Our Voice

October 2010

Welcome back students!

A product of the Stevens Point Journal A product of the Stevens Point Journal

and Boys & Girls Cluband Boys & Girls Club

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL.

2October 2010October 2010

HANNA’S TIPS FOR A HANNA’S TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEARSUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR

By Hanna BurchSt. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

Remember when you were watching TV and all those school supply commercials came on saying “Get back to school in style” or “Feel ready to hit the books.”

Most people don’t want to go back to school. They have feelings of dread in their stomachs as Sept. 1 draws closer and closer until it pounces on them.

Well, like it or not, the new school year is upon us. So, here are a few tips from me to have a successful school year and stay active and healthy.

No. 1 -- No one likes getting sick, so stay healthy! This means get at least nine hours of sleep every night and eat healthy foods (especially fruits and vegetables) for energy, protein and vitamins. Wash your hands frequently and carry a little hand sanitizer with you to the cafeteria. Also, eat breakfast in the morning!! It is the most important meal of the day. It gets your body started and wired for a great day. You need the energy in the morning to face the hard problems in math class. Breakfast gets you started and going and ready to overcome the challenges of the day.

No. 2 -- Be organized and have a routine. While you still have time before you get into bad habits this year, make a schedule for yourself. Figure out a specifi c time to get homework done and don’t fool around with it. If you enjoy going on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or other Websites, make them the reward for fi nishing your homework for the day. If you ride the bus or have a ride home, use that time to get things done to save you time later. If you get it all done as soon as possible, you have the rest of the time to do whatever you want and just chill. Get in good routines and habits by working hard and having time management. If you get distracted easily, go to a quiet place with no computer (unless you need it for something school related), no people around, no

phone or music (unless music helps you think). Figure out what works best for you and stick with

it.

No. 3 -- Get involved. There are lots of options out there for sports, clubs, extra classes and opportunities to meet new friends and have fun. Maybe join choir or band if you can. Playing an instrument and singing are good for you and it’s never too late to learn music if you haven’t had experience with it before. Join a sports team and have fun playing, meeting new people

and staying healthy. Exercising is part of keeping your body strong and healthy and if you don’t like working out or running on your own, being apart of a team will encourage you to exercise and motivate you to stay fi t. Join a club and learn something new. There’s something for everyone -- photography, nature, reading, chess, computer and more.

Continued on Page 3

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. Students head Wednesday morning September 1, 2010, into Madison Elementary School as the new school year gets underway in the Stevens Point Area Public School District.

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. Madison Elementary School sixth-grade students lead the student body in the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance.

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. John Knowlton, a fourth-grade teacher at Madison Elementary School, listens as kindergarten student Tony Edmundson talks about the mat he is bringing to school, while his mother Megan and sister Trisha listen.

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Overall, you need a good balance. Stay healthy so sickness doesn’t keep you from being involved at school. Be organized and have time management with homework, sports, computer/TV time and social time. This year, maybe make personal goals for yourself. Try new things. YOU are the one who controls your life. So decide how you want to spend this 2010-2011 school year. Do you want to have fun, get involved, get good grades, study hard, and meet new people? Or do you want to be lazy, get sick, be afraid of trying diff erent things, do poorly in school and get in trouble? If you try hard and do your best, you’ll have an amazing and unforgettable school year.

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. Stevens Point Area Senior High students Amanda Zdroik (from left) Ashley Roth, Chelsi Dobbins, Stephen LaRose and Emily Miskoski

use a free period to do classwork as the new school year gets underway in the Stevens Point Area Public School District

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. Cristina Wolosek (left) and Sarah Omernik work on an assignment at Stevens Point Area Senior High.

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. Gee Pope meets with a chemistry class at Stevens Point Area Senior High.

DOUG WOJCIK/STEVENS POINT JOURNAL. Safety Patrol Cadet Brock Caufi eld keeps an eye on traffi c as Tracey Lemke Schleihs and her son Preston Schleihs wait to cross at Madison Elementary School.

“My mom tells her friends

that martial arts has been

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little sister better. That’s

nice I guess. But I know

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school, IT’S FUN!”

- Jason Davis

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y now you’ve probably heard all about how martial arts lessons can help kids learn lifesaving self-defense skills.Sure, we teach them how to kick and punch. But that’s just the

start. The truth is that martial arts does so much more for children of all ages.

At our school, your child will learn:

• To set and achieve goals• Respect, courtesy, and self-discipline• To be a leader, not a follower• Physical fi tness and coordination skills

• To keep a positive attitude & much more!

So that’s the truth about martial arts for kids. But don’t take our word for it, fi nd out for yourself.Classes are forming, call now!

Call 341-8240Catura’s Martial Arts1200 Wildwood Dr.

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The Ben Franklin Junior High Pom and Dance Team has been invited to perform in the Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 3. The team has been busy fundraising for this trip.

The team consists of 17 girls in seventh, eighth and ninth grades. The team received the invitation to perform during the halftime show with a yet unnamed performer at the Orange Bowl. This invitation is a result of the hard work and dedication of the Ben Franklin Pom and Dance Team, which has had past success at state and national competitions. While the Dance Team is sponsored by Ben Franklin Junior High, the cost for the team to travel to Florida and perform rests solely on the team and its families.

The team also is accepting monetary donations both from private and corporate sponsors. Checks should be made payable to Ben Franklin Pom and Dance and can be mailed to Ben Franklin Junior High, 2000 Polk St., Stevens Point WI 54481.

Any questions about the team, fundraisers or the Orange Bowl invitation can be directed to Ben Franklin Junior High at 715-345-5413. The team is coached by Jessi Fowler and assisted by Morgan Miskowski.

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CALLING ALL WRITERS!CALLING ALL WRITERS!Are you a junior high or high school

student in Portage County who loves to write? Are you interested in learning what it takes to put a newspaper together? Do you want your artwork or creative writing pieces published?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, a student newspaper in Portage County needs your help.

Our Voice, a monthly product of the Stevens Point Journal and The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County, needs a new student staff to write about issues aff ecting them, entertainment, fashion, books, sports and more.

Co-founder Sam Dinga created the publication in summer 2006, recognizing that youths often are disengaged from newspapers. He created this publication to

boost interest in reading and writing.Our Voice is delivered to all

households in the boundaries of the Stevens Point Area Public School District with students in grades six to 12. It also is available at the Boys & Girls Club sites. If you do not meet those guidelines but would like to receive copies, contact Tom Gustin at 715-345-2290 or [email protected].

There is no fee to join the staff , and students can write as much or as little as they want. Staff members meet every other Monday after school at the Boys & Girls Club, 1007 Ellis St., Stevens Point. Students do not have to attend the meetings to contribute to the paper.

The next staff meeting will be at 5 p.m.

Oct. 4. Come if you want to get involved or if you just want to learn a little more about it. Meetings usually last 30 minutes. If you

can’t attend but are interested in learning more, call adviser Nicole Strittmater at

7 1 5 - 3 4 5 - 2 2 4 9 or e-mail her at n s t r i t t m a t e r @gannett.com.


CHOCOLATE MILK ELIMINATED FROM CHOCOLATE MILK ELIMINATED FROM STEVENS POINT AREA CATHOLIC STEVENS POINT AREA CATHOLIC

SCHOOLS LUNCH MENUSCHOOLS LUNCH MENU

By Hanna BurchSt. Peter Middle School Eighth-GraderOur Voice Staff

Eighth-graders at St. Peter Middle School walked into their cafeteria on Aug. 25 hungry for lunch after the fi rst day of back-to-school classes. They reached into the cooler for their favorite drink — chocolate milk — and realized there wasn’t any.

Stevens Point Area Catholic Schools (SPACS) has eliminated chocolate milk from the lunch menu at all of the schools in its system for the 2010-11 school year. The schools are now only off ering skim and 1 percent white milk for lunch at the six schools in the SPACS system.

Jim Dyer, SPACS president, said the following in an e-mail sent home to parents on Sept. 1: “The SPACS wellness committee has spent the past two years evaluating all facets of our lunch program in light of new research and recommendations regarding health and nutrition for young people. Indeed, many school districts across the country have already implemented signifi cant changes, while some states have mandated these changes for all schools. The committee is responding to these fi ndings by introducing new and healthful products while reducing or eliminating those items which are deemed high in sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Chocolate milk is among these items. We believe we have made a positive change to our nutrition program in terms of student health and well-being, which is the primary motive for the decision. We will continue to off er white milk and water as lunch options,

while educating our students about the rationale and merit of this change.”

Many students don’t agree with the decision. On Aug. 27 and 30 about 90 percent of the eighth-grade students boycotted milk. On other days students from sixth and seventh grades joined them by refusing to drink milk at lunch.

About half of the students brought water bottles, and others went without any drink. The few people who did buy milk were the ones who regularly prefer white milk. Text messages and Facebook postings were fl ying back and forth as the students planned their

rebellion against the decision.Twice, an eighth-grade student

brought a bottle of chocolate syrup to lunch. The bottle was passed down the lunch line and almost every student poured chocolate syrup into his or her white milk. Even now, many eighth-graders don’t drink milk at lunch anymore.

“I think that the chocolate milk ban is absurd. It may have more sugar and some no-so-great things but it also has good things like the protein that helps your muscles and the sugar helps your body operate, too,” said MJ Debot, an eighth-grader at St. Peter Middle School.

Students have complained to their parents, teachers, principals, friends and Dyer. Students have discussed signing a petition and sending it to Dyer to get their favorite beverage back. Parents have made phone calls to the administrative staff and sent e-mails complaining about the change, especially because there was no vote or input from parents — the people responsible for paying for their children’s milk at lunch time.

“I think it’s not fair that they just pulled the milk out suddenly

Continued on Page 7

HANNA BURCH/Our Voice Staff An eighth grade student at St. Peter Middle School adapts to drinking white milk after chocolate was eliminated.

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without warning us. It doesn’t aff ect me too much because I usually take white milk, but I still think it’s unfair because now kids aren’t even drinking milk at all so they are loosing a serving of milk and vitamins for the day, maybe even their only serving,” said Brooke Filtz, an eighth-grader at St. Peter Middle School.

Tom McCann, an eighth-grade teacher at St. Peter Middle School, is worried about students boycotting the white milk.

“I understand the need to improve nutrition and that chocolate milk has added sugar, but chocolate milk is also benefi cial in providing calcium and other nutrients,” he said. “So if a student is not going to drink milk anymore, that is not a good thing.”

Printed on the SPACS lunch menu is a website www.nutritionexplorations.org that contains articles about cutting fl avored milk from schools and how they have low, negative results in recent studies. Some main facts from the articles include:

• When fl avored milk was eliminated, elementary student

milk consumption dropped an average of 35 percent from a combination of fewer students selecting milk and more milk

being discarded. • Flavored milk drinkers are more likely to meet their

daily nutrient needs and do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories, or weigh more than non-milk drinkers.

• Flavored milk off ers the same nine essential nutrients as white milk, including vitamin D and three of the fi ve “nutrients of concern” children are not getting

enough of — calcium, magnesium and potassium. • Flavored milk contains less added sugar than other beverages that kids are drinking, such as soda. On average, an 8-ounce low-fat fl avored milk contains around four teaspoons of added

sugar, while fruit punch contains six teaspoons and soda contains seven. However, soda is typically

consumed as a 12-ounce serving, so it provides nine teaspoons of added sugar.


By Kaylyn KluckSt. Peter Middle School Eighth-GraderOur Voice Staff

I am one of those people who can wake up and instantly remember exactly what day it is, and what is going to happen that day.

And that day was Sept. 1, 2010, the day when school started up again for the public schools in Stevens Point. I go to a private school, St. Peter Middle School, so I had been in school for almost a week already. But on Sept. 1 the entire school experience kicked in, bus included.

The only way to get to my school, located in downtown Stevens Point, is to ride numerous busses provided by the public school system.

Here is my recollection of my bus ride on the fi rst day of school:

I grab my blue bus card and head out the door, being thankful that I only have to ride fi ve diff erent busses to get to and from school this year. Two years ago I had to ride six. I walk down the road to get to my bus stop, where a few students are already waiting. To my utter surprise, my fi rst bus is right on time. Often busses are late on the fi rst day. Once in elementary school, my bus was 30 minutes late.

The bus is already full of students, most of them going to Ben Franklin Junior High School. I sit next to a girl who kindly moves her guitar case over so I can squeeze in. I appreciate it when people move over without giving me a look that says, “I don’t want to sit with you. Get away.”

Now that I’m seated, I pull out my red MP3 player. I think that I’m the only teenager in the world who has an MP3 and not an iPod. Anyway, I have to turn the volume way up because the bus rolling along the road, combined with the excited voices around me make it diffi cult to hear.

A few more passengers get on. Some people have to sit three to a seat, which is often not fun. I should know. Last year, when every other seat had been fi lled on one of my busses, I sat with two older girls who glared at me with their heavily-lined eyes like I caused the BP oil spill. They made absolutely no room for me, and the

right side of my body and some of my left weren’t touching the seat. I had to grip the seat across from me so I didn’t fall fl at on face into the aisle. I wish the girls sitting next to me had shown a little more mercy, but I can’t blame them for not wanting to sit with an alienated kid.

We arrive at Ben Franklin, and soon the bus has almost been emptied out. The only remaining people are people from Stevens Point Area Senior High, St. Peter Middle School and Pacelli. Finally, I can turn down the volume on my MP3 and still hear music. But soon after, a stop downtown has loads of students waiting, and the

bus is fi lled again. Once we reach SPASH, I wait outside, or

inside if it’s cold, to get on the bus that will fi nally take me to my school. So a morning of busing is over, now onto the afternoon.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but after school is done, I just want to go home. I hop on another crowded bus. That bus takes me back to SPASH. I board my next bus, where we usually have to wait for about 15 minutes for the SPASH students to get out of class. Finally we take off .

Before long, we’ve reached the bus garage, where I board my fi nal bus of the day. It’s often crowded, like every other bus in the system. I’ve heard stories about

people who have had to sit in the aisles of the buses since there was no room for them on the seats. I don’t think this is right. What if the bus crashed? I am dropped off , and I walk back down the road to get to my house.

Even though the busses are irritating and crowded, I have to say that whoever makes the bus routes and organizes the whole system is very intelligent. I could never take hundreds of students, and organize the routes so that every single one of them reaches their destination. I also appreciate the bus drivers, who put up with driving all of us to school and still say, “Hello”, or “Have a nice night” when you get on and off the bus.

Riding the bus is not very fun, but if you have music to listen to or a phone to text on, things are better. I dislike waiting outside of SPASH in the cold, but it’s just part of a routine. Riding the bus is the only way to get to school on most days, so I must go though it.

RIDING THE BUS: RIDING THE BUS: AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHERAN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

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PANACEA PROVIDES FAMILY FUN, PANACEA PROVIDES FAMILY FUN, RAISES MONEY FOR SPACSRAISES MONEY FOR SPACS

By Hanna BurchSt. Peter Middle School Eighth-GraderOur Voice Staff

On Sept. 10 to 12, thousands attended the annual Panacea festival at Pacelli High School.

This year was the 36th annual Panacea, which is one of the biggest community events. It is made possible by hundreds of volunteers.

It originally started to raise money for Pacelli High School and was called Pacelli Panacea. Now the proceeds benefi t the entire Stevens Point Area Catholic Schools System. In 2009, Panacea raised about $125,000 for SPACS.

It is a time to bring Pacelli alumni, classmates, friends, and community supporters together for a fun weekend. It celebrates the beginning of a new school year.

Every year, many local businesses support Panacea with raffl e items, silent auction objects and monetary donations. A local car company donates a car to be raffl ed off . There’s also a silent auction, and this year it had more than 8,000 items, including a celebrity corner, photographs, artwork, gift certifi cates, furniture, outdoor items, electronics, games, purses and accessories, clothing and much more.

Some main attractions were the carnival rides. To kick off the beginning of Panacea there was a fi sh fry on Friday night. Throughout the weekend there were

food tents and concession stands. There were also game stands set up to win stuff ed animals, fi sh, and other prizes. The entire weekend never stopped with the music and bands that played in

RIDING THE BUS: AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

HANNA BURCH/Our Voice Staff Community members gather at Pacelli High School early September for Panacea, complete with carnival rides, food, music and fun. This is the Stevens Point Area Catholic Schools’ annual fundraiser. Last year it raised about $125,000.

Continued on Page 11


DREAM CATCHERS: THE MIX UPDREAM CATCHERS: THE MIX UP

By Kaylyn KluckSt. Peter Middle School Eighth-GraderOur Voice Staff

Katronova, otherwise known as Kat, lead her airball team through the long corridors that were Headquarters. She put on a strong face for her team, though she wasn’t feeling so strong inside.

Today was a monumental day for them, and Kat had to be a leader or her team would lose all their confi dence in her. Today Kat’s team, the Sky Gems, would be playing their rivals, the Thunder Flyers, in a much-anticipated airball showdown. It was crucial that they won, or Kat would have to deal with the social humiliation that came with losing. And in Kat’s book, losing was not an option.

Kat was made to fi ght hard. It was in her blood. She was a Dream Catcher, an invincible creature that appeared to be a regular teenager but with a pair of gold-streaked wings who lived up in the clouds. Every night, her and the other millions of Dream Catchers went out and blew dreams into the minds of the weak little humans down on earth. Or at least, that’s how Kat saw it. Humans were selfi sh. Humans were fragile. And Kat was magical, strong and powerful. And when she wasn’t distributing dreams to the people of earth, she was playing airball. She was very talented at it, and she was a star on the fi eld and off . It was good to be her.

Today though, that didn’t seem to be the truth. Kat hated Lydia, the captain of the Thunder Flyers, with a passion. She was really weird, the way she always insisted people call her Lyd, and how she hated being a Dream Catcher. And the fact that Lydia looked almost identical to Kat was more obnoxious then Lydia’s crazy friends that made up the rest of the Thunder Flyers. So if the Sky Gems didn’t win today, Lydia would have enough satisfaction to make Kat want to crawl up in a hole somewhere and never come out for all eternity. Don’t even think about it, she instructed herself.

“Kat, what happens if we lose today?” Avery, one of her friends and teammates asked uncertainly. Kat stopped walking and spun around to face her team, which consisted of her closest friends, and a few of the biggest of the boys that always seemed to follow her and her group around everywhere. Showtime, she thought. “No, don’t even consider losing, because if we even think about it for one second, we will lose. We have practiced way too much for this, and we will be victorious today. I know we will,” Kat declared. Everyone stared at each other in doubt. Obviously, every one of them, including Kat, had broken the no-thinking-about-losing rule. “Now come on, we

are almost to the fi eld.” Kat led her shaky team out of the corridors and into the bright sunlight.

It was a beautiful day up on the clouds, and new confi dence surged inside Kat. The weather had given her hope. Surely, nothing bad could happen on a day like this. However, later Kat would learn that she had been very wrong.

The clouds, big, white, and fl at on top held several airball fi elds. This was where she had played every airball game in her short-lived life. Once she was a full-grown Dream Catcher, Kat would be able to play on huge fi elds where the professional adult Dream Catchers (DCs) played. She couldn’t wait to play on those big fi elds with stadium seating, where the crowds would cheer her on and she would win game after game. Kat led the group over to Field 406, where they were scheduled to play. A guy wearing black was standing there, holding a clip board. Kat wondered what was up. “Can I help you?” She asked fl atly. The guy raised his eyes to look up at the captain of the Sky Gems. “Um, yes. I’m here to inform you that there’s been a mix up.” The strange guy said. Kat raised a high-arching eyebrow. “What do you mean? We were scheduled to play on this fi eld today,” she told him.

Just then, Lydia and the treacherous Thunder Flyers arrived. Lydia. Every time Kat looked at her it was like a slap in the face. They both had long, dark brown hair, purple eyes and pale skin, though Kat considered herself to be much prettier. Or at least, she prayed that she was. The Thunder Flyers also included Lydia’s deranged friends: Oddball Chase, airheaded Olivia, conceited JJ, freaky Arena, ridiculously kind Jason, and overweight Roffi e. Today however, Roffi e wasn’t there, instead, Quigley, the weirdest Dream Catcher of all time, replaced him. He had probably never picked up an airball in his life. Kat’s confi dence meter began to slowly rise.

After giving Kat a cold glare, Lydia piped up, “What happened?” Lydia was smart enough to realize something was wrong. That bugged Kat. “This dude says there’s been a mistake,” she said. The annoyed “dude” informed them, “I was sent here to inform you that you will not be playing on Field 406 today. Instead, you have been told to play on Field 1.” Every member of both the Sky Gems and the Thunder Flyers stared at him. They knew that he had either said the wrong fi eld number or this was a lame practical joke. Field 1 was the biggest, most important fi eld of all. Only the best of the best got the extreme privilege of playing there.

“Look, if you’re just here to mess with us, leave. We have a game to play,” Kat told the guy. “Yeah,” Lydia agreed. Kat was startled. They had never agreed on anything before. The guy in black rolled his eyes and handed the two captains the clipboard. It was a note saying that the match had been transferred to Field 1.

Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment of Dream Catchers in Our Voice. The previous were in the March, April and May issues. The fi fth installment will appear in the November issue.



LUCY’S SMILELUCY’S SMILEIt looked pretty legit, but Kat and Lydia still had their doubts. “Who gave you this note?” Lydia asked. The guy informed them that it didn’t matter, and they should go to Field 1 immediately. “Fine. We will. But if this is a trick, we will push you off the side of the cloud,” Kat told him sharply.

It took a while for the two teams to get the Field 1 stadium. And indeed, they were supposed to play there. A stadium worker informed them. Kat’s heartbeat sped into over-drive. This was it. She was about to play the biggest team on the biggest fi eld in the biggest game of her life. She was overwhelmed with curiosity. Why on Earth were they playing here? Pressure worked its way into Kat’s head. If she didn’t win, things would never be the same. The Thunder Flyers and the Sky Gems had played each other before, and the teams were pretty even. But Kat and Lydia were going to give it their all and more today, because this was their chance to prove that they were something special, and to prove that they were better than each other.

Panacea from Page 9

Dream Catchers from Page10

By Briah KruegerBen Franklin Junior High School Ninth-GraderOur Voice Staff

Lucy was a girl who was shy.

A young little girl having the dream to touch the sky.

She played and ran with her friends.

The problem was they were pretend.

She keeps her comments inside of her and chooses not to speak.

A special friend she wishes to seek.

One that’s like her and wishes to fl y…

Someone who’s not afraid to cry.

Who’s not afraid to get rips in their jeans,

A person who plays like Kings and Queens.

She’ll jump over puddles with big motions,

Imagining she jumped over an ocean.

She looks at a tree and calls it her kingdom.

A percent who thinks like that is little to none.

Flying a kite is like directing a plane.

A sweet little girl who doesn’t complain.

Her soft little face with rosy dimples.

Her inside so bright and the outside so simple.

She comes home with tears because no one seems to like her.

Everyone has a moment in their life when things are a blur.

Saying to her Dad…

“Why do people dislike? Why didn’t God make us alike?”

‘Well, does every star shine as bright as the other?

And not everyone will like each other.

So sweetie keep your chin up

That friend of yours will come in a while.

Lucy just keep your smile.’

the music tent. New this year was the fi rst Panacea Idol

Karaoke Competition. The event was hosted by John Copps. The 30 registered participants picked an appropriate song to sing in front of the judges.

The three top winners received $50, $25, and $10. The fi rst place Panacea Idol this year was Maria Baumann, a freshman at Pacelli High School. She sang a song by Martina McBride.

This year turned out well with much community support and attendees. Hopefully, Panacea will have raised more money than last year to benefi t SPACS. As of press time, the total amount raised this year was not available.

Overall, Panacea is a great and fun community event to attend with lots of attractions, rides, games, food and much more. I hope to see you there!

5001101165


DEAD OR ALIVEDEAD OR ALIVEBy Hanna BurchOur Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

Chapter 1 “Stop it! Let me go! Take me back to my Mom!” Angie screamed,

fl inging her arms and legs all over, biting at air, trying to free herself.

The kidnapper pulled Angie across the deck of the ship, trying to control her fl ailing body. Angie fought with all her strength, but it wasn’t enough to overpower the man’s bulky build, muscled arms, and stern face. His graying beard hung, tickling Angie’s rosy cheeks. His sharp eyes ran over the scenery at the island where he was dumping Angie, as the wind rumpled his checkered rag shirt and patched jeans.

* * *Angie sat, alone, on the deserted island. She was all out of tears,

but the leftover salt on her moist checks made her want to cry some more. Little trickles of water still slid down her sad face, as she tried to organize her jumbled thoughts and emotions. She was already homesick, missing her mom and her pet cat, LuLu. Angie felt like she was going to be sick. Uh-oh. She was going to be sick.

Angie raced over to the edge of the island and threw up in the rippling water. She was disgusted, and scolded herself to stop acting like a baby. “I need to fi gure out how to survive, instead of feeling sorry for myself,” she said thoughtfully to one of the trees. It rustled in the breeze, as if replying “Yes, you do, Angelina.”

Angie sat around the fi re that she had sparked using sticks, rocks,

and rusty knowledge from her young Girl Scout days. Even though

Editor’s note: These are the fi rst two chapters of a continuing series. For Chapter 3, seek the November edition of Our Voice.


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she was scared, lonely, and sad, she was very proud that she had been able to provide warmth for herself with no help. As she nibbled on the apple she had found in one of the trees, she inspected her pink and green striped fi ngernails. One of the edges was chipped. She shook her head, and tried to think of something that she could use on the island as nail polish. Even though she was alone on the island, she still considered her looks a top priority. Angie was the type of girl who was popular in school, had loads of friends (boyfriends, too) and never really took her education seriously. But, she realized, now her knowledge would be put to the test. She wished she had paid more attention in Mrs. Bloke’s humdrum survival class.

A blow of harsh wind came from nowhere, whipping Angie’s curly, blond hair (with brown highlights) all around. It wrinkled Angie’s designer shirt, sweater, and ripped jeans. She was wearing bright orange slip-on sandals. Angie had a plumpy, curved body,

but was very tall. She most always wore a blinding smile, sparkling jewel-green eyes, high cheekbones, and a cute baby doll nose. She had stunning posture, never slumped, and walked with confi dence in her long stride. But, through all this, she was silently suff ering. Her mom had given birth to her when she was only a teenager, and she had never gotten married. Angie had no idea who her dad was. She had always been lonely in her heart, even though she was the “most glamorous, most perfect girl” in the eighth grade. Classmates admired her. Teachers despised her.

Her mom, Sherri, was never single though, and dated 24/7. She would always say that she was in “love” with a guy, and was going to get married, but a few days later the relation would end. Sherri never really was home, either. She stayed out all night, partying. Sometimes she would get in trouble with the police for being to “active” at a bar, where she spent the early morning drinking. Angie made a promise to herself when she was 6

years old that she would never be like her mother. Angie would get married after she went to college, be a good model for her kids, and act loving towards them.

While her mom was out, Angie had to live by herself. She grew up with packaged, junky dinners. She would chat online with people she didn’t know. She would call her friends on the phone and talk for hours. She would get a ride with her friends’ older siblings to parties. Through all this she was never really happy. The only person who was her real friend was her loyal cat, LuLu. LuLu would always listen to Angie pour her heart out, while she sat there licking her paws. Angie loved LuLu. LuLu loved Angie.

Angie sat on a rock, her butt freezing cold, while she fl ashed back on her early childhood life. Now, that was behind her. Just thinking about never going back home brought tears to her eyes. Angie knew that her mom loved her, even though she did not act like it. And Angie loved her mom. She had thought that


every kid grew up like she did, until she went to a kindergarten slumber party. There, she saw the diff erent parenting given to her friend, Ema.

A sudden wave of chills came upon Angie’s smooth, pale skin. She glanced around. There was no breeze at the time. She had the feeling that someone was watching her. She got up and wandered around the perimeter of the island. It wasn’t very big. Probably a couple acres all around. There was one main pack of trees right smack dab in the center of the island, but many other fruit trees were scattered about. The entire ground was covered in sand, except on the very edge of the shore where it was more mud than sand. The view was magnifi cent. Angie could see for miles and miles in every direction, with a path of greenish blue sparkling water leading the way. She could barely make out any land, although she thought that she could see another island way out there. So far, she hadn’t seen any animal life.

As she came to a bend, bushes blocking her view of the corner, she heard a rustling noise. She

swore she had seen some leaves rustle, and the wind was not blowing at the moment. Probably just my imagination, she thought. Then a piercing noise fi lled the air, and her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes took caution as she dared herself to step out to the other side. She closed her eyes and counted to three. 1, 2,…… Before she could reach three, she was pushed back by a strong force.

She heard growling and felt sharp things ripping into her skin as she was on the sand bank. She felt a root jutting into her side. She smelled bad breath and slobber dripping from the thing on top of her. Angie opened her eyes. There, right on top of her, stood a dog. A fi erce one. It growled, and looked ready to rip Angie apart. Its eyes were the most horrifying sight she had ever seen. They were fi lled with anger and the need to protect something. Protect something? But what? Angie puzzled over the fi rst thought that had popped into her head when she had seen the dog’s eyes. She knew the look of guarding in animals eyes, because she had

seen it many times before when she had tried to touch LuLu’s ears. LuLu was kind to the bone, except when it came to petting her ears. This dog was here for a reason. To protect. But what would need protecting on an undiscovered, abandoned island?

Chapter 2“Hi! It’s OK,

doggie. I am a nice person. I won’t hurt you. It’s OK.” Angela blabbered as she tried her best to soothe the dog in a friendly voice. The dog stared at her suspiciously, as if on the brink of believing her. He backed off her, still in a pouncing position, his actions showing that he was not quite convinced that she was harmless….. Yet. She sat up, brushed off her pants, and let the dog sniff her fi ngers. This seemed to persuade him that Angela was not an enemy of his, rather a young, meek girl. The dog let out a friendly bark and wagged his tail.

Angela smiled as she got to know the dog, who she named Fender, a nickname for Defender. She was pretty sure he was here to defend something. Why else would there

be no animal life on this island except for a well-fed, obviously not starved dog all by itself? Fender was a friendly dog, but he could be very protective and fi erce. Angie guessed that he was about 3 or 4 years old. He still had energy of a puppy, but also maturity of an adult. He was both gentle and kind.

Fender was at Angela’s feet to keep them warm, because her sandals weren’t doing much good. By now it was mid-afternoon, and the wind was picking up pace as the waves crashed and rolled in harder and faster. Angie was worried about what she was going to do. So far, she hadn’t seen any type of shelter or shelter material that she could use for the night. She had eaten some more fruit provided from the trees, and was chewing a piece of gum she had found in her pocket, but that was it.

Earlier on the evening that she had been brought here, Angela had been walking home from a local ice cream shop when a strange car pulled up. It was newly painted bright silver but was an older style car. She had

been forced to get in the car. She was taken on the huge ship, but she had only seen the one man who had kidnapped her on board. She had wondered where the rest of the crew was.

Angela didn’t know why this happened. Why would a strange man force her to go with him, just to dump her on an island? He hadn’t sent a ransom note to anyone asking for a reward. So, why? Unless he was coming back to the island at a later time, to. . . . . She didn’t want to think about what would happen if he came back.

A bark from Fender brought her back to the present. She smiled and petted him. “Ahh, Fender.” She said in a dreamy voice, as she admired him. Fender had a coat of bleached sand, two playful blue eyes, and a wagging tail. Angie didn’t know a lot about dogs, only cats, so she didn’t have a good guess on what kind of dog he was.

Another noise from Fender, this time a whining, made Angela look at him strangely again. He looked panicked and worried. “What is it, boy?” Angela had a puzzled look. “What’s

wrong?” Fender looked alarmed. He cocked his head as if trying to fi gure out where a silent noise was coming from. He stood up from his place on the ground and pranced away to the other side of the island, and then turned back and cocked his head for Angela to follow him.

Fender led Angie all the way to the shore line, and looked out onto the sea. Angela bent down and rested her arm on his back.

“What are you trying to tell me?” She asked, as if expecting an answer. Fender didn’t move. He just sat and stared out at the ocean. Angela glanced at his eyes just as Fender found what he was looking for and focused in on it. He clenched his jaw and his body got tense. Angela looked out where his head was directed, and there she saw it. A small fi gure in the distance. But not to small for her to see what it was. A ship. It was a ship. The same one that had brought the girl captive to the island in the fi rst place.

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