The Pokémon Bandit
By Jordan F.
November 22, 2021
It was a beautiful winter morning, crystal white snow trickling down onto the front yard. I would’ve been joyous if it wasn’t for the fact that it was a school morning. I was slightly sweating from being bundled up in a sweatshirt and coat in the warm house for too long, mostly because I’ve been waiting for my mom to finish getting ready to drop me off to school. Me and my mom headed outside to make our way to her car. My fluffy, red hat itches my forehead, so I take it off as soon as I get into the backseat of the car. Looking at my hat in my hands, I thought of the long day ahead of me.
“Ok, you’re all set.”, my mom said as she put the car into park outside the front of the school. I put my hat back on. “Ok, love you.” I said. “Love you too, have a good day at school.” The car behind us let out a long honk. “I will,” I said while closing the door behind me. I entered my classroom, everyone was talking in their seats and putting stuff away in their cubbies. While putting my coat up on the cubby hanger, my friend approached me. “Yo, look what I got yesterday!” he said enthusiastically. I paused in shock, my eyes opened and my mouth dropped in disbelief. He had a massive Pokémon card of a Charzard EX! Charzard was a fire breathing dragon that seemed like he could just fly out the card because it was so big. At that moment, I knew I had to have it. “How did you get that?” I said. “I’m friends with my neighbor’s kid, and he didn’t want it anymore, something about him being too old for it now” It almost seemed too good to be true. He put the card into his backpack in the cubby next to me.
I slowly walked to my seat, looking back at his backpack, already trying to develop a plan. After recess, everyone was still electric from all the playing in the snow. I put my coat and hat back into my cubby. No sign of my friend. Confused, I scanned the class. He must be in the bathroom, I thought to myself. My heart was thumping, it’s now or never. I slowly unzipped the front pocket, hoping it was there, and nothing. I looked back to see if anyone was looking at me. The coast was still clear, I tried unzipping the big pocket in his backpack, two seconds at a time, transitioning from being in my backpack to unzipping his. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I got it open, the card was glowing gold off the reflections from the bag. I quickly took it and zipped up the backpack. My hands were sweaty. I was in my seat, constantly looking around the classroom to see if anyone was looking at me suspiciously. Everyone was talking with their friends, no one knew what I just did. I put the card in my backpack.
My friend came back from the bathroom afterwards. Still happy, he would soon come to a haunting realization. And it’d be my fault. I felt guilty, but there was no turning back now, it was too late. The end of school finally came. I never ran so fast to my mom’s car. I was relieved, I got away with it, not knowing if it was a good or bad thing. This won’t become a habit, I thought to myself. A couple of months later me and one of my best friends at the time were trading toys during outdoor recess . The day before, we made up a plan to bring our best toys for trading and borrowing. We were under a yellow slide, trying to keep inconspicuous to the teachers monitoring us during recess. It was cold, and we were in the shade. Cold air slapped us in the face, but it was worth it, this was serious business. In the end, I let him borrow a Winter Soldier action figure. It was my favorite toy, and I boasted about having it, saying it was a “Limited edition”. Not knowing if that was true or not. You could move its arms and legs, and make a bunch of cool poses with it. We arranged that he’d bring it back to me in a week. Trusting him, I had no doubt that he’d give it back. When next week rolled around, he said that he “Forgot it at his house.” I was bummed because I was looking forward to playing with it again. I was suspicious, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. The next day was the same excuse, and the next day, then the next. Eventually I accepted that I probably wouldn’t see it again.
It got me thinking about the friend I stole the Pokémon card from, how he must have felt when I stole it. It was karma, and a valuable lesson. A lesson about trust, a lesson about life, a lesson that impacted me forever. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. When I am about to do something with or for someone, “If someone did this to me, would I be okay with it? “If I got caught doing this, would it be okay?” If these answers are negative, then you probably shouldn’t do it. You have to be smart with your actions, and smart with your decisions. Ever since that day that I realized I messed up in taking something that did not belong to me, I made a promise to myself saying that I will never steal from anyone again.
Equilibrium
By Yasseen B.
November 8, 2021
I would like to take this opportunity to talk about a movie I watched last night with my family. The movie is titled Equilibrium and the main actor in it is Christian Bale. The movie took place in a dystopian world where people have no rights. The population takes a drug every couple hours to dispel them from having emotions. The government also has military workers and people who go out of the citadel into the “nethers” to destroy anything that evokes emotion, such as art. This movie made me think back to a book I had to read in the summer of 2019. The book was 1984 by George Orwell. You may have heard of the book or “Big Brother” which is a reference to it. It also takes place in a dystopian society. I think of these pieces and imagine what it feel like to be living in a world like that. Of course, things like poverty and racism would be eradicated, but at the same time life would be meaningless. What is the point of life if there is no uncertainty and every day is the same as the last? For if we do not feel, doesn’t life just become a marathon to death?
Productivity and Procrastination
By Janine R.
October 29, 2021
As school continues, the productivity and ability to manage the time of students are heavily tested. Due dates that seem so far away and long assignments all create a sense of loathing from the student, but of course the student will grudgingly work on these assignments everyday. Procrastination truly is a hard habit to break and it just seems like an endless cycle. However, planning things out could truly help. Organization and trying to section out parts of your day to work on your assignments is really the best way to move a little further way from the habit of procrastinating. Of course it is much easier said than done and I hardly am able to do it, but the few times I do it, it does helps a lot.
What I Love About Libraries!
By Caitlin K.
September 20, 2021
What I love about libraries is that it’s not only a place to read and study but it can actually be very fun! They offer free programs for all ages where you can build or play or craft or game or read. There’s always something to do! They also have video games you can check out as well as CDs and TV Show Binge Boxes. For Grades K-5 you can participate in the Free Summer Reading Program where you can read books and get rewarded with prizes every week of the summer! They also have a teen summer reading program where you read books and track your time and pages so you get entered into a raffle. When you get a summer reading book for school the Library always has activities and discussions about the book that you can do with your friends and meet new friends. That is everything that I love about the library!
The Reopening of Broadway
By Cassidy B.
September 13, 2021
As artists, we cannot go about celebrating the return of live theatre without
acknowledging the pervasive racism in the industry. From our writers to directors to storytellers
onstage, every profession must be broken open to better welcome our gracious, talented, and
multifaceted BIPOC communities– and do so properly.
Inclusion and diversity in theatre has long been defined by the white American gaze. Since the
beginning, theatre makers turn people into monoliths in failing to recognize individual cultural
identities and historical and colonial contexts, coining it as “representation.”
Inclusion and diversity are not casting to fill quotas. Inclusion and diversity are not leaving
performers to settle for shows they’ve only ever saw themselves in. Inclusion and diversity are
not limiting our opportunities while using our cultures for show-and-tell.
Actors of color demand more than what we’ve too often settled for. Our students demand to work
under actively anti-racist educators and institutions. Our stories demand depth and humanness,
just as how our talents demand to shine in stories that have nothing to do with our races or
ethnicities. Our performers demand their rightful jobs.
We bring uniqueness, value, and strength to the table in all we do. To bring justice to our stories
is to lean into the ugly, unspoken realities of this business.
The arts are not exempt from this accountability. Theatre centers whiteness like all other systems
in this country. Take today and every day to educate yourself on those realities and listen to those
who lived them. Check your privileges. Celebrate the work of BIPOC theatre artists and honor
their communities with light and love.
Back to School
By Janine R.
September 12, 2021
School started earlier this month and its effects on me and many others are becoming more and more noticeable as the days continue. Perhaps it is the overwhelming environment that I have momentarily forgotten during my one and a half years learning from a computer, but school undoubtedly continues to be a major stress factor for many people including myself. Countless long and complex assignments, large expectations from others and yourself, and just the strain on our minds that school commonly gives makes this year seem quite gloomy. Back to school can arouse many differing emotions from many different kinds of people, but for a student who highly yearns for academic success it is a harsh transition when compared to a summer where one could be free to experience the things they enjoy at their own time. School is hard and so is life. I will be hoping for myself and those similar to me that the year will be manageable as we dive into another year of school.
Soccer
By Matthew W.
August 30, 2021
The best sport in the world, in my opinion, is soccer. The game is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining sports to play with its multiple positions, formations, playstyles, etc. This provides a unique experience for every player, and each position requires its own type of training and mastery in order to play them effectively. Furthermore, the same position can be played in a variety of ways. For instance, both Messi and Ronaldo are strikers. However, their playstyles vary greatly. Messi is more of a team player, or “playmaker”, who helps others score and improve the skill of the whole team. Ronaldo on the other hand, is a striker that is more capable of scoring when in the penalty box than contributing to the whole team’s overall performance.
Not only is the game fun to play, but it is very fun to watch. For example, nations across the world host their own leagues where privately owned clubs can compete for fame and glory. An example of one of these leagues is the English Premier League, the most watched league in the world. If clubs aren’t up your alley, then there are a multitude of international tournaments hosted almost every year. For instance, the UEFA Euro championships is a competition of qualified European nations for a cup at the end. The Americas have championships of their own, such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which the USA won this year. And of course, no one can forget the world cup. One of the largest global competitions besides the Olympics. Nations across the world rally their teams to play for glory and the title of ‘World Champion’. Currently, the world champions are France, but their lackluster performance in this year’s Euros possibly foreshadows their demise in the 2022 world cup in Qatar.
All in all, soccer is an amazing sport that is both entertaining to watch and play, which is why it deserves my personal spot of the number one sport in the world.
Shadow & Bone
By Logan R.
August 19, 2021
Hey there you Ravkan readers! I’m Logan, and today I’d like to talk about the grisha verse trilogy and the six of crows. These books by Leigh Bardugo, are amazing works of literature. In the LPL, they can be found inside the young adults section, to the left when entering. The author of these books takes you on a marvelous journey to meet a young orphan and soldier named Alina Starkov. She possesses extraordinary powers and is taken in by the darkling (or in the Netflix show, General Aleksander Kirigan). But when a great evil threatens Ravka and the enemy territories Fjerda and Shu Han, Alina needs to step up to save her country, and the world. The Six of Crows duology follows a different story, where Kaz and his crew must find a missing scientist for 30 million Kruge in an extremely high stakes mission. There are plot twists upon plot twists upon plot twists at the final chapter and the author leaves you on a huge cliffhanger, making you crave more. The Netflix series follows a similar path to shadow and bone, which it’s actually named after, but very different for the crows, with even less of their characters and a much different mission. With suspense, tension, romance, and drama, this makes a great read for older teens and gets a 10/10. This is Logan signing out. To all reading this, stay safe, healthy, and away from Covid-19.
If you don’t understand any of the words or want to look more into the characters, click here: https://grishaverse.comhttps://yamglit.fandom.com/wiki/Alina_Starkov
A Perhaps Doomed World
By Janine R.
August 18, 2021
The world seems to have many things wrong with it from the actions of the people who populate it. Every month there seems to be news about climate change, countries filled with despair and impoverished people, and just a world that seems to be falling towards failure. It really is hard to envision the world in 100 years because for all I know all that will be left is the carcasses of the innocent humans in an arid planet that turned dry and barren, different from its presently blue and green appearance. The times are changing and although there are multitudes of positive sayings about how to have hope or stay optimistic, sometimes necessary actions are done way too late and the destruction afterwards is not fixable. That’s what I think of when I think of the world today that seems to be ready to lose its life from the countless hardships humankind has put it through.
Literature and Me
By Janine R.
July 19, 2021
As I try to discover what career path I want to go into when I grow up, I often feel confused about it because my interests are not strong enough to make me confident in what I’d like to do. However, I have discovered time and time again that I enjoy reading things in my own free time, writing poems or stories, and simply just appreciating how literature and words can depict very specific things in a way that makes my head want to just take in more. I think that as I grow up and have less time for myself, I’ll always try to write and read so that I can appreciate the fiction and creativity in life.
My Favorite Thing About Libraries
By Janine R.
June 21, 2021
My favorite thing about libraries is the calmness and quietness that is within one. I think that the ambience of a library really helps to encourage people to study more and just feel at ease. If I had to describe the perfect library setting for me I would say that libraries that have older architecture styles with a more yellow lighting and a fireplace with chairs seated near it would be perfect places for me to unwind and read a book. Libraries that are more modern with large glass windows would be nice as well because with large windows, it would be calming to watch the sky at night while browsing for new books to read. I really do love libraries and I hope that libraries continue to thrive even though technology has seemingly made libraries less important, but many people such as myself, do love libraries and hope they never go away.
Levittown Public Library and Me!!
By Marissa S.
June 14, 2021
I remember going to the library every week with my family as a kid. It was my favorite part of my week. I loved looking through all of the books and picking out my favorite ones with my mom. It was always so special. I am so grateful for the Levittown Public Library because it opened up my eyes to the wonders of reading. I will never forget checking out my first book. Thank you Levittown Public Library.
