Synaptic

By Rachel Bing ‘15, Kaitlyn Sharp ‘14 & Dana Wolthuizen ‘15

Dear Readers, Welcome to the 34th edition of The Writing Anthology. We are very excited to share this year’s publication with you. After reviewing nearly fifty submissions, we selected the following thirteen pieces to be featured in the anthology. The difficulty of this selection process is a testament to the excellent quality of student writing […]

By Emalea Diehl '17

Photographer and videographer Shirin Neshat, an artist originally from Iran, explores fascinating and controversial subjects using art as her medium to allude to her thoughts and ideas.

By Kseniya Pronina '14

Sleep my little man. Good warriors need a good sleep. Your legs need to be strong to ride the fastest horse for days and nights.

By Jessica Stika '14

The college experience is different for everyone. Some young people attend large state universities, some go to trade schools or community colleges, and some choose to attend small liberal arts schools.

By Natasha Kingston '16

Death has forever been, and will forever be, me. I came into the world a stillborn child, leaving as quickly as I had entered.

By Renee Van Roekel '14

Normally, people consider dialogue to be between two people.

By Brandon T. Mennenoh '15

In 1903, Richard Strauss attended a theatrical production of Elektra adapted by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Strauss immediately recognized Elektra’s potential as an opera and in 1906 began the first of several collaborations with librettist Hofmannsthal.

By Gina LeGrotte '14

Whether you belong to the Buddhist tradition or hold any other set of beliefs, a thangka can be a journey to enlightenment for you. My first encounter with the Tibetan Buddhist thangka of Padmasambhava at Central College became my first 30-minute meditative journey of the Buddhist way.

By Rhiley Huntington '13

Whitewashed and small, the chapel springs from its island like some great, rare block of salt. It is only an hour before sunset, so the late light is beginning to drip between the clouds around us.

By Shannon Schmidt '13

As a rare hybrid scientist-writer, Sandra Steingraber takes it upon herself to do what many well-intentioned scientific articles can’t do; effectively communicate the science behind environmental impacts on cancer.

By Joanna Blomquist '14

One warm summer night a while back, I was walking to the house in the dark after helping Dad out in the barn. I had a flashlight in my hand, but I left it turned off, enjoying the feeling of walking in the warm darkness.

By Mycaela Crouse '14

“Please, Papa, buy the treatment. Please.” Dad scratches his nose then stuffs his hand inside the pocket of his overalls. “I’ll run by Earl May next time I’m in town.”

By Katelyn Stevens '17

I used to go to Colorado at the beginning of August every year for a hiking trip with my youth group. We would travel thirteen hours from Lake Rathbun through Nevada and into the Poudre Canyon area.

By Marissa Hirschman '17

When I walk anywhere with a lot of obstacles or in a place that is unfamiliar, I always carry my cane with me. When people see this long, white beacon, they immediately identify me as someone different, someone to be looked at or inquired about.