Comics

Andy's World by Abilio Mello

Dramatic Irony by Joshua D. Altobelli

Moonshine Mountain By Ryan Sullivan

Sudoku

Sudoku is made up of a 9 x 9 playing field with numbers from 1 to 9 scattered throughout. The object of the game is to fill every column, row and 3 x 3 box with the numbers 1 through 9, without repeating any numbers in any given column, row or box.

The difficulty level of the puzzles will change from week to week. Some will be easy. Some will be moderate. Some will make you want to cry. It’s gonna be a grab bag, so hang on.

If you get stuck, the answers can be found here, but don’t give in unless you absolutely cannot do it! What fun is finishing it if you had to cheat?

Horoscopes

By Madame Violet Virgo

ARIES
March 24 - April 19
Not everything is going to go your way all the time. The world does not revolve around you. Do not get too upset when some things do not go according to what you want. It might be good for you to do something differently once in awhile.

TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
You have a large academic workload that you need to tackle. Your problem is that you do not know how to sit still. The best way for you to complete your assignments is to do a little bit of work at a time. It will come together perfectly and you will not be as stressed out. Plus, this will help you from procrastinating!

GEMINI
May 21 - June 21
You have that typical crush on that someone who hardly knows that you exist. Step it up! Say “hey” or even just flash a smile as you pass him or her by. This will get that special someone to notice you. Chemistry will be felt!

CANCER
June 22 - July 22
Two of your friends have been arguing all week long, using you as their personal messenger. What do you do to resolve the problem? Get the two of them in a room together and have them talk while you mediate. Claws might come out, but it will end in hugs.

LEO
July 23 - August 22
You want to try out for something new, but you are afraid. It could be a school play, a sports team or writing an article for the school paper. Whatever it may be, today’s the day you forget our fears! Give it a shot and give it your all. You will be pleased in the end.

VIRGO
August 23 - September 22
One of your co-workers has been a complete jerk lately. He has been bossing everyone around while talking poorly about others behind their backs. He is causing so much tension in the atmosphere of your work place. No one is getting their work done. Confront him about this.

LIBRA
September 23 - October 22
You are feeling down in the dumps lately. Shopping for yourself is what usually makes you feel better when you’re down, but not today. Steer clear of spending money because you will end up spending much more than you should.

SCORPIO
October 23 – November 21
You find yourself sitting in the cafeteria making fun of everyone you see. You are making yourself and your friends laugh, but is a little laughter really worth it? Of course it is. Don’t worry about it; those people are most likely making fun of you, too!

SAGITTARIUS
November 22 - December 21
You slept through your first period class the other day, which may have been the reason for your poor performance on your pop quiz today. Don’t be lazy anymore! Your GPA cannot afford a few slips here and there.

CAPRICORN
December 22 - January 19
You have been enjoying the single life and have not even thought about finding love. However, you accidentally stumble over love today. Do not let the opportunity slip away! It will work out for the best.

AQUARIUS
January 20 - February 18
The road you are traveling down right now is awfully windy and rough. You are afraid to pop a tire, but you do not want to turn around. Follow your instincts and keeping moving forward. You will be rewarded in the end.

PISCES
February 19 - March 20
You haven’t been eating too healthily lately and now it’s starting to show. Too bad you are too lazy to go to the gym or eat a salad once in awhile. It will only get worse from here. Think about it and try to change your habits a bit.

Poetic Perfection

The Prologue of a Shallow Heart and a Delicate Heart’s Story

By Anonymous

He grabs her hand and begs for her to stay forever,
Out of love, out of happiness, or out of selfishness?
Blinded by her beating heart, she fails to focus on the third one.
Love and happiness... I’ll stay until the end...
Here with you, and you’re here with me,
With their bodies stretched across the blanket,
Their eyes fixated on the shining stars staring at them from the sky;
They’re simply silhouettes to them, shadows of late.

She loses herself in the idea of forever, forgetting that forever is a faux phrase,
Used for only the cruelest intentions... sometimes for the best, but rarely.
She looks into his deep, brown eyes and begs for him to stay as well,
As she understands, unrequited love might as well be undermined.
Compelled by her weak heart and need to feel loved and desirable,
He neglects to discuss the downside to eternal love... it does not exist.
We may be barely eighteen, but I’m barely wrong... it’s forever between you and me…
Barely... did her soft, brown hair block out that key word?
With their fingers interlocked, their knuckles embracing,
Their eyes are absorbed in one another,
But, still, she cannot see through them and into the pit of his plot.

He traces the outline of her body with his seemingly gentle fingertips.
Her heart melts at the instance of his touch.
He submerges his glory in the waxy remains of her heart,
But all she sees is the expectation of heartache beaten by the image of perfection.
The mirage of perfection...
He kisses the top of her right hand.
The wetness left on her smooth skin sends an unknown sensation through her system.
She closes her sapphire eyes slightly and she sighs subtly out of satisfactory relief.
He’s not going anywhere, she thinks to herself. And he helps her to believe that lie.
I want to explore all of life’s masterpieces with you...
But most of all, I want to discover you, for you and I are the greatest of them all...
Her sweet smile shines, but his seductive stare becomes lost in his poetic tone.
Okay...
A quiet, simple word filled with complexity almost unimaginable.
He leans in; she feels his warmth approach her, nearly overpowering her own.
A hesitant response... of course not... the warmth is comforting to her.
It’s a comfort that she will always resort back to because of its familiarity and security.

She’ll get some sort of forever if forever handed in the form of negativity counts.
He’ll get his glorious praise and glorious pride.
It’s unfortunate the way some hearts beat...
It’s a shame the way the world turns...

Apollo the Savage

By Malissa Vieira

Apollo does not do the earth-bound justice
He is selfish and he will hurt you
He’ll manipulate you and force you to see
Just how small and insignificant you really are
But he is a beauty; his grace far outweighs his arrogance
The center of his own, prefabricated universe

I cannot relate to Apollo, can’t see eye to eye
He is the sun.

He will blind me.
He will burn me.
He will kill me.

I cannot turn away.
He is the sun.

If you would like to see your own poetry published in the Torch, email ssarnelli@umassd.edu.