Cross Examination

Tom Sawyer

Q. Were you at the graveyard at the time of the murder?

A. Yes.

Q. If it were night you shouldn't be able to see right?

A. Yes.

Q. How did you see then?

A. Dr. Robinson put a lantern on a tombstone.

Q. Mr. Sawyer, are you a conman?

A. NO!

Q. Well, have you ever tricked your friends into doing your work?

A. Yes.

Q. This proves you are a conman. So you are not truthful, right?

A. Yes?

Huck Finn Q. What’s your name?

A. Huckleberry Finn.

Q. Where do you live?

A. On the streets.

Q. So you don’t have house?

A. No.

Q. Do you smoke?

A. Yes.

Q. Why do you smoke?

A. It’s fun.

Q. If you don’t have a house and you smoke, where do you get your pipes from, then?

A. I steal them.

Q. Is it true that people dislike you?

A. Yes.

Q. So do you have anything against them, to lie right now?

A. No.

Q. Why did you even go to the graveyard?

A. To see if a wart remedy works.

Q. Do you even have warts?

A. No.

Q. Then why should we even believe you?

A. Because I was there.

Muff Potter

Q. Did you kill Dr. Robinson?

A. I don’t know.

Q. Why don’t you know?

A. I was drunk.

Q. Were you in a fight with Dr. Robinson?

A. Yes.

Q. Why did you “confess” to doing this crime?

A. Because it was my knife to be used in the murder?

Q. Last question. Do you know what you were doing there?

A. Moving a grave for Dr. Robinson.

The Trip

By: Jake Schwartz

I woke up early and sat on a plane.

I tried sleeping but my friends had to talk.

Food and Water were nowhere to be found.

I was so thirsty, my lips were shut dry.

Water could be purchased was a big lie.

There would be water if we were northbound.

But in the desert, water is a walk.

And in this place, I‟m told it never rains.

The campground was nice, but at night it was cold.

We had no campfire because it was dry.

Kids woke up early and caused such a fuss.

Maybe sleeping would be nice on the bus.

But wait, no sleeping if you want to fly.

The tickets were better priced, I was told.

Maasai Paper

by Cole Smolinski

The Maasai culture is very interesting and different than ours. The tribe of the Aariel has many

ways that are different that ours. They have an initiation, they wear nanga‟s, 8 year olds can go

to cattle camps, cows are like their money, women have no say in the government, kids take

cattle to graze, husbands can have 2 wives, and you are considered a coward for running away

from a lion. There are some things that are similar like school and bullying.

I say that the Maasai culture should be preserved. They face things similar to ours and

they only know their culture. If we take away their culture they wouldn‟t know what to do or

where to go, their culture is their way of life and the only way they know. They face hardships

and hey, they‟re people too. They should have a say in this too. Instead of getting rid of the

culture we could move them closer to civilization. Then they would be closer to school, food,

water, and shelter if they need it. Their way is their way and our way is our way. At the least we

could leave them alone.

They are really no different than us, they just have different beliefs than us. They go to

school, they face bullies, they get lost, they learn, they eat, they drink, they need everything that

an average human needs, they have some shelter, and most of all, they all have a chance to do

something great. The Maasai culture is one to be preserved because they aren‟t animals or

outcasts, they are people.

Maasai Culture

by Ryan Neff

The Maasai culture is ancient. The Maasai are nomadic cattle farmers in Africa. They

rely on the cattle. The cattle give them milk and blood, which they mix to make the main food

that they eat. Because the Maasai culture has many things that we could learn from, I think that

their culture should be preserved.

These people are polygamists, meaning that they may have more than one wife. This is

good because they are one of the only polygamic societies. They are also important because

they wear nengas, a religious cloth, they have knowledge of herbs that may be used in hospitals

to better treat sick people, and they have ways to conserve water. They also become a warrior

after their circumcision. I think that this is cool, but I wouldn‟t want to be a Maasai. They also

drink milk with blood mixed in, which may be very useful when you need to feed malnourished

children. These people have many useful ways of living, and I think we can learn a lot from

them.

I think that the Maasai culture should be preserved because we may be able to learn many

things from them. They are nomadic cattle farmers, they are very ancient, they drink a mixture

of milk and blood, they have a knowledge of herbs and remedies that we don‟t know of, and

they can conserve water very well. These and many others are the reasons why I think that the

Maasai culture should be preserved.

Why Does Al Collect Junk?

By Ryan Neff

I think that Al collects junk because he wants to make something out of the nails and the

box that he holds the nails in. I have proof from the book that proves that he wanted to make

something. The story even says that “He believed that this was just the thing to break the

monotony”. (p. 79). This is talking about the hammer that he found. This hammer was just what

he needed to make a bench or table out of the junk that he had collected. This hammer was just

the thing that he needed to make something. “With the ten cent hammer, he believed that he

could make something”. This quote from the story directly proves my point, saying that the

hammer was the thing he needed to do something with his junk. This is why I think that Al

wants to make something with his hammer and junk.

Broken Bones

by Kennie Kernen

I was bummed „bout what happened to my bone,

Because I couldn‟t go on the big trip,

But then I start‟d to have a little fun,

And I found something exciting to do,

At first I didn‟t have a single clue,

But it felt like this was the only one,

And I still had a blast, though my fractur‟d hip,

„Cause I did one of the most fun things, known

I heard some fantastic news of the trip,

Friends told that they very much enjoyed it,

The exp‟rience must have been amazing,

Except the weather was prob‟bly blazing,

The trip hopefully was a big smash hit,

Unforntunate for me, I had to skip.

Cranbrook

By Alex Hubers

C reativity

R eady to learn

A rts and architecture

N o regret

B rilliant people

R ockin sports

O nly dream

O pen

K ids having fun!