Synaptic

By Emma Alex Carlson ’23, Gabrielle Anderson ’22

Welcome to the 41st edition of The Writing Anthology.

By Central College English Department

Renee Van Roekel studied at Central College for several years in pursuit of an English degree. Renee also struggled for many years with addiction, and on April 2, 2020, it took her life. Her family shares her fight in hopes that Renee’s story will help other people with addiction seek help. The English Department celebrates Renee’s talent by sharing her poem “Break Away.”

By Grace Helgeson

The doors open and the flight attendant’s voice rolls over the intercom, “Boarding now first-class passengers.”

By Katie Wang

Between the years 2015 and 2017, a national survey conducted in the United States found that 64.9% of 72.2 million women used contraception. Of those women, the second most utilized form of contraception was an oral contraceptive pill. The only form of birth control which exceeded the use of the pill was female sterilization.

By Katie Wang

“No se espera que seamos buenas en física” es un poema que hace un comentario sobre las expectativas de la sociedad sobre las mujeres. Este poema fue escrito al estilo de Alfonsina Storni, una importante escritora de la literatura hispanoamericana.

By Matthew Dickinson

In recent years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has provided some of the most popular and influential superhero movies. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, the MCU has generated massive revenue while also pushing the boundaries of the oft-maligned superhero genre and kept up with DC Comics, their main competitors. One such revolutionary film is Black Panther, which was released in 2018.

By Rachel Daniels

Attending high school in my small town was a privilege. Our teachers challenged us and repeatedly told us they were “preparing us for college.” At the time, the late nights and piles of homework were not something I appreciated—at all. However, after attending two different universities in my first year of college, I realized how blessed I was to grow up in a school district where students are cared for, challenged, and prepared for the academic journey that lies ahead, should they choose to pursue a degree beyond a high school diploma.

By Marin Harrington

In the opening credits of writer-director Lulu Wang’s 2019 film The Farewell, a single phrase appears on the screen: “Based on a true lie.” In one of the film’s first scenes, 30-year-old Billi Wang, the first-generation American daughter of Chinese immigrants, learns that her grandmother, Nai Nai, is dying of Stage IV lung cancer.

By Emma Clodfelter

Goths. You’ve probably seen them somewhere. They’re scattered across just about every country, higher concentrations congregating in some areas more than others. They’ve been around for over four decades, and no matter how their numbers may dwindle, regardless of how negatively the outside world may see them, they’re still alive and kicking and will continue to do so for a very long time.

By Emma Chervek

Paradise Lost tells the story of the creation of the universe based on the Biblical account in the book of Genesis, focusing on Adam and Eve’s early life in Eden: earth’s ultimate paradise. This story is influenced by the natural characteristics of its setting and is therefore inseparable from the physical environment in which this story is set.

By Grace Patrick-West

During the Victorian era, interest in faeries began to peak. With the Brontë family connection to Ireland, Charlotte Brontë’s inclusion of faery lore in her novel Jane Eyre is quite useful in understanding her connection to both the time period she lived in and to her Irish lineage.

By Sarah Behrens

This radio essay results in a story that warms our hearts by engaging the universal themes of music and family through old recordings and a voice that echoes in our imaginations long after the story is over.