Windows Fine Arts Magazine 2021
Acknowledgments
Administrators and Staff:
David Livingston, President of Lewis University Christopher Sindt, Provost of Lewis University Laura Franklin, Dean of the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications David Deitemyer Assistant Dean of the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications Mardy Philippian, Associate Dean of the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications
Therese Jones, Assistant Professor of English Editor, Designer, and Coordinator of Windows Fine Arts Magazine
Rachel Fosler, Student of Lewis University, Cover Designer of Windows Fine Arts Magazine
Maria Sanchez, Administrative Assistant Communications, English Studies, and World Languages
Judges: Madeline Brzeczek, Student of Lewis University Margaret Capalbo, Student of Lewis University Alexciana Castaneda-Deir, Student of Lewis University Jasmine Castillo, Lecturer III of English Therese Jones, Assistant Professor of English Chelsea Kuhel, Lecturer II of English Lara Kraus, Alum of Lewis University Susan Mitchell, Lecturer II of English Noah Slowik, Student of Lewis University
Web Master Sylvain Goyette
Layout and Design Ken Spiegel Spiegel Associates, Inc. (815) 295-0625
Printer Glen Conklin J-M Printers, Inc. (815) 609-7041
1 Letter from the Editor
Welcome to the 41st issue of Windows Fine Arts Magazine! From the imaginative front cover by Lewis University student Rachel Fosler, to the spectacular range of literary works, to the beautiful digital art, you are sure to be thrilled and engaged by the award-winning creative works of students, faculty, staff, and alumni on the pages ahead.
The online and print versions of this magazine were made possible by the support of Dr. David Livingston, President of Lewis University, and, most especially, by the Dean of the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications, Dr. Laura Franklin. As the editor, I am certain that all of the readers of this text are extremely grateful to President Livingston and Dean Franklin for their continued support of Windows Fine Arts Magazine.
Gratitude is also due to all of this year’s administrators, staff, cover designer, and judges mentioned on the Acknowledgment page, as well as contributors, past founders, and past editors of Windows Magazine. These present and past visionaries have opened our minds to the wealth of artistic expression that lies within the members of the Lewis community.
The task of judging the talent found in the entries to the Windows Fine Arts Magazine Contest was a challenge. Winners of the contest were chosen from two groups: students or faculty/staff/alumni in the genres of Art, digital or visual, and Writing, essay (academic, creative nonfiction, fiction), poetry, and research report.
Prizes are awarded based on the following scale:
First Prize: superior insight, imagination, technique, and knowledge of the genre
Second Prize: outstanding insight, imagination, technique, and knowledge of the genre
Third Prize: high-quality insight, imagination, technique, and knowledge of the genre
Honorable Mention: publishable quality insight, imagination, technique, and knowledge of the genre
Please note: The rules specify that an individual can win only once in a category. If a category skips one of the levels of prizes, this is due to the quality of the submissions received.
The contributors to this volume should be very proud of their accomplishment in their genre, and the entire Lewis University community is greatly enhanced by the talents of those graced in this publication.
Sincerely, Therese Jones Assistant Professor of English Editor, Designer, and Coordinator of WFAM
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Table of Contents
Writing Category
Student Academic Essay
First Place: “The Compatibility of Science and Adan Martinez 7 Faith”
Second Place: “So God Made a Farmer’” Carrie Anderson 9 Third Place: “A Quiet Struggle” Julian Rocha 12 Honorable Mention: “The Reappearing Red Pen” Maggie Joutras 13
Special Category: Covid-19 Student Academic Essay
First Place: “Mask Resistance” Brandon Diaz 16 Second Place: “Preparing for the Worst” Antonia Cymone Arceo 18 Third Place: “Masks and Social Distancing” Jessica Leasure 2 0
Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Essay
Second Place: “How to Leave an Impression Asst. Prof. Simon Dai 2 2 with Your Design”
Student Creative Nonfiction
First Place: “From Resentment to Respect: Michael Yerkes 2 7 My Revelation on Reading”
Special Category: Covid-19 Student Creative Nonfiction
First Place: “The Air We Are Breathing” Bryanna Fergus 31
3 Student Fiction
Second Place: “The Talking Tree” Bryanna Fergus 33 Honorable Mention: “Pushing My Way into Love” Angelica Del Pilar 35
Art Category
Student Digital Art
First Place: “Late to the Party” Rachel Fosler 39 Second Place: “The Priestess of the Pond” Sol Llanes 39
Third Place: “Ripples” Samantha Sabalboro 39 Honorable Mention: “Beauty of Flying” Konrad Palenik 40
Honorable Mention: “The Vibrance of Life” Sarah Quattrocki 40
Special Category Covid-19 Student Digital Art
Second Place: “Glad You Masked” Kimberley Skubic 41 Third Place: “Social Isolation” Makenzie Hollis 41
Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Digital Art
First Place: “Decay in the Light of Day” Heidi Glogowski 40 First Place: “Bygone Chatter” Javier Solorio 41
Special Category Covid-19 Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Digital Art
First Place: “Emptiness” Joan LaCombe 42 Second Place: “Called Away” Heidi Glogowski 42
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Writing Category
Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Fiction
First Place: “King Mickey, Climate Change, Dr. Maria Fischer 4 3 and Mass Migration: Magic!”
Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Fiction
Honorable Mention: “Home” Lois “Silver” Mintah 46
Student Poetry
First Place: “Gray” Bryanna Fergus 51 Second Place: “State of Mind” Keri Edgeworth 53 Honorable Mention: “The Hill” Lauren Gernes 54 Honorable Mention: “Love Birds” Meredith Coon 55
Special Category: Covid-19 Student Poetry
First Place: “Finding the Best in the Worst” Bryanna Fergus 56 Honorable Mention: “Under a Blue Sky” Madison Gersch 58
Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Poetry
First Place: “Being the Property of” Dr. Maria Fischer 60 Third Place: “Within Waterfall Glen” Tim Honn 61
5 Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Poetry
Honorable Mention: “Grandma Nellie” Donna Flowers 6 2
Student Research Report
First Place: “Reducing Detrimental College Carrie Anderson 64 Attendance Costs” Honorable Mention: “College and International Devon Pulido 67 Students”
Special Category: Covid-19 Student Research Report
Honorable Mention: “Literature Review” Staci DiCristofano 73 Honorable Mention: “Mental Health Coverage: How Michael Yerkes 7 6 Insurance Companies Benefit from Stigma”
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Student Academic Essay
First Place: “The Compatibility of Science and Faith” by Adan Martinez
Cats and dogs, chocolate and nuts, science and religion. The world is crammed with contrasts and opposites, and sometimes it seems as if two things are just not meant to be together. But this is just a Student Academic Essay Academic Student misconception; the cartoons lie! Cats and dogs can live peacefully under the same roof, and chocolate and nuts can come in the same package. Can science and religion, then, coexist harmoniously? Would they be able to inhabit the same house without flaring claws at each other? It seems unlikely at first. Science, ferocious in its approach and expansion, has demystified our life and the Universe to the point where God and faith seem unnecessary. But this does not need to be so. Science can interact with faith and religion in a way that enriches not only our existence but the existence of the entire Universe as well, a position called convergence. Science and faith are not so different; in fact, they share the same goal: to understand the world we live in and why it even exists at all. Science in particular has made tremendous progress in gathering data and developing theories that explain the natural world without any supernatural agents. It would seem, at times, that science contradicts the existence of God. But science does not have to contradict the existence of a God; on the contrary, it can be used to elevate God and the scope of religion to new levels. Let’s consider that science has let us know that we are not special: we are just another form of life, orbiting just another star in just another galaxy in the infinity of space. That fact challenges core assumptions of common religions. Is God concerned only with our tiny, little, blue rock? Are we the only beings to receive in His infinite love and mercy? What happens with everything else: the animals, the planets, and other celestial bodies? If they serve no purpose, then what is their reason to exist? If there were intelligent life out there, would their existence be completely useless because God is only concerned with us humans? These and similar questions might have been asked by Physicist Albert Einstein, whose writings on the question of religion and science will serve as support for this paper. In Einstein on Politics, a compilation of opinions edited by David E. Rowe (2013), Albert Einstein describes a new religion that “seeks to experience the totality of existence as a unity full of significance” (p. 232). This new religion is the Cosmic Religion. The cosmic religion can be adapted in the most practiced doctrines; however, it requires changes in the most fundamental beliefs to grasp the entirety of creation and be consistent with the findings of science, and also address the questions that we stated earlier. The “God of Providence, who protects, decides, rewards and punishes” is the God that most people today believe in; it is the God of social feelings (Einstein, pp. 232, 2013). According to Einstein (2013), this kind of deity is imperfect because we anthropomorphize it and imprint on it our “human desires and aims” (p. 232). In short, this God only serves to our interests. This kind of religion is not good enough to describe our existence. In order to reconcile science and religion, there is a need for a God
7 that is concerned with everything that exists, from the smallest particle to galactic superclusters, and life beyond ourselves. Einstein (2013) calls this the “cosmic religious sense,” or the “third level of religious experiences” that “recognizes neither dogmas nor God made in man’s image” and that distinguishes the religious genies of all times (pp. 232-233). The cosmic religious sense rejoices and admires the grandeur of the Universe. God, then, would be revealed in the harmony of all that exists. For example, in the astounding simplicity of natural laws, a revelation that would not be possible without science. The idea was further developed by John Haught (2014) in his book Science and Faith: A New Introduction, where he describes the Universe as a dramatic story, much like a play. Particles would be the actors, natural laws would be the rules, and consciousness (including the divine consciousness) would serve as the spectators. However, the cosmic religious sense requires a decent amount of understanding and reflection on the natural world and has no church or definite concept of God. To grasp the cosmic religious sense requires time and sacrifice. According to Einstein (2013), only “exceptionally gifted individuals or communities rise” beyond the God of man (p. 232). Additionally, the cosmic religion of Einstein lacks elements that make religion attractive to people, such as life after death and the idea of a personal God (both of which Einstein refuted). Nevertheless, successors of his ideas, like Haught (2014), were able to reconcile many of these things. So far, we have seen how science can enrich our religious understanding of the Universe, but how can religion enrich our understanding of science? How can science satisfy the deeply ingrained longing for happiness and purpose? Science has done wonders, but this is something it cannot do. Despite science’s best effort, there are still some questions that it will probably never be able to answer. I’m talking about the profound existential questions that have tortured the human mind since ancient times and have only found relief in religion. The most pressing question, in my opinion and experience, is whether or not there is life after death. On this subject, Steven Weinberg (2007), a physics Nobel winner and “sober” atheist, has recited that “[he does] not for a minute think that science will ever provide the consolations that have been offered by religion in facing death” (p. 378). John Haught (2014) has said that advocators of the flawed belief of scientism are, secretly on the inside, “deeply disappointed that nature is not resourceful enough to satisfy their longing for everlasting meaning, immortality, and happiness.” Science is (almost) enough to explain the Universe, but not good enough to explain the mysteries challenging our minds. Einstein (2013) never really explored this side of science in the reading, but John Haught (2014) further develops the idea of Einstein (2013) and proposes that religion teaches to have patience and hope. Much to some people’s annoyance, it is completely fine that science does not have all the answers right away. The best example I can give is the problem with entropy and ongoing cosmic expansion. We know that dark energy, and thus expansion, is very exotic. In the first few femtoseconds of the Universe, a brutal expansion took place, and then, it suddenly slowed down, allowing quantum fluctuations in space to achieve accelerating expansion, stop at some time in the future, and save the Universe from heat death? We need to wait to see. The laws we have developed to model the expansion of the Universe are too simple. We simply cannot seed the birthplaces of stars and galaxies. Why did this happen? We don’t know. Could the current know right now? Haught (2014) asks
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us to wait and have hope that a meaningless and eternal end will not take place. Haught (2014) asks us to trust God and his infinite mercy; the answers will reveal themselves in their given time. Religion and science can go hand in hand to help us understand and make the most out of our short existence and carry meaning and significance to future generations. It is possible to argue that this is not the case. Like I stated earlier, science is aggressive in its expansion, and that is why it is so attractive: it is very engaging, and it delivers. There are theories capable of explaining the origin of the Universe (like Inflation and the Big Bounce) without the need of divine intervention. These theories are just waiting to be proved. In the end, it is perfectly possible that there is no God after all, and science and Essay Academic Student religion have no place near each other. Like I said, we don’t know. We need to wait and see. But still, science is not good enough. Science does not care about our longings. Participation in the cosmic religion and experience of the cosmic religious sense requires a leap of faith. Einstein’s cosmic religion and its variants promise unity, sense, purpose, and peace of mind, but that is not something that we can prove experimentally. The experience of the cosmic religious sense is an unquantifiable emotional adventure, and between uncaring scientific facts and deficient gods of man, the cosmic religion becomes a very satisfactory choice. References Einstein, A. (2013). Religion and science. In Einstein on politics: His private thoughts and public stands on Nationalism. Princeton University Press.
Haught, J. F. (2014). Science and faith. Mahwah: Paulist Press. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Science-Faith-Introduction-John-Haught-ebook/dp/B00BLNPIC0
Weinberg, S. (2007). The portable atheist: Essential readings for the nonbeliever. Da Capo. ISBN 13:978-0-306-81608-6
Second Place: “So God Made a Farmer” by Carrie Anderson
Since 1967, fifty-three years ago, the Super Bowl has commanded one Sunday out of 365 days of the year. Some Americans are consumed by watching the Super Bowl pre-game show, the national anthem, the game, halftime show, post-game show, and the imaginative commercials. The commercials are known for their humor, special effects, unpredictability, and emotional appeal. During the 2013 Super Bowl, Ram trucks aired an emotionally appealing commercial that demonstrated the importance of their trucks to America, but most importantly America’s farmers. The commercial incorporated Paul Harvey, an American radio broadcaster for ABC radio networks “So God Made a Farmer” speech, which was created in 1978. Within the speech, Harvey displays the beauties, hardships, tedious work, and physical demands a farmer experiences when trying to make a living. Farmers are those who dedicate their lives
9 to caretaking fields of crops, acres of land, horses, cows, and most importantly their families. Moreover, Harvey repeats the phrase, “So God made a farmer,” asserting that God finds the work of a farmer honorable and a necessity to the world’s success. Beyond Harvey’s powerful and emotional narration, the Ram truck commercial flashes images across the screen that appealingly coincide with words being spoken. Rather than employing celebrities, Ram incorporates images of America’s farms and farmers, who currently dedicate their lives to their farms. Throughout the commercial, images of the various Ram truck models display the many functions and capabilities the trucks include. Through Ram Trucks’ commercial called “Farmer,” Ram calls attention to the difficulty of farming, ultimately suggesting the importance of having sturdy and reliable farming equipment such as a Ram Truck. By instituting the sentimental speech in the background of the commercial, Ram effectively integrates ethos, logos, and pathos, therefore, encouraging the audience to invest in sturdy and reliable Ram trucks. Paul Harvey, an avid and compassionate storyteller, illustrated historic people and events through descriptive and transformative language to millions of Americans all over the world every week in the late 1970s to early 2000s. Harvey’s smooth and deep tone of voice places the audience in a state of tranquility, therefore, allowing the audience to empathize with the message he sends to the world. Through the radio, Harvey exposed his viewers to stories of empowerment, family, God, hard work, hardships, passion, and dedication. Ram trucks’ inclusion of Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” in the 2013 Super Bowl captivated those who tuned in, especially those who related to the life of a farmer. Similar to Harvey’s other speeches, “So God Made a Farmer” mesmerizes those interpreting his message. The addition of Harvey’s speech in the background of the commercial instills ethos. With Harvey’s interest in history and depicting meaningful messages through storytelling, Ram builds credibility with potential customers. Harvey’s genuine and unique ability to accurately depict the hardships, hard work and determination of a farmer reflects the genuine and unique nature of Ram’s products. In other words, Ram’s utilization of Harvey’s speech promotes the company’s competency and dedication to the customers’ desires and needs when looking to invest in a sturdy and reliable vehicle. Within the commercials excerpt of “So God Made a Farmer,” Ram instills an emotional appeal (pathos) that strengthens the product’s benefits and reliability. The commercial begins with the powerful statement, “And on the eighth day, God… said ‘I need a caretaker.’ So God made a farmer,” (Harvey 00:00:08 – 00:00:18), portraying God’s creation of human existence. Ram, through Harvey’s speech, immediately forces the audience to recognize the importance of a farmer’s job. The audience appreciates that God felt farming was an absolute necessity to the success of humans. As the commercial progresses, the description of the life of a farmer transforms from simple illustrations of their work to the physically and mentally taxing components of farmers, ultimately demonstrating the common misconceptions of farmers’ lives. For instance, the first rationale for the creation of the farmer depicted a broad description of a farmer’s workday. Farmers “get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, … and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board” (Harvey 000:00:21 – 00:00:29). Although this illustration depicts a hectic lifestyle, the speech broadens further, demonstrating the unknown mental and physical misfortunes and hardships that come with the job. To elaborate, farmers must overcome loss, whether it be crop or animal. For instance, a farmer must
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be “willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say, ‘Maybe next year’” (Harvey 00:00:32 – 00:00:40). After devastating loss, a farmer must “finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday … and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours.” No matter the hardship and sorrow, the audiences recognize that farmers’ work depends on them to put their feelings aside to complete their job. Overall, these vivid descriptions evoke sadness, empathy, and sympathy towards the difficulties a farmer endures every day of the year. By instilling these images, Ram asserts that the difficulties of their work can be remedied through the investment in a reliable truck. In the variability and unknown future of a farmer’s job, the use of a predictable and dependable Ram truck makes a stressful Essay Academic Student job easier. In addition to the complex and beautiful language of Harvey’s narration “So God Made a Farmer,” the images displayed to the audience instill a true appreciation of a farmer’s livelihood. The pictures illustrated within the commercial displayed various age groups, both genders, and different races and ethnicities, ultimately portraying the wide variety of people that dedicate their lives to farming. In doing so, Ram displays real-life examples (logos) of farmers in America rather than using celebrities that many other commercials incorporate to promote their products. Moreover, through the images of different types of people, Ram suggests that their trucks function for any type of person. Furthermore, there are multiple images of family members working together, therefore, demonstrating the family-friendly aspects of Ram trucks. Among the pictures in the commercial, various models of Ram trucks are displayed effectively, portraying the various functions their vehicles offer. For instance, one picture shows the trunk of the Ram filled with bails of hay weighing hundreds of pounds. The pictures displayed help the audience comprehend the unlimited capabilities of a truck on a farm setting. Overall, Ram trucks’ use of ethos, pathos, and logos produces an effective commercial for promoting their heavy-duty pickup trucks. Although the commercial lacks descriptive elements of the vehicle, the commercial is meant to expose the audience to the advantages and life-changing qualities of their product. If the commercial were to include extensive details about the vehicle, it would take away from the message being sent to Americans. Ram effectively displays, through Paul Harvey’s narration of “So God Made a Farmer,” that Ram trucks act as a reliable vehicle for strenuous work such as farming. Ram concludes the commercial with the company’s powerful statement: “To the farmer in all of us,” ultimately suggesting to the audience that everyone can benefit from such a practical and useful vehicle.
Works Cited
Harvey, Paul. “Farmer.” YouTube, Ram Trucks, 3 Feb. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.
11 Third Place: “A Quiet Struggle” by Julian Rocha
I still remember being nine-years-old and my mom coming up to me asking to read out what her emails said. The times when we would be out getting groceries, and she would tell me to ask the employee something. Or even the times that she would ask me to translate what the movie or TV scene had just said. Through the following years, I have gotten to see her quiet struggle. The times that she chose not to ask that question and keep to herself. And the times that she has had to pull out her translating app to respond to a comment or question asked. Her hopeful journey to literacy has been hard and unfortunate to witness. This year she’s pulling 50 years of age now, and her journey has yet to end. See, my mom came to this country when she was 16-years-old. With close to nothing of value to her name, she migrated to the United States in hopes to build a better life. She is from Guanajuato, Mexico, so naturally, her fluent language is Spanish. By definition, you could say that my mom is illiterate in the English language, but that does not mean she’s illiterate in life. See, my mom is the wisest and kindest human that I know. At first glance, if you were to see her at a social place, she would probably seem very reserved and kept to herself. But that’s not because she doesn’t want to talk to you; she just doesn’t know how to. The unfortunate thing though is that people tend to mistake those two things all the time. She often tells me stories of the times she got mocked for her accent, made fun of for her spelling, and bullied for her vocabulary ever since she stepped on ground here. But I never thought the day would come where I’d be standing next to her as it happened. It was an early Saturday morning; she woke me up before her shift, asking if I could go help her order as she went to go pick up some McDonald’s for my siblings and me. We love McDonald’s at the Rocha household, so I quickly got up and met her at the car. In about ten minutes, we arrive and get in line inside the restaurant. Our turn to order is approaching and my mom tells me that she would like to try and order for herself but if she needed me to intervene, she would let me know. I understood and as we walked up to the register. Her first words are, “Hablas Español?” I always know that when she says that, she mentally crosses her fingers hoping to prevent any embarrassment. Unfortunately for her, the cashier nods no. And so, the broken sentences and strong accent start to come out. I still remember it like it was yesterday. As soon as her first sentence comes out of her mouth, we hear discrete laughs from behind us. I’m a shy and young kid at the time, so I just assume the best and mind my own business. But as she tries her hardest to get the correct words out, the laughs start to get more persistent, and racist comments come out. I choose to intervene but by then, my mom stops me and tells the cashier sorry and to cancel our order. We walk out and back to the car, and I can see that her poor face is embarrassed. They say that sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Well, this time those words hurt my mom. She might have not understood what they meant, but she surely
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comprehended that she was getting made fun of. She seemed a little bit down as she dropped me off to go to work, and all I wished was that I had punched those two childish men behind us in line. That day, I realized just how lucky I and everyone that can easily read this essay truly are. Literacy to me means to be blessed. Blessed to not deal with embarrassment on a day-to-day basis as you try to communicate to the people around you. Blessed to have more opportunities in life than those that haven’t. Blessed to have the resources to learn and be taught freely. To conclude, the act of being literate is something that we should all be thankful for. Unfortunately, the quiet struggle that my mom deals with daily is shared with thousands of individuals as well that Essay Academic Student migrate or find refuge in the United States. Surely, they wish to have what we have and that is something that many can agree to be heartbreaking. Literacy can have multiple different meanings for many people, but I see it as being one of the lucky ones to walk on this soil.
Honorable Mention: “The Reappearing Red Pen” by Maggie Joutras
As I was completing a writing assignment for my fifth-grade Language Arts class at Minooka Intermediate School, I heard the soft but demanding voice of my teacher, Ms. McDonald, coming from the back of the classroom, “Maggie, Adam, Stephanie, and Olivia, please take a break from the classwork and join me in the back of the room for your reading test.” I put down my new, green, mechanical pencil, closed my black, three-ringed binder and textbook, and slowly and gracefully made my way out of my chair and through the neatly arranged rows of desks to the back of the classroom. At that moment, I was slightly nervous and could feel the eyes of my classmates, whose names were not called, staring at me as I walked past them. Our teacher had explained to us that the state of Illinois was requiring teachers to distribute a test that evaluated the cognitive skills of students in my grade level, which included a reading test. Adam, Stephanie, Olivia, and I were the last group of students out of the whole class to take our reading test that day. We all sat down in blue plastic chairs at a wooden half-circle table facing Ms. McDonald. Laid neatly in front of each of us was a small book made up of ten-pages or so with an elaborate illustration of a family playing with a Golden Retriever puppy on the front cover. Hearing my name called, walking back to the table, and sitting down, I did not feel nervous or worried. I only had the desire to do well and show my teacher that I was a strong reader. My teacher took a few moments to explain to us that we were going to be reading a short story from the book and that each of us would take turns reading one page. Once each of us had completed reading our section, we were free to return to our seats and complete the assignment from our textbook. Having sat on the far-right side of the table, I realized that I would be the last one out of my group of classmates to read from the book. Initially, this gave me a few minutes to prepare the sentences on the specific page that I would be reading and getting graded on; however, Stephanie began reading and
13 before I knew it Ms. McDonald was directing, “Maggie, it is your turn to read. Please pick up where Adam left off at the bottom of page four.” At that point, I had been following along, but my mind began to wander during the story, and I failed to comprehend what had just happened to the family who was planning on buying a puppy. With a small feeling of panic and the sensation of my hands starting to sweat, I began reading at the bottom of page four. I successfully read three sentences with only minor mistakes; however, as I continued to read, I noticed through my peripheral vision that my teacher would mark something in her book with a thick red pen when I stumbled over a word or failed to pause long enough at a comma. Now knowing that I would lose points for mispronunciation and lack of fluency, I became even more nervous and began to read faster than normal in order to finish my test. When I read the last sentence of the short story and closed the book, I quietly sighed a breath of relief, but still racing through my mind was the image of my teacher grading my performance. I could not help but dwell on the fact that I was going to receive a lower score than my other classmates and was so disappointed with myself that I failed to complete the textbook assignment in class. Feeling embarrassed and discouraged about my reading skills, I avoided telling my parents about the test when I came home that evening and hid the paper Ms. McDonald handed to me with my reading score in my locker at school the next day. All of my classmates were discussing their high scores on the test and rudely shoving the paper with their score in others’ faces if they did not believe them. When one of my friends asked me how I did on the test, I lied and said that I forgot what my score was and had misplaced the paper. As my fifth-grade school year continued, the disappointing and haunting memory of my reading test slowly faded from my brain. To my surprise and relief, my Language Arts class was not obligated to take any further reading tests that year or any of the next few years of my education. I eventually finished my middle and junior high school education with straight “A’s” and an abundance of unforgettable memories and “forever friends.” The Minooka School District had done its best to prepare me for the next four years of high school, or so I thought. As I was sitting in my Honors English class my freshman year of high school at Providence Catholic High School, working on a thesis statement for an upcoming essay I would be writing, my class was instructed by my teacher, Ms. Gura, to give her our undivided attention for the remaining five minutes of class. In that short amount of time, which felt like an hour, she explained a new assignment that my class would be required to complete in the next week. When I heard her utter the words, “Reading in front of the class,” my hands began to sweat, and I could feel my heartbeat begin to “thump” at a faster pace. All I could think of at that moment was Ms. McDonald holding her intimidating red pen as I sat down in that blue plastic chair at the table in the back of the classroom, as well as her handing me an envelope containing my low score. Doubt, worry, and anxiety were the only emotions I could feel as Ms. Gura continued to describe the project and handed out a freshly printed copy of the rubric. I spent the next few days avoiding my new project for English class by filling my extra time with other schoolwork or binge-watching my favorite medical show on Netflix. I did everything but start to prepare for my project. Every time I would think of myself reading in front of twenty-five of my classmates, my hands would start to feel clammy and my heart would race. Unfortunately, there was not a way for me
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to avoid completing the assignment, and with the deadline quickly approaching, I begrudgingly began to practice the content I would be reading. The rubric clearly stated that my teacher would be grading each student on how well they pronounced words and the ability to have adequate sentence fluency. I practiced reading every night for a couple of hours leading up to the day it was due by reading aloud to my parents and asking them for feedback on how to better my abilities. With hours of preparation and practice, I walked confidently into my English class on the day of presentations with my hands sweat- free and my heart beating at a normal pace. I was determined to receive a high score for my presentation and prove not only to my teacher but to myself, that I was a strong reader and could Essay Academic Student successfully present information in front of a large group of people. “Maggie, you are next on my list to present. Please hand me your rubric before starting.” I picked up my thick, light-blue textbook and walked between the neatly arranged rows of desks to the front of the classroom and handed my rubric to my teacher. I carefully set my textbook down on the dark brown wooden podium and found the page I would be reading from. I took a slow, deep breath and began to read. As a read, I pronounced every word with ease and remembered to pause at commas and periods to help the sentences flow. When I finished and returned to my seat, I glanced at my teacher and noticed her soft smile as she wrote my score on the rubric I had placed in front of her. Once all of my classmates had finished presenting and Ms. Gura typed our grades into the computer, she began to hand back the rubrics. I patiently and confidently watched as Ms. Gura made her way around the room, walking in between desks and avoiding students’ textbooks lying on the floor. I sat up straighter in my seat and put my shoulders back as she made her way to my desk. She handed me my rubric and uttered, “Great job, Maggie.” I hesitantly looked down at the paper, with a slight feeling that I may have done worse than I thought. To my relief, I saw a perfect score written in red pen, and a large smiley face in the bottom right corner of the paper. I had finally overcome my fear of reading in front of others and proved to myself that I, in fact, was a strong reader. For every presentation that I was assigned throughout my four years in high school, I dedicated time to prepare and practiced reading out loud in my bedroom. I promised myself that I would continue to practice my public speaking and reading skills so that I would be prepared for my classes in college and ultimately the rest of my life.
15 Special Category: Covid-19 Student Academic Essay
First Place: “Mask Resistance” by Brandon Diaz
Ryan Lizza and Daniel Lippman state, “In the ‘60s, protesters burned bras. In 2020, they might soon be burning masks.” The current COVID-19 pandemic is facing the same issues that the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 did with faces masks. Today, there has been a lot of resistance from some people about wearing face masks just like with the influenza pandemic. Face masks now more than ever have become a political issue. It is important to summarize “A Raging Pandemic and a Resistance to Masks: Welcome to 1918” in order to understand its true meaning and significance. “A Raging Pandemic and a Resistance to Masks: Welcome to 1918” by Christine Hauser, published in The New York Times on August 4th, 2020, states masks have a role in political and cultural wars. To begin with, in March of 1918, “the first case of influenza was identified at an army base in Kansas that infected 100 soldiers” (Hauser). Then, days later, the number of cases drastically increased as it started to spread across the United States, which led to some cities ordering quarantines and mandatory mask ordinances to help contain the spread of the virus. Next, San Francisco became known as the mask city because by the end of October 1918, “the city had over 11% of the state’s cases” (Hauser). As a result, San Francisco was the first city in the United States with a face mask ordinance, which was signed by the mayor in October 1918. Subsequently, resisters complained about how the masks looked, how uncomfortable they were, and their freedom. Also, “the penalty for violators of the mask laws was a $5-$10 fine, or up to 10 days imprisonment” (Hauser). Next, in November 1918, San Francisco’s mask ordinance ended after four weeks and people were thrilled. Then, by December 1918, San Francisco’s cases began increasing again and the Board of Supervisors proposed another mask ordinance. As a result, people were outraged due to money loss and there was a bomb that exploded outside the city’s chief health officer’s office. In January 1919, Pasadena passed a strictly enforced mask ordinance. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, the Anti-Mask League was created due to the reinstituted mask ordinance in December 1918. Next, during the league’s first meeting in January 1919, they demanded the repeal of the mask ordinance and the resignations of the mayor and health officials. Also, the league objected to the ordinance due to the lack of scientific evidence, and forcing people to wear a face mask was unconstitutional. Finally, the Anti-Mask League has regained interest in 2020 due to the disagreement between individual choice and universal compliance. Overall, during the influenza pandemic, there was resistance about face masks in San Francisco and other cities around the United States, which led to them being a political and cultural issue. This article is not a typical COVID-19 article because this article focuses more on face masks. The audience for the article would be the general public, professional people, and political people in the United States. The author hopes the government will make changes and legitimately enforce face masks. According to Hauser, “In 1918 and 1919, as bars, saloons, restaurants, theaters, and schools were
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closed, masks became a scapegoat, a symbol of government overreach, inspiring protests, petitions, and defiant bare-face gatherings. All the while, thousands of Americans were dying in a deadly pandemic.” This illustrates that the author hopes people all over are going to just wear masks and stop resisting because pandemics have killed over a million people worldwide. Then, the author shows that the resisting hasn’t helped in the past, and it’s definitely not helping now. Next, the purpose of the article is to show that face masks have been an issue both politically and culturally now and in the past. Overall, we’re in a rhetorical situation since we’re currently in a pandemic, but our pandemic has been more devastating than the influenza pandemic. Covid-19 Essay Academic Student Category: Special After reading the article, I enjoyed how the author wrote the article, how it was organized, and the content in the article. First, the author wrote the article very well, especially in the beginning of the article. For example, Hauser states, “More than a century ago, as the 1918 influenza pandemic raged in the United States, masks of gauze and cheesecloth became the facial front lines in the battle against the virus. But as they have now, the masks also stoked political division. Then, as now, medical authorities urged the wearing of masks to help slow the spread of disease. And then, as now, some people resisted” (Hauser). Also, the way the author organized the article made it flow extremely well since it was in chronological order. Next, the content of the article gives people with no prior knowledge of the influenza pandemic, such as myself, a good understanding after reading it. Overall, I enjoyed reading the article and how relatable it is to our country today. In conclusion, I learned useful and relevant information about an issue that isn’t getting enough attention. Face masks have taken a key role today in political and cultural wars. The significance of summarizing “A Raging Pandemic and a Resistance to Masks: Welcome to 1918” will aid in helping understand the true meaning and importance of this controversy from the past and present. Ryan Lizza and Daniel Lippman state, “The mask has become the ultimate symbol of this new cultural and political divide.” Reflecting on the past will help us deal with the issues in the present.
Works Cited Hauser, Christine. “A Raging Pandemic and a Resistance to Masks: Welcome to 1918.” The New York Times, 3 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/us/mask-protests-1918.html. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.
Lizza, Ryan, and Daniel Lippman. “Wearing a Mask is for Smug Liberals. Refusing to is for Reckless Republicans.” POLITICO, 1 May 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/05/01/masks-politics-coronavi rus-227765. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.
17 Second Place: “Preparing for the Worst”
by Antonia Cymone Arceo
“We remain part of the earth’s ecosystem and participate in the food chain whereby we kill and eat various plants and animals, while our bodies provide a fair field full of food for a great variety of parasites” (McNeill). This quote by William H. McNeill is timely with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic because it can be seen as a reminder that viruses naturally occur on earth and that humans are part of a system. In “Preparing for the Next Pandemic—The WHO’s Global Influenza Strategy,” Eccleston, Phelan, and Katz inform the public about the plans the World Health Organization (WHO) has for an influenza pandemic. It is essential to be prepared for global health concerns such as this one. This strategy is something the WHO does not have in regards to COVID-19, thus, the authors highlight the importance and difficulties there are in preparing for a pandemic. After reading, I will summarize, analyze, and reflect on “Preparing for the Next Pandemic—The WHO’s Global Influenza Strategy.” In the article “Preparing for the Next Pandemic—The WHO’s Global Influenza Strategy,” written by Mark Eccleston-Turner, Alexandra Phelan, and Rebecca Katz in 2019 in the New England Journal of Medicine, it highlights the plans of the WHO in dealing with an influenza pandemic as it is an ongoing threat to our health. The first influenza pandemic occurred in 1918, which has resulted in more deaths compared to WWI and WWII. Since then, there have been four influenza pandemics, with the most recent one being the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. Virologists have studied that influenza is on the verge of becoming a pandemic once again, and this must be eradicated to avoid another global health burden. Due to this threat, the WHO released a Global Influenza Strategy 2019-2030 that aims to reduce the burden of seasonal influenza and minimize the risk of zoonotic influenza to mitigate the effects of pandemic influenza. This strategy is a positive welcome, but they feel that WHO should be able to address the challenges that come with preventing and responding to influenza, such as the global response capabilities that include medical means and the use of data that can be utilized in making vaccines. Being prepared for influenza requires transparency between groups, such as researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and government officials along with the accessibility of technology to achieve high-quality results from the virus. The authors mention that the Nagoya Protocol, which is an agreement between 123 countries that aims to guarantee that the benefits from the use of genetic resources, will be equally shared but may complicate the virus-sharing process. However, the WHO stated that if the protocol is in effect, there is a possibility that virus sharing will be slowed or limited. Using influenza genetic-sequence data can affect the response and preparedness since the PIP Framework review team has noted that there are instances wherein the genetic sequence data will be used instead of the virus samples in making the vaccine. The framework does not have access to this data and does not benefit from this data sharing, thus, it poses a challenge in preparedness and response. Furthermore, a vaccine will not be available immediately once a pandemic arrives. The
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authors suggest that WHO must commit to providing technological and medical support with regards to the safety measures needed to be implemented to prevent the spread. Pushing through with the plan of the WHO shows that looking forward is essential to be prepared for the next pandemic, especially influenza so that proper measures can be done. The article does not focus on the current COVID-19 pandemic; rather, it presents the preparations being made by the WHO for the next pandemic. Eccleston et al. state, “Last year, the world marked 100 years since the beginning of the 1918 influenza pandemic. Over a little more than 2 years, the virus infected more than half a billion people, spreading to remote parts of the globe and causing more Covid-19 Essay Academic Student Category: Special deaths than either World War I or World War II—and possibly more than both combined” (2192). Influenza, also known as the flu, is a recurring health issue as it happens all year but with varying severity. Since this disease has been around for more than a century, vaccines are available; however, the vaccines cannot be accessed by all the countries around the world. The global influenza strategy is a welcoming step but the authors state, “We believe that it should address several current and emerging challenges to preventing and responding to influenza, among them potential barriers to pathogen sharing, use of influenza genetic-sequence data for vaccine development, and global response capabilities, including medical countermeasures” (Eccleston et al. 2192). This strategy serves as a call to the countries’ governments to be accessible and open to the sharing of information because the data from different countries can help provide solutions to the pandemic. Furthermore, sharing information about influenza allows more extensive understanding of how the virus works in certain conditions, resulting in more diverse outcomes in experimentation. It is evident that accessibility is critical to be prepared for the next pandemic so that transmission would be lessened. Preparing for a pandemic is a lengthy process as there are things we are unaware of because we do not know how severe it will be. The WHO must take into consideration that not all countries have access to technology that will aid in studying the pandemic and how to eradicate this at the fastest rate possible. Many barriers, such as financial and medical, will probably be the most common that the countries will encounter as healthcare is expensive and high-quality medical equipment is hard to come by. Eccleston et al. mentioned, “Nonpharmaceutical interventions will therefore be crucial, particularly in developing countries that are especially vulnerable to pandemic influenza,” which further proves that preparations for a pandemic are essential but difficult (2193). Implementing changes in the environment are difficult as well because the population will have mixed reactions to these changes, similar to physical distancing and the wearing of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is critical to know how these plans will affect the population, and the authors say that the effectiveness of these plans is dependent on the population once they are in place. After reading this article, I found that it is important to always look ahead so that we can be prepared for the worst, especially in terms of our health; the COVID-19 pandemic has truly been an eye-opener. This summary, analysis, and response have helped me greatly in understanding the purpose of these medical articles, especially in times like these. The WHO has this global influenza strategy in order to prepare us for the next pandemic, and it can help so that there is enough information about the influenza pandemic. The article points out a strategy that we did not have for COVID-19, thus, it is
19 essential to always be prepared because pandemics such as this are unpredictable and have massive consequences. I have understood that health protocols are implemented after going through extensive research, and they will only be deemed effective if people follow them. Following health protocols is not difficult. They just interfere with what we call our normal way of living. Works Cited
Eccleston-Turner, Mark, Alexandra Phelan and Rebecca Katz. “Preparing for the Next Pandemic- The WHO’s Global Influenza Strategy.” The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 381, no. 23, Dec. 2019, pp. 2192-2194.
McNeill, William. “Virus Quotes.” Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/virus. Accessed 28 October 2020.
Third Place: “Masks and Social Distancing” by Jessica Leasure
I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the word, “coronavirus.” I was on my senior year winter break at a condo in Florida with my family and boyfriend. Completely unconcerned with the current world events, I had spent the week sleeping in, enjoying the company and warm temperatures. One morning, we all were in the kitchen for breakfast—the news playing on the TV as background noise. We were about to walk out the door and hit the sun when we heard a voice on the television speak of a virus that had originated in China. We ignored it, laughing off its title, and we went down to the beach. At the time, I didn’t comprehend how drastically my life would change, and that I would lose the end of my senior year of high school. After four months of experiencing a global pandemic and analyzing the data I collected, I have discovered that although coronavirus has affected my learning and socializing capabilities, it is not all negative. As a class of 2020 graduate, it was not difficult to document the negatives of masks and social distancing. When the remainder of the school year was canceled, along with prom, spring sports, and an indoor graduation ceremony, I felt lost amidst all the chaos. I ended up with a “C” in Statistics due to the confusion of online learning when I am typically an “A” student. Moving away from the school aspect, one day I had attended my so-called “job” helping my brother flip a house. After he left, and I was on my own patching walls and painting trim, I came into contact with a piece of wood with a trim nail sticking upwards. It went straight through my foot. My boyfriend and dad took me to the hospital, but they weren’t allowed to come in the room with me due to there being too many people in one place. With a pandemic raging across the country, I had to be alone and scared in the room. I have also experienced several instances of people refusing to wear masks in public places where they are required. I feel that their stubbornness and lack of compliance further divides us during troubled times.
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Once I had acquired enough data, I began to analyze just how much masks and social distancing have affected my life. I had come to understand the logic behind such measures, but I have also discovered that the inconvenience of masks and the frustration of social distancing have hindered my ability to learn and communicate effectively. I strongly dislike masks myself and would rather not have to wear one. Despite this, I still fulfill my civic duty to wear masks and social distance in stores where such measures are required, but there are always a few instances of people who think that they are above such requirements. This offers up the question: What must an individual contribute to society? As much
as masks and social distancing are inconvenient to anyone, they are not nearly as hindering as missing Covid-19 Essay Academic Student Category: Special an arm or a leg. Therefore, it should not affect individuals to where they feel as though they need to make a spectacle of themselves in the middle of a store because they don’t want to follow the rules for the ten minutes it takes them to pick up milk and a bag of chips from the grocery store. After I had written an analysis of my data, I realized the extent of how the pandemic has affected my learning and social life. Masks and social distancing have inconvenienced me significantly. I had to miss the end of my senior year, and, on top of that, complete a frustrating and tedious form of online learning. Social distancing caused my grades to drop when I was unable to meet with teachers face-to-face. Not only has social distancing affected my education but multiple people’s ability to fulfill life experiences. My inability to attend prom after spending months planning out a dress and designing my own shoes absolutely broke my heart and the hearts of so many others looking to dance the night away at their senior proms. It has interfered with my friends; for example, the brother of a friend of mine contracted the virus from a musical he took part in. My friend in turn ended up catching the virus, which caused three other friends to self-isolate because they came into contact with him. It is always frustrating when plans are canceled due to uncontrollable circumstances, which is basically the watermark of Covid-19. It wasn’t until about a week ago that I had a glimmer of hope about this pandemic when I was on my way to Lewis. After taking data and analyzing it for this paper, I started to feel a sadness having reflected on how many life experiences I had missed, and how much of what was important to me had been taken away. However, the glimmer of hope to which I had referred came when I was picking up Subway before the forty-minute commute to Lewis. In order to get to my local Subway from my house, I have to pass the elementary school on my route. That particular day, I happened to drive past the children at recess. I had thought to myself, how are they having recess if the playground is off-limits due to social distancing? When I got closer, I realized that every single kid on the playground was walking around the border of the jungle gym that held the mulch in, balancing and maintaining a six-foot distance. They looked like mini gymnasts in the making. At that moment, I smiled and realized that if it is easy for children to adapt and find the good in certain inconvenient and mostly negative situations, then why can’t adults? Had it not been for this pandemic, the last several months of my life may have been different, but not necessarily in a negative way. I have come to believe that everything happens for a reason. I feel like this pandemic has taught me to appreciate what I have. When it is over, I know that I will appreciate being able to be with friends and not having to social distance. I will be grateful to not have to feel as though I am suffocating every time I go out in public when masks are no longer required. I have also learned to make the best of inconvenient situations. Ultimately, thanks to this experience, I have lost a great deal in regards to life experiences, but I have also gained a significant amount in knowledge and finding ways to accommodate and adapt to change.
21 Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Staff, Alumni Academic Essay
Second Place: “How to Leave an Impression with Your Design” by Asst. Prof. Simon Dai
Design is an emotion. Emotion is part of design. We are entering an era where the complexity of information is much higher than in the past. As a new designer, you are entering a world rich with information. From the perspective of product design, market competition is fiercer than ever. Many designs of the past have been simple. Now, digital design has transitioned to the stage of “emotional design,” and emotional design is something all designers must learn. What is Emotional Design? The concept of emotionalization was proposed in 2005 with Donald Norman’s Emotional Design1, a classic masterpiece of design psychology. The following is an excerpt from his book Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things 2 where he explains his concept: Emotional design refers to the design of grasping the user’s attention and inducing emotional reactions to improve the possibility of performing specific behaviors. In layman’s terms, the design stimulates the user in some way so that it has an emotional impact. Through the function, operational behaviors, or temperament of a product, a designer can foster an emotional response. The user has some kind of emotional awareness of the product, which forms a unique imprint on the mind 3. Emotional design is meant to stimulate users’ reflection through certain design methods so as to stimulate user associations and resonate on a personal level. To provide users with a product experience with a human touch, to pay attention to the user’s subjective feelings, is the goal and focus of emotional design. Why Emotional Design is Needed Fostering an emotional response can create greater value for the products you design. Human beings are naturally emotional beings, and when that need is met, we feel a series of positive emotions. This can improve the brain’s ability to solve problems and make decisions, while the emotional system changes the way the cognitive system works. This leads to a unique user experience with the design that can help and improve the user’s enthusiasm. Psychological Analysis Emotional Design is a designer’s bible. If you have not had the opportunity to read it, please do so. Reading this is an important step in changing your design thinking, but I will introduce the three essential elements of the book. They are instinct, behavior, and reflection.
u Instinct refers to the biological instinct of human beings to gather direct feedback through sensory stimulation. For example, have you ever walked down a hall and brushed your hand across the wall for no real reason? You are instinctually seeking sensory information through touch. This concept applies primarily to design aesthetic, and though people will have different
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preferences, the overall concept applies to almost everyone. The key takeaway here for your design thinking is to expect your customers to respond to your design based on their sensory input, which may or may not match your original intention.
u Behavior refers to the part of the world where humans control the function of everyday behaviors, such as learning and mastering skills to solve problems. It is also unconscious and has a strong connection to the human emotional system as a whole, preparing our bodies to respond appropriately to specific situations. The concept here for design is usability. This is Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Category: Staff,Special Alumni Academic Essay where you would consider how a user will interact and use your product, and how that physical experience will influence the user experience.
u Reflection refers to the link between human cognition and thinking that helps us understand the world through rational thinking and logical reasoning. Multi-dimensional complex emotions are generated in users’ psychology. When you integrate emotions, experiences, culture, background and other factors directly into the product, the resulting design is more pleasing to the user. Think back to a product you noticed and that you obviously remember. That product has a high reflective design because it stuck in your mind. Try to foster that feeling in your designs.
Another theory you need to be aware of to help you become designers is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 4. American psychologist Abraham Maslow 5 developed this theory in 1943 6, and it is useful for you to have at least a basic understanding of it if you aren’t able to read the full article. The theory divides human needs into five categories based on needs, and in order to worry about something at any given level, you have to have fully satisfied all the needs in the lower levels. The five categories of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are physiological, security, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs. This is a huge topic, but the basic concept is that humans will not worry very much about what their friends think of them if they don’t have enough food to eat or a place to sleep. Thinking about where your designs fall on Maslow’s Hierarchy will help you determine your target users, which can then help you refine your designs to better meet their needs. The Purpose of Emotional Design Emotional design is intended to reduce the negative experience of users in favor of positive emotional communication with them. This kind of emotional communication helps to improve users’ loyalty and dependence on products and reduce the loss of users. For example, when dating, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to make the other party wait. Waiting is an extremely bad thing. Similarly, in design, in order to improve the user’s experience, it is necessary to appease the user’s emotions and reduce waiting time. What if there is no way to realistically remove wait times? You can use emotional design to mitigate the negative experience for your users. For example, in the Google Chrome browser when a network is disconnected a cute, little, dinosaur jumping game will appear so that the users will not be bored when they are waiting, which increases the user’s fun and relaxes their stress. You can improve the user’s experience and alleviate their negative emotions.
23 A user’s memory is divided into short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory is also called working memory. The information temporarily stored for completing tasks is usually kept for just a few minutes. When we use electronic products or read something, we are usually using our working memory. Emotional design can help us guide users to help reduce their memory burden. In addition, designers can create pleasant experiences through images, colors, fonts, copywriting, and animations to help users quickly change to the mental setting you want for them when using your product. Finally, creating identity through emotional design is simple. If you want your design to be remembered, you should make a good impression on the person who uses it. You have to get into the mindset that thinks about more than just the design itself. You also need to think about who is going to use your design and what they will do with it. Think about the culture, historical background, any other important information you know about the potential user, and how you can customize your design to be perfect for them. For example, if you are designing a product for a person with a disability, do your research and learn what their needs are. Once you understand your user, you can design the perfect experience for them. Your product design is only one factor in the user’s experience. Practical Tips for Emotional Design Emotional design is the key to designing perfect products for the user experience. In today’s era of big data and rich graphics, only products with emotional design can stand out. Today’s users are no longer content to interact with dull machines. They prefer to have emotional interactions with the products they use. Emotional design can often relieve the negative emotions of users and help them quickly become familiar with products. So, understanding emotional design and how to effectively incorporate it into your work is an indispensable part of a good design process. How do we train ourselves to become a designer with emotional design? The following tips may be of use to you: • Practice Fast Sketching Practice your fast sketch technique using subjects you see in your day-to-day life. Focus on emotions with these sketches. None of these drawings should take more than a few minutes. The goal here is to force you to notice people’s emotions, then slowly to expand that attention to the stimulus that is generating the emotions you are capturing. A few simple strokes can contain rich emotions and great detail. Draw people you know, people you don’t know, even people in a movie. Go back over your old drawings and see if you can determine what emotion you were trying to draw on the face and strive to improve over time. This will help you get into the habit of thinking about the end-user and their emotional experience when using something you design. • Writing Practice Writing is another way to express emotions. Trying to interpret the essence of words is a way to train emotional design. You can prepare a notebook to keep with you, then use it to describe a person, a thing, or a story with simple words a few times a day. Whether this description can touch people’s minds depends on whether the person writing the paper intentionally understands the meaning conveyed in the text. If you are able to capture the essence of emotion in your writing and strive to put words to what you and others feel, you will train yourself to think more about emotions for yourself and your users.
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• Multimedia Practice Multimedia exercises are an easy way for many designers to train emotionally because they are more interesting and present a chance to understand the inner dynamics of various characters. One technique is to download some movies or shows and separate the characters from their original setting. The characters’ monologues and dialogues are the best for this. Try to separate the character and the actor. Imagine what the actor did to get ready for their performance. How did they decide what their face would look like, why did they choose the emotion they displayed? For you to understand the inner thoughts of the characters, imagine if you were the actor. How would you get ready to play the role? Covid-19 Faculty, Category: Staff,Special Alumni Academic Essay What kinds of thoughts would help you put yourself in the correct mood to play the part? The best way to experience the emotions of users is to turn yourself into them and think from their perspective. Then, imagine using your design and see if you can determine how it will make your user feel. Design is an Emotion. Emotion is Part of Design Emotional design starts from trying to understand the user’s goals and feelings. It is necessary to recognize that society is interaction and communication, and the emotions between people are a significant part of that. Emotional design can add vitality to a product or design, enabling people to establish an emotional connection. Therefore, only by understanding the use of emotional design can we design a people-oriented product. We are in a new era. Machines have become quite intelligent and will only continue to grow. Looking back at the history of mobile phone development, we can see that what we have today evolved from a giant machine that could only make calls into a multi-language intelligent assistant that fits in your pocket and has become an essential part of all of our lives. The positive impact of these changes will be huge, but negative results are also worthy of attention. Technology is a double-edged sword. As designers, we can use our designs to turn the point of the sword in a positive direction and contribute more positivity to human society. After all, design should be people-oriented.
Notes
1. Donald Arthur Norman (born December 25, 1935) is an American researcher, professor, and author. Norman is the director of The Design Lab at University of California, San Diego.
2. Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. New York, NY, US: Basic Books.
3. Emotional design refers to the design of grasping the user’s attention and inducing emotional reactions to improve the possibility of performing specific behaviors. In layman’s terms, the design stimulates the user in some way so that it has an emotional impact. Through the function, operational behaviors or temperament of a product, a designer can foster an emotional response. The user has some kind of emotional awareness of the product, which forms a unique imprint on the mind - Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things, by Donald Arthur Norman, 2005.
25 4. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review.
5. Abraham Harold Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was an American psychologist who was best known for creating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-actualization.
6. Psychological Review is a scientific journal that publishes articles on psychological theory. It was founded by Princeton University psychologist James Mark Baldwin and Columbia University psychologist James McKeen Cattell in 1894 as a publication vehicle for psychologists not connected with the Clark laboratory of G. Stanley Hall (who often published in Hall’s American Journal of Psychology). Psychological Review soon became the most prominent and influential psychology journal in North America, publishing important articles by William James, John Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and many others.
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Student Creative Nonfiction
First Place: “From Resentment to Respect: My Revelation on Reading” by Michael Yerkes
Dear Readers, Student Creative Nonfiction
I wish I loved to shop at Barnes & Noble! The chill vibes of aisle upon aisle of literary masterpieces and, of course, the artistic vibe of a Starbucks always made me jealous of avid readers. To this day, I love venturing to the store with my bookworm sister; however, I always end up in the vinyl area, Funko section, or at Starbucks. At Barnes & Noble, I do not belong even though I wish I did. Although I claim not to love reading in my spare time, my life has changed drastically because of reading. From age eight to age eighteen, reading and I developed a complex relationship. Through a series of three thank you letters to three English teachers of mine from the past, I will explore how my view on reading has changed. Reading has saved me from falling into the trap of many problems I see in the world today. However, we must explore my yesterdays in order to understand my today.
With great excitement,
Michael Yerkes
Dear Mrs. Crawford,
Sitting at the small group reading table in the square room at the end of the main hallway, I literally felt like the hare when reading “The Tortoise and the Hare.” My fourth-grade self felt dumb when comparing myself to the other students who stayed in regular class. I had to leave my friends and walk to you three times a week. My slow reading pace seemed like a gigantic problem to my mom, other teachers, and everyone besides me. You and I both clearly knew that I hated to read. Outside of the main gym, I waited for my turn to arrive. Because of the curse of the last name “Yerkes,” I had to wait for the entire class to read to you before I had my shot. One by one, I would watch each student get up, go to you, and read as fast as they could. Rachel, the girl who read the entire Harry Potter series and boasted it like it was everyone’s business, finished the whole story before the time beeped, signaling the end of the reading session. After what seemed like an eternity, I dragged myself to your desk. Trying really hard to flash through the whole story, my brain felt like it was racing at one hundred miles an hour. At the beep, your accepting smile reminded me that finishing only one-eighth of the page was nothing to shame myself for. Needless to say, I still had to attend your reading classes.
27 As much as I had a special hatred for your part in the reading testing day, I never hated you. Your positive attitude and optimism kept me from throwing the books you made me read to the other side of the classroom. Slowly but surely with your constant help, I improved my reading speed. Even though I felt like reading was the enemy, I could speed through this enemy a little bit quicker after four years in your class. I still remember my last day in your class when you revealed my progress to me. I felt over- joyed because no longer did I feel exiled from my regular class. Today, I want to say thank you. Ten years ago, reading may have been my enemy, but we no longer bicker like we used to. Like a house, a foundation is essential. In your reading classroom, I built my foundation for a strong sense of literacy. It may not have been easy, but I thank you for teaching me a skill I rely on every day.
Sincerely,
Michael Yerkes
Dear Ms. Cipriani,
You had a tough job when having to take my repulsive taste for reading in my primary days and transform it to something I could possibly tolerate in middle school. Entering your second-floor classroom, the ghosts of timed readings past haunted me. However, rather than focusing on the speed of reading words, you focused on my ability to put myself in the shoes of another. Reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and Lyddie by Katherine Paterson revealed to me the depth behind reading. At the time, I will admit they both seemed like snoozers. Both complex with meaning and focusing on environments foreign to an American Midwest middle schooler, they both failed to make my favorites list. However, for that very reason, I am thankful for those two books today. A Long Walk to Water, which sets itself in the Sudan, and Lyddie, which takes place on the East Coast during the American Industrial Revolution, both took me out of my comfort zone with reading. Having read books only from the middle school perspective, like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Big Nate series, I always had more apparent similarities (age, geographical location, etc.) with main characters than discrete similarities (the meanings of the texts). Both the books on the seventh-grade reading curriculum made me open my eyes to the world. Many years later, I realized these books taught me that not everyone shares the same story as me, but we share our humanity. We all experience happiness, sadness, peaks, and valleys in life, but we all have a unique story to tell. I write this letter with great thanks. Once again, I had an amazing English teacher in my life. You fully knew that these stories would never place number one on my favorite reads list. However, these books had long-lasting effects on why I read. From seventh-grade on, I learned that reading allows an individual to step into the shoes of another. From reading, I am able to understand the motivations,
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lessons, and opinions of someone completely different than myself. Since this lesson roots itself from your classroom, I would like to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
With deep gratitude,
Michael Yerkes Student Creative Nonfiction Dear Ms. Scanlon,
Constantly through my time in your classroom during my sophomore and senior year, I learned who I was. High school, a time where many try to find any identity other than themselves, served as a tough, skyscraping mountain in my path of life that made me much stronger after having climbed over it. In Room 111, I read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Coming from an elementary student meeting well below standards to a high school student reading at a somewhere close to average pace, I may have read slowly, but I understood meaning exceptionally. Each of these books played a significant role in finding myself and my worldview. Without your constant challenges and high expectations, I would have never developed my view today. Kingsolver in The Poisonwood Bible developed my own theological literacy while learning that life, even though it might look drastically different from what my life looks like, is life. In Room 111, I learned no one way of life is better or more correct than another lifestyle. Walker in her brilliant work of The Color Purple revealed to me that even though one may struggle constantly to find themselves, one should never give up on themselves. In Room 111, I learned life gets better even if it appears like it will not. Steinbeck in Of Mice and Men addresses intellectual disabilities. Through reading the story and living life, I learned in Room 111 that I wanted to pursue a career in Special Education. Without staying up well past midnight, annotating a book to the point that it became a journal, and reading a record number of books within a semester, I would have never found myself. These complex books explore the mysteries of human existence and our purpose. By reading these stories, I developed my own opinions while understanding another person’s opinion. From my high school reading, I learned who I am in relation to everyone else. Thank you for helping me discover myself.
Best regards,
Michael Yerkes
29 Dear Readers,
Like how you just read my story through thank you notes, I have learned that every person has a story. By slowly reading the words but praising the meaning of them, reading has changed my perspective on society. In society when we meet someone different than ourselves, we have the responsibility to read about them. By saying this, I do not mean that we should literally read a book; in my case, slowly read that book. But rather, we should get to know them and their journey. Each of these amazing teachers made me realize how important it is for one person to walk a mile in the shoes of another. From hating reading to implanting it into my daily life, I have learned the importance of reading. I still wish I would read books for fun, but I am happy that I read other people and their stories every day.
With great appreciation for reading my story,
Michael Yerkes
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Special Category: Covid-19 Student Creative Nonfiction
First Place: “The Air We’re Breathing” by Bryanna Fergus Dear Mom,
How are you? As I’m checking in with you, I hope you’re social distancing as much as I am. The Nonfiction Covid-19Creative Student Category: Special widespread pandemic known as coronavirus (COVID-19) has been racing, not only across American newscasts but countries everywhere. Though I’m happy the “shelter-in-place” process is keeping the people with compromised immune systems safe, how will college classes take place? What can we do for people with poor mental health? How are we assisting the workers who are still open for business with the potentially contagious air we’re currently breathing? When I leave Lewis University soon to come home for quarantine it’s going to be a strain on my independence. I do have experience with online courses; students who are used to face-to-face instruction and hands-on materials will most likely struggle the remainder of the semester. It’s a learning process for everyone—how each teacher wants to conduct their class and how their students will be able to learn. The assignments are now under new tabs in Blackboard, as not to confuse students with all the other work in different files. According to the professors, the assignments will be similar to what we’re doing now, but the grading scale won’t be as harsh. We all pray that our laptops work for us and our assignment submissions transmit properly to the professors. Though we only have a couple months left of school, it seems like getting through the rest of the year will be like watching paint dry. It’ll feel like we’re hidden from the world, not being allowed to socially interact. To add, the problem that scares me the most is I’ll isolate myself for so long that my anxiety and depression will go through the roof. Not being able to go outside for long periods of time could cause my anxiety to become worse, and isolating myself from the friends I have is difficult because it brings on my depression. This global period is hard for everyone. Especially being someone who needs human interaction now and then, I will have to learn to adapt to being trapped in my house and away from a young adult’s social life. They say home is where the heart is, so maybe exercising and spending time with family will lead to a healthy balance. Some people may be cozied up inside, but there are selfless workers who are on call right now as I type. Not to mention, those who are working are exposed to these contagious circumstances while they provide for sick citizens. These employees are underappreciated and should be thanked immensely. Flu symptoms are being monitored under hawk supervision, especially for those recently out of the country. Anyone who coughs in their hand could be shoved off to a medical care facility out of pure fear. Internet articles are on my online learning, I replenish my mental health however I can, and I respect what all the essential workers are doing for us.
31 I’ll be claiming hospitals are filling up to the brim. For all the tireless work these people have put into their jobs over consecutive days during this tough time, they deserve to be rewarded. Overall, Mom, please don’t worry, and continue to stay away from others. At the coronavirus hearing, it was announced that big crowds, even groups of more than two people, are banned. No matter what, I’ll stay focused and be home soon. Take care, and remember, I love you very much.
Bryanna
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Student Fiction
Second Place: “The Talking Tree” by Bryanna Fergus
It’s 3 p.m. on Friday, June 13th, and a shocking moment is occurring at Vince’s Flower Shop. Every
employee is stunned by the unusual growth of one of our roses, especially my friend and coworker, Fiction Student Julie, whose breathtaking scent of “Desirable” perfume sprayed all over her neck and clothes makes the shop smell serene. Julie is a woman with an enormous heart. Every year, she generously awards coworkers with a special flower to take home each weekend. She knows exactly how to primp marvelous wild green nature to satisfy her customers and is cautious with every package. “There’s a purple outline on the pedals,” says a puzzled Julie, tracing the flower with her finger. “Never in my years of working here have I seen anything like this. Whichever worker wants to take this home will have to be okay with the fact it’s discolored.” I know I want to be the one to take the rose home. I move in closer to touch the defined and colored edges. “Julie, do you think I could take it home? The purple fascinates me.” “You want to take home THIS odd-looking rose?” she questioned. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind. I actually think it’s really pretty.” “Well, you have a special way with plants, so I definitely feel comfortable with you taking it.” “Thank you, Julie,” I say with a smile. After all, she’s not wrong. I take a certain interest in plant care because I have a strong connection to nature. For whatever reason, while growing up, I was able to sense the energy that my mom’s garden would exude, second to the emotions of humans. Driving back to college from the shop with my windows down, I smell the moisture from the green grass and notice the intoxicating sways of the corn in the cornfields. Nature is alive and I’m happy. As I pull on campus, I’m reminded that the one thing I hate about the University of Kentucky is the renovation taking place. It’s been going on for months now, and they’ve been taking down many of their trees. The dean announced they’re trying to make room for more restaurants, but I’d rather starve than feel the depression of the trees every single day. My mood is greatly impacted by this loss of nature. After stumbling into my apartment complex, I place a vase from the cabinet onto my kitchen table, fill it with water, and allow my rose to detox. I watch the water molecules bubble to the surface and deposit their droplets onto the leaves. “I need to name you, but I don’t know what to call you,” I say to myself. “How about Laila? I think that’s a good name for you. Laila’s a unique name, and you’re a unique rose.” I finger the purple lines quickly before taking a nap. I wake up three hours later during the late evening, remembering I forgot to take my daily walk. My routine consists of going north to the library, circling Benjamin Hall, and then going back home. Since it’s late, skipping Benjamin Hall completely is enough of a workout for me.
33 As I’m exiting my door, scuffing my converse along the cobblestone walkway, I notice something is off. It feels like a distant shadow is standing over me. I’m a little suspicious and turn around, but I don’t see anything. I hear whispering that seems to be coming from the leaves on the trees. I turn to look at the Elmer’s Tree—the oldest tree on campus. I think to myself that it could just be the echoes of Greek Life preparing for a long weekend or some sort of party. The voices grow louder and louder, to the point I cover my ears and begin to shiver. I speed-walk away from the noise, but the tree grabs my attention. “Something’s going to happen.” I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. It repeats, “Something’s going to happen.” “Huh? Who said that?” I question, my voice booming from being overly concerned. The voice continues, “Something’s going to happen, Sadie. You’re going to get hurt.” I jump out of my skin, demanding to know who is speaking. “This isn’t funny. If you keep harassing me, I’ll call the cops. Don’t test me.” I’m praying I’m not talking to a tree. “I warned you.” I find myself dizzy with worry. If it hadn’t been for the fact it was dark, I wouldn’t be this fearful right now. I feel my heart pulsate and the sweat rush to my palms. I can’t tell if I am being teased or actually being stalked, but I know I’m not hearing things. Sadly, the voice was right. All of a sudden, a car speeds into the entrance of the school and makes an unexpected right, coming straight for me. I scream in terror and jump out of the way. The car flies straight into a tree but not just any tree—the Elmer’s tree. Currently in shock, my jaw stays dropped as I grab my phone to call the police. “Drop your cell phone.” The voice returns, but it has an angry tone. “Absolutely not! I need to call someone. A car just ran into a tree,” I yell, on the verge of tears due to the stress of the situation. “It didn’t run into just any tree. It ran into me.” I’m furious. I circle the tree in angst to find who is behind the voice. Not finding anyone on the grounds, I proceed to climb the tree to see if someone’s hiding in the branches. About halfway to the top, something on the bark bites my leg and sends me spiraling downward. I grunt in pain and agony, holding my injured leg. Thankfully, there’s no blood. It could have been a lot worse. However, I have a fat bruise so tender to the touch, I can barely keep my eyes open when I place my hands on it. “You’re worthless,” announces the tree. “I’m NOT worthless!” I holler at the top of my lungs. I couldn’t believe after all my devotion and kindness to nature, nature was being vile to me. “You could’ve stopped the car. Should’ve for that matter. That’s your fault.” The Elmer’s tree gaslights me. “How was I supposed to know?” I start sobbing.
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“That’s what I warned you of!” It manipulatively snarls. I clench my fists in rage and say every nasty thing in my head about that tree. Soon after that, I remember the unaccompanied flower in my apartment. I think to myself, what if the tree tries to destroy the rose? I hurry back to my apartment, run upstairs panting, and fling open the door to prepare myself for the tragic scene I expect to find. “My rose! It’s on the floor!” I dash like it’s my own life on the line to grab the still-damp-rose and place it back into the vase. Student Fiction Student “Hopefully, the purple outline hasn’t faded,” I say to myself. But, to the rose’s demise, the purple line is disappearing. This sends me into great panic, where my heart is beating into my ears. “Sadie? Sadie?” “Huh?” The interruption of Julie’s voice calling my name sounds like silverware when it collapses against a plate and it startles me enough to bring me back into the present, still at the shop. “Wait, did I not leave yet?” I’m looking around the almost vacant room, confused. “No, not yet. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little out of it. You asked if you could take the rose home. Is that something you still want to do?” I don’t even have to climb into my twisted mind for this simple answer, considering the fact I already had a huge foreshadow tell me everything in the depths of my imagination. My feet retreat while still giving Julie eye contact. “I have never been more confident than I am now…” I blurt out, “…I absolutely DON’T want to take that rose home.” An inquisitive Julie speaks, “Are you sure, Sadie? You sounded ecstatic and certain you wanted to take it a moment ago.” Standing at the exit door, I declare, “Yes, I’m sure. Someone else will get great enjoyment from that odd rose. That flower is luck if luck ever existed!” I sarcastically laugh. The door opens and I head out into the parking lot to drive back to campus with empty hands but a full understanding.
Honorable Mention: “Pushing My Way into Love” by Angelica Del Pilar
I am a miracle worker. Well, actually, I just work at a retail store. Same difference. Staying patient with the general public is basically like a stroke of luck for me. I’ve been doing this for 3 years and it has not been easy. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful team. I am not the only college student to work here at the Walmart knock-off for rich people. There’s Jane, the mom of the group. She got us all talking after a middle-aged woman started hitting on Henry. At that
35 time, he was new, so he did not feel like he should speak up. Jane stood up for Henry, but the customer only got more irate. I then gave the lady a bigger piece of what she deserved. It took 10 minutes of screaming for our boss, Midge, to notice and come up. Thankfully, she took our side and escorted the lady out. Jane checked in with us after that. Henry is shy but has the biggest heart of anyone. He also has an inappropriate sense of humor and is adventurous around us now, which is made funnier by how he looks. He is 5’0 and still looks 12 despite being 22. Then there’s Lizzy. Lizzy acts tough but secretly is a softie. I mean, she wears a sunflower necklace. Like how is that tough? We all don’t let anyone mess with her. Don’t tell her I said all of that though. One day the lights went out in our store. Everyone looked at each other as if to ask what we should do. Midge came running up to tell us her plan. Me and Lizzy had to make the customers go up front. It took us all of 5 minutes since it was a slow morning. All us cashiers just gossiped after that. Midge eventually had me, Jane, Lizzy, and Henry grab carts to fill them with returned items. Harry did not want to at first, but then he got a mischievous smile. I wondered what crazy idea he had, but I waited until we were out of earshot of Midge to ask. Henry would not budge until we got to the other side of the store. He finally admitted that he wanted to have a cart race. Me and Lizzy agreed to do it then, but Jane resisted. “The carts are store property. What if we somehow damage it or someone does catch us? I don’t want to get fired,” Jane replied. I told Jane to loosen up. She gave me a look but gave in. “Okay, Hope. I’ll race, but only if you push me.” Declarations of love for Jane came from all of us. Jane and Lizzy got settled in their carts. Henry and I started trash-talking each other. After a minute, I said, “I bet I’ll win,” then started running. It took Henry a few seconds to realize what I did, muttering under his breath, but still getting close to where I was. Jane and Lizzy were laughing hysterically, which made Henry and me laugh as well. I became close to finishing the race. And then Jane screamed, “Look out!” and jerked the cart sideways. It tipped over and Jane tumbled out. She ended up hitting her head on a steel corner of a clothes rack. I was approaching Jane when this guy came out of nowhere. It was my turn to scream. His phone ended up falling out of his hands and cracked upon hitting the floor. The guy glared at me and said, “You owe me a new phone.” Shakily I asked what he was doing here. “I thought all the customers were at the front.” “I was but I had to make a confidential phone call.” I looked over to Jane while he was ranting to me and started walking to her. But then the customer waved his hand in my face and stated, “Hello, I asked a question.” I pushed down my anger to smile and reply, “Sorry, sir, but my friend is hurt. I will get back to you once I know she is okay.” “Maybe she would be okay if you hadn’t been racing in the first place and just doing your job.” That was when I lost some of my patience. I glared at him while walking to Jane. I am a great multi-tasker. “Excuse me if we just wanted to have some fun. Or should retail workers just be no-nonsense
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robots?” He glared back, saying, “There’s fun and then there’s stupidity. Figure out which one you were doing.” Jane sat up at that moment. I bit my tongue and bent down to her eye level. She looked dizzy but otherwise fine. Lizzy suggested we take her to a hospital just in case. The jerk customer announced he worked at a hospital and asked to borrow my phone to notify them we were coming. I was suspicious but allowed him to do so. While he was on the call, me and Lizzy looked him over. He was tall with Student Fiction Student jet-black hair flopping over his forehead. His eyes were a cinnamon brown and looked just as warm, which was weird. I would have thought he would have a cold vibe. He catches us looking, so we turn our heads. He ended the call and said they were ready for us. I was about to ask how he could do that for us when he and Henry grabbed Jane’s hands and helped her walk to the front. It takes 20 minutes to reach the hospital, and another 15 until they can take Jane in. Me and Lizzy fuss over her, making sure she has water and snacks. Jane still looks a bit dazed, which could be a bad sign. I honestly hope Jane is fine. I’ll feel so bad if I caused her to be seriously hurt. After all, I was the one who convinced her to give in. After she gets admitted, we just sit around and wait. And wait. And wait. Maybe it is a serious injury. I start biting my nails. Lizzy looks over and gently grabs my hand. “Everything will be okay.” I nod and try my best not to fidget. There’s an awkward silence. The customer breaks it by saying, “Uh, my name’s James, by the way. Is it cool if I stay until I know your friend’s ok? I feel partly responsible. I’ll leave if you guys want me to.” Lizzy and Henry looked over at me as if asking for permission, which they didn’t need to. I still answered with a nod and introductions all around. “Forgive me if I don’t remember your names. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but why were you racing around? I’m genuinely curious.” Harry responds with “We were just goofing. I thought it’ll be fun to race in the dark with no customers around.” He hesitates, “Or so I thought. Didn’t mean to almost hit you. I’m sorry.” James says, “I think it was that girl who owns me an apology. She still owes me a new phone.” I try apologizing sincerely, but I still say my name is Hope, H-o-p-e, so it should be easy to remember. As for his phone, I say I’ll have to save up for it; I’m only a college student who works part-time. He raises an eyebrow but says nothing. Lizzy and Henry send me a look like I am being rude. Well, maybe I am, but don’t I deserve a break? My friend is in the hospital. I sit back and look away from everyone. Lizzy breaks the silence this time by asking what James does for the hospital. Turns out he’s a cafeteria worker, but he just happens to know most of the doctors and nurses. He explains how they are often too busy to eat, so he started a program where meals are given to the staff. We are surprised. After he notices how we are looking at him, it’s his turn to blush. “It’s not a big deal; I just like connecting with people. Everyone, no matter who they are, needs help, and I just do my part in making their day easier.” Maybe James is not as rude as I thought. I mean, I did break his phone, and who knows when I will be able to pay it back. How will the poor dude stay in touch with his friends and family until I do? I walk up to a vending machine to eat away my agitation. When I turn around, I notice James staring at
37 me, but he quickly looks away. Huh. A doctor comes in and calls out, “Anyone for Jane Tamia?” We approach him and he informs us that Jane is doing fine—but they want to do a MRI to rule out any internal injuries. We all release our breaths in worry, including James. I glance at him and notice how scrunched his eyebrows are. It is kind of sweet how he cares. What am I thinking? Jane might be hurt and that should be my main concern. “How long until we can visit her?” I ask. The doctor says it’ll be 30 minutes until we can. I sit back down while everyone else keeps standing. Soon they all sit down. . .everyone but James. James disappears and after 10 minutes comes back with food. We dig in, cracking jokes. I take the time to apologize to James again and give him my email, so we can hash out a payment plan. James offers to contribute some money. “I know what it’s like to struggle. And I guess it is partly my fault that I couldn’t wait a minute to take a phone call. I should just have waited.” James grins at me while running his hand through his hair. I get this weird feeling in my chest but push it aside. “I could pay it in full, but it is up to you. And don’t beat yourself up; who in their right mind would have ignored a call?” I retort and smile back at him. He holds my stare a second too long, but I look away. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice he is still looking at me. Butterflies in my stomach appear, but I force them down. I’m here to support my friend—that’s all. Lizzy gives us a look and grins shamelessly at me. Of course, she would notice. I’m not encouraging this though. A minute after we are done eating, the doctor comes out with Jane! I guess the results came back clear. Jane asks, “Is this what happens when I don’t follow the rules? Or when I get peer pressured into breaking the rules?”—with a sly look in my direction. I blush again and admit I was at fault. “I’ll listen to you next time, Jane.” She chuckles out, “As it should be, but don’t let the power get to my head.” “You, power-hungry? Impossible,” Lizzy points out. ”Hey, you never know. If all of you start listening to me out of guilt, I may just take advantage of it.” Henry rolls his eyes while he goes to push Jane to his car. When we are all at the parking lot, Jane notices that James is gone. “I didn’t get to thank him for staying.” Lizzy nudges me before shouting, “James was making a move on Hope, and I think she wanted him to.” “That was not what was happening!” I exclaim. Jane giggled. “Okay Hope, because you run into kind, handsome guys every day.” “I’m not looking for a new relationship. I just have to buy him a new phone and that’s it.” Lizzy and Jane team up to talk me into asking James out. I keep resisting, but secretly I want to. I do have to keep in touch with him. Who can say whether or not it could lead to us getting into a relationship? But I’m getting ahead of myself. I am just glad today turned out fine. The future can wait.
38 Digital Art • WindowsWindows FineFine ArtsArts MagazineMagazine 20212021 Digital Art
First Place: Digital Art, Student Second Place: “Late to the Party” Digital Art, Student by Rachel Fosler “The Priestess of the Pond” by Sol Llanes
Third Place: Digital Art, Student “Ripples” by Samantha Sabalboro
39 Honorable Mention: Digital Art, Student “Beauty of Flying” by Konrad Palenik
Honorable Mention: Digital Art, Student “The Vibrance of Life” by Sarah Quattrocki
First Place: Digital Art, Faculty, Staff, Alumni “Decay in the Light of Day” by Heidi Glogowski
4040 Digital Art, Special Category “Covid-19” • Windows Fine Arts Magazine 2021 Digital Art, Special Category Covid-19 Category Special Digital Art,
First Place: Digital Art, Faculty, Staff, Alumni “Bygone Chatter” by Javier Solorio
Second Place: Special Category “Covid-19” Digital Art, Student “Glad You Masked” by Kimberley Skubic
Third Place: Special Category “Covid-19 “ Digital Art, Student “Social Isolation” by Makenzie Hollis
41 Special Category “Covid-19” • Windows Fine Arts Magazine 2021
First Place: Special Category “Covid-19” Digital Art, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni “Emptiness” by Joan LaCombe
Second Place: Special Category “Covid-19” Digital Art, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni “Called Away” by Heidi Glogowski
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Faculty, Staff, Alumni Fiction First Place: “King Mickey, Climate Change, and Mass Migration: Magic!” by Dr. Maria Fischer
What feels like one hundred years ago, Walt Disney himself checked out the Orlando, Florida area Faculty, Staff, Alumni Fiction with hurricanes in mind. He was going to build a park to last. He hated the beaches luring his consumers away. Legend says he cried, “We’ll create our own water,” and cocky as hell, he did. But Walter, the water is coming for Mauschwitz. You built a dream on a swamp and prayed for drought. You also made sure every ride exited at a gift shop with plastic toys in plastic wrap put in plastic bags after parents paid with plastic. Who knew that someday the plastic would come for you? Imagine you’re on an educational ride at Epcot, Walt. The kids hate those damn things, but the parents are trying to get some wine and cheese around the world. Today’s lesson: capitalism, materialism, plastic. You recruited people from around the world, Walter, from the Germanic name Valter, meaning “ruler of the army.” To visit a plastic amusement park and spend a couple month’s salary on souvenirs, is that too much? Your educational rides are always too much. I shudder to think how much airplane fuel was burned to get everyone from Iowa to Afghanistan to Disney World to buy something, anything to take home. And all that plastic fuels global warming and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which was followed by the Awesome Atlantic Garbage Dot, and the Amazing Arctic Ocean Garbage Blotch, and the Incredible Indian Ocean Garbage Smudge, and the Messed-Up Mediterranean Sea of Sludge, and gosh, so many others, Mr. Mouse, even small lakes and rivers and ponds and puddles had Second Place: microplastics floating in every molecule, every fish, every mouth masticating at the local Red Lobster. Special Category “Covid-19” But back to you, Great Ruler of the Army of Mice and Men Shopping Again, that water you both Digital Art, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni avoided and created was rising, like a Princess’s skirt when she walks past a gaggle of teenage boys on “Called Away” a high school field trip. It was aggrandized, I dare say, like a second-rate animator who, rather than by Heidi Glogowski improve his technique, focused on technological expansions, union-busting, and testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee that several of his seven dwarves were communists. The oceans were emboldened to take back their 27,000 acres of swampland, and I know your fans are boo-hooing the loss of your cypress tree Conservation Area, so kindly set aside in 1970, but me? I see that as collateral damage in the drowning of twelve-dollar hot dogs and photo ops with a costumed character who smells like a heat stroke and a little bit of the last wearer’s vomit. Salagadoola mechicka boola, Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, back to you, again, Walt, as I wish you a magical Disney day: may the floodwaters rise past your ability to host a Rainy-Day Cavalcade like you did when Hurricane Irma hit, and you kept the park open to continue selling crap. May the swamp swallow your 200-dollar cancellation fees for all the folks dying of climate change disease who accidentally booked
43 that final getaway. May your urban legend, frozen body floating somewhere underneath the It’s a Small World ride melt like the polar ice caps and topple capitalism once and for all. It’s a small, small world, and you played your part in its destruction. And thus, and so, consequently, Creator of the Mouse and All His Kingdom, begins the mass migration of people who migrated to Florida as God’s Promised Waiting Room. Grandma and Grandpa found themselves packing the Cadillac full of golf clubs and early Christmas gifts bought at Costco and returning to Steubenville, Ohio; Hammond, Indiana; and Joliet, Illinois; only to find their 900 square foot WWII tract homes were now housing Hispanics, Hmong, and those dirty refugees 45 tried to keep out in case something like this ever happened. It happened, Walt. As Mary Poppins once said, “Anything can happen if you let it.” “If you dream it,” however, nevertheless, although, as you once said, Mr. Disney, “you can do it,” and having said that, men who retired in 1995, lubed up their handguns and took back what they owned. Absentee landlords from the Sunshine State slapped eviction notices on their very own doors, while the housewife hive mind immediately searched Pintrest for a festive wreath that said both “We’re back!” and “Climate Change Can’t Stop Christmas!” The grandkids visited, cramped into crowded rooms that still smelled like the spices and sauces of the recently evicted. Grandma tried to bring out the board, but the kids only ever visited for you, Walt, and maybe the Florida room when Pops forgot to lock up the Parrot Bay. But wasn’t it Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother who said, “Even miracles take a little time?” And what do we have but time, now, in the end times, to gather our gaggle together and share urban legends of Disney deaths, or discuss extinct attractions as we imagine it all under water? All, Walt. all of it under salty ocean water brought in by massive storms. Grandpa tried to spook the teens with tales of abandoned Plaza Swan boats that used to cruise the waters around Cinderella’s Castle. “They ran on natural gas,” he said, then expelled a little intestinal gas. No one laughed. Grandma cried a little, maybe feeling guilty, maybe just that damn pesky pink eye that was spreading not like a pandemic but a pain nonetheless. Of course, it was the 20-year-old granddaughter who spoke up—the one who won’t eat meat, Walt. Not a turkey leg in Frontierland or a Dole Whip because, “It’s dairy, God damn it!” “America the Beautiful, am I right?” she said. “I’m sorry,” said Grandpa. “What’s the question?” “You all fucked up,” she said, and while Grandma took a deep breath to exclaim, “Language!” she was wracked with coughing instead, whether from that damn pesky asbestos that was supposed to be cleaned up by the immigrants she rented to, or from the mold the rising waters brought into the bingo hall back home in Cape Coral; a pain nonetheless. “She means Monsanto,” said the other granddaughter, the one who, like the Siamese cats in 101
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Dalmatians, tip-toed and tap-danced around her older sister, soaking up her song on the piano keys her little paws trampled. “Monsanto paid for that America the Beautiful ride in Disney. Then, they genetically modified all our corn and signed our death certificates.” “Now, girls,” started grandma, but she stopped when the headache immediately hit, whether caused by that damn pesky generation gap or the weather change-induced imbalance in brain chemicals; a pain nonetheless. Meanwhile, down the street, one town over, several states away, and around the world, the migrants Faculty, Staff, Alumni Fiction and refugees, not soft from evacuating theme parks and country clubs, began to rebuild. They scavenged the empty homes for items still edible, still wearable, still worthy in the disposable Disney America the Beautiful (but Slightly Used). They cultivated rice paddies in Georgia. They held class in abandoned Dunkin Donuts. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible,” you said, Walt, and that’s what survivors do.
45 Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Staff, Alumni Fiction
Honorable Mention: “Home” by Lois “Silver” Mintah
Gwen soaked beans for the next batch of chili, while the current chili was simmering nicely. Her guests would be ravenous. She didn’t know the last time they had eaten and neither did they. (If you asked them the last time they shot up, they would remember that for sure). Gwen was the proprietress of Gwen & God’s Love Lodge. Anyone homeless passing through this part of Northern California was welcome to a meal and a bed, but they would have to stay for chapel. That was all she asked. Gwen funded the lodge herself. She was a nonprofit, so her own meager disability check and any donations of food or money purchased everything to keep the lodge going (which was mostly food). Gwen didn’t serve much meat and saved a lot of money that way. She heard the grumbles but ignored them. Occasionally, a local farmer would bring a wagon full of chickens. She used to have an authentic collection of spices and grinders, and no one ever noticed they were eating meatless. The spices made the plainest tofu-like steak. But a couple years ago, someone had walked into her kitchen and stole her spices from the cupboards. They were not replaceable; she had accumulated them in her hippie travels around the world. Gwen only blamed herself. She should have known drug addicts would steal anything if there was a chance of selling it. But she wondered if they ever figured out the saffron from the cardamom. She used cheap spices now, and there were a lot more grumbles. But no one stole those plastic tubs of diluted spices. Thirty-two years ago, when Gwen was a hippie, she was fleeing a sexually abusive father and an uncaring, negligent mother. Something led her right here in the midst of the Redwoods National Park. She had never seen anything like it. This was a cathedral with spires older and more magnificent than any Notre Dame architect could have envisioned. She had a spiritual conversion. Gwen fell on her knees because she realized how broken she was and how she had been running from God. Jesus reached down to her, as the snot and tears poured down her face. It was as intimate as if He had been her husband, waiting for her in this spot from before she was born. After that, Gwen opened her lodge. It was easier back then; there weren’t as many government regulations. Gwen was going to save the world. Maybe not the world, but at least the ones who wandered lost to her neck of the woods. She had visions of people garbed in white, crying out as they were saved. This place would be safe, a haven for those escaping abuse. And they in turn would save others. It was just why Jesus had stopped her here; why she had put down roots for the first and last time. It felt right. But that wasn’t what happened. People streamed through, all right, but they weren’t really interested in her experiences with the Lord. A lot of them had come through, but had even one repented of his
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sins? Fallen on his knees? No. Not a single one. Minister to them, Gwen, she thought. Let the Lord do His work. She set out Styrofoam bowls and got a large spoon and a dish towel for drips. Tying on her apron, she rang the dinner bell. Everyone lined up at the kitchen door and used hand sanitizer. The coronavirus epidemic had made it difficult. She followed social distancing and hygiene relentlessly. She couldn’t afford a visit from a government agency. Gwen didn’t trust them or want them breathing down her neck. The coronavirus was also a gift in that those people had far more important matters to tend to. Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Category: Staff,Special Alumni Fiction The homeless people filed in, and she sat them six-feet apart. Her guests were six men and a young woman. The woman had a shapely body; wild dyed, pink hair, and a waifish face with huge, green eyes. She could have been a model. The men couldn’t stop staring at her rack and ass. “Eat up. We’re going to chapel tonight. We’re going to worship the Lord! Isn’t that amazing!” Gwen had learned not to bother with grace. They would get their fill of real worship tonight. The young woman let out a yawn that came across as very erotic. “Aaaah - um!” The last syllable was very high-pitched and ultra-feminine. Gwen wondered if she was doing it on purpose. No one said thank you for the food, just shoveled it in. But it was okay. They were all sinners, and they were here to get saved. When the plastic plates were deposited in the trash, she led everyone into the redwoods. The immense trees were silent and so high there were no birds in them. “It looks kind of alien,” said the young Bridgette Bardot look-alike. Gwen looked at her sharply. Now, why would she say that? “It’s God’s creation, honey. There’s nothing alien about these redwood trees. You know the song, right? ‘From the Redwood Forest to the Gulfstream waters, this land was made for you and me.’” Bridgette looked at her blankly. “How much farther is it?” “Not much farther. We’re almost there.” The sun was going down. Gwen led them in prayer and then gave a sermon on the prodigal son, and how he was lost and then found. It was a real bell ringer if she did say so herself. “Let the blood of Jesus cover you!” She swept her arms up and around. “He’s here with us and your only chance is to repent! Let the blood of the Lamb cover you and save you from Hell!” Right on cue, the green light shimmered open. It spanned two trees and quickly moved to surround them. Gwen’s heart pounded. Let me see you. Let me see Your beautiful Eye. The bright eye fluttered open. The shades today were tropical green and orange. It reminded Gwen of a tiger. She had never seen a tiger, but this was better. It was the day she came to accept that she had thrown her life away for ingrate heathens that the first group of people were eaten. Gwen didn’t know if eaten was the right word. There weren’t any bone or hair fragments left, just a strong smell not unlike industrial floor cleaner. At first, she thought they had been raptured, but there weren’t any clothes. And then she saw the eye. It was looking right at her. Gwen thought she was next and ought to run, but she was transfixed. The eye contained such beautiful changing hues. The pupil was slanted and black, vertical. Gwen didn’t have another epiphany.
47 She just kept doing exactly what she had been doing for thirty years. Some travelers left and went on their merry way; others never made it out of the forest. The eye had appeared at the beginning of 2020, during the winter. Gwen thought it would have left by now, gone back to wherever it came from, but it was still here. And that did lead her to an epiphany. “What is that thing!” shouted a man. Finally, something had gotten his mind off tits. Gwen shared her epiphany. “It’s God.” The homeless people stumbled backward and fell. Scrabbling up they ran, but the web had surrounded them, interlaced through the trees. Bridgette lunged for Gwen, hate and fury in her eyes. Gwen was caught by surprise. But the light immobilized Bridgette and took her. Gwen had expected to hear ear-piercing high-pitched screaming. But all she heard was a torrent of curse words that would have peeled paint right off the walls, which convinced Gwen that the little ero-yawn was, indeed, an act. Soon Bridgette and all her friends were gone. She felt suddenly tired—bone-tired—and turned back. “Ma’am? That thing is not God. It’s an interdimensional creature.” Gwen almost had a heart attack. There was still one left—an older man, about her age. She hadn’t paid him much attention during chili. But now she got a good look at him. He was nondescript with shaggy gray hair, tall, with a faded face and rounded jawline. He wore a cap and jeans and a denim jacket. He didn’t seem nervous or scared. “Who do you think you are? H.G. Wells?” “I’m Jerry? Remember?” Jerry walked over to the eye—which was not looking at her but him. It had to be a mistake. Jerry would be taken any minute now. “Wow. Fascinating.” He had the sense not to reach out a hand. The eye, although it was a creature, Gwen just called it, The Eye, and it was making some kind of scratchy, purring sound. “Wow,” said Jerry again. “She likes me.” “It’s not a ‘she.’” “It is a she. Still not God, though. So this thing has been around for how long?” Gwen said nothing. “Beginning of the year? You won’t want to hear this, but this creature came to Earth by accident and can’t get back. It also has brought coronavirus as a side effect to the planet. Unintentional. . . just shedding the virus.” Gwen finally spoke. “It was supposed to take me to Heaven.” The eye finally looked at Gwen. But it wasn’t colorful anymore. It was just grey with a black pupil, rotating slowly. “No!” “I think you are out of a job, lady.” “No,” she said again, but she knew he was correct. And she did love the eye. It had given her purpose. She thought she was helping God punish sinners. “Let me do this myself.” She was talking to
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Jerry but also to the creature. Gwen walked right up to the eye. “Please,” she whispered, “show me colors.” The eye obliged. It was like a tropical sunrise and sunset in one. When Gwen was taken, she felt no pain or fear. Jerry went back to the lodge. He took his cap off and ruffled his hair. Wow. What a day. It had started ignominiously at a shelter where he had asked for a pair of socks and received a pink pair festooned with palm leaves with a weird levitating female brunette head with earrings. The caption read, Don’t I have a cute pair? He had thought about asking for an exchange but didn’t want to add to his humiliation. Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Category: Staff,Special Alumni Fiction He put his feet up and looked at the socks. The lady on the socks had looked familiar, but now he realized she was Blanche Dubois from “The Golden Girls” TV show. To start a day with getting ladies’ “Golden Girls” socks and end as an acolyte to an interdimensional virus-shedding monster? He closed his eyes and thought about the eye. Slowly, the eye in his mind was replaced by the levitating, smiling head of Blanche Dubois saying, Don’t I have a cute pair? “You sure do, honey,” Jerry said. “You sure do.”
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Student Poetry
First Place: “Gray” by Bryanna Fergus
A mind-boggling, heart-settling, perpetual gray. Student Poetry Student Picture a colorless flower.
Many pass the flower sitting in front of the window of a retro coffee house.
Unbeknownst of its purpose and unable to see its beauty.
Just because the flower doesn’t contain color hues of the rainbow doesn’t mean it’s meaningless.
It’s small but mighty.
You could even say the gray flower represents us humans.
Why does imperfection’s connotation mean something distasteful?
It could simply define unique and original.
Tiny sparks of light are visible to lucky people who pass by the flower and see it for what it is.
A feeling of happiness and serenity fills them.
This is what truly feeds the soul.
This proves beauty can come from the littlest things and make the biggest differences.
Gray doesn’t always have to represent your mental illness, uncertainty, and worst fears.
Gray can be the description, the victory song of your adrenalin, courage, and intuition.
Let gray be your guide.
Gray might mean middle, but it doesn’t have to mean the thick of it.
Don’t look at it as if you’re trapped in the woods and can’t get out.
Gray doesn’t always have to be perceived as a dull color but an understanding one.
You can find reliefs and outlets within gray.
Music, art, writing, movies, people, or alone time can be one of your many grays.
As long as they make YOU happy.
51 Be around the people and events that make YOU feel good about yourself!
Cut off any toxic ties glued to you, so you can function at your best.
Because that’s how you’re going to grow and feel comfortable doing so.
You must experience floating in gray before you can swim in the vast blue ocean.
Life will be a constant search, but gray can be your map.
Challenges to your mental health are inevitable, but they can be eased if you continue to seek gray.
Happiness is when you figure out gray is your friend and not your foe.
You’ll find your place and your true people one day, but the gray will always have your back.
No matter the size of the light (even if it’s small), positivity is still alive.
Everything happens for an abstract but logical reason.
And if you can’t find the answers now, you will in time.
Time tells everything, so don’t rush it.
Drown out every negative thing you’ve heard about the middle, and let gray be your guide.
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Second Place: “State of Mind” by Keri Edgeworth
I’ve been stuck in a state of mind In which I haven’t been kind Student Poetry Student I’ve felt unaligned, undefined, undermined It’s all in my unconscious mind But I’ve declined
To pay attention to the blinds That I’ve put up around mankind Making me feel so confined But today that changes as I redefined My state of mind To be more inclined more streamlined and become a mastermind that wants to do better for humankind
53 Honorable Mention: “The Hill” by Lauren Gernes
There once was a spider perched upon a hill, waiting all night on a young daffodil. Though his friends had all passed, he waited there still. His hope was quite shattered, and his heart bruised and battered, for the night just before, he had seen quite the sight. The memories kept flashing as he shivered in fright at the sound of the footsteps that had ended their lives. They cackled and snorted, their faces contorted, as they clambered on into the light. The young one she ran, wild and crazy, as she trampled the flowers in a frenzied delight. He trembled and shivered as they drabbled and driveled in petrified stillness till a scream broke the night. He snapped back to focus, only to notice a pair of wide eyes lit by the moonlight. Shrieking in fright, she ran through the night, alerting the rest as they wailed in protest. He knew he should go, for the chances were low that they’d leave him alone two nights in a row. His limbs were quite frozen as if they had chosen the harrowing fate that his mates had all faced. The clamor grew closer, his mind fraught with fervor, as six glowing orbs surrounded his sight. They narrowed in menace and glinted in terror as one of the figures grew ever nearer. The light slowly dimmed, and his world grew quite slim as they brought his demise despite his frail cries. Their mangled laughter broke the night as the figures ran off in twisted delight. The wind kept on blowing, and the world kept on going.
The hill remained just the same as before they came.
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Honorable Mention:
“Love Birds” by Meredith Coon
Your love for me offers more than I deserve Student Poetry Student Funny how blue eyes make my heart yearn
Under your two wings no longer will I serve
Soft touches and kisses will me to burn
Overcome with overwhelming freedom
I can now stretch my feathers like a bird
How on earth did you pay my ransom?
What was my sad old master’s last word?
Drowning for so long in the deep blue sea
Strong hands pull me to my unsure feet
Forgot what it’s like to simply breathe
Smile sun star bright brings welcomed heat
Depression suffocates our deepest hope
Healthy love helps anyone in need to cope
55 Special Category: Covid-19 Student Poetry
First Place: “Finding the Best in the Worst” by Bryanna Fergus
COVID-19 is a silent, invisible killer. It hides within the shadows and strikes when no one expects it. It comes in the form of colds, which as kids, we used to not worry about so much. Being in school, teachers encouraged us to build up antibodies. But with this pandemic, it’s quite different for kids nowadays.
It’s not that simple. Will this generation become terribly germophobic all because of COVID-19? Who is to truly know? All I know is this… COVID-19 has brought out the worst in me. It’s caused me to revisit old insecurities and stirred up old flaws that were put to rest. COVID-19 back-tracked me. This retrogression is something I had never tasted before. Those who deal with mental health challenges felt hopeless, and so did I. Even those who weren’t clinically struggling questioned their purpose and existence. And I completely hear you… Being stuck with people you can’t stand, or even being stuck with those you love. It makes no difference. We are all hurting, which is dangerous. We are all isolated, which is scary. And suicides are increasing. In times like these, you have to find any way to stay grounded,
To not be in your head, To not float above the clouds too high, or else you’ll just disappear. But don’t take everything so seriously. It can make things extremely confusing and unbearable.
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However, COVID-19 has also brought out the best. We created strong bonds with our “shelter-in-place” family. We reconnected with loved ones far away (through Zoom). We became more compassionate and empathetic towards situations. For some, we learned how to be alone and do things with limited socialization. I know, for me, it’s taught me undeniable life lessons that I will never forget, Special Category: Covid-19 Poetry Student Category: Special Brought certain problems to light that I’ve suppressed, Showed me how to be positive during times I had no control. Most importantly, it ignited a flame in me to step even further ahead of my peers.
It encouraged me to make my future career goals come true. So, am I grateful for the positive things that came from COVID-19? In ways, I am. Will we forget the hardships of this pandemic? Probably never. Not being able to bring back the lives that were taken from us. I wish it didn’t wipe away most of normality. But let’s not forget the beauty of sticking together as people and looking out for one another. It always could’ve been a lot worse. From this struggle, it can give us a new perspective, a breath of fresh air. Through this tough transition, it can bring us hope. But for now, let’s get this vaccine.
57 Honorable Mention: “Under a Blue Sky” by Madison Gersch
They sat under the blue sky at sunset just to stare at the impermanent clouds. The conversation lead to talks about favorite animals and crazy scenarios that would never, ever happen. A bond that was never there enters the picture and leaves the two happy that they came. It makes up for the fleeting happiness that quarantine brings upon us.
It’s dark days with dreary times in decimating society. There’s a lot to be afraid of.
But there’s still the sky to remind us of those little things to be glad for. It reminds us that storms come and go, clouds scatter, and a new day begins.
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The sun always sets and will rise again the next day. We can count on the sun, so we can count on better times.
The two are beaming from their time and go home brighter than they came. Special Category: Covid-19 Poetry Student Category: Special Something about light conversation in a vanishing moment of time that they could relieve the tension from their shoulders.
That bond will forever be a memory to memorialize comfort through stress. Happy times can still exist; hope is not lost.
59 Faculty, Staff, Alumni Poetry
First Place: ”Being the Property of” by Dr. Maria Fischer
Not so fast, nanosecond The creative writing exercise Was to combine a word From each column And freewrite To foster “rewiring your brain in a small way,” To provide “a place to belong.” But not so fast, nanosecond. Yes, I know you are A tiny measurement of time, A flash fiction in a world of MFA majors, A calorie in my anorexic past. I know you have friends and synonyms Like I’ve got failed relationships And a small social media stalking problem. But you’ve also got To add it all up to something bigger Than yourself, girl, a microsecond, A picosecond, a piece
Of forever.
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Third Place: “Within Waterfall Glen” by Tim Honn
A lonesome oak tree stood sentinel at a crook Faculty, Staff, Alumni Poetry on the crushed limestone trail; it rustled a confession to the trail walker, but he limped by refusing to listen.
Each peripatetic morning, he’d hobble down that rutted path, past the solitary oak tree, but Spring and Summer came and went, and as Fall’s days truncated, malignant shadows festered throughout them both.
The last time he shambled past, it was All Souls’ Day, and the oak’s trunk had become an irreparably deep cavity. Its brittle, leafless branches rasped out a final plea that floated across the emptiness of the slate-gray sky: Stoic as blight ravages.
He paused, faced the tree, and today he listened.
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Honorable Mention: “Grandma Nellie” by Donna Flowers
You rolled into this world way back in 1917, 103 years you were blessed to have seen.
The pandemics, wars, disasters, and movements, you made it through them with resilience and improvements.
But COVID-19 would eventually be the culprit that snatched your last breath and left you in comfort.
Retired you to God’s hands for your heavenly treasures amassed through the many years of your toil and pleasure.
Nothing on this earth could conceivably compare to the wondrous glory of being free of anguish and despair.
There is extreme comfort for those you left behind, knowing that you’re finally at peace in body and mind.
But the manner in which you departed the living leaves us saddened and helpless in our process for forgiving.
The visions of you being isolated during the suffering,
infected by a disease transmitted thru shuffling.
From person to person rapidly spreading because of neglect and perpetual treading.
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Through the facts required to envision a complete solution to stop this killer and quell the confusion.
I pray you knew during this time of distress that we were all there with you as you began to regress. Special Category: Covid-19 Faculty, Category: Staff,Special Alumni Poetry
Physically we weren’t able to be by your side, but our thoughts and feelings never did subside.
To the distance forced between you and your loved ones, initiated in an effort to fight an invisible gun.
The weapon that has taken over a million lives with no rhyme or reason as it eliminates whole tribes.
The pain that was felt when you left that day can only be conquered by those that pray
To a magnificent Savior that sits high upon his throne who’s personally ensured me that you were never really alone.
63 Student Research Report
First Place: “Reducing Detrimental College Attendance Costs” by Carrie Anderson
For over a century, the nation has feared the cost of college and the impact it may have on young Americans. Today, the cost of college significantly outpaces the rate of inflation, causing many young adults to debate whether or not college is worth the enormous life-changing debt. The price of college, however, has not always been a burden for families. In 1927, wealthy men such as John D. Rockefeller donated a portion of their fortunes to support the few students continuing their education. As college became more vital in different careers, endowments could no longer cover the multitude of students attending, causing the total cost of college to rise dramatically (Rothman). Although college expenses were rising, the Baby Boomer generation paid for college with money made from summer jobs along with public funding (Rothman). Over the next generation, public funding for higher education was cutback and directed towards programs that benefited entire communities (Bundick and Pollard). The competitive nature between colleges, financial aid difficulties, and public funding cutbacks causes students to evaluate whether or not the expenses of college are worth the life-altering debt. As a country dependent upon economic success, drastic measures need to be taken in containing or lowering the overall expense of college in order to give those struggling financially an opportunity to achieve personal greatness. Furthermore, colleges need to consider lowering the expense of college, such as room and board tuition, in order to decrease the stress induced by considering debt associated with higher education. With the current prices of college, students must evaluate which college ensures a financially stable future. Unfortunately, current college students such as Brandon Brooks understand that “You essentially need a college degree to get a well-paying job” (Sonenshine). With this reality in mind, students must evaluate the costs of college and the importance of receiving a college degree. In the United States, the cost of college and the debt associated with it varies depending on the type of institution and where the students live. For instance, according to the College Board, “public four-year in-state tuition on average is $21,400, while out-of-state tuition on average is $37,390. For students choosing to attend a private four-year university, the tuition on average is $48,290” (College Board). Although more expensive, private colleges can offer their students more financial aid and federal student loans than public colleges. Overall, increasing college tuition forces students to consider if attending college outweighs future debt. Similar to any other competitive business, colleges in the same geographic region fight for students by making their college appealing to all future students. Andrew Jensen, a business growth, efficiency, and marketing consultant, refers to college competition as the “domino effect;” when one college raises its rates other “classy” colleges feel obligated to raise their rates as well (Jensen). Unfortunately for
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students, this competition results in high attendance costs. Those who support increasing college tuition argue, “[that] colleges that keep rates intentionally low are quickly viewed as sub-par by other schools and may run the long-term risk of devaluing the worth of education” (Jensen). As a result, the competition between colleges forces institutions to enhance their school, ultimately resulting in a rise in college costs. For example, institutions find that adding professors or expanding administrative positions and programs will improve their schools’ reputations (Jensen). Additional employees generate higher compensation packages, ultimately raising the cost of attendance. With the increase in payment towards new professors, colleges should find other areas to decrease tuition in order to make the school more ResearchStudent Report affordable. Not only has college competition increased the cost of college, but it has also increased the misuse of the financial aid system. The financial aid system, however helpful it may seem, is one of the largest contributors to the growth in costs of college. To elaborate, the system, although sometimes beneficial, is unable to completely negate the costs of college. Rick Seltzer from Inside Higher Ed. claims, “average aid can exceed average net tuition and fees—students must still fund other expenses, like housing, food, and books, which can cost thousands of dollars,” suggesting that financial aid does not cover hidden college costs such as room and board (Seltzer). Also, Andrew Jensen found that “as aid amounts have increased, so too have tuition costs, effectively negating the benefits of increasing federal aid” (Jensen). As students utilize more financial aid, the cost of attendance increases and exceeds the average net tuition and fees, therefore, affecting the entire student body. Instead of continually offering more financial aid to students, colleges and universities should focus primarily on reducing tuition costs for all students. As a result, students will then have a more realistic understanding of their debt accumulation throughout college. Although reducing the cost of tuition seems beneficial, critics argue that cutbacks in public funding make it impossible to decrease tuition. For instance, “government funding in 1990 was about 40 percent and dropped to 20 percent in 2015” (Bundick and Pollard). The funding was redirected to other parts of the communities such as fire departments and police departments. As a result of the decrease in government financial support, many argue that colleges have no choice but to increase tuition. Despite this argument, colleges could find alumni and other organizations willing to help manage the school’s budget. More importantly, however, the government needs to take action and again support higher education with funding. These grueling and life-changing decisions can shape a family’s and young adults’ lives. Students that choose to attend college find themselves faced with debt that greatly outpaces the rate of inflation in today’s society. The graph created by the Bureau of Labor Statistics illustrates that the inflation rate of college tuition and fees along with educational books and supplies greatly outpaces day-to-day needs such as housing prices, consumer prices, and hourly wages (Clemmons). The extreme college debt also causes young adults to delay starting a family and buying a house. In fact, The Economist found that “several studies have asked whether student debt is nudging young adults to put off marriage vows and
65 stick to birth control” (“Delayed Gratification”). After college, students primarily look for a suitable, well-paying job rather than starting a family. Moreover, as college graduates drive towards saving money in order to pay off student loans, they are unintentionally harming the economy. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia produced a study finding that “total debt for students…was around $30,000… [causing students to be] reluctant to start businesses or to buy homes” (Korkki). Young graduates with enormous college debt are more cautious when making purchases in expensive markets that can harm businesses that are dependent on young adult investments such as the housing market. Student debt threatens the ability of young adults to begin a personal life and indirectly harms the economy. As a country that revolves around economic success and innovation, we need to be more concerned about the issue of college cost and the debt it imposes on the future of America. Every time we prevent someone from receiving a degree, we are ultimately stepping back as a successful and well-educated country. The excessive college costs today take away from American’s ability to attend college and earn a degree without worrying about student loans. After college, young adults should not have to revolve their life decisions around student debt. Colleges need to contain or lower the cost of higher education in order to maintain the viability of college for those interested and support economic stability for individuals and as a nation. Works Cited
Bundick, Brent, and Emily Pollard. “The Rise and Fall of College Tuition Inflation.”The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review, vol. 104, no. 1, Nov. 2019. Summon. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
Clemmons, Courtney. “Weighing the Cost and Value of a College Decision.” Office of the Under Secretary, U.S Department of Education, 24 July 2013, sites.ed.gov/ous/2013/07/weighing-the- cost-and-value-of-a-college-decision/. Accessed 03 Dec. 2019.
College Board. “Average Published Charges, 2018-19 and 2019-20– Research – College Board.” Re search, College Board, 1 Nov. 2019, https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing/figures-tables/average-published- charges-2018-19-and-2019-20. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
“Delayed Gratification.”The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 21 Apr. 2016, www.economist.com/news/united-states/21697242-home-owning-falling-among-young- adults-dont-blame- student-debtdelayed?zid=316&ah=2f6fb672faf113fdd3b11cd1b1bf8a77. Accessed 03 Dec. 2019.
Jensen, Andrew. “Why Is College So Expensive?” Andrew Jensen, 11 Feb. 2018, www.andrewjensen.net/why-is-college-so-expensive/. Accessed 26 Nov 2019.
Korkki, Phyllis. “The Ripple Effects of Rising Student Debt.”The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 May 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/business/the-ripple-effects-of-rising-student-debt. html. Accessed 03 Dec. 2019.
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Rothman, Lily. “Rising Cost of American College Tuition: A Century of Worry.” Time, Time, 31 Aug. 2016, time.com/4472261/college-cost-history/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
Seltzer, Rick. “Net Price Keeps Creeping Up.” Inside Higher Ed., 25 Oct.2017, /tuition-and-fees-still- rising-faster-aid- College-board-report-shows. Accessed 03 Dec. 2019.
Sonenshine, Jacob. “Tuition-Free College: What Students Really Think about the Idea.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 9 Aug. 2016,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2016/08/09/tuition-free-college- what-students-really- ResearchStudent Report think-about-the-idea/37421019/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
Honorable Mention: “College and International Students” by Devon Pulido
Introduction: In this essay, I will explore this research question: With the increase in tuition, what are the motives for international student-athletes to attend University in the United States? International athletes who are thinking about going to college in the United States have a ton to think about when making a definitive answer on where to go, such as: if they want to stay in their home country or not, go to school for sports, if the schools in the United States will provide them with everything they may need to succeed, how much money their education will cost them, and so much more. Moreover, during the Great Recession, dwindling public finances caused schooling to soar. “For private four-year schools, average student tuition and fees have risen by 26% over the past decade. Tuition, as well as fees at four-year public colleges, were hit hard as well, soaring 35% during the same period” (Dickler, 2019). This means that educational expenditure will rise and for three reasons: inflation of the CPI (Consumer Price Index), inflation of the HEPI (Higher Education Price Index) exceeds growth of the CPI, and increase in educational inputs. Educational investment is expected to rise by 4.4% per year in the future. If expenditure on education is rising by 4.4%, revenue must also increase by 4.4% if the budget is to be balanced. The overall net student income yields a growth rate of 3.7%, which is likely to be too high as low-income families with students require more aid. Expenditure supported by colleges and universities has increased and will continue to grow. In order to tackle this, resources need to increase momentarily higher than expenditure on schooling (Kaufman & Woglom, 2008). With this increase in tuition, universities are adding and using sports, such as lacrosse or international enrollment to increase revenue. This raises concerns about recruiting students to become “cash cows” for universities, but these students are not getting the education, experience, and environment they are paying and hoping for. More and more universities and colleges are adding
67 lacrosse in their athletic programs to attract Midwestern, white children with families who can afford private education at a set price to enable their children to be considered college athletes. Studies show that “less than around 10% of lacrosse players come from households with incomes of less than $50,000, and almost 75% of all lacrosse-playing families have an income of around $200,000 or more. These wealthy, white families don’t expect a scholarship for their lacrosse-playing son or daughter either (Cook, 2012). The spending cuts faced by many U.S. higher education institutions have pressured their administrators to pursue new sources of funding to maintain the economic survival of their institutions. “Around 2007–2008 and 2015–2016, the number of foreign students in the United States rose by 67% to 1,043,839. At about the same rate, the economic gains from the presence of foreign students on college and university campuses rose by 111% to US$32.8 billion. This obviously shows that the financial gains of foreign students have outpaced the rise in enrolment” (Choudaha, 2017). This research shows that universities are using international students as cash cows to get more money, but are they providing these students what they need to succeed? To explore these issues, I began a qualitative study of athletes on the Lewis men’s lacrosse team, which is in its second year as a program in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, the lacrosse program had seven Canadians on the team and by the end of the season, three out of the seven had stayed on the team. This year, in the 2020-2021 season, the lacrosse program has five Canadians on the team, and they have stayed and love it, but why? Why do these International Student-athletes come to the United States to get an education and play lacrosse? These Canadians that have come to Lewis over the past two seasons took a huge risk to come to a first and second-year program. They had the opportunity to come and visit the campus, but they did not know what the culture was going to be like for the lacrosse program with it being brand new. The lacrosse program was fortunate enough to do very well for its first season, and even though COVID-19 had cut it short, the lacrosse team went five and two, which is pretty good for a first-year program, considering that nearby Quincy University did not win a single game in their first-year season. The lacrosse coach made it clear what the expectations of the program and culture were going to be like at Lewis, but these Canadians were unsure if their expectations would be met in their sport, as well as if the school was able to live up to their expectations for their education. The four Canadians I interviewed told me that education for them in Canada is much cheaper for them than coming to the States to get an education, making it even more important that Lewis lives up to the international students’ expectations. It is inevitable that college tuition will continue to increase and impact the lives of international student-athletes, but the motives for attending a U.S. university may be much bigger than money. The research that will be presented is from the findings of four interviews from Canadians who are from British Columbia, as well as further research to examine the overall question, which is with the increase in tuition, what are the motives for international student-athletes to attend University in the United States? With this information we can be able to conclude what this means for smaller schools, such as Lewis, to be able to understand the motives of international student-athletes in their decision to attend a smaller university in the United States and how to draw them to enroll in their school. Universities are
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able to draw in international students by being able to provide them with everything they may need to succeed in their college life. Themes that are seen in these interviews are that these international student-athletes are mainly coming to Lewis for their love of lacrosse and the opportunity to play. This is why schools have started adding sport programs such as lacrosse into their athletic programs to draw in these students. Methods To completely understand international students’ motives to come to a smaller school like Lewis, four international student-athletes that play lacrosse at Lewis University were interviewed. The interviews will ResearchStudent Report be broken down to allow the interviewees to explain in detail how U.S. University tuition has impacted their decisions to attend a U.S. college. All are from British Columbia and around the Victoria area. The first interviewee is a male whose name is Draco. He is in his second year of University. The second interviewee is a male named Nick. Nick is also in his second year here at Lewis. The third interviewee was a male named Kevin, and he is in his first year here at Lewis University. Finally, the last person that was interviewed was a male interviewee named Liam. Liam is also in his first year here at Lewis University. All interview questions were approved by the IRB, and the participants were a representative sample of Lewis’s small community of international student-athletes. Interview Results: International Students’ Motives to Attend a U.S. University U.S. University vs. Canadian University The first international student-athlete that was interviewed was Draco. Draco was interviewed on what the tuition differences were between Canadian University and American University and how that played a role in his motives to choose to come to University in the States instead of staying in Canada. He was asked if it was more expensive for him to attend University in America than in Canada. Draco responded by saying that he “wanted to play lacrosse in the States regardless.” He explains that lacrosse is not big at Canadian universities. Box lacrosse is more popular in Canada than in America, and Draco wanted to play field lacrosse in college. He tells me that he always knew growing up that he wanted to play lacrosse in the States. Lacrosse for Draco is a big passion and something that he loves to do and makes him happy. Though Draco says it is more expensive for him to attend University in America, even on his athletic scholarship, his decision to come to America for lacrosse is worth it. Research shows that “the median cost of private school tuition in the United States for the 2018-2019 academic year was $35,676. Based on the province you are in, in Canada, the median Canadian student enrollment varies from $6,653 (in provinces such as Ontario) to $2,172 (in provinces such as Newfoundland and Labrador)” (Miller, 2018). Even though this is the case, he goes on to explain that it is nice to be playing lacrosse in the States and making new friends along the way. From Draco’s response, his decision to come to school in America was for lacrosse. Although it is more expensive for him to come to Lewis, a small private school, which is more expensive for him than a school in Canada, he is willing to dive into the unknown for the sport he loves, even though he is in a new country, new environment, new lacrosse program, new culture, and so much more.
69 Cost to Attend Lewis The second interviewee was Nick. In this interview, Nick explains how the cost to attend University in America impacted his motives to enroll in schools such as Lewis. He was asked how the cost of tuition affected his decision to attend Lewis University. Nick elucidates that the cost of attending school in America is too expensive for him. Therefore, he relies on his scholarship to help him pay for his education. In comparison to the universities of Victoria, where the average tuition is about $5,760, Lewis’ tuition was about $34,480 in the year 2020. Nick took a blind jump into the valley of the unknown with Draco, deciding to come to a small, private school in the States with a first-year lacrosse program, not knowing what the culture was going to be like and if the program and the school could live up to his goals and expectations. Role of Financial Aid Financial aid can play a huge role in a student’s college life, especially for international students. With Kevin, financial aid played a role in his decision to come to Lewis. During the interview, he was asked if he received any financial aid from the university and if that played a role in his decision to attend Lewis. Kevin says, “I have a sports scholarship and an academic scholarship to be able to afford to come to Lewis.” He delineates that Lewis would be too expensive for him to attend if it were not for his athletic and academic scholarship to pay a big chunk of his tuition. If that were taken away from him, neither he nor his family would be able to afford this opportunity to attend a university such as Lewis. With money being such a big deal for Kevin, what was the big motive for him coming to a university in the United States? He says, “…the scholarship opportunities are a big reason for me coming here to Lewis.” But the real reason for him coming to America was for sports. Kevin explains that in Canada, players do not get the same opportunity to play lacrosse in college that they would get if they came to America to play. Kevin decided to take his opportunities to come here to Lewis for sports. This brings up the question on how Lewis, a small, expensive, private school with a lacrosse program in their second year, can live up to what Kevin needs to reach his goals academically and through sports. Obviously, for him, academics are important as well, considering he has an academic scholarship, but the main reason he is here and is willing to pay the increased tuition is for lacrosse. Kevin had the opportunity to come on a visit to Lewis as a recruit and had the chance to see what the culture is like and what the lacrosse team is about. This gave Kevin a better understanding of what was to come, unlike Nick and Draco, who had to take the risk walking into the unknown. Motives for U.S. University Goals and dreams are a big motivation for human society and for college students especially. Choosing a university that can fulfill the goals of the student is very important for students given the cost of higher education, Liam was asked what his true motives were for coming to the United States for his education and for lacrosse. Liam explained that he knew he wanted to come to the United States to get an education and play lacrosse. He was asked what the deciding factor was for him in wanting to attend Lewis but also University in the United States. He elaborated that it has always been a dream of his to come to the States and play lacrosse. Liam was inspired by his older cousin, Jacob, who had played lacrosse at a university in Colorado. Liam said, “I kinda wanted to follow in his footsteps since I
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have kinda looked up to him.” Liam had a clear vision that he was going to come to the States to play lacrosse no matter the cost. He explains that it is expensive to come to a school like Lewis, but he is on scholarship and his parents are helping him for his tuition. Liam had a big barrier though due to COVID-19. Liam never had the opportunity to come on a recruiting visit. Liam never got to tour the campus and watch the lacrosse team practice. This means that Liam had no idea what to expect from the school or from the lacrosse program. He had to hope that the school and the lacrosse program would be able to make his dreams to play lacrosse in the States come true. Liam says that he loves it at
Lewis because he feels that this is a place for his dreams to become a reality, and he has made some ResearchStudent Report amazing friends along the way that he is able to consider family. With being over 2,000 miles away from home, there is no doubt that it is important for him to feel that he is loved and cared about by his teammates and community while in and out of America. Conclusion/Implications: Research shows that there is an increasing demand for lacrosse at the collegiate level as it moves from the East Coast to the West. The demand for the sport is drawing in upper-middle and upper-class families, as well as international families. “Statistics show that 85% of adult lacrosse athletes receive a 4-year college degree and 75% of high school and college lacrosse players have at least one parent who has a high-paying career” (Cook, 2012). Finance is becoming more and more difficult for local, private schools, forcing many to do whatever it takes to recruit students who can afford tuition between $25,000 and $45,000. This means that schools, such as Lewis, need to draw in domestic and international students who can mostly afford their tuition. According to the interviews, we see that money and school tuition do have an impact on the interviewees, but they can afford to come to a school like Lewis. We see that their true motives are to play lacrosse here in the States. This leads to fiscal benefits for universities. “Schools, such as DePauw, spent $700,000 on all men’s and women’s athletic programs in the first two years and only $300,000 in the second year” (Kaufman and Woglom, 2008). Division II and Division III schools, such as Lewis, have several benefits that lead to marketing bounces where more tuition would be produced even with scholarships given out to students. “Schools such as U. Indy running just over $25,150 in tuition and bringing in 70 to 80 students to play lacrosse could add up to $2 million depending on what the school gives out for partial scholarship, and for Division III schools, income will be better as they do not give out any athletic scholarships for their athletic programs” (Schoettle, 2014). Lewis gives students who enroll in the university a chance to be successful academically by giving students a wide variety of majors and minors to choose from. This draws in students as they have endless possibilities to major in a career path that best suits them. New doors have been unlocked for Lewis by adding men’s and women’s lacrosse to the athletic department, bringing in a new group of students nationally and internationally. Lewis made a smart decision to add lacrosse to bring in students that are financially stable enough to be able to afford the high tuition. Adding a first and second-year program also opens up opportunities for players to have a chance to build and develop a new culture. They are the foundation of the future program. It also gives players a chance to start in games, whereas at a university with an already-developed team, some players may not see the field until their senior
71 year. This gives players at the Division II and Division III level a chance to fully develop their craft in the game. References
Choudaha, R. (2017). Are international students “Cash cows”? International Higher Education, (90), 5-6. https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2017.90.9993
Cook, B. (2012, April 04). Small colleges want your rich, white, lacrosse-playing children. Retrieved January 04, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2012/04/04/small-colleges-want- your-rich-white-lacrosse-playing-children/?sh=13dce1dd1634
Dickler, J. (2019, October 24). Why college tuition keeps rising. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/24/why-college-tuition-keeps-rising.html
Kaufman, R., & Woglom, G. (2008). Managing private college finances in an environment in which spending and revenues grow at different rates. Journal of Education Finance, 34(2), 196-211. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40704353
Miller, Z. (2018, December 03). 12 of the biggest differences between attending a university in the US and in Canada. Retrieved December 09, 2020, from https://www.insider.com/college-canada-us- differences-2018-11
Schoettle, A. (2014, July 02). Small colleges using lacrosse to attract monied students from East Coast. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.ibj.com/articles/48452-small-colleges-using-la crosse-to-attract-monied-students-from-east-coast
St. John, Oescher, & Andrieu, E. (n.d.). The influence of prices on within-year persistence by traditional college-age students in four-year colleges. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/54557826/view content.pdf?1506571232=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DThe_Influence_ of_Prices_on_Within_Year_P.pdf&Expires=
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Special Category: Covid-19 Student Research Report
Honorable Mention: “Literature Review” by Staci DiCristofano Introduction: Millions of people have been affected by domestic violence. To put in perspective just how
common domestic violence is, “every minute 20 people are being physically abused by an intimate Covid-19 Research Student Report Category: Special partner in the United States” (NCADV, n.d.). When the stay-at-home order was put in place, domestic violence cases dramatically increased. It was all over the news and social media how much more of a problem domestic violence became throughout the stay-at-home order. The problem that I will be researching is how was domestic violence impacted throughout the stay-at-home order. COVID-19 created a stressful situation for everybody. People were laid off, working from home, lost businesses, could not leave the house, lack of income, teaching their kids, etc. People did not know how to handle the world and all the uncertainties it was filled with. People live stressful lives as it is, but due to all the added stress factors that the coronavirus created, life became way more stressful than usual. Therefore, I would like to know how domestic violence rates were impacted due to all the added stressors in the world. Review: Every person has been affected by the coronavirus in one way or another. Some of the people that really need to have our attention when it comes to the stay-at-home order are people who are victims of domestic violence. Millions of people are affected by domestic violence, but the stay-at-home order only made it much worse. Now, these victims are trapped with their abusers in the house. They are no longer going to work for somebody to see their injuries and ask what happened. They had no out. The stay-at- home order caused victims and their abusers to be confined together for a long time period (Piquero et al., 2020). The increase in the amount of time spent together gives the abusers more opportunity to abuse their victims. It also gives them the opportunity to trap their victims inside so that nobody can find out they are being abused. These victims have nowhere that they can go to tell somebody they are being abused. The victims also do not have an opportunity to call a trusted family member or friend because their abuser is constantly around. The “safe space” that the victims may have had at one time, has now been taken away from them due to being trapped with their abusers. Another major problem that we are facing due to the stay-at-home order is domestic violence shelters being shut down. For example, in some countries, such as Peru, their domestic violence shelters are not considered an “essential business” and, therefore, they have been shut down during the stay-at-home order (Kavanaugh et al., 2018). This can cause the domestic violence rates to skyrocket as well because now these victims really are trapped inside with their abusers. They have no safe place to go to. In these countries, a very critical resource, domestic violence shelters, are being taken away when people need them the most. Peru has an extremely high domestic violence rate to begin with; ⅔ of women already have experienced domestic violence prior to COVID (Aguero, 2020). So it is mind-
73 blowing to me that domestic violence shelters would not be considered essential, especially in a country where the rates are so high to begin with. By making these domestic violence shelters inaccessible to victims, it is putting these victims even more at risk to be abused. It is important that countries make sure that domestic violence shelters stay open during the stay-at-home order; otherwise, we can surely expect to see a rise in domestic violence cases. Another major problem we have due to the stay-at-home order is there may be a lack of investigation for domestic violence calls. This is dangerous for the victims because now that the abusers know they had the cops called on them, they may be very upset and angry and be more likely to abuse. Also, it is possible that police officers are not coming in the home due to trying to prevent the spread of Covid and, therefore, not fully investigating (Bullinger, Carr, & Packham, 2020). This could be dangerous because the victim may be trapped inside and not get to tell their side of the story. This could also lead to an increase in domestic violence cases because due to not coming inside or staying long at calls, the police may not be able to get the full story. Summary: Overall, there are many different factors that are impacting the domestic violence rates due to the stay-at-home order. The stay-at-home order has impacted domestic violence rates. Some of the causes of the increase of domestic violence are being confined together for long periods of time, shelters being closed, and not being able to fully investigate. It is important that shelters stay open so that people have access to a safe place if they need it. It also is important that victims of domestic violence are being checked up on to make sure that they are safe. Both Indianapolis and Los Angeles saw an increase in domestic violence calls within their cities (Mohler et al., 2020). The increase in domestic violence calls can justify that the stay-at-home order did cause an increase in domestic violence rates. I think an important thing to consider is potentially following up with these victims of domestic violence. A lot of times, people are too afraid to call about their abusers because they are in fear for their safety and their abuser coming after them. I think something that could help keep victims safe during the stay-at-home order could be maybe showing up at the victim’s house and just making sure that they are safe. If they feel they are not safe, resources such as a domestic violence shelter should be offered. But if police were to do check-ins for victims of domestic violence, this could potentially reduce the domestic violence rates by making sure they are safe and helping them change their living situation if they do not feel safe. Overall, the stay-at-home order has impacted domestic violence rates. Restate Research Question or Hypothesis: The stay-at-home order has impacted domestic violence rates. Domestic violence has always been an issue. However, due to being trapped in your house, lack of investigation, and closing shelters, we have seen a big increase in domestic violence rates. Domestic violence is no joke and it needs to be taken seriously. It is important that victims of domestic violence are being checked up on and that shelters stay open to meet people’s needs. Since there seems to be no near end to the coronavirus anytime soon, it is crucial that we continue to monitor domestic violence rates and make sure victims have the resources that they need.
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Works Cited
Agüero, M., J. (2020). Covid-19 and the rise of intimate partner violence. University of Connecticut. http://www.grade.org.pe/wp-content/uploads/covid_DV_peru-2.pdf
Bullinger, L., Carr, J., & Packham, A., (2020). COVID-19 and crime: Effects of stay-at-home orders on domestic violence. National Bureau of Economic Research. COVID-19 and Crime: Effects of Stay-at-Home Orders on Domestic Violence | NBER Special Category: Covid-19 Research Student Report Category: Special
Kavanaugh, G., Sviatschi, M. M., & Trako, I. (2018). Female officers, gender violence and human capital: Evidence from all-women’s justice centers in Peru. Working Paper, Princeton Department of Economics.
Mohler, G., Bertozzi, A., Carter, J., Short, M., Sledge, D., Tita, G., Uchida, C., & Brantingham, P. (2020). Impact of social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic on crime in Los Angeles and Indianapolis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 68. https://doi.org/10.101 /j.jcrimjus.2020.101692
“NCADV: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.” (n.d.) The Nation’s Leading Grassroots Voice on Domestic Violence, www.ncadv.org/statistics.
Piquero, A.R., Riddell, J.R., Bishopp, S.A. et al. (2020). Staying home, staying safe? A short-term analysis of COVID-19 on Dallas domestic violence. Am J Crim Just 45, 601–635 https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12103-020-09531-7.
75 Honorable Mention: “Mental Health Coverage: How Insurance Companies Benefit from Stigma” by Michael Yerkes
American insurance companies rob those they insure of the essential resources needed to fight the mental health crisis in the United States. Seeking mental healthcare, in spite of the stigma behind it, remains a growing problem in the United States. Knowing this, American insurance companies deny their customers the mental health resources that they legally have to provide. These resources could combat the increasing mental health problems that plague the United States, including the increasing thought of suicide in America. The United States of America needs to ensure that Americans receive the mental health resources insurance companies legally need to provide. First and foremost, insurance companies should cover mental health resources due to the increasing need for these resources. Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the need for mental health resources had increased from previous years. According to Mental Health America, in 2017 and 2018, “19% of adults experienced a mental illness, an increase of 1.5 million people over last year’s dataset” (“The State of Mental Health in America”). If health insurance covered mental health resources as equally as physical health resources, people with mental illness would have the ability to seek the resources they desperately need. If people fail to seek treatment for their mental illness, they may develop unhealthy habits and put their own lives at risk. The same organization also reported an “increase in “suicidal ideation” with an increase of 460,000 U.S. adults experiencing suicidal thoughts from the previous year” (“The State of Mental Health in America”). Mental illness, when left unchecked, can result in numbers like these. By ignoring the need for coverage of mental health, insurance companies fail to act to stop the increasing rates. Despite the increase of mental illness in America, the stigma behind mental health still thrives. Many people fear seeking mental health resources because they believe their families, their friends, and society, in general, will think less of them. New research in the American Psychological Association finds, “68 percent of Americans do not want someone with mental illness marrying into their family” (Dingfelder). The stigma of mental illness in the family structure is only one of the countless environments where the stigma behind mental health prevents people from seeking help for their mental illness. In research from John Hopkins University, researchers claimed tha “more than a third of all news stories about mental health were also linked with violence. However, only 3 to 5 percent of violent acts have a correlation with a mental illness” (Benham and Bloomberg School of Public Health). This disproportionate coverage creates an unfair image of mental illness. This unfair image of mental health creates a stigma that makes speaking out and seeking mental health resources extremely difficult. The privacy and confidentiality protocols inside mental health resources help people to speak up. Health care providers including mental health resources have to abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act ensures the privacy and confidentiality of patients.
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Additionally, the act establishes a protocol for keeping health care providers accountable for improper use of healthcare information. Americans should know that only people who need to know about the mental health illnesses of a patient will know or else the healthcare provider will deal with punishments. The American Psychological Association parallels the HIPAA through their claim, “employers don’t receive information about health services an employee receives, even if he or she uses company insurance” (“Does Your Insurance Cover Mental Health Services?”) The thorough dedication to privacy for mental health patients allows Americans considering speaking up about their mental health to know that their treatment will not alert people who have no need to know. Covid-19 Research Student Report Category: Special The COVID-19 Pandemic emphasizes the importance of easily accessible mental health resources that insurance companies should cover.
https://www.talkspace.com/
According to The Washington Post, the “online therapy company Talkspace reported a 65 percent jump in clients since mid-February” (Wan). With stay-at-home orders in effect, many people have been left to their own thoughts while feeling isolated from the rest of the world. After months of isolation, the Center for Disease Control warns that this loneliness can lead to “higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide” (“Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions”). With equal mental health coverage from health companies, Americans can be better prepared for any unpredictable and mentally straining world events in the future, not just the one happening right now. Not only does the increase in Talkspace usage display the increasing need of mental health resources for Americans, statistics show the wide range of mental health resources insurance companies need to cover. A variety of types of therapy and treatment methods allow insurance companies to adjust to different situations. For example, therapy over the internet offers a safer option during the current climate. In a time like this, insurance companies should recognize the mental health crisis occurring, not just the physical health emergency. Not everyone has experienced COVID-19, but everyone has experienced the effects of the virus. Legally, insurance companies have to treat mental health and physical health equally. The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 created great change for those seeking mental health resources through insurance. The act guaranteed that insurance companies cannot have more restrictive coverage for mental health than they have for physical health. This part of the act means that insurance companies must cover days spent in the hospital or how often a person receives treatment equally regardless if the reason for treatment is mental or physical health.
77 The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equality Act of 2008 also guarantees that the cost of coverage cannot change based on seeking mental health resources or physical health resources. This act, which passed the House of Representatives with “a vote of 376 Yeas and only 47 Nays,” had bipartisan support with the hope of increasing mental health support within the American healthcare system (Kennedy). However, the individual states have the duty of enforcing this important act. The Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine tracked the ability of states to keep health plans and state officials responsible for achieving parity. Parity, the term used to refer to the equality of mental health resources and physical health resources inside insurance, is rarely seen inside the United States. In 2018, thirty-two states of the United States failed to follow the act. Today, many individuals question the existence of The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 if the vast majority of states lack the ability to enforce the act. Not only should The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 still exist, but people should know about this legislation. Insurance companies commonly take advantage of the stigma of mental health. Insurance companies can still deny patients coverage of certain mental health resources that should be covered through the Parity Act of 2008. Relying on the fact that people will not speak up about their mental illness or usage of mental health resources, insurance companies refuse to achieve parity. However, citizens have multiple resources, including contacting their state’s insurance division in order to report the lack of parity. By speaking up and knowing what the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 means for coverage, Americans can force their insurance companies to pay for their mental health resources. The challenge of obtaining equal coverage for mental health resources and physical health resources from insurance companies should not be this difficult. Americans should vote and elect officials who have a plan for keeping insurance companies accountable on achieving parity. In Illinois, the only state to earn a grade of an “A” on The Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine’s evaluation of parity, lawmakers worked in a nonpartisan way to achieve the laws necessary to control insurance companies. The people of a state failing to keep insurance companies accountable must elect congressmen and congresswomen who work in a nonpartisan way to achieve laws and regulations that achieve parity. Financially, the coverage of mental health resources may prevent physical health injuries. By ensuring a person has mental stability, insurance companies decrease the odds of the same person experiencing some extremely expensive health occurrences. According to a study posted by Bradley University, “Depression has been linked to a 50 percent increase in a person’s risk of dying from cancer and a 67 percent increase from heart disease. “With an average cancer drug costing $10,000 each month and treatment for heart disease costing an average of $18,953 per year, insurance companies should take preventative action” (“How Mental Health Affects Physical Health”). Within the context of the current global pandemic, the isolation caused from a lack of socialization will cause an increased amount of physical distress. The Center for Disease Control claims that social isolation “was associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke” (“Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions”). Even if these numbers may seem like small increases,
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the majority of Americans that have stayed home in insolation has increased drastically over the past years. These mental health occurrences, which many Americans will not seek help for due to a lack of coverage, blur into affecting physical health. Left unchecked, these physical health disruptions can cause hospitalization, which costs the insurance companies a large amount of money. American insurance companies could have stopped certain hospitalizations if they thought ahead and provided a system that guarantees equal mental health coverage. Currently, the United States of America faces a mental health crisis. The stigma of seeking mental health resources stops many from receiving the help they desperately need. Taking advantage of the Covid-19 Research Student Report Category: Special unwillingness to speak up about mental health, insurance companies refuse to provide mental health parity. Even though under federal law insurance companies should provide coverage for mental health resources, they do not. This leads to Americans not knowing that they have the right to equal physical and mental health coverage. The fight to keep insurance companies responsible relies on Americans knowing about the law of parity and voting for government officials who prioritize it. When the United States achieves equality between physical and mental health coverage, both mental and physical health will benefit. In the future, the United States of America can conquer their crisis through the education on the importance of mental health and keeping insurance companies accountable.
Works Cited
“Americans Can’t Keep Up with High Cost of Cancer Treatment.” Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families, www.asbestos.com/featured-stories/high-cost-of- cancer-treatment/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.
Benham, Barbara, and JH Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Study: News Stories Often Link Violence With Mental Health Illness, Even Though People With Mental Health Illness Are Rarely Violent.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 7 June 2016, www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2016/study-news-stories-often-link-violence-with- mental- health-illness-even-though-people-with-mental-health-illness-are-rarely- violent.html. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020.
Dingfelder, Sadie F. “Stigma: Alive and Well.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, June 2009, www.apa.org/monitor/2009/06/stigma. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020.
“Does Your Insurance Cover Mental Health Services?” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2019, www.apa.org/topics/parity-guide. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.
“How Mental Health Affects Physical Health.” Bradley University Online, 20 Feb. 2020, onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/how-mental-health-affects-physical-health/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.
79 Kennedy, Patrick J. “Actions - H.R.6983 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.” Congress.gov, 23 Sept. 2008, www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/6983/actions. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
“Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 Nov. 2020, www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
McLaughlin, Amber. “32 States Get a Failing Grade on New Report Cards Scoring Statutes for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment 10 Years After Federal Parity Law.” Morehouse School of Medicine, 23 Oct. 2018, www.msm.edu/RSSFeedArticles/October2018/32- states-fail-mental-health-and -addiction-treatment.php. Accessed 7 Nov. 2020.
“The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA).” CMS, www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs -and-Initiatives/Other-Insurance- Protections/mhpaea_factsheet. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
“Mental Health Parity.” Illinois.gov, www2.illinois.gov/sites/GetCovered/Resources/pages/Mental- health-parity.aspx. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
“The State of Mental Health in America.” Mental Health America, www.mhanational.org/issues/state- mental-health-america?utm_content=buffer36f99. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.
Wan, William. “The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Pushing America into a Mental Health Crisis.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 May 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/ mental-health-coronavirus/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2020.
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