Dr. Nicholas J. DeGrazia, chair John D. Adair, vice chair Deborah Bourgois Dr. Karen L. Niver John H. Ogden Dr. Fred B. Roberts Robert E. Tansky 60 Patterns magazine is St Clair County For our students then, Patterns for the last sixty years has served as that first exposure, that first opportunity to publish Community College's and begin a journey in the arts. While organization and oversight of the publication has always been handled by SC4 faculty and staff, we have literary and arts increasingly involved students in every aspect of the publication: Students produce its content, participate in the editing, assemble and create the layout and design, and publication since 1959, ultimately take a major role in all aspects of production. This year’s students again have led the design and production and brought to you a high quality magazine in full color. The and this year marks graphics and artwork establish a compelling context for the inclusion of terrific poems and stories. Perhaps as a result th of these commitments, Patterns is in the mix for awards our 60 edition. every year. This year, three very talented SC4 students Sue Grenstiner, Noah Muxlow, and Tara VanConant, presented proposals for the layout and design. It has been our pleasure Each year, Patterns showcases the best work of our students to work with them. in the literary and visual arts. While marking our 60th edition, Please take a moment to page through this year’s edition and we cannot help but look back at our former students who have admire the quality of this workmanship displayed in its design contributed and gone on to real success in the arts, such as the and the literary and artistic works on the page. We are quite artist Tom Pyrzewski, who now directs the galleries and special sure that these students have the talent to succeed as those programming at Wayne State University. Additionally, just this year, in the past sixty years have done so. Yvonne Stephens (Letourneau), a contributor to the 44th edition, has published a book of poems—The Salt Before it Shakes. One more recent example is Joshua Riehl, who contributed a first place story to the 50th edition and has directed a documentary (The Russian Cheers Five) which will open the Detroit Free Press Film Festival this April. Among the contributors to this year’s edition, Tara VanConant has earned an award for her work in Patterns and an award for her art in a national competition. awards WE’LL HAVE OUR OWN PLACE ONE DAY BUT FOR NOW lauren senkmajer Blanche Redman Award 14 PERHAPS allison stein 2nd Place - Poetry 16 FIVE MONTHS rd 18 table madeline pittiglio 3 Place - Poetry of LULLABY 21 allison stein Richard Colwell Award ELSEWHERE nd 27 contents kerrie sparling 2 Place - Short Stories SMOKE FOR MOM autumn rockefeller 3rd Place - Short Stories 33 MEHRUTU PIECE samantha shovan 1st Place - Visual Arts 38 CERVIDAE lauren senkmajer 2nd Place - Visual Arts 40 ILLUSIONAL HOLES stephon burrell 3rd Place - Visual Arts 41 poetry selections of merit ANGRY TODDLER 42 alexa dudley THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO TRAVEL 44 emily newby LONELY 46 allison stein MY MOTHER’S WEDDING PHOTO 49 brooklyn wagner YOUR YEARS 50 haily stager DEPRESSION 51 gabrielle borneman MY GRANDFATHER’S CLARINET 52 eilish warner DARK WHISPERS 54 autumn rockefeller INSTASHAM emma falls 56 CORNER STORE 58 nick wilson RAIN 60 mackenzie visga SUNFLOWERS 62 savanna grewe THINGS LOST 64 liam mcleod ROSES 67 katie flenna TOP OF THE WORLD? OR THE BOTTOM? 68 emma falls visual arts selections of merit MOTHER NURTURE 17 petra leonard DUKE 19 sabrina mason FRIDA 31 lauren senkmajer SMOKE UP & SMILE 32 cody paris APPLES 43 amber churchill short stories DEATH OF A GYPSY QUEEN 47 selections of merit brenda kasten I AM A WALRUS AFTER IT ALLS FALLS APART 48 71 brenda kasten erica shkembi ORANGE COLOR SKY LAST CALL 51 78 jacob sexton david miller WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME 59 kimberly kinert-friederichs WATCHAMACALLIT 61 lauren senkmajer STRENGTH IN FLOWERS 63 amber cline ANGEL 66 kay-lynn pack REFLECTED BEAUTY 71 michelle cline APPLES 71 joella killion A PIECE OF CROW 75 michael hinkley PATTERNS COMMITTEE Sarah Flatter Jim Frank FRIENDS OF Tom Kephart Kendra Lake THE ARTS FICTION JUDGES Jim Nesse SC4 Friends of the Arts is a committed group of businesses, community members and Jeff Torricelli SC4 faculty and staff, that support the arts at SC4, including music, theatre, creative Gary Schmitz writing and visual arts. They are building community through the arts. Programs and activities supported by Friends of the Arts include: VISUAL ART JUDGES • Educational Arts Outreach projects • SC4 Symphonic Band concerts Doulgas Frey in music, theatre and visual art • Special art exhibitions • Free Noon and Night Concert Series • Special musical performances Alfred Gay • Free Summer Concert Series • Student, alumni and faculty art exhibitions Chris Krolczyk • Outreach choir concerts • Theatrical productions with the SC4 Players • Patterns magazine Mark Rummel Thank you for your financial support. POETRY JUDGES Every donation is critical to arts programming and promoting arts opportunity in our community. Your community college appreciates your commitment to the arts. Elizabeth Jacoby THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS HAVE MADE DONATIONS TO SC4 FRIENDS OF THE ARTS John Lusk SINCE JANUARY 1, 2017: Suzanne O’Brien BUSINESS AND GROUP SUPPORTERS PATRON OF THE ARTS Follett Higher Education Group Larry and Cindy Beck International Symphony Orchestra Susanna Defever DESIGN TEAM The Port Huron Musicale Charles and Katie Kenney SEMCO Energy Angela Klein SC4 Potters Market Karen Langolf Sue Grenstiner Schubert Male Chorus of Port Huron John and Diane Lofquist Noah Muxlow Standard Office Supply Al and Tracy Matthews James and Kathleen McGill Tara VanConant Gail Nawrock Friends of the Arts Jim and Connie Neese Clint and Barb Stimpson SILVER LEVEL Robert E. Tansky CLERICAL ASSISTANTS Kirk and Sheryl Kramer Edwin VanderHeuvel DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Jim and Shelley Voss Dr. Nicholas DeGrazia and Sandra White Kim Kelley SC4 FACULTY AND STAFF Joseph and Celeste Skalnek Morgan Scallen SKIPPER PLEDGE OF EXCELLENCE BRONZE LEVEL Linda Davis Fred and Diane Adolph Kendra Lake Tabitha Flitton Virginia and Bill Anderson Jane Lewandoski QUARTER CLUB Anne McPherson Breanna Sylvia Gerri Barber Brenda Rinke Arthur Crawford Dale and Beth Vos Dennis and Mary Hawtin FRIENDS Michael and Gail Hunt Lee and Jo Aplin FINANCIAL SUPPORT Tom and Doreen Kephart Brenda Arnold Joan Morrison Judy Busha SC4 Friends of the Arts Florence Oppliger Keith and Claudia Flemingloss Dr. Deborah Snyder Marty and Ruth Habalewski St. Clair County Community College Joey and Debbie Sta Cruz David and Donna Schwartz Lis Tollander thank you & acknowledgements thank you special awards for writing and art Readers of Patterns will note that each year five special awards are given, named for past faculty members who had made extraordinary contributions to the arts and literature on campus and to Patterns in particular. The Blanche Redman, Richard Colwell and Kathy Nickerson Awards are given for the highest quality submissions for that year in poetry, fiction and essay writing, respectively. The Patrick Bourke and Eleanor Mathews Awards recognize students who have done exceptional work in a more general sense. eleanor mathews award ALLISON STEIN patrick bourke award For over thirty years, Patterns literary committee has recognized student writers TARA VANCONANT with the Eleanor Mathews Award for “outstanding creativity, technical skill, and individual style” as well as overall achievement in creative writing. Writers The Patrick Bourke Award honors an art or design student who has made earn our other awards by genre, such as the Blanche Redman Award for poetry. a commitment to pursue an advanced degree in one of the visual arts Traditionally, this award has been given to a student who has published work in disciplines and has been an advocate and emissary for art at St. Clair Patterns in different genres. Allison Stein has won this year’s Eleanor Mathews County Community College. Award. Her story “Lullaby” received the Richard Colwell Award and she received second place for “Perhaps” in addition to earning a Selection of Merit for her This year’s recipient is Tara VanConant who is currently completing poem “Lonely.” Her work displays the hallmarks of real talent, and we hope her associate degree in graphic design. Tara is being honored for her she will reward us with more stories and poems in the future. Take a moment to read through her pieces. You will find what we and the judges have found— dedication to the arts and for the exceptional quality and caliber of the excellence in creative writing, which is what this award recognizes. work that she produces. L A WE'LL HAVE OUR OWN PLACE U R ONE DAY LAUREN SENKMAJER BUT FOR NOW Blanche Redman Award we lie, chilly 1st Place - Poetry on sunday evenings: drizzle-dreary windows cracked, zephyr creeps to nip at toes uncovered while sweater-clad torsos perspire, locked in slumbering embrace (dozing, you mumble E N my name I am over the moon) 14 SELECTION OF MERIT SHORT STORY SELECTION OF MERIT SHORT STORY 15 nd 2 place She smiles thinly. PERHAPS The horizon is straight and hard, Allison Stein poetry Wild iridescence restricted to a single blurry line. A brave girl counts the white-tailed deer, Numbers the legs navigating golden wheat stubble And it occurs to her that perhaps the world is not so infinite. In her daddy’s snow-dappled field. Perhaps this is the only truth— Lost fawns searching for the tree with a crooked trunk. She has memorized the angle of a distant amethyst horizon, The opacity of wispy clouds at twilight.