Olan Dennehy, 6th year

Night Scene

The stars shone like diamonds cast carelessly upon a midnight canvas, their light piercing the fabric of the heavens, offering respite from the endless darkness. The sea stretched out far beneath those vigilant watchers, their eyes bathing the rhythmic breathing of the water with a wan, ghostly light. Upon the silky sands of the shore, still warm with the day’s heat, stood a lone man, enraptured by the scene unfolding before him…

Gold Medal Essay Entry

The school year began no differently from any that had come before; its arrival heralded by a rapidly dwindling surge in academic ardor and a short-lived renewal of enthusiasm for sociality. For Michael, certainly, it began on an unremarkable note. As his sixth and final year unfolded before him in all its probable mundanity, a despairing apathy began to blossom within him. His first week inspired no hope of miraculous camaraderie or meaningful companionship, but instead only seemed to confirm Michael’s projections of another year of solitude. He drifted between cliques and circles aimlessly, engaging with all but truly with none. His path was meandering, akin to a leaf displaced by the incessant current of the wind; attaining only brief respites before presently continuing its lone journey. But all journeys must have a destination, and however unlikely it seemed to him, Michael’s search drew ever nearer to its end…

An Urban Journey

Amid the vast patch-work canvas of the city lies a lone bastion of nature; a secluded real marking a spot of colour, life and vibrance on a canvas dominated by the muted greys and browns of the great stone and steel monuments of humanity. To reach this haven is no easy task, for the winding expanse of the city streets must first be navigated. There is no set path to this wild land, and a scant few road signs marking its existence, yet it seems that sooner or later, all who call this city home make their way to the park, enticed by its irresistible call to undertake a journey of humble means and yet lasting impact…