Notre Dame Literary Magazine 2011

Literary Magazine 2011 | 1

2 | Mind’s Eye

Literary Magazine : : 2010-2011

Editorial: Essays:

Poems:

Contributing Writers:

How to Submit:Songs / Speeches:

Artwork by:

Mrs. Lucy Abbott, Editor-in-Chief

Tom Sledge ‘11

Ben Donarum ‘11

David Bartlett ‘12

David Villeta ‘11

Michael Gaudio ‘11

Jesse Forth, ‘11, Cover Art

Nick Minore ‘11, Publication Layout

Ned Vogel ∙ Jesse Forth ∙ Tom Sledge ∙ Dylan Aiello ∙ Jason Abate ∙ Benjamin Donarum ∙ Joe Mauro ∙ John McGovern ∙ Matthew Hillier ∙ Chris Grogan ∙ Bryan McKane ∙ Junho Byun ∙ Robert Moore ∙ Andrew Williams ∙ Ryan Audie ∙ EJ Okoro ∙ Paul Sliwinski

E-Mail: [email protected]

Submit in-Person: Room 105

The Fairytale, 4-5

We are Diverse, 6-7

Darwin’s Cradle, 10-11

A Memoir, 13

Fairytale, 14-15

Langston Hughes, 18

Why Kennedy’s Words are Relevant Today, 20-21

Lament for Poetry, 3

Adorations, 5

Track and Field Sonnett, 6

Your Loss, 8

New York City, 8

ALP (Alien Life Puppy), 12

Untitled, 12

The Takeoff, 19

Night Breeze, 17

What is Hockey, 21-22

Jesse Forth ‘11

Junho Byun ‘11

Ryan Audie ‘14


Lament for Poetryby Ned Vogel ‘13

Why must so many poems start with “Roses are Red?”And follow with “Violets are Blue?”It seems to me that poets can’t get those colors out of their heads, Or can’t get enough of those hues.

They should start to explore new shades,Or cease to discuss color all together.Perhaps they could prose about parades,Or maybe blackbirds’ feathers.

It’s also a shame that they write so much about love,Or about death.They should relate to us masses with children’s playground shoves,Or a soldier’s sword guilded sheath.

So poets all, you can now see My humble lament for poetry.

Jesse Forth ‘11

4 | Mind’s Eye

The Fairytaleby Tom Sledge ‘11

Once upon a time, in Far Far Away Land, there once lived a fairy. This fairy, Twinkle as she was called, was not lucky enough to have a master. She was all alone. She used to wander through the city every single day, hoping that someone would take her in and be her master. She wanted to grant wishes for someone like the other fairies, but it was difficult, especially for her.

Twinkle didn’t have that much pixie dust. Ever since she was born, she always had less pixie dust than the other fairies. This is part of the reason she has yet to find a master. Nobody wants a fairy that may run out of pixie dust. Twinkle has always tried to gain more pixie dust. But it’s very difficult. She has to work hard, long hours for very little dust. On the other hand, some fairies that have masters are able to earn more than Twinkle’s net worth in a day. Twinkle doesn’t understand why those with all of the dust earn more than her. Plus, they pay less of a pixie dust income tax. It’s just not fair.

Twinkle is also having a hard time finding a master because she never earned her fairy degree. Due to the shortage of pixie dust in her accounts, she was forced to flunk out of Pixie University. She had to try and make it in the fairy world by herself, with no degree, and a small amount of pixie dust. From birth, Twinkle was destined for a hard life.

After a few years of working odd jobs, Twinkle’s pixie account was just over the level required for her to stay alive. She could barely get herself off the ground with what she had. She needed to find a mas-ter, and quickly for that matter.

Twinkle set off into town. She first approached a small corner store owner. She talked with the owner and made her objective clear. The store owner was nice and seemed as though he would take the fairy in. But he kindly explained to the fairy that he was having problems with his store. Business has been slow, and he was working hard to make his store better. The owner told Twinkle that a fairy would be useful, but he just can’t afford the pixie dust that Twinkle would require to make wishes beneficial to the store. Twinkle was upset, but she remained optimistic and moved on.

Next, Twinkle saw a carriage driver. She approached him, but before she could even say hello, the carriage driver pulled out into the street and left Twinkle floating. Twinkle was used to this, however. It was common to for un-owned fairies to be looked down upon.

Twinkle kept flying through town. Finally, as she was coming up Drury Lane, she spotted the Muf-fin Man. She felt good about him. He was a busy man and sold a lot of muffins. He could definitely use some magical assistance. She talked it over with him. The Muffin Man wanted to say yes. He really liked Twinkle and thought she would be a great fairy, but there was one problem. Twinkle wasn’t fully educat-ed on every single spell. The Muffin Man served muffins to the king and queen, so everything needed to be perfect. He couldn’t afford errors in the muffins, and couldn’t afford to help Twinkle be professionally trained. He apologized and wished Twinkle luck in her search.

Twinkle was feeling pretty down at this point. She was sure no one would ever want to be her master. The sun was setting, and she gave up on her search. She came to the conclusion that she would never have a master. She would never have enough pixie dust to grant wishes. She would never be


trained as a professional fairy. She was stuck for life. She decided that she would file for bankruptcy the next day. She didn’t have enough pixie dust left to wish up dinner. She was forced to beg for food.

Twinkle was in a downward spiral, and nothing, it seemed, could get her out. But one day, the Queen spotted Twinkle. The Queen was out on a tour of the city, and she saw poor Twinkle on the curb begging for food. The Queen took Twinkle in. She had Twinkle cared for and gave her food. She even gave her fairy lessons and loaded her up with a fair amount of pixie dust. Twinkle was extremely grateful for what had happened to her.

She was a brand new fairy. She had pixie dust and knew many spells. Instead of going back and working for the store owner or the Muffin Man, she created her own business. She started up a magic car-pet taxi service. The magic carpet rides became so popular that in a short while, business was booming. She had employees working for her, and she was taking over the existing carriage business. Eventually, the carriage business went bankrupt. The carriage driver who had turned Twinkle down a long time ago was now going to her for a job. Twinkle thought about doing what he had done and just fly away. How-ever, Twinkle looked back at her life and remembered how miserable she was. She was kind, and offered the man a position on her team. The business required a lot of hard work, but it was rewarding. She felt on top of the world.

While Twinkle never did find a master, which is considered a failure in the fairy world, she did find happiness and completeness within her own heart. She had enough pixie dust to survive; she was trained; she had her own business and many grateful employees that were like her own family. She be-lieved she is happier than she would have ever been had she found a master.

Adorationsby Dylan Aiello ‘13

There are two things of which I greatly adoreMore than seas of stars in the darkest night skies

Or the soft crash of waves against the shoreAs the tide begins to slowly rise

Such a soft, gentle stareSeemingly so simple, the perfect disguise

I soon find myself lacking airSeeing through this clever guise

Deeper than the deepest seaBrighter than the brightest star

Nothing appears more perfect to meThey’ve stolen my heart, by far

I’ve decided I won’t deny it, or hide it with foolish liesI’ve fallen so deeply in love with those beautiful, brown eyes

6 | Mind’s Eye

Track and Field Sonnet

We are Diverse

by Jason Abate ‘13

by Benjamin Donarum ‘11

Track and field is a sport like no otherBut in order to succeed you need to have heartAnd treat everyone on the team like a brother

Once a team becomes one, championship winning can start

Our track team at Notre Dame is the bestOur runners practically fly across the trackCoach Parkinson’s challenges are the test

If someone makes a mistake, the team has his back

There are many events to do in this sportWhether you jump, throw, or run

There are events to do whether you’re tall or shortKey to the sport is to have fun

And this is how I feel about track and fiel’Being on this team is a pretty good deal.

Once upon a time, there was a school atop a hill, and it was perfect. Every person in the town knew the school was perfect. The school was the pride and joy of the town council because it was perfect. The town hall had a banner of the school hung in the main hallway for all to see. It was placed there by the members of the town council because they loved the school so much. The banner had a picture with every student in it, and the students held their own banner. On this banner, there was a message that said, “We are diverse.” To prove this point, every student had a hand on the banner as to not single any group out.

In the foyer of the school, all the awards were displayed. The walls were overcrowded with plaques and framed certificates; the trophy cases were jam-packed with a myriad of medals and trophies the size of the Stanley Cup. All of these awards had something in common. They were in recognition of the school’s excellence in achieving diversity and rightfully so-the principal’s name was Jamal. He was the school’s knight in shining armor.

The classroom was where the fundamentals of diversity were taught. The wicked old witch in-structed the class. She made certain that Jerome Jackson never sat next to Shaniqua Brown and Pablo Miguel Perez Rodriguez never sat in front of Carmen Luz Santoro Martinez. It could be certain that Mary Smith was not near John Peterson and Li Xu was not beside Cho Park. Everything in the classroom was


fair. Nothing in the classroom was based on merit. There were no tests because that could be discrimina-tory. Mary Smith worked twice as hard as Shaniqua Brown, but they received the same grade. Cho Park raised his hand more than everybody else, but he went to the board the same amount of times as Pablo Rodriguez and Jerome Jackson. The wicked witch smiled at this because she knew everything was fair. Everything was as it should be.

The lunchroom was where the fundamentals were reinforced. The peasant lunch staff worked tirelessly under the watchful eye of the wicked witch to be sure that there was a menu pleasing to every-body. Lunch included fried chicken and watermelon, tacos and arroz, a hamburger and french-fries, or egg foo young and a spring roll. But the students always got to choose their dish (as long as they tried a differ-ent dish every day) because the school did not stereotype. At the lunch table, the wicked witch observed to be sure Jerome Jackson spoke to Mary Smith, and John Peterson associated with Carmen Martinez. Everyone needed to immerse themselves in a different culture.

At the end of the day, the bell would ring and the wicked witch and Principal Jamal would wave the students off. Teacher and principal would bid their final farewells before the students entered Dragon Forest on their journey home. Out of sight from the school, Jerome walked with Shaniqua, Pablo walked with Carmen, Mary walked with John, and Li walked with Cho to their respective areas of town. And that was the end of their day.

Life continued like this at the perfect school until the day Cho reached for his Thursday favorite, egg foo young, and came back empty-handed. In a terrible lapse of judgment, the peasant staff had failed to make egg foo young on that day. Unfortunately, the very same day, a reporter from town was in the school doing a story on the flawlessness of diversity there. The reporter saw his opportunity to have his story on the front page of the paper. He ran with it, and very soon, the town was abuzz. Rumors soared. Soon, rights activists were up-in-arm about how the school could refuse poor little Cho his egg foo young in protest of Asian culture. The knight tried to save his ailing beauty. However, it was too late, the perfect school was dead.

In the proceeding weeks, all the students were dismissed from school. The Board ruled the school failed in its pursuit of diversity. Therefore, it was forced to close. The school was boarded up, and a sign was posted stating: RACIST KEEP AWAY.

The students now attended a school in the next town over. This was not a perfect school. Jerome Jackson and Shaniqua Brown had to hang out with the rest of the Asians because that was the only place they were accepted. Pablo Miguel Perez Rodriguez and Carmen Luz Santoro Martinez associated with the rest of the white kids because that is where they fit in. Mary Smith and John Peterson hung out with the other Hispanics because the other groups made fun of them, and Li Xu and Cho Park associated with their black brothers and sisters because no other group wanted them around. In the classroom, Jerome and Shaniqua sat in from of Pablo and Carmen who sat ahead of Mary and John. Everyone sat in front of Li and Cho because they were told to sit in the back. In the lunchroom, Pablo and Carmen received the freshest lunch followed by Jerome and Shaniqua followed by Li and Cho. Mary and John received whatever was left over. At the lunch tables, everyone sat with their respective groups. This was life, and it continued like this happily ever after.

8 | Mind’s Eye

Courtesy C.A.A.P. & C.S.M.C.


Your Loss

New York City

by Joe Mauro ‘13

by John McGovern ‘13

When the truth came out,And lies scar the heart

You’re confused, begin to doubtWas this the worst part

You were wrong, and I can do betterCheaters like you deserve worse

So I’m gonna look and once I’ve met herYou’ll feel nothing but sadness and remorse

I think you deserve worse and I hope you get lessBecause no one in this word needs a liarAnd I must confess that you’ll be a mess

Your loss, you just aren’t something I require

Pretend like I was nothingBecause in your heart you know I was something.

Tall buildings everywhere.So tall, you can’t even imagine the top.

People walking without a care.In this city, they never stop.

Numerous taxis on the streetWith people getting on and off at every place.

Many restaurants with food to eat.Just enough to fill your face.

The tree at Christmastime is lit.Beautiful lights illuminating the city air.

Everyone wearing their coats and their mitts,Making sure no part of their body is bare.

Never want to go back home.Always wanting to be in New York City to roam.

10 | Mind’s Eye

Darwin’s Cradleby Matthew Hillier ‘11

The alarm woke Mr. Johnson too early again. He was not a late sleeper, but he always felt like he could use another hour of sleep on work days. At least he can look forward to his coffee, he thought. Wak-ing up early gave him time to make his own coffee just the way he wanted it. The roadside coffee houses always did something wrong with their coffee. They didn’t have any pride in their work. The way Mr. Johnson saw it, a cup of coffee was a cup of coffee from the moment the water passed over the grounds. There could be no shortcuts from that point-the timing and ingredients had to be just right. A good cup of coffee must be treated with care from the moment it is given taste.

Mr. Johnson did feel better after he had his coffee. He thought about his assignment for the day. Sometimes he had to visit some pretty obscure places, but everyone knew about Darwin’s Cradle. The briefing said just under half of the country’s children aged six to fifteen were obtained from the organiza-tion. Even before its doors opened, Darwin’s Cradle had been hailed as the final solution to the problem of newborns. Mr. Johnson had followed the headlines somewhat, but now he had to get serious about the specifics of the organization. Granting government contracts was a big deal, and Mr. Johnson could never become complacent about who he gave them to. Still, that was his job, and Mr. Johnson liked to think he had become pretty good at it.

The private tour guide began her pitch as soon as Mr. Johnson was led into the Darwin’s Cradle facility. “It is obvious that humanity needs to reproduce for our society to continue,” she said. “But there is the equally obvious problem of newborns. There is no use for these pre-human creatures, but only they can develop into new people. Nobody really wants to raise a pre-human, especially if they did not mean to create one. What we do here at Darwin’s Cradle is remove all of the maintenance required by all types of pre-humans from the public concern. We take the work out of struggling through labor and watching over newborns until they finally become people. Our customers only see the finished, human product of their offspring.”

The tour guide led Mr. Johnson into a room full of tanks which resembled large petri dishes. “Here is where our process begins,” she said. “We purchase pre-humans in the first stage of their development. In this way, we also help people who accidentally conceived by removing their responsibility to raise an unwanted pre-human. There is never a shortage of embryonic pre-humans, and the more we have, the better product we can turn out.” Mr. Johnson looked around the room. The ceiling must have been over twenty feet high, and tanks filled the all of the area along the walls as far as the eye could see. “This is just one of our holding facilities. In all, we consume about forty million embryonic pre-humans every year. This keeps our final product top-of-the-line.”

Mr. Johnson followed the guide as she led him into another part of the facility. Here, there was a one-way window overlooking a group of newborn pre-humans. The tour guide began explaining. “We grow the pre-humans for about two years. As you know, this approaches the moment when they will fi-nally become human.” Mr. Johnson nodded. A pre-human life form could not be considered human until it proved it has the capacity to learn and do work that would one day benefit society. Until it began to walk


and speak, the newborn or infant was not human.

“Our clients pay to receive excellent quality human children,” the guide continued. “When they sign up with us, they also fill out a form describing what kind of human they would like to receive. Should the new person be athletic, smart, or charismatic? It is up to the customer. Because we have so many pre-humans, we can test all of them for the most desirable traits. In this group, for example, we are test-ing for intellectual ability. The newborn who correctly sorts his blocks according to color will be chosen to be given to one of our clients.” The tour guide looked out at the group of newborns. “All of the others,” she said, “will be disposed of. The successful newborn will be nourished until it becomes human, at which point it will be given to one of our clients.”

At this point, Mr. Johnson had a thought. “What if some of the pre-humans in a group have different qualities which might be valued by another client?” he asked. “Surely you don’t just let them go to waste.”

“Unfortunately, we are not able to test every pre-human for every possible desirable attribute,” the guide answered. “Our stock simply moves too fast. It is a far more efficient use of man hours to dispose of the unwanted pre-humans. We don’t expect every pre-human to be claimed. It is not their fault, really. They are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Well, that’s a small issue anyway, considering the service you provide. Everything else seems to be in order, so your company should be receiving a confirmation of the contract soon.”

“We are glad to hear it, Mr. Johnson. Thank you for your time.”

“Just one more thing. This is just a personal question I have. How exactly do you dispose of the unwanted pre-humans?”

“Oh, it’s actually very simple. While their skulls are still soft, we remove a small portion of critical brain matter. This causes them to cease functioning quickly and cleanly. Oh, look, one of the newborns finished with his blocks!”

Mr. Johnson felt a twinge in his spine as he looked at the unsuccessful pre-humans. One of them was happily drooling on a block like it was a Popsicle. For some reason, as he looked at the newborn, Mr. Johnson began to think about coffee.

12 | Mind’s Eye

ALP (Alien Life Puppy)

Untitled

by Chris Grogan ‘13

by Bryan McKane ‘13

I once saw an object fall from the skyI don’t know what it was, but it looked like a dog

I knew it wasn’t from Earth because it had only one eyeWhen I found it, it was stuck in a log

When I looked around its neck, I saw it had no collarIts skin was leathery and green

For this creature I thought I could get a nice dollarI thought of what would happen to him and knew it would be mean

I took him home and kept him as a petHe became a part of the family, and was never penned

Soon some scientists found out and took him with a netOn that day I lost a great friend

I’m upset knowing the fate he has metBut I’ll never forget my amazing alien pet.

If you decide to go out and play,Don’t be afraid of the very cold water,

Running and playing the day goes away,While you’re with your mother’s daughter.

Be careful when you play by the rocks,Don’t pick them up and throw them through the air,

Because you might hit very big flocks,The birds will scatter and create a scare.

You might get upset and start to weep,And run and run till the day is done,

When you stop you fall asleep,And only then have you truly had fun.

Sleeping and sleeping your dreams are fake,You do it all over when you awake.


A Memoirby Tom Sledge ‘11

I leapt off the back porch into the light, warm breeze, only to tumble into the cool lawn. I rolled around and planted my eyes right onto my home’s miniature counterpart, the dog house. It was nestled in be-tween the shrubs, slightly crooked, facing the porch. It had proportional shingles and stained siding and even a small window which was unsurprisingly dirty. I thought of my old dog and it was hard not to because I liked him so much. If he was outside I was chasing him and playing with him. If he was calm, I was holding him and petting him. He was always by my side, loyal, always ready to be my friend.

He was midsized and colored black, white, and brown and had fuzzy floppy ears that flapped as he trotted. His tail was dunked in white and his belly was full of wispy brown fur. When he walked, his limp would be noticeable. It was slight, but heartbreaking. I knew he got it from a dog fight in the pound before my family adopted him. It made me love him and play with him even more. He deserved my atten-tion.

He always hated when he was left alone. I know he always tried to leave the house with me and did everything he could to escape and go into the world with me. He learned to climb my backyard fence. Once outside he frantically searched for his pack. My mom never liked how he could climb the fence. But to me, it was an intelligent, fun, cute antic. It never occurred to me why my mother was afraid of him climbing. She tried training him to stop and told me that it was bad. I was too young to understand the dangers. But I knew his climbing caused his death. His desire to be with me and play and be friends with me sent him on a search a car would end short.

Junho Byun ‘11

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Fairytaleby Robert Moore ‘11

Once upon a time, there was a little neighborhood. Every house was lovely and pleasant and simi-lar in style, with matching brown, gray painting with little gardens and chimneys. The people living in this neighborhood were very content with their lives. Every day went by as expected, things going the way everybody was used to. One day, a man and his wife happened upon a house that no one had noticed before until now. This house was not at all like any of the other houses! There was no chimney, and the colors were so unordinary! There was blues, greens, and purples everywhere. They had a garden, but the flowers were much too big and much too much of an eye sore for the couple who was used to the simple, small, less intimidating flowers and they and everyone else in the neighborhood had. As they stared at the house, they became angry and appalled by how obnoxiously different it was from the rest of the neighbor-hood! How dare they hang bright red streamers on the door! How dare they have a red carpet to the front door instead of a stone ordinary path like everyone else. The man and his wife spread the news to the other in the neighborhood that there were people trying to ruin the way things were done.

Now the residents of the very loudly colored house didn’t think there was anything wrong with their house. They loved there polka dot trees and their red carpet pathway. They loved the big flowers. They were very embarrassed and shocked when they found out that the other people in the neighborhood had signed a petition threatening to kick them out if they did not remove the distracting and obnoxious parts of their house and make it look similar to everyone else’s. The couple inside did not want to be kicked out of the neighborhood, but they loved their house and didn’t see why they should be kicked out. The other neighbors were angry that they weren’t leaving soon enough, so the other neighbors, the Good neighbors, The Honorable neighbors the Normal Neighbors provided some gentle motivation. They egged the house of the Abnormally colorful couple that lived in the Eye Sore of a House. They cut the flowers, and melted the frozen ice cream – roof. They were afraid the Weird couple wouldn’t get the message, so they kindly poured worms and dirt onto the Red Carpet. They even tried to make the Polka Dot Trees look a little normal by painting the Normal Color, The Natural Color that all trees must be in this great Neigh-borhood!

The couple, the odd couple, in an act of their strange love, held each other in their arms, scared of the normal neighbors but too afraid to stop their beautiful, colorful, and extravagantly creative house from being destroyed. They had lost hope. Then one day, hope came to their door, which was made out of mis-cellaneous items of colors not yet known to others of the neighborhood. The miracle was a girl and a boy, the children of the couple, the normal couple, that had first seen their obnoxiously decorated house. The children saw that the odd couple was crying, and they knew it was because their parents, and the other Good neighbors, the neighbors that do things the Right Way, had hurt these strange people by wrecking their house. We liked the way your house was!, said the little girl. It was fun to see, and the best house in the neighborhood!, says the little boy. And then they both say “We will help you rebuild it!”

So the odd couple and the children, The Future of the Neighborhood, rebuilt the strange house. They made it bigger, more beautiful, and they didn’t care what anyone thought. The normal neighbors kept trying to knock it down, but the Weird Ones would just keep building it back up. Inspired, other


Strange People decorated there houses in bold ways as well. They had been longing for the day when someone had the courage to express something outside of the Normal Neighborhood way of doing things. There were parties thrown. People were cheering and laughing. All the while, the war between the Nor-mals and the Odds kept going. The Normals kept trying to make deals, but all the deals weren’t good enough because none of them gave the Odd People the complete right to have big, beautiful, and odd houses. They said that the Odds could be there if their houses weren’t as high as the Normal houses. The Odds built their houses higher. The Normals said no more odd colors. The Odds just mixed the colors the already had to make new ones to paint the house with So the Odds keep singing and talking, being strange and loving their boldness. And the Normals keep trying to make Half-Good deals, even words of discour-agement. And the Future of the Neighborhood Watches it unfold. All in the Same Neighborhood.

Ryan Audie ‘14

16 | Mind’s Eye

Courtesy C.A.A.P. & C.S.M.C.


Night Breeze (A Song)by Andrew Williams ‘13

Verse 1: Wishing on a star that’s not even in the sky. Wanting to go home to be snug and safe from sight. Broken dreams swiftly move through the air. Look to see if you are here but yet you’re not there. OO I love you. OO I miss you.

Chorus: Do you feel that gentle night breeze? That sings of love and sweet memories. It takes you to your special place. Where your dreams come true and your happy all the days. Never give up what you believe. Or it will fade like the sweet honey bees.

Verse 2: Ocean waves crash on the shore. Hearing the angels mourn. Watching the moon shine so bright. Fireflies light up the night. OO I love you. OO I miss you.

Chorus: Do you feel that gentle night breeze? That sings of love and sweet memories. It takes you to your special place. Where your dreams come true and your happy all the days. Never give up what you believe. Or it will fade like the sweet honey bees.

Verse 3: Cotton candy clouds drift away. Missing your love everyday. The world is just not enough. Losing you is so tough. OO I love you. OO I miss you.

Chorus: Do you feel that gentle night breeze? That sings of love and sweet memories. It takes you to your special place. Where your dreams come true and your happy all your days. Never give up what you believe. Or it will fade like the sweet honey bees.

La la la la lullaby. Make a special wish tonight. La la la la lullaby. Close those sleepy eyes. La la la la lullaby. Make your dreams come true tonight. La la la la lullaby. Good night.

18 | Mind’s Eye

Langston Hughes (Research Paper)by EJ Okoro ‘13

In the early 1900’s the African-American community was going through many advancements. This was all happening in the decades following the Civil War, and black people needed something to uplift their spirits and make them feel as if they were actually freed from slavery. It was when many black people in Harlem did great things in poetry, dance, art, and music. This time period was called the Har-lem Renaissance. There were many great poets during the Harlem Renaissance, but the one that lead the way for all of them was Langston Hughes. Hughes’ writing spoke for this generation of black American authors. Langston Hughes’ theme was personal identity, and it was expressed differently in the following three works; “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “Harlem,” and “Theme for English B.”

The poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” truly shows how Langston Hughes uses personal identity in his writing. The poem speaks of how black people throughout history have traveled throughout the world and experienced many things. Hughes uses the rivers as a metaphor for where his people have been throughout their painful and wondrous history. The reader sees an example of Hughes’s use of the rivers when he says, “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young, I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep… I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset” (Hughes 17). This quote tells how throughout their entire history black people have moved all over the world. Each river can be seen as a place where they have been moved to and where historical things happened.

The poem “Theme for English B” demonstrates the theme of identity in a number of ways includ-ing human expression through music. In the days of slavery one of the limited ways black Americans could communicate to each other through song. Hughes liked music and it was very important to him. One day in his college class he was told to write a paper that has to be a page that was true, and has to come out of them. While writing this essay he learned that no matter how much he wrote he felt that he’d never feel that it was true to his professor because he and everyone else in Hughes’ class was white. So while writing he came up with these many thoughts on his perspective on the place he lived, and wheth-er it was right compared to the view on a white persons. The type of music is one way people identify themselves. When Langston says, “I like a pipe for a Christmas present or records- Bessie, bop, or Bach” (Hughes 208).This quote shows how he uses a musical rhythm in his writing, which helped him com-municate through to the outside world. In an article I read, it says “Hughes uses black music in his poetry as aesthetics, social and political referent because, to a great extant, black music is black history”,(Meta DuEwa Jones). This quote connects to my other quote because Hughes did use music as a way to com-municate to others. The rhythmic beat in this writing is a perfect example of how “Black music is black history.” Then in turn this also shows personal identity because Hughes is talking in his own personal way to let what he writes to be heard by many.

In conclusion Langston Hughes’ theme was personal identity, and it was expressed differently in the following three works; “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “Harlem,” and “Theme for English B.” He wrote many great poems that lead the way or other blacks in the time where they needed to be uplifted from their long oppression.


The Takeoffby Benjamin Donarum ‘11

The time is near, nothe time is here – right now.

It’s time to go. Pack your bags `cause we’re taking off.Don’t hold me back `cause it’s time for the blastoff.Clear the launch pad. Everybody please stand back.

I’m boarding, leaving, and never coming back

Adios. Adieu. Bon Voyage.I’m taking that next step to begin a new journey,So it is right now that begins my chance to grow.

It’s my chance to learn, to become something – it’s my chance to know.

There is a whole world out there for me to seeI just got a taste of it, and that only made me hungry.

I’m ready to do moreI’m ready to explore

Don’t stop me `cause I’m cruising now,And by the time that I’m done, I’ll have everybody saying, “Wow!”

My story’s about to unfoldI’m living life bold-ly.

I’m on the move. Get ready. Be prepared.You’ll ask “what’s my major?” I’ll tell you “I’m undeclared”.

17th Annual Acton Library Poetry ContestWinner - High School Division

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Why Kennedy’s Words are Relevant Todayby Ned Vogel ‘13

On a cold January morning in 1961, a country was blessed with a great leader. Not only did he serve Americans faithfully, but he also gave them courage to move their native land toward peace and prosperity. He did not call his people to fight in battles or amongst themselves; he simply called them to help others and make the world a better place. He was John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and he spoke to the American people of the 1960s about how they should live up to the word “American”: how they should use their God-given rights and freedoms. This speech is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago. The words of Kennedy’s inauguration speech matter today because they tell us to work together to establish peace, to serve our country proudly, and to do the right thing.

Striving for peace is a constant human quest. This was very true at the time of Kennedy’s inaugura-tion. The world was in the midst of the Cold War, and America was in the midst of the Civil Rights Move-ment. People everywhere were constantly at odds with each other, whether about who should control a country, or who should sit at the front of the bus. Kennedy spoke of what would happen if people con-tinued this self-absorbed behavior. “Finally, to those…who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction…engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.” Today, these words would make one instantly think of the wars in the Middle East and conflicting ideas on religion, and what effects they have on people. The words make people realize that it’s time to stand up and work for peace before it’s too late. Kennedy goes on to say: “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belabor-ing those problems which divide us.” He could not be more correct, then and now. If all the people who had differences with one another got together to discuss what beliefs they have in common, they would realize that they don’t need to fight. Rather, they would realize they need to work together to serve their nation and the common good.

In his inaugural address, Kennedy spoke about service to the country. He did not necessarily mean fighting in wars, however. He was talking about helping to make the country a better place. He said, to do this, people need to work together as one: “United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.” This is relevant today because Americans need to understand that if they don’t cooperate and work together to improve things like the nation’s economy and environment, then nothing will get done. Kennedy understood this, and went on to instill a sense of commitment to the nation in everyone: “…ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” It was a request to serve the nation and to do what is right.

Sometimes, being kind and doing the right thing is misconstrued as covering up selfish ulterior motives with good deeds. Kennedy wanted to set America—and the world—straight about the fact that the people of this country are charitable and generous because they are doing what they believe is good: “To those people…of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best ef-forts to help them…not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right.” These words are relevant today because no matter what others might say about us as


Americans, we need to always do the right thing when it comes to helping others in our community and around the globe.

Serving our country, working for peace, and doing what is right are all subjects in John F. Ken-nedy’s inaugural address which find a place in our hearts today. The time is now to work toward love and brotherhood. God will be with us on this journey, but the choice to begin it is in our hands, because, as Kennedy said, “here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

Winner of the Knights of Columbus Essay Contest - 2011

What is Hockey (Speech)by Paul Sliwinski ‘13

What is hockey? Hockey is a sport we obsess about. Hockey is a game we pour passion into: blood, sweat, and tears. Hockey is bumps and bruises, and emotions. Hockey is putting one’s self on the line for one’s fans, coach, team, the name on your jersey, and yes, for you. Hockey is a game of heroes and villains, each one trying to be on top. Hockey is a game where you win as a team and lose as a team, where you are together as a family. Hockey is a game of adversity: where a team who’s playing like they belong in the gutter can rise up and be champions and champions can lose to those who just want it more. Hockey is just like life- sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When you win you’re on top of the world, and nobody can stop you; but when you lose it’s something else completely. It’s like somebody stomped on your heart and nothing is going your way. So you just have to get it together and play your heart out to be successful the next chance you get. One of the most inspirational people I know told me, “Life is about 10 2-letter words: IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME.” I completely agree with this statement, because in hockey, a team is like one individual, not 22 of them. Either they all strive, or they all die; “Survival of the fittest”. And the fittest gets to show it off to all the others, show they are the best and they are unstoppable. But you know what? Sometimes that’s wrong. Sometimes the unlikely heroes rise, sometimes the weak will conquer, sometimes the great will fall.

This year, we were in the pack. We battled through tough times, and yes, sometimes it didn’t go our way. And yes, we did lose in the first round of play-offs. But you know what? This will carry on with you for the rest of your life. You will never want to lose again, and seniors, whether or not you will con-tinue your hockey career, this will help you too. You will always jump on chances whenever you get them. You will not let anyone get in your way. You will be the survivor because you’re the fittest. You will be

22 | Mind’s Eye

hungry for success. And those of you who are returning, this was a learning experience. We were a young team with developing talent. We all know how it feels to be the first ones knocked out, and I’m sure that will make us just want the title that much more. We’ll be going in next season with more confidence as a team, with Espo scoring his first goal, I’m sure he and any other freshman will be craving some goals next year. And to our captains: you are my role models. Merola: you have so much passion for the game and the level of how much you care about it shows when you play. Martone: you completely go crazy out on the ice. You’re a hockey playing machine. You bury pucks in the net, and bury players into the glass. You get in people’s heads, and get them into the penalty box. Dubrow: you would do anything for our team, you would dive face first at the puck if it meant saving us a goal. Defense may not look too glamorous, but being a goalie, I look at you like the Secret Service. Travs: You’re the definition of team spirit. You yell and scream like there is no tomorrow, you want to see us all thrive and be successful. You go hard, day in and day out, no matter what: rain or shine. You seniors are the best of the best. And to my coaches: Gerosa, Ca-pobianco, DeLuca, and Furtak: you all let me grow and develop as a person and as a player and you guys taught me how to be a Notre Dame Man. And to the rest of my teammates: you guys work like a well oiled machine. You know that one man can’t skate the puck up and down the ice time after time, it’s all about chemistry. In short, take what you’ve learned from hockey, apply it to life, and you’ll have a pretty good future.

This speech was given at the 2011 Hockey Banquet.


Ryan Audie ‘14

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Jesse Forth ‘11

Documents

Notre Dame Literary Magazine 2011