Author Archives: theatala

Justin Betancourt is a graduating senior and the graphic editor of the Pembroke Pines charter newspaper. His artwork “Are We Safe?” is a visual recreation of his perspective inside a classroom during a code red lockdown, a piece that further defines his artwork around anxiety, isolation, identity, and confinement.

If you can hear me:I woke up today to fire on my faceand the sun larger than usual.The sky is as red as the hatred of thosewho walk among us.Rats are scurrying about outside to quench their thirst and wash awaytheir self-inflicted wounds. But still,they will deny any of this is their fault.It will swallowContinue reading “It Will Swallow Us Whole”

Liam Brown is a 10th-grade student attending Pembroke Pines Charter High School. They have multiple art styles, ranging from overwhelming to opulent, but recently, they’ve learned how to shade metal and its associated materials correctly, so a lot of their recent art is focused on that.

The radio has been playing static for about a month now. It makes sense, I suppose. Not many people would want to continue working at their jobs if they only had a month to live. The last thing that the radio played before going down was a frantic message: “ I-I’ve just been informed thatContinue reading “The End is Near”

Sarah Martinez is a graduating senior at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. She enjoys creating both literature and art. This piece in particular explores paranoia and the fear of being watched.

The lamps of the Aureleum Conservatory of Transmutation Arts glowed like bottled stars in the distance, their golden light trembling against the evening mist. Sixteen-year-old Ferelith paused in the cobbled street to stare at the shimmering towers. Every night she lingered like this, as if longing alone might carry her across the threshold of theContinue reading “Sparks of a New Dawn”

Winter 1441. It was snowing outside. The trees were bare, thus exposing their sharp branches. The sun was partially hidden behind the clouds. Everything seemed hazy and white. I stepped into the snow. It was cold and wet. My shoes did nothing to protect my feet, yet I was grateful. The daylight hours in theContinue reading “The Sinner and the Mortician”

Click below to watch animatic: Sarah Martinez is a graduating senior, artist, and creative writing student at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. Something Real is a project that she dedicated nearly 2 months of her time to pour her heart into.

At Starbucks, I’m Diana. It’s much easier that way. No pauses, no stumbles, no tilted heads. The barista writes it neatly on the cup and calls it out without hesitation. For years, I preferred it that way. My real name, Dione, was also only five letters, but it felt like a test no one couldContinue reading “Dee-oh-nee”

In the Elizabethan era dramatic tragedy Hamlet, playwright William Shakespeare explores how the reckoning force of corruption can influence the minds of those most susceptible to commit immoral acts under the guise of maintaining order. Upon the publication of the play, Shakespeare, according to historical critic Raymond MacDonald Alden, found himself in a society wroughtContinue reading “Hamlet: Freedom Perceived as Madness”