A Note From the Editors
By Gabrielle Anderson '22 and Christa Miller '20
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the 40th edition of The Writing Anthology.
Founded in 1981 by now-retired Central College professor Dr. Walter Cannon, The Writing Anthology is a collection of exceptional student work from across the liberal arts curriculum. After reviewing dozens of submissions, our team selected the following ten pieces for inclusion in this year’s anthology. The difficulty of this selection process is a testament to the excellent quality of student writing at Central College, and we are immensely proud of all the hard work of our peers.
As we all learned this year, change happens quickly. However, transition tends to go slowly, bringing with it feelings of denial, shock, anger, frustration and stress. Transition can also bring us closer together and give us hope. The pieces chosen for this year’s anthology can change our perspective and shed light on uncomfortable topics, causing us to reevaluate our thoughts and beliefs. Now more than ever there seems to be an enthusiasm to learn something new, and a longing to explore new ways of conducting established practices. This year’s works put forth new ideas, and work to examine difference from multiple angles. As a whole, our team believes this anthology develops a unique statement in this historical moment about the importance of dealing with change and transitions.
Each year, the John Allen Award is awarded to piece of student writing that the selection panel deems to have superior rhetorical competence, high levels of readability, originality and insight. This year, we are pleased to announce that Emma Clodfelter will receive this honor. Emma’s essay “The Function of Stabilimenta in Spider Webs” is an intriguing scientific exploration into the possible reasons for spiders’ web design. Emma’s closely detailed study is fascinating for all disciplines as her writing style is engaging and challenges its readers to consider the natural world around them.
We would like to congratulate all of the student authors on their accomplishments and for producing such excellent work. Additionally, we thank the professors who recognized the talents of their students and submitted these essays to The Writing Anthology. Thanks also to Mat Kelly for his discerning eye, and for once again agreeing to design this year’s cover. Thank you to all of the talented artists for their outstanding contributions which make The Writing Anthology a well-rounded and visually-interesting publication. Finally, we offer our thanks to Steffanie Bonnstetter for her expertise, and to Jordan Bohr and the student workers of Central College Communications Office for their outstanding work in bringing The Writing Anthology’s website to life.
Most importantly, we would like to express our gratitude towards our faculty advisors, Dr. Valerie Billing and Dr. Mark Thomas. Thank you for your flexibility and guidance during this historical year of changes.
Once again, thank you to all who made this year’s publication possible. We hope you enjoy the 2020 Writing Anthology!
Christa Miller ’20
Gabrielle Anderson ’22