Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School
145 Magnolia Drive
Hamilton
Principal: T. Kocznur
Vice-Principal: J. Hall
Pulse Page Coordinator: S. Grover
A Time in History
By Emily Kiriakopoulos, grade 12
It was a devastating time. People were running around, screaming and crying. Police, firefighters, emergency ambulances, and rescue teams, were surrounding the area. Fire and smoke were escaping through the remains of the towers. People were calling out the names of their loved ones. I stood from afar and witnessed the entire catastrophe. I was still, motionless, and in a state of shock. I felt as though I were trapped in a horrible nightmare. The country’s tallest buildings had been destroyed. Years and years of hard work had been completely demolished within a matter of minutes. Innocent lives were taken away before they knew what was going on. Tears filled my eyes as reality set in, and I was now aware of what was really happening. I knew that for years to come we would struggle with repairing the damage and destruction. I abruptly fell down to my knees and buried my head in my hands and wept. I was relieved that my family and friends were safe and did not have to witness this tragedy, but on the other hand I was scared to death of what was yet to come of this day that would go down in history.
Aqua
By Kylie Conner, grade 12
Aqua, the colour of the shallow Mediterranean waters, a person with blue eyes that glimmer with a touch of turquoise, the colour of a sea’s crashing waves on the coast of a far away beach. It makes me feel calm, relaxed and at ease to think of the way the colour soothes all of my other feelings. It doesn’t judge me; it’s just crisp, clear, raw-real. I see who the colour wants me to be and the colour shows me how to get there. It takes me through the dark days of my life and shows me the bright side; it’s the colour that is right next to me as I dance in the rain under the doom-filled sky. It tells me not to judge others and to accept them for whom they really are, and the same will be returned in the end. Aqua, it fills my imagination to the brim with endless oceans of wonder, with the potent smell of the breeze from that ocean and the sound of the tide coming in. It tells me not to take my life for granted and that every second has a purpose. It tells me not to run away from the tide, but to embrace it, to embrace my life.
Don't Let Go
By Brittany Cote, grade 12
Brittany is an accomplished poet and has had work published by the International Library of Poetry
I wish I could hold you
And never let go
But I know that won't happen
Be honest with me, because I hurt easily
Is it supposed to be like this?
You wear your heart on your sleeve
That’s what I appreciate most.
Once more I say good bye
All my walls come down
You catch me right before I hit the ground
We must have a story
With a happy ending
So don't ever go.
My real life has just begun
Because there's nothing like
Your smile made of sun
In a world full of strangers
You're the one I know.
Why I Write
By Chris McKenzie, grade 12
What does writing mean to me? To be honest—the question never once before crossed my mind. When I read it for the first time, it seemed like a million explanations dawned on me all at once; worst of all, I couldn’t pinpoint what the answer really was. When I ask myself, I remember when I first took writing seriously—not sure whether it was actually the first time or not—but it is as far as my mind can commit to memory. It was competition that started it all. I wrote short stories with a few close friends and we compared them at the end of the day. These short stories were anything we could imagine mixed into one pot, and then catered with our pens any way we saw fit.
Competition—it drove me. If one was to understand, they would have to first realize that whatever it is I do, I compete. I try to be the best at whatever it is I am doing and with as much pride out of the way as possible. I was never decent at basketball in my younger days, but as I grew into it, I’ve been able to beat those who I once looked up too and could never beat before. Now that you understand, you will see that when we compared these short stories I found so many flaws in them and the ones I didn’t, were pointed out to me bluntly. The embarrassment and the failure took me on a swift pace to become better and more aware of what I wrote. That was my first mistake.
I noticed the more I dwelt on how I wrote and how to impress others the more it sounded made up and lacked real substance. I didn’t take note of these important lessons until those same friends moved on to hobbies that seemed more entertaining to them, but not to me. At this point, I felt as if I had to write and I had to continue, even if it was alone. Sooner or later, the pen started to illustrate what went on in my head and ideas that I wouldn’t ever catch myself saying. My speech became better, I read with a little more clarity and I wrote with freedom. That was it—I felt free whenever I sat down to write. I wrote about imaginations that could never exist in reality, I wrote about girlfriends and family, I wrote about pain and happiness and then before I realized it, this hobby became a part of me. To be honest, I don’t think I could ever stop. I’ve tried it once, and I was miserable. Writing has become an extension of me; it is the true face of who I am and it can tell you things about me that I could never say with words. What does writing mean to me? It means the air I breathe—it means life.
Going The Distance
By Brittany Cote, grade 12
With the wind, you can soar
Climbing that ladder higher,
Running through the never-ending fields
Searching for something new,
But never finding it
Expect nothing
And receive everything.
Dead Bird Poem
By Brittany Cote, grade 12
Angelic, insignificant creature lay there.
Not reacting to the warm palms of mankind.
In another mental state, it's just eternal rest.
You see the light from a distance.
Do you run towards it or reach out for it?
Some say its utopia and others say its reincarnation.
In reality, no one knows.
We can simply ponder.
Musical Theatre
By Diana Wood, grade 11
MacNab is known for some outstanding things. However, from now on MacNab will be known as the Drama high school. Who says that you need to go to Westdale or Vanier to get a good dramatic education? MacNab is stepping up their game. Last year we were blessed with a new drama teacher Mr. Aaron Cowan. He was certain that he could turn the eleven drama newbies into actors and actresses, and started by creating a drama council and an improv club. This ran throughout the first semester. Mr. Cowan created a production to compete at the Sears Drama Festival held in March of every year.
After reading different plays, the drama council chose the play “Baby” by Conrad E. Davidson. The cast was made up of those same eleven hopefuls. They went on to the stage with their heads held high and their nerves reaching an all-time level. Most of the cast had never been in front of an audience never mind judges, family, and friends. They competed against fifteen other schools and won the outstanding play award! This meant they were moving on to regionals which were held in Brantford. There were also individual awards given out that could have gone to any cast member in all the schools. Diana Wood won the distinctive merit award for her role as the mother. Advancing to the regionals meant the team had the opportunity to stay in a hotel and mingle with members of the casts from other schools. Unfortunately, they did not move on to the provincials but Sam Abdelhalim, also, won the distinctive merit award for his role as the baby.
They thought that was the biggest thing they could have possibly achieved. However, Mr. Cowan told them that there were a lot bigger and better things in store for next year. This year, MacNab started a course called Musical Theatre. This course provides students with the knowledge of what it is like to put on an actual production. The students from the program are going to start auditioning and practicing for the musical Return of the Forbidden Planet in January. There is an extensive team this year putting on the production, including the amazing stage manager Erin Buttrum. In Erin’s own words: “the musical will definitely be a night to remember.” Mr. Cowan and all of the cast and crew are excitedly looking forward to this opportunity to demonstrate what the students here at MacNab can do with a little motivation and a lot of hard work.
Art Gallery
Alex Ko, Grade 12
Caitlyn Fendley, Grade 12
Kevin Lee, Grade 12
Melanie Brown, Grade 11
Alex Ko, Grade 12
Caitlyn Fendley, Grade 12
Kevin Lee, Grade 12
Melanie Brown, Grade 11
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