Synaptic

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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 45th edition of The Writing Anthology – now known as Synaptic. Founded in 1981 by now retired Central College professor Dr. Walter Cannon, Synaptic provides an annual assemblage of remarkable student work that covers a wide array of academic disciplines. This year was the most competitive cycle yet. Following a review and conference about dozens of outstanding student submissions, our editorial team has se- lected the following pieces for publication. It is never easy to make the necessary cuts. However, we are happy to shoulder the burden. It serves as testimony to the incredible and plentiful talents of Central College students. As both editors and fellow students, we are proud to amplify their exceptional efforts.

Since Synaptic marks the integration of the Arts and English departments, we are proud to feature works that honor academic and creative relationships. Take Mya Ehresman’s “Light, Color, Action: Visual Rhetoric in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women”, which demonstrates the impact colors can have on the audience experience, or Emma Murphy’s compelling personal essay “The Home They Built Me”, which shares the pride in her heri- tage. This year, we are featuring a podcast, “Under the Helmet” with Brianna Van Groll, which challenges the assumptions Americans typically make about the lives of NFL players. Along with the written works, this issue also features some exceptional artwork, including Kaylee Pieffer’s playful ceramic fist-goblet and Sophie Kru- ger’s emotional exhibition representing the process of dealing with grief.

Each year, the John Allen Award is awarded to a piece of student writing that the selection panel deems to have superior rhetorical competence, high levels of readability, originality, and insight. This year, we are pleased to announce that Keilah Brewer has received this honor for her work, “Feminist Theory and Lady Bird.” This paper presents a feminist media analysis of Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, arguing that the titular character, despite being constrained by patriarchal expectations, ultimately asserts her agency and serves as a model of female empowerment. This paper demonstrates strong rhetorical competence in its clear thesis, which is flawlessly supported by evidence from the film and readings in feminist theory. As a result, Keilah’s analysis offers fresh insights on the film and deepens the discourse on gender expectations and female identity through nuanced cri- tique. Keliah’s unique analysis genuinely reflects the unifying spirit of Synaptic, and we are honored to present this award to her.

Finally, we would like to extend our formal congratulations to all the students whose work is featured in this year’s pages. We would like to sincerely thank the professors who recognized the academic rigor of these pieces and submitted them for our judgement. Furthermore, we must thank Mat Kelly, Associate Professor of Art, and Brian Roberts, Professor of Art, for presenting us with excellent student artwork. We would also like to thank Mat Kelly and Fynn Wadsworth for designing the cover using artwork created by Sophie Kruger. Also, we would like to thank the staff and the student workers of the Central College Communications Office for their efforts in bringing this publication and Synaptic’s website to life. We also express our thanks to Steffanie Bonnstetter for her advice. Of course, our biggest thanks are owed to our faculty advisor, Dr. Valerie Billing, for her guidance regarding this year’s Synaptic. We would also like to thank our guest editor Prof. Mary Donato for bringing her expertise to this year’s edition. Thank you both for your commitment, attention to detail, hard work, patience, flexibility, and advice. Again, we must extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who made this publication possible. We present to you the 2025 Synaptic, but first we share Winona Van Berkum’s land acknowledgement speech given on January 20th, 2025 during the opening plenary of Central’s MLK Jr. Day’s alternate day of learning.