Love What’s Real Love Real Moments. Real Relationships. 2013 High School “Love What,s Real” Writing Contest Winners Chasing Dragonflies February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Each year in February, the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, through the Center for (2012 Love What’s Real Honorable Mention) Healthy Teen Relationships, engages young people to join the movement to end abuse in They pay visits to the cattails, relationships by writing about healthy, unhealthy, and even abusive relationships. Young Gliding with a ballerina’s grace, people who are empowered through awareness and education on healthy relationships Whispering their silent secrets softly to their leaves. are less likely to engage in violence or to think violence is acceptable Light shines through their wings, reflections Congratulations to the Idaho’s young authors who wrote about the importance of Shimmering in water. self-esteem in relationships, the impact of drama in relationships, bystander reflection, or When the sun disappears, they depart exploring the pressure to be in a relationship. Over 2,300 students submitted writings for To some mystical resting place the Love What’s Real writing contest. A special thank you to Idaho’s English teachers who Where summer never ends. encouraged their students to write about relationships and to the many judges who read You waited patiently at my side the amazing submissions by thousands of young people – Josie Fretwell, Melinda Garcia, Malia Collins, Daniel Salato, Abbey Darmody, Khadija Khan, Hunter Pluckebaum, the Center As I counted them once, twice, thrice— for Healthy Teen Relationships Executive Committee and Idaho Coalition staff. Marveling at their beauty. As I meet your gaze, I realize I’ve had my own dragonfly all along. Kelly Miller, Executive Director Center for Healthy Teen Relationships Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence Shell-Bee Mallory Boise High School Mrs. Bear – Teacher Cover art inspired by “Chasing Dragonflies”. Boise High School Artists – Joe Steiner, Elissa Johnson, Paige Van Ocker, and Morgan Kitzmiller; Kay Shanafelt, teacher; ChalkHeART 1st Place 2012 www.lovewhatsreal.com Friends, girlfriends, and boyfriends Individuality or girlfriend in a huge lie, you • Does things to upset you or – all deserve healthy relationships. Do you pretend to like know that it takes time to makes you cry something you don’t or be Are your relationships healthy? rebuild your trust. • Wants you to change who someone you aren’t? Be yourself; you are Communication Respect after all, being an individual is • Asks you to give up activities Do you talk face to face (nt Are you accepted for who you what makes you, you! you enjoy are? No one should pressure jst txt!) about your feelings? Fairness and Equality • Won’t let you hang with you into doing things you are Listen to one another and hear Do you have an equal say in your friends not comfortable with such as each other out. Text messages, relationships? From the activities • Pressures you to do things you drinking, drugs, or unwanted Facebook messages should you do together to the friends are not comfortable with physical contact. be respectful, not mean or you hang out with, you should inappropriate. If you think you or a friend might Safety have equal say in the choices be in an unhealthy or even abusive Signs of Unhealthy Relationships Do you feel safe emotionally made in relationships. relationship talk to your parents, and physically? Emotional safety • Texts you all the time to find Acceptance your school counselor, or an adult means you feel comfortable out where you are, who you’re Do your friends or girlfriend or you trust. being you without fear of with, or what you’re doing boyfriend accept you for who being put down. Physical safety • Has to be with you all the time For information on the Center for you really are? You shouldn’t means you are not being hurt • Refuses to listen to your opinion Healthy Teen Relationships go to have to change who you are, or pressured into unwanted • Makes all the decisions in www.lovewhatsreal.com or contact or compromise your beliefs to physical contact. the relationship the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual make someone like you. • Makes fun of you or puts you & Domestic Violence at Support down when you are alone or (208) 384-0419. Do your friends care for you Honesty and Trust with friends and want what is best for you? Are you always honest? Your friends should understand Honesty builds trust. You can’t if you can’t hang out because have a healthy relationship you have to study or if you have without trust! If you have ever plans with other friends. caught your friend or boyfriend First Place Winner Stingrays When he asks if you have a boyfriend, tell him it’s complicated. You’re recently divorced from a past that almost took everything – loud music, soft mornings, your pencils, your paper, your voice. That sometimes old doubts still surface like stingrays in shallow water, and you jump back, alarmed. Tell him about your future – how it came out of nowhere, tugging your ankles, your toes until you followed it out to sea— Molly McGinnis Boise High School Ms. Hanson – Teacher 3 Second Place Winner Third Place Winner (Tie) The Old Me I was purple flashes Contortionist and red petals My left arm in quaking ground, soft and smooth as rain, blue sky and sand encircles you, The other I was the smell of afternoon, My right brushes uncertainty. of white moon grasps my drifting self. My legs and the sound of trees One hand wrench forward, at the edge of a forest. grips our future, My torso I imagined salt water The other arches back. and single, yellow flowers. shakes off worry. I’m bizarrely contorted, I’ve changed, My right leg fitting us. now I’m hard, sticks out, protecting, I bend out of shape, cold, My left, hoping things will straighten out. dark gray metal. wobbles, supporting us. But I won’t hold forever. Too busy with you, to be the old me. One foot You’ve gotta give a little, too. Rukia Ahmed Madeleine Jewell Marian Pritchett High School Rocky Mountain High School Mrs. Murphy – Teacher Ms. Fouts – Teacher Malia Collins, Teacher, from The Cabin’s Writers in the Schools Program 4 5 Third Place Winner (Tie) Third Place Winner (Tie) My Bedtime Story Sitting on my bed, The rain pours Middle of the day I sit down wanting to cry Outside is fall He pulls me to my feet Leaves drop like confetti He wants to dance Wind blows through the branches No prom for us Your voice on the line No ride or limo Is a smooth blue No pretty dress I drink it up like water No tux I pull myself into your stories No we can’t afford it I want to believe them Our feet are covered in dark mud For longer than a minute He is silent We hang up He grips my hand And I come to We dance in the backyard Your lies are like a bedtime story Soaked in rain and cold I can’t stop reading But together We laugh and smile Brittany Hoyt Marian Pritchett High School Remembering what’s real Mrs. Murphy – Teacher Malia Collins, Teacher, from The Cabin’s Mykel Johnson Writers in the Schools Program Lapwai High School Ms. Scott – Teacher 6 7 Third Place Winner (Tie) Honorable Mention The Sweater Single Lady A vivid blue thread Gray interrupts the pattern Since when did single Weaves between Fading into black, Become a social disease? Green and soft brown, Bringing pain of Something contagious like Reminding her of warmer days Dark pavement Bed bugs or fleas? On the lakes. And final good byes. I’m proud to be single! Though it’s not hard to achieve Specks of silver She pulls on her creation, Who needs to mingle? Scattered across fabric, Not a sparkling sheath of satin, When you’ll soon have a degree! Shimmering like fish scales Nor an oppressive shell. You spend countless years stressing In memory of Instead a simple The approaching winter formal Two perfect friends. Sweater of memories Wondering, “Why can’t I be normal?” Warms her skin. But you won’t find me searching for someone else Emily Luker Because I am one hundred percent happy Borah High School Being myself. Mrs. Beautrow – Teacher Tess Goodwin Boise High School Ms. Hartley – Teacher 8 9 Honorable Mention Honorable Mention I Tried Friends Are Better Golden beams of sunlight They are those girls you see, Wash over everything in sight. walking down the hall. Always talking, laughing. Fading fast Always together. I try to hold on to it, But it slips away, Better than that couple you see, Darkness taking its place. making out by their lockers. Always kissing, hugging. Stumbling in the dark, Always making everyone else feel I have lost my way. uncomfortable. Your harsh words sting my ears, But are better than silence. And those girls you see, they are exact opposites. I taste the frost on my tongue, A cheerleader, a punker. The bitter cold consumes me; They shouldn’t go together. The truth is here. But they love each other. All I wish for is another day, Not like that couple you see, A day that won’t slip away. but like best friends should. Hannah Hutchins Like everyone should. New Plymouth High School Ms. Murillo – Teacher Effie Scarlett Timberline High School Mr. Hoetker – Teacher 10 11 Honorable Mention Honorable Mention They Said “Go out with him,” they said.