Sultana a Journal of Student Writing
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sultana A Journal of Student Writing College Preparatory & Developmental Studies Community and Technical College University of Alaska Anchorage 2006-2007 Introduction ifteen rugged miles southwest of the highest peak in North America, Fresides another monster of a mountain the Tanana Indians in the Lake Minchumina area once named Sultana, as claimed in the writings of an early 19th Century amatuer climber, Rev. Hudson Stuck. This peak, more commonly known as Mt. Foraker, stands in Denali’s shadow in height alone. According to the Alaska Mountaineering school, climbing Sultana is a “formidable mountaineering challenge of the highest caliber.” Most sea- soned climbers suggest a successful climb of Denali as a prerequisite for an attempt at Sultana. Students and faculty chose the journal name Sultana to represent the often strenuous climb our student writers make on their way to the top of their own peaks in life. The challenges they overcome, the struggles they endure, and the accomplishments that await them is embodied in the name Sultana. Comprised of student writings from Preparatory Writing courses at the University of Alaska Anchorage, this journal aims to bring these writings from the shadows and reveal the student diversity in voice, character, and spirit found on our campus. Sultana Production Team: Jon Bracone : Christopher Brobst : LaTasha Clay : Rattikal Cochran : Rebecca Dawkins Dustin Dreifuerst : Shirili Green : Jonathon Howell : Heidi Jacobo : Claudine Magloire : Karen Parrish Jilleen Rocili : Katie Schurosky : Christopher Smaw : Helena Spector : Marjorie Tully Lead: Don Rearden Editing, Layout, Design: Sarah Kirk Special Thanks: Jun Reformado for his stunning painting of Mt. Sultana. Dean Jan Gehler and CTC for making the production of Sultana possible. Gerry Busch for championing the cause. Shannon Gramse for his technical help and design contributions. Table of Contents Jennifer Parker-Taylor 4 A Lessoned Learned: Try Pixy Dust! Andy Lopez 5 Cookies from Italy Hagar Elgedawe 6 Traditions Mark Polito 7 Chill Out at Posada del Sol Jamie San Jose 8 An Undercover, Modern-day Holocaust Samuel Giacalone 10 Meet Me at the Hill Lacey Watson 11 My Anchor Mai Xiong 12 Seeing & Believing Julie Rucker 13 My Adoption Tim Gwinn 14 Fishing Buddy Sung-Hae Kim 15 My Favorite Childhood Story: “The King has Donkey Ears” Wesley McQuinn 16 The Weight of Memory Lorene Bastida 17 My Angel, Fabian Christopher Brobst 18 American Pig Dog Lorena Nay 20 A Brother Gone & The Change of Hands øElena Browne 22 Valentine’s Day Mark Tiedemann 22 Friday Night 23 Contributor Notes I could have used some pixy dust Jen Parker-Taylor while trying a triple gainer nosedive from the top of my bunk bed, hit- ting the floor like bowling ball. It’s A Lesson Learned: undeniable that my childhood also lacked exciting journeys of the mind. With this story I have found another Try pIXY DUST! connection to my children through adventure, and discovered the im- portance of imagination and the certainty that we can fly, even if only his first mate Mr. Smee. They t’s said you learn from your through stories. I are greeted by Peter Pan and the children. This couldn’t hold more In a complicated but interesting amazing Tinker Bell. Throughout truth for me. I started searching twist of similarity and contrast, this the ups and downs of their esca- for my favorite childhood story, story has touched my life. I find that pades, Jane is freed. Her denial which sounds easy enough, by being a mother and not having much of imagination and reverence of flipping through pages of excerpts of a childhood, combined with rais- responsibility leave Tinker Bell from 101 Classics. I was shocked ing children, has many intricacies. ill, and Peter Pan and The Lost to find that I don’t have one. The My life mirrors Wendy’s in part of Boys are soon imprisoned. Jane next stop…my own children’s this story; I am a mother who wants is then faced with betraying her bookshelves. I perused the pages to teach my children things that new friends or fighting along side of Disney’s 2002 Return to Never- enforce the idea that good prevails. them. When Jane allows adven- Land (a sequel to J.M. Barrie’s Captain Hook thinks he has finally ture and faith to become part of Peter Pan); it immediately be- won and says, “I did it! I’m free of her life, she takes her newfound came clear this story could be my Peter Pan forever!” But, Peter Pan allegiance to Never-Land and window to imagination, adven- and Tinker Bell, with all the good- with her belief in magic brings ture, and excitement. The story ness they possess, fool the Captain Tinker Bell back to life. Together, demonstrates how we all want yet again. I could have used my own Jane and Tinker Bell set Peter Pan to capture our childhood and its Peter Pan in some of my more thrill and The Lost Boys free. Finally, many exhilarating voyages we can seeking voyages of youth. There is Captain Hook is conquered once take within our minds, and en- also a contrasting parallel, where I again. courages an emphasis on the idea am not like Wendy at all; instead, I There is a parallel between that good prevails over evil. resemble her daughter Jane. In this my childhood and Jane’s. I, like This story takes place in parallel between my childhood and Jane, have difficulty letting go Never-Land, an imaginary realm Jane’s, I am also finding many valu- of reality and embracing whimsy created for a journey of the heart, able lessons through a childhood and imagination. Thinking back mind and soul, where Captain story that illustrates the influence of on my mischievous childhood, Hook and Peter Pan are adversar- good’s prevalence over evil. I’m reminded of my own spirit in ies in an ongoing struggle of good Through my own children and the Jane, “a serious twelve year old.” versus evil. Through her stories, story Return to Never-Land, I have Jane is portrayed as a stern non- Wendy of the magical Peter Pan, revisited my youth and in doing so believer of Never-Land and child- now grown up, is passing on her I have opened my imagination to ish dreams who says, “Peter Pan own childhood journey to her excitement and adventure. I learned isn’t real, and people don’t fly.” children, young Danny and almost the lesson of moral value contained Tinker Bell’s very life depends on teenage Jane. In a night-time ad- within the pages of a children’s book. the belief of those around her, in venture of her own to Never-Land, As an adult and mother of three, her ability to make anything fly Jane was mistakenly kidnapped I have to wonder, who wouldn’t with a sprinkle of pixy dust and by the sinister Captain Hook and want to stay young - forever. a little bit of faith. In my youth, Sultana 4 Andy Lopez Cookies from Italy This last semester I was in Florence, Italy, attending Apicius—The Culinary Institute of Florence. While I was there, the classes that I retained the most information were for baking and pastry. When I first decided I wanted to attend culinary school back in Third Grade, I thought I would always want to make really fancy dishes that cost an arm and a leg, but while I was in Italy, I decided that I liked baking and making pas- tries more. There is just something about it that clears my head and relaxes me. While I was over seas going to school, I never had to write papers or book reports, but I did write a bunch of different recipes. These cookies I’ve provided for you here are not only extremely easy to make, but they are also very tasty. In Italy, they don’t use the same measurement system as us Americans do; they use the Metric System. I didn’t bother to convert the measurements in order to show the recipe in its original form. If you decide to make these cookies, you will need to use a metric scale. I hope that one of these days you will take a few moments to whip up a batch of these delicious treats. Enjoy! Speculos: “Cinnamon Cookies” Ingredients -Cane sugar 200 grams -Cinnamon 8 grams -Butter 200 grams -Salt 2 grams -Sugar 60grams -Baking powder 6 grams -Whole eggs 50 grams -Whole milk 15 grams -Flour “O” 400 grams -Cream butter till soft and easy to work with -Add both sugars to butter, mix well -Add eggs and milk, mix well -Last, add flour w/ cinnamon, salt and baking powder, easiest to mix by hand - When dough cools, roll out till 3 mm thick and cut into cookie shapes -Cook on a big baking sheet @ 190˚ Celsius for 20 minutes Sultana 5 imagine. (So now you know why I can’t resist it!) And what is better to Hager Elgedawe Traditions do with all that food than invite every single one of your friends. Of course your friends are generous and will bring their own food over, too! At the end you have this huge feast every day to show that we have something other people don’t have. Or you can hen you hear the word but my mom tells him to fast simply be kind and not greedy and W“tradition,” what comes half the day because he’s still give all this glorious food to the poor. at you? Some people instantly small.