"How I See It:" My Place Exhibit

Student Writings

DESTRUCTION, Alisha Spalding

The same area is being torn apart by many different sources. The once cemented side walk has fallen down the cliff along with the rebar used for support. Erosion has withered the cliffs edge and caused it to be fragile. More and more asphalt, cement and other materials from the recycling center above fall every day.

ROUGH, Alisha Spalding

Rocks, graffiti, cement…all the rough surfaces gathered in one spot. Many generations have come to the tunnel to leave their mark. Continuous layers of art here, expressing emotions of each visitor. An uncommon place to relax, a peaceful, calming and rough spot on the beach. Who will visit next?

CAT FACE. Ian Adams

Wood, chipped paint, and rust are common sights living by the ocean.
ENDLESS By: Ian Adams

FALLEN, Marisa Benson

Stuck in the web, the aging leaves float like hope on the fence. As fall passes by, the delicate leaves change their colors, transforming from vibrant green to rusty brown and golden yellow.

THE BLACK HOLE, byMarisa Benson

The gray, billowy clouds hang above the black hole before they are seemingly sucked down into its darkness. Hazily in the distance, the southern most point in Pacifica juts out into the ocean. A Pacifican would feel right at home on this foggy, dreary day.

ABANDONED, by Oceane Ringuette

The curtains closed, the doors locked and nailed down. The areas grown dead, nobody tries to go inside. The house is abandoned.

The unappreciated chair by: Oceane Ringuette
Orange and yellow from the sun brighten the rust on this forgotten chair. The cracks and dust falling off the rust symbolize aging and changing from what used to be useful to unusable, unappreciated chair.

UNTITLED, by Christina Schreiner

To look only at the monotonous ocean is to take the easy way out. Look at the smaller but more significant objects around you. Perhaps you will see something more beautiful than ever before.

PERSPECTIVE, by Christina Schreiner

In this image, there are two different perspectives of the same object. This car is very unique and aged, which I find rather interesting yet characteristic of Pacifica as a whole. It is a very subtle observation, but if you look past the surface of this simple side-view mirror, you can see something extraordinary.

BLOSSOMING THROUGH BARRIERS, by Jesse McKeen-Scott

Blossoming through the barriers that stand at the edge of the garden, a vibrant, sunshine colored honeysuckle shows its beautiful face. Nature thrives even in the most constrictive environments, and when the sisters of this joyful flower die off, new friends emerge by its side to keep it company.

THE SECRET OF THE GUTTER by: Jesse McKeen-Scott

A simple gutter, rusting along the side of the house holds a special magic, a magic that appears at the first sign of a downpour, and evaporates with the murky puddles. While rain brings umbrellas to the hands of people, who duck under eaves and huddle under blankets to stay warm, it brings happiness and excitement to the lonely gutter. The magic brought by the rain is a magic to hold a piece of the sky, to dance in the hope of the heavens and hold on to happiness. The gutter lives by this secret, and as people search for joy in their lives, they should choose to take a lesson from the gutter, and go out to dance in the rain.

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY, by Matt Dodge

Cars, cars and more cars coming down, down, down the freeway going home after a long day. Rusty poles that keep people like me from getting hit by those cars.

TYPICAL PACIFIC DAY, by Matt Dodge

Sepia pier, a lot of fisherman waiting to get their catch of the day. Waves crash up against the pier and the birds come and join the fun.

OLD GROWTHS. by Kim Hansford

The ivy had clung to the wall all its life. It now fought to hold on as best it could. Unfortunately, it lost the battle to cling to its wall. It grew in small root-like parts that stayed behind as it was yanked away. All that remains of the ivy were tell-tale marks of old growths.

SIDE BY SIDE, by Kim Hansford

Side by side, these houses were built, exactly like each other. They were twins in every way until they got their owners. Everything ages in different ways, and those two houses were no different. The houses now looked very different, although anyone can see they were once the same. Still twins at heart, the houses stand, a silent testimony to Pacifica’s past.

INTERTWINED, by Nicole Riley

Up, up and away the wires climb,
Under, over, and around the branches wind.
Who was here first, it does not matter,
For they both are now, to work together.
Constantly expanding, we need to make space,
Our little city is no longer only our place.
New people coming, old people going,
Ideas staying, and community growing

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, by Nicole Riley

Down the sun goes, ending yet another day in our little beach town.
But don’t worry, for it will rise again, just as we always do.