Synaptic

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 39th edition of The Writing Anthology.

Founded in 1981 by now-retired Central College professor Dr. Walter Cannon, The Writing Anthology is a compendium of exceptional student work from across the liberal arts curriculum. After reviewing dozens of submissions, we selected the following eleven pieces for inclusion in this year’s anthology. The difficulty of this selection process is a testament to the excellent quality of student writing at Central College, and we are proud to see all the hard work put in by our peers.

There are an unlimited number of perspectives a person can use to examine a single topic. When we consider something assumedly familiar in a new context, we not only expand our personal mindset, but also create the opportunity for deeper conversation between individuals. The pieces in this year’s anthology are dedicated to exploring unique contexts of well-known topics, such as the Vietnam War, the pop culture phenomenon Game of Thrones, and one of the Midwest’s most celebrated writers–Willa Cather. Considered as a whole, we believe this anthology develops a compelling statement about the importance of reading authors, literature, and experiences in their proper context.

Each year, the John Allen Award is granted to the author of the highest quality student writing. This year, we are pleased to announce that Marina Paul will receive this honor. Marina’s essay “Teaching Elementary Mathematics to Students with Disabilities” is a persuasive call-to-action which highlights the lived experiences of students with disabilities in considering alternative strategies for mathematics instruction. Marina’s attention to a context which is so often overlooked shows her dedication not only as a writer and a researcher, but also as a developing educator.

We would like to congratulate all of the student authors on their accomplishments and for producing such excellent work. Additionally, we thank the professors who took notice and submitted these essays to The Writing Anthology. Thanks also to Professor Mat Kelly for his discerning eye and for again agreeing to design this year’s cover, and to all of the talented artists for their outstanding contributions which make The Writing Anthology a well-rounded and visually-interesting publication. We would particularly like to recognize Sheridan LaCoste for producing this year’s cover art. Finally, we offer our thanks to Steffanie Bonnstetter for her expertise, and to Jordan Bohr and the student workers of Central College Communications for their outstanding work in bringing The Writing Anthology’s website to life.

Most importantly, we acknowledge our faculty advisors, Dr. Valerie Billing and Dr. Michael Harris. Thank you for your contributions and willingness to step into this role in such a pivotal year.

Again, thank you to all who made this year’s publication possible, and please enjoy the 2019 Writing Anthology!

K.E. Daft ‘19

Marin Harrington ‘21

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