The Renaissance

Kellenberg Memorial's Literary Magazine

An important extra facet of the academic life at Kellenberg Memorial is the arts and literature publication The Renaissance.

A hybrid print/online publication, The Renaissance features  student arts and literature submissions online every Friday. In addition, a print issue of selected works is produced each spring. The Renaissance contains the creative writings and artistic talents of students from grades six through twelve.

The creative voice heard in poems, short stories, essays, and art is often unheard in the students’ day-to-day work within the classroom. The Renaissance provides the opportunity to express those voices.

The Renaissance: A Valuable Bah-Humbug! & The Giving Spirit

Phoenix Newspaper December 5, 2022

“A Valuable Bah-Humbug!” by William Hegarty ’23: 

Christmas time,
Oh so many joys,
The time of earmuffs,
To block out the noise.

The corny songs,
The cringe-inducing imagery,
The all-expensive presents,
With a very hefty fee.

The whole season itself,
God, it’s awful!
It’s a corporate paradise.
No one’s being thoughtful

Of the sick, the lonely or the poor,
No one’s any longer sincere or pure.
There’s no such thing,
Not in this materialistic world.

Oh, and stop intruding on Thanksgiving!
It’s a great holiday without 106.7 playing!
I don’t want to hear Mariah Carey
While I’m cutting the turkey! I don’t want to be Merry!

So have a Merry Christmas
Building snowmen instead of feelings.
Another year of the same old business,
Buying gifts while the homeless are freezing!

Make it about Advent!
Forget the sales, and in lieu
Of gifts and money spent,
A very Merry CHRIST-mas to you!

The Giving Spirit by Daniella Lausev ’24

The Renaissance: Trapped Inside & Searching Skeleton

Phoenix Newspaper November 21, 2022

“Searching Skeleton” by Spiro Mihalatos ’26 

“Trapped Inside” by Caroline Filocamo ’27

I sit in a chair, surrounded by darkness. I stand, after minutes— no, hours. Days, years maybe. I stand and see something; there’s a light in the distance. I start walking towards it, wanting to leave this ever lonely palace of darkness, but as I near freedom, the light drifts farther and farther away. I spend who knows how long, running to this light as I hope this is the end. But it’s not. It never is. I turn around and startle. The chair. It’s right behind me. I ended up right back where I started. I open my mouth to yell “who left me here,” but I cannot speak. I scream, and there’s nothing. I fall to my knees, praying to be let out of this prison, crying as I put my head in my hands and shake, realizing this is no nightmare, rather a prison of my own mind. I have created this; my own mind is the only thing trapping me here. I try to think my way out of here, but it doesn’t work. I slowly realize fear is the only thing keeping me here. And it’s terrifying.

The Renaissance: Halloween Party & A Runner’s Mind

Phoenix Newspaper November 7, 2022

A Runner's Mind

By Katelin Lopez ’25

A man comes on the loudspeaker to let the 200 meter racers know that it’s time to come to the starting line. They organize us into groups by our speed. All of a sudden it hits us that we need to run. We pray a quick Our Father to help with our nerves and wish each other luck. While I’m waiting to run, the breeze grazes my shoulder and I shudder. You would expect spring to be warm, but most meets are pretty chilly. I keep my sweats on for as long as possible, but now there are only 5 heights before I’m up. As my sweats come off and I’m left with just a tank and shorts, the breeze starts to hit me. The group in front of me goes and I feel that familiar pit in my stomach start to form. I pray one last time and I get ready. The man tells us to step forward.“On your marks” he says, so I get into a down start position. Making sure my fingers and legs are positioned properly. Once we are ready he says “Get set” I left up my back, and then the gun goes off. As I stride the curve, I see some of the girls pass me, but I know I will pass them later. I keep my form a little loose, leaping into each step. After I get past the curve I’m pretty tired. At this point I just need to sprint the final 100 meters, easier said than done. So I bring my arms in and start moving them faster. 50 meters left and my vision starts to blur as it always does near the end of a race. Now I see ahead of me the girls that passed me in the beginning of the race, and this gives me enough strength to pass them.At this point my body is on the verge of giving out now, but the finish line is so close. So I muster up all the energy I have left and finish strong. I try to pass the girl in front but she beats me by less then a second. I came in 4th out of 6 girls. Now I try to gain my breath back and walk slowly back on the football field to get my things. My body aches, in my mind I know I will feel this race lingering in my body. I put my sweats back on and join the other girls.

Halloween Party

Brandi Licato '24

The Renaissance: My Uncle’s Squirrels & Halloween Skeleton

Phoenix Newspaper November 7, 2022

My Uncle's Squirrels

By Victoria Vakser ’26

I have an uncle who despises squirrels.
He hates their little faces, the way their tail curls,
for they gnaw on his roof, chew through his power lines,
and scatter bits of acorns and other such finds.

Now just so you know I would like to make clear
that to get rid of these squirrels, nothing was to dear.
He set traps, he sprayed pest spray, but all to no use,
yet no matter what he would not call a truce.

One fateful morning, while on the highway,
he spotted a squirrel, smack in his way.
He would not hit the brakes, no, he pushed on ahead,
and soon that little nuisance was dead

Halloween Skeleton

"Halloween Skeleton" by Jane Noonan '26

The Renaissance: “Them” by Chloe Horstmann ’26, “Witch” by Elena Brutus ’24

Phoenix Newspaper October 31, 2022

“Them”

By Chloe Horstmann ’26

The large doors opened, sending a chill down her spine in the already frigid air. She turned around, unsure of her next move, although she already knew what they wanted her to do.

Her friends snickered behind her yelling, “You won’t do it! You can’t! Look at the scaredy cat!”

This made her blood boil and only increased her drive to prove them wrong.

Although everything in her body cringed at the thought of stepping inside the dust, mildew, and mold-filled house, she made quick advances inside, hoping to end the torment soon. She stood far back in the main hall and turned around to face the others.

She triumphantly exclaimed, “Look! I did it. Who’s the chicken now?”

She practically screamed to overcome her trembling voice. However, her friends had other plans. Two of them walked to the sides of the huge decaying double doors, quickly shutting her inside.

There was confusion for only a second before she became filled with horror. She ran towards the entrance in an effort to escape. She was not fast enough. The long hall was holding her hostage. She begged and yelled, but all she got in response was a collection of wicked laughs and a strange voice from inside the mansion, telling her that she’d better get comfortable: she was staying the night.

She was really shaking now, losing hope as she heard the giggles turn to cries outside the double doors, much too big for her to open on her own. She slumped down onto the plush carpet in the middle of the room, and began to sob.

 “Witch” by Elena Brutus ’24

The Renaissance: Autumn & A Park in Autumn

Phoenix Newspaper October 14, 2022

“Autumn”
by Taylor Wolfe ’23

as the sun steps aside,
the temperature cools,
and the leaves sink into sleep,

autumn arrives.

A Park in Autumn by Victoria Vakser '26

The Renaissance: I Hate Fall & The Changing Leaves

Phoenix Newspaper October 14, 2022

 

“I Hate Fall”
By Sahara Arbouet ’26:(Read from top to bottom then read from bottom to top) 

I hate fall
Did you expect me to say
I love it
Because I don’t
I hate it
I will never say
I love when the colorful leaves fall from the trees
Or when they fly around in the breeze
Hate the way the leaves crunch beneath my feet
I don’t
Like Thanksgiving or Halloween
I like holidays
But just not these
I like spring
Flowers and Bees
I don’t like
Jackets and sweaters
I love
T-shirts and warm weather
Spring is 10x better
Don’t say
Fall is the best
Because that’s a lie
I prefer spring
I don’t think I could ever say
I love fall

 
The Changing Leaves By Princillia Odudukudu '23

The Renaissance: Copper (Poem) & The Season’s Bridge (Painting)

Phoenix Newspaper October 4, 2022

The Season’s Bridge, Amaya Cigliano ’25

 “Copper”
By Erin O’Connor ’25

I don’t live in a world of
Grayscale or monochromatic.
I don’t live in a world where my
Hair is red and my eyes are hazel,
But one where my
Hair is copper and my eyes are amber.
I live in an autumn world where
The leaves are not brown but bronze,
And the sunsets are not orange but golden.
This saffron and ginger colored world
Is bejeweled with emerald and sapphire books,
And walnut and cedar coffee.
Scarlet and vermilion apples,
And marigold and chartreuse pumpkins.

 

 

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