Staff writers compete to design a leprechaun trap

By Staff Writers Eleanor Chen, Kelly Shi, Fiona Yang, & Matthew Zhang

Intro

Imagine strolling down a clover path when you suddenly discover a mischievous, itty-bitty man who, at first sight, immediately darts away. You try to go after him, but trip, as he had tied your shoelaces! According to legend, the dwarf is called a leprechaun, and if someone catches him, the leprechaun must reveal their treasure or grant three wishes. However, they are clever and will disappear the moment the trapper looks away. Staff writers must design a leprechaun trap using shiny lures and other tricks to capture an elusive leprechaun.

Before

Eleanor Chen 

I do not have a talent for crafts, but I can promise you this: those bearded dwarven men will be caught. This isn’t out of my own greedy self-interest for leprechaun gold; no, it’s for the greater good. Those little men, dressed in brilliant green suits, hoard their treasures like the greedy, capitalist pigs they are. I’ve taken inspiration from 1960s Vietnamese warfare traps that will surely be able to capture these dwarfs. From that, I can spread the wealth to ensure a brighter, more prosperous future for us all. 

Kelly Shi

I don’t mean to brag, but ever since I was small, I have always been praised as being artistic and crafty. My mom knows especially well: she signed me up for weekly art classes when I was only seven, but for some reason, they abruptly stopped when our art class had a gallery walk where our work was displayed. I know, I know, painting deformed unicorns and creating leprechaun traps aren’t exactly the same, but I mean, how hard could it be? Sorry everyone, beating me in this DHTH will be a tough one for you all.   

Fiona Yang 

As a person who has made plenty of contraptions with interactive mechanisms — such as my physics project with a ping pong ball pendulum — I’m sure making a leprechaun trap can’t be much harder. After all, it’s practically a children’s activity! Surely, all I need is a sprinkle of creativity, a handful of coins, and a heart full of hope. With my renowned skills, none of those pesky green creatures will escape from my trap. I’ll definitely capture both that leprechaun and my first place victory. 

Matthew Zhang

Have you ever gotten rich overnight? Yeah … neither have I, but there’s always a first for everything! My latest and greatest idea? Catching a tiny guy dressed in green! There are just a few minor issues, though: I’m not very crafty, and I’ve never made a trap before. Not for mice, men, and definitely not for tiny magical Irish creatures. All I need is a box, some sticks, and maybe something shiny for bait … like a golden strategy devised from YouTube shorts! As long as it gets the job done, I’ll be rolling in gold and the glory of being first!

 

After 

Eleanor Chen

I swear, I nearly had that tricky, little guy. He’s just barely escaped my grasp and next time, he won’t be so lucky. Second place is amazing in my eyes, considering the fact I spent roughly an hour desecrating my sisters’ stickers, toys, and first-place medals for this project.  My sisters weren’t too happy with me, but I’m sure when I bring home a struggling, bearded man after I get the toothpicks of this trap to finally work, they’ll find a place in their hearts to forgive me.   

Kelly Shi

I guess my artistic talent maybe didn’t translate too well into my arts and crafts leprechaun trap. The whole fifteen minutes I spent painting and decorating a bright orange shoe box maybe could have been spent better learning the newest version of Just Dance. But after looking at all the other contestants’ vividly decorated, green-themed traps, I admit I never stood a chance to begin with. To be honest, if I were a leprechaun, I wouldn’t fall for my trap either. Watch out, next DHTH, I’ll be sure to get my revenge. 

Fiona Yang

Well top three isn’t bad, even if it’s the last on the podium. I guess no leprechaun wants to enter my trap. Aside from sleepily spending two hours of the night cutting out shapes in the cardboard box and attaching beads, I fought against my nemesis: hot glue, which burnt the tips of my fingers and dragged everywhere. As a second semester senior, looking back at my previous achievements (first in the Lunar New Year lanterns!), I’ve definitely caught a case of senioritis. 

Matthew Zhang

My trap succeeded in capturing the Leprechaun! I really wasn’t expecting that win since I was up at 4:00 a.m., taping wrapping paper to an old shoe box I found in my neighbor’s front yard. Don’t even get me started on the random trophies and medals I used for bait. Now all I need to wait for is the actual gold to come in. Despite the positive outcome, I can’t let this win get into my head. I’ll continue aiming for the top of the leaderboard, and hopefully, that leprechaun keeps his promise so that I can afford a trip to New Zealand.