Journalism Clubs celebrate 5th anniversary

By Sheryl Kirby

The District recently celebrated the 5th anniversary of Philadelphia Prime Movers’ Journalism Clubs at The National Constitution Center.  Hosted by Sheinelle Jones, Fox 29 Reporter, 19 high schools were honored by Prime Movers’ National Director, Dorothy Gilliam, and famed Inquirer Reporter and Prime Movers’ Co-Director, Acel Moore, Sarah Glover, President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and various representatives from our District.

Our junior, Princess Kollie, was a student speaker who astounded the audience with her reflections on journalism. She told a brief story of her immigration to this country which caused her to fear speaking because of her strong accent and the rejection she felt from her peers. She used her love of books to turn that fear and criticism into a passion for writing, and thanked everyone for supporting the journalism program in our District. She received a long round of applause for her presentation. 

Five awards were given at the ceremony and GWHS received two of them! Princess was given an award for Best Editorial for her article on teenage pregnancy, and senior, Stephanie Pagan, was given an award for Best Online Presence for her poetry on our site. If you haven’t already done so, please check out The Eagle Eye at gwhseagleeye.wordpress.com to see their work.

Burning Waters

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2011

The rivers of scorching flames

Spread wildly throughout my temple.

The heat intenses

The longer I keep my mouth shut.

Rosey lips pressed against each other

That contain the refreshing cool waters

Of the fire that rages to every endpoint and

Causes all four walls to tremble.

I cannot bare it any longer.

The front door flies open

And a waterfall of words gush out.

Uncontrollable shaking takes over.

I’ve done my part-

Spoken fire.

Live

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2011

Vacant vessel

Awaiting inhabitance

Blessed be the merciful Wing

Blown into the temple

First breath

Refreshing

Hazy vision becomes reality

A dead heart now beating

Redemption is here

We are one

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2011

I am outer space

And it is me.

We are one.

Its stares are my pores

Engorged with light.

I am outer space

And it is me.

Venus holds my heart

And my spirit is the sun-

A never ending ball of flame

With rays that stretch for millions of miles.

I am outer space

And it is me.

Mystery resides in the darkness

Only to be uncovered by the curious.

I am outer space

And it is me.

We are one.

Standing strong

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2011

I am a tree

firmly rooted in earth’s foundation.

Rough winds rustle its leaves

and attempt to chill its very core.

But its bark is thick

and the roots are deep.

Earthquakes shake it

and make its surroundings bow and beg for mercy.

But it stands strong.

It uses nature’s ignorance to its advantage.

Thunderstorms bring rain to nourish it.

Wind helps its branches sway to praise the Creator.

Lightening leaves burns and scars that remind it of lessons learned.

And earthquakes loosen the soil

so its roots can stretch farther and deeper.

The world tries its best to tear it down

but like a food, it has forgotten who has planted it there.

Forbidden fruit

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2012

Within an instant

All innocence died,

Butchered by one nibble of vegetation.

We are drenched in Remorse

Regret,

SIN.

Fear crawls into our spirits

And caused us to scatter.

Disobedience and lack of self-control

Led us to this great fall.

Shame hides us from our Creator.

And since that instant,

Corruption has been injected into our bloodstream

To be held hostage by our transformed flesh

That drives away from all righteousness.

Our nature is now forbidden just the same

Freedom Train

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2011

It is my body that carries my spirit.

With my strength,

I lift myself up and push forward.

I fight against chains that coil around

In the attempt to restrict me

From the rights that I am naturally endowed with by my Creator.

Each time I stroll into nature

And inhale unpolluted air,

I absorb the limitless atmosphere

And become free.

The sun’s rays smile upon my face,

Even in the shadows.

I am illuminated

By the glow from the heavens

Which unlock my bounded mind.

This is my escape.

Sweet Dreams

By Stephanie Pagan, Class of 2011

Innocently rests

A child.

Peaceful and sweet.

Little mouth-breather.

Limbs tucked in tight,

Drowned in plush.

His imagination is

Dragons

Knights

And stallions.

His mind runs

As quickly as his legs,

And jumps off

Banisters

Beds

And kitchen tables.

Sliding down the railing

He dives into a sea of

Pudding

Strawberry milk

And Jello.

Bliss.