Author Archives: theatala

Corene Scotland won first place for her performance of this poem in the Spoken Word category of the 2022-23 Broward County Literary Fair. Please click here to view a recording of her performance! When I decided to write this spoken word, My thoughts were As dormant as on an exam day. The result: Essays withContinue reading “The Unspoken Words”

Pressing a piece of graphite onto the paper, I start with the hardest part of the drawing: the composition. The overwhelming part of the task is coming up with a representation of what I want to convey to the viewer. I want my art to be more than lines and shapes on a piece ofContinue reading “My Drawing Process”

My grandparents’ home is much different than my simple suburban cutout. It is out in the National Forest of Tallahassee, eight hours away. The home itself is surrounded by towering pine trees and all types of forest animals. I’ve seen white rabbits, beautiful deer, a curious owl, fireflies that light up every summer evening, fuzzyContinue reading “Listen to the Oak Tree”

Sophia Lopez, PPCHS’s 2021-22 Poetry Out Loud Finalist, 2022-23 NEHS Creative Director, and rising 2023-24 NEHS Vice President, is finishing up her junior year. She has admired the concept of realism for as long as she can remember. Her fascination with the animal world was the push to take on her own personal projects. WieldingContinue reading “Winter Troop Sighting”

Matthew Castillo is a graduating senior at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. His works are often based on questions that pop into his head, such as “What does that feeling look like when you’re looking up at the sky at 1 am, and forget that you’re even there?” Although previous pieces were created using dryContinue reading “Into the Beyond”

It was just me, my mother, and the plastic Jesus that sat on the dashboard of our tan, 2004 Honda Accord. While we drove over rocks and roadkill, my mother would put on one of the only three CDs that were occupying our junk-filled glove compartment. It was Neil Young’s Harvest, Loretta Lynn’s Greatest Hits,Continue reading “3 CDs”

The mumbles of drizzling rain come by every night to dance down on my roof slowly their feet become tired and I watch them fall to their knees slipping down the glass my fingers reach out each one following the path of a different dancer their feet touch the grass like the sole of shoesContinue reading “Notes on Gymnopedie No.1”

Andria Subhit is a graduating senior at Pembroke Pines Charter High School and winner of our 2023 atala cover contest with this piece of digital art entitled Yue, which was inspired by feelings of loneliness and struggles with mental health. Andria has had her work on display and has also won first place in theContinue reading “Yue”

Click on thumbnails below to view full content of each featured work: This issue of the atala was designed, curated, and edited by Editor in Chief Samantha Villafane, Editor Emma Schenker, and NEHS Advisor Ms. Sarah Phelps.

Andria Subhit is finishing her junior year at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. She won first place in the 2017 Week of The Ocean Fair for Poetry. This digital art piece is inspired by the feelings of loneliness and struggles with mental health.