Showcase & Awards Ceremony03.31.15

#getcreative

Jed Abumeri, “War”

“Here’s another example of invisible engineering. Your computer keyboard keys are laid out in a funny way, the so-called “QWERTY” keyboard. Why? In the 1800’s some folks did a lot of testing, thinking about which letters do you use the most—in English, anyway—and which the least. The ones you use the least are saved for your weakest fingers, the pinky and ring fingers. They are also distributed left and right such that you rarely have to type a word all with one hand, which would be slow.” Betty Lise Anderson

From “Have You Met Your Engineer?”

Chris Baggott

from “This Frayed Ribbon”Michael Smith

This blue and black ribbon in my hand; I carry it often and run my hands against its silky texture. Although the sides are nice and crisp, the edges are frayed. I can see the seams separating and fragments of cloth beginning to fall. Its detail and integrity failing because of my attention. I selfishly mourn its decay, just as I selfishly desired its preservation. Because the ribbon belonged to many others before it even crossed my path, And the ribbon’s journey does not stop with me.

Lindsay Baker

“There is a boy age 12 or 13, sitting up in his room. Darkness has set, and so the walls once again confine him. He is told to go to sleep, but, isolated from the world around him, how can he? The walls stare, mocking him. Their stern glare is nothing but a challenge for the boy, who accepts. All that he can think about is the outside world in which he longs to be. He thinks, he thinks, and he thinks, harder and harder. The menacing walls look back at him, ready to crush his dreams”

from “The Uncommon App Essay” Danny Flax

Diana Boldrin“Jack Sparrow”

“As we left the school compound, after my mother’s prayer, I looked through the back window to see my big sister one more time. There she stood, exactly where we left her, in the thicket of green uniforms, fourteen to eighteen-year-old girls. Some of them were crying. Some of them were showing off their polished black shoes and newly relaxed hair. Some had faded uniforms. I could tell my sister apart by the lines our house girl had plaited on her head. Her shiny eyes made a lump in my throat. With time, when we would drop my sister off for subsequent school terms, I would look back to see her smiling, already half-turned towards the dormitories, one arm hooked in a friend’s, the other waving at us. Eventually, she would not wait to wave goodbye, or I would not be able to tell her apart. With time, I too stopped looking back and, eventually, when she was dropped off, I did not even go.”

from “In the Middle,” Njoki Mwangi

Samartha Channagiri Ajit “The Destitute”

from “Important”Brian King

But art is what matters most, for it controls the soulExcellence without contentment is merely an exertion of prideControl without oration is imposition of will not justiceEternity without music is a hell beyond imagine

For who would wish to live only one life

Usoshi Chatterjee“Taken Aback”

But now with the leaves beginning to change Our hearts and souls will again become estranged Its not the barren tress, their empty soul Its not winter’s ice, the lonely cold Its not the gloomy rain, the flower’s fighting through For all the beauty of the summer comes from being with you This summer brings something special for you and me For it is the start of our lives together, our eternity

Katherine Gradert, from “Changes”

Taylor Curtis

Could the voice in my head be that of Perspective? Could Perspective be demanding my gratitude?

Asking me to change my lenses? To finally see the diamonds in the rough? Maybe these new lenses will allow me to capture……

Amazing in annoying, triumph in tragedy, refinement in rejection and strengthening in struggle?

Could an attitude of gratitude take me to a rarefied altitude of consciousness? If so, then my one and only decree should be …..

“I’m thankful” Regardless of the case, I guess there is always a cause to be thankful

So for all that I have and all that I don’t….. “I’m thankful”

from “I’m Thankful,” Ushe Chipengo

Marc Doran

I. beforeI am a water molecule:two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.I spend an infinity being unborn—a microcosm of the ocean

II. duringI fear the inevitable fallfrom consciousness.I’ve slept under the starsand danced under city lightsand watched the sun riseand fade more times than I can count.now that I know this existenceI am unprepared to give it up

III. afterI fall into nothingnessas easily as I fall into dreamless sleep.the birds sing as beautifullyas they did when I was there to hear,and the leaves are as vibrantas they were when I was there to see.I am a water molecule:two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen

Reyna Lusson, “I am a Water Molecule”

Jenna Galletta

Ray Swetlinfrom “For What it’s Worth”

If I really give it a goI know my flow will go and gofrom my soul through my toes, and end uphere and there,everywhere!Because I dareyes

Brennan Barrington

There once were some values in pounds massA test many takers couldn't pass.But I was feeling smugFor I'd put it in slugYet the conversion still bit my ass.

Caroline Gilmore

“Since I was a child, I was never ordinary. I tossed aside my dolls for books. I stared at the night sky instead of at the television screen. I preferred Scientific American to Vogue magazine. I loved to learn about atoms and molecules and the states of matter. And as I learned more about the world, I noticed its imperfections. I noticed the over-dependence on fossil fuels in the United States. I also noticed the lack of updated medical equipment in Tunisia, my father’s homeland – my homeland.”

from “Dancing in Steel Heels’Leila Mansour,

Gupta Puja“It’s Raining”

from “Tribulation or Titration?”C.B. Cummings

My few convictionsOf the consequential kindAre suspended in a solution too murkyImpractical to find. I can neither count nor tabulate my beliefsThey are experimentally indiscriminate,And this unknown concentration causes griefAs the solvent marries the solute.

from “awake at midnight”Richard Grieshop

My life in dreamsfade to black like sweet sad songs a grace they lack And though I hope to hold a few all turn to smoke and fade from view

David Hakanson

from “Yonder Mirror”Archit Rede

Pull of the gripthe invisible handdrag againsttight graspbut always invisible, cuddling

from “Magnets”Alyssa Ross

Peter Kearns

“I don't know why I keep doing this. Why I keep holding on to the idea of you and I. It’s silly because you were never mine to begin with. That someway, somehow, I'll see you again one day and everything will fall into place. But who am I kidding?”

from “Only Happy Reflections”Anonymous

I do not know what a soul is But I know you have grazed mine and I yours Yet Still

Dylan Bedermanfrom “Pillow Talk”

Sreeja Krishnan“The Divine Love: Radha Krishna”

Oh thy Hitchcock Hall

Stands firm, majestic, and tall,

A beacon for all

“Thy Hitchcock Hall”

Marc Doran

I woke up this morning craving soy sauce.

Now let me begin by saying I hate soy sauce.So naturally I looked for some higher meaningto all of this, some symbolic artifact that wouldforever change my existence butI was too hungry to think – I needed food.Now I stare at this plate of sushi and now it is gonesave one last piece –

– it is covered in soy sauce.

Just as I beginI have binged again.

Colin Giacalone, “Soy Sauce”

Forest Kunecke

Robbed in smoky alleysBeaten in our forcedYet uncontested laborWaiting for a moses to speakAnd bring the dark cloud so thickWith blind death it could be groped

Mount Sinai smokes

Oh what a train wreck we're going to see

from “Train Wreck”Michael Billips

Do you remember the monsters of your childhood? They dwelt in dark and unknown corners They lurked in silent and vulnerable alleys In closets, under beds, in the woods They looked like demonic hybrids They smelt of gore and wreckage Bright red eyes, crooked noses, rotten teeth

from “Monsters”Sarah Lagpacan

Paul Lacher“Disassembly of a Camera”

Paul Lacher“Disassembly of a Camera”

Paul Lacher“Disassembly of a Camera”

Paul Lacher“Disassembly of a Camera”

Paul Lacher“Disassembly of a Camera”

In the midst of modern life We have cell phones and email And deadlines and meetings, But what are we missing? I am sitting here Listening to the rain fall To the twitter of a wayward bird To the mew of a feral cat. I have watched the trees Change from dead, to bud, to leaf; Seen the spring tulips sprout, bloom, and flower, And I think that life is beautiful And I am happy to have lived it.

“Rain #2”Jessica Winter

Emily Liptow“She Thinks”

from “The Golden Chest”Alexis Ortiz-Rosario

I stand before a chest, silver plated, under a golden veil. I fear for the content, I weary deeply for it. A big investment, Has been vested, and I do not know If it remains there. from “Untitled”

Jesse Fine

And so with this, I want to touch you in my own way.

With my words, with my heart. I love you.

Always.

Owen Maher, “Metropolis”

“Subaru Forester, 2002,” I whispered as it flew backwards in the right passenger window of the minivan. I’m very good with car names, but I always say them quietly. James told me that saying car names annoyed other people. He said that other people didn’t think cars were as interesting as I did. I’m glad he told me that; I can’t tell.”

from “Taillights”Alex Aurand

Jacob Naft, “Final Lake”

from “Mickey the Dinosaur”Paul Beck

“Mickey saw rainforests and waterfalls and deserts. He liked to pass the time by telling himself jokes, using his telescope or calculating the rate of leaf growth on certain trees. One day, he saw a beautiful brontosaurus female. He was too nervous to approach, so finally she walked over. They began talking and soon fell in love. Life was going swell until Mickey spotted a giant asteroid in his telescope. He and Sheila immediately began making preparations for the impact. They constructed a giant bunker and stockpiled food and water. On the day of impact, they went in their bunker and sealed themselves off.”

Yeonsu Ryu

• “Her ears blushed red smarting from the embarrassment caused by the accident earlier in the day. She tried to focus on the equations her teacher was pointing out, but they blurred into distance as a thick film of tears welled up in her eyes. She felt mad at herself that it was the embarrassment in front of her classmates that brought her to tears and not her mother’s injury. “

from “The New Car”Santosh K. Behera

Rajat Saksena“Sinew”

“In his hand, Hans saw, was the most peculiar thing: a bunchlet of yellow flowers that should have been happy but weren’t. They weren’t wrapped in tissue paper or shiny plastic, but were held bare. The man’s fist gripped them tightly. The bulge of the peephole, with the rain in the background, made the flowers look like they had sad eyes and mouths, little faces with stories and worries that drooped in their neglect.”

from “The Timeman”Michael Billips

Troy Seman

“Nobody remembers why we started fighting at the beginning, maybe it was for more land, or maybe the pigs were jealous of our living conditions. While we live in nice clean homes, the pigs roll around in mud to clean themselves. Whatever the reason, 20 years after the war began, the fight continues to rage on.”

from “Pigs and Bunnies”Timothy Buban

Hudson Sharrock, “010000100110010101100101”

“Kayborn’s direct appeal was overturned. He might find hope in the state court. They’ll bring me in to make my statement and reexamine emerging (or ignored) evidence. I can only hope to be reasonably cognizant when my time comes to speak to the appellate courts. What would make this all easier is if that thing appears again. A third witness would provide grounds for me keeping my job, and solid testimony for Kayborn’s second appeal.”

from “Runoff”Jeremy Cottam

Benjamin Straiton“Insanity on the Verge of Genius”

Lena TaPhoto Collage

“I woke up to the sun lying softly on my face. I took in a breath. I took in the silence. Nothing moved. Even my heart seemed still, though it was not. I thought about moving my hand, I thought about bending my knee, but I didn’t. I looked and my hand lay peacefully on the covers, not clenching as I had commanded. I closed my eyes again and opened them. There was something warm on my cheek. It was a tear, escaped from my eye. Only one left its track along my skin, following the curve of my face and clinging on, for the barest of seconds, before dropping to the sheets and disappearing. My face never changed. I continued to look at the wall and watched the light move across it, but it was empty. Today was the day I would die. “

from “The Day I Would Die”Rebecca Dunne

Matt Forquer

Matt Forquer

Matt Forquer

from “The Strength of Heroes”David Giffin

“The glowing orb, that mocking eye peering over every blemish of the manmade artifice, grew tired, and sank into the western horizon to be replaced by a full moon. Now from the mountains streamed the little black ants that fought tirelessly to rid their mounds of the infestation. The trees remained deadly calm and silent underneath the cloud-ridden night sky. Thunder rolled in the distance, and the first drop of crystal night escaped from its bonds and fell gently, gently to earth. Not a rustle, not a word between anyone or anything. The stalwart opposition still held, but it had slowly been bent to its limit. Now was the time to break it. “

David Marshall

“Almost exactly five years prior to the president's state of the union, the worldwatched with bated breath, as seven astronauts, four women and three men startedtheir nine-month journey to Mars. Those carefully selected women and men whocame from all over the world, were to become the first humans to set foot on the redplanet. The mission was revolutionary, its goals lofty and the complexities involvedcould not be overstated. In fact, at the time of mission inception most of thetechnology needed simply did not exist. Nothing of the like or magnitude had everbeen attempted before. It’s no surprise then that public interest the world over wasunprecedented and the astronauts themselves were adored and treated like superstars.”

from “The Man on Mars”Adithya Jayakumar

Mariant Gutierrez-Soto

from “The Only Thing Left to Fear”Charles MacKay

“Ten paces into the forest I started hearing the first sounds. There was to be a rustling behind me, no matter how fast I turned, always directly at my back. Twigs snapped, branches creaked. The rustling was far away at first, but with every step it grew faster, louder, closer. To worsen the situation, the trees moved to block my path behind me, adding to my growing feelings of desperation. Suddenly, the rustling stopped. Relieved, I took a few steps forward, but before I got far I heard thousands of footsteps coming towards me from all directions. Terrified, I began to run, looking frantically about me so attentively I did not see the tree in front of me until it was too late. Blacking out, I heard laughter, and felt myself being carried over a shoulder roughly.”

Stiphany Tieu“Fleur de Lis”

“Using song to label a number was hardly a brand-new practice in mathematics. Not Franz’ invention. The innovative aspect of his work was the way a full orchestra was being used to capture the dignity of an integer. But mathematicians had been casting bells and pipes to label numbers for quite some time. In fact, it was argued by math historians that the ancient name of Whistle-Dee-Dee-Hi-Di-Dee, a number so low that even simple schoolboys could count to it, was actually intended to be a musical number when it was first named.”

from “The Great Mathematician”Christopher Menart

Usoshi Chatterjee“Subject Leaves Paper”

from “The Strangest”Jack Morrison

“With that, all three set off toward the tent. The rest of the daylight hours passed in a blur of activity. Rations were stored, seals were checked, and geological data was charted and processed preliminarily in an attempt to find something on Mars that wasn't completely hostile to humanity. John was in charge of equipment safety and proper function, while Karla was in charge of logistics and schedules. Terry was the effective captain of the ship, acting as point man with the press and having the final say on mission critical decisions. The three of them had been picked for the lofty job by the Space Committee, the most able out of a pool of thousands upon thousands of applicants. Each knew their exact duties, each knew the hopes riding on them. They did not allow themselves to think of failure. The collective will of humanity to expand was riding on them.”

Liyang Chen“Boundaryless”

“’For every second you experience, Death endures a thousand days.’

Death was sitting comfortably on his preferred bench at this particular park. He slowly looked over the small green hill watching the motionless water flow. Beside him, a newspaper could be seen turned into shreds by the constant shifting of pages. It was the hundredth time Death had read it. He sat on the bench thinking who knows what while watching the frozen world before him. He sat quietly gazing from the darkness of his cloak, an instant that would take forever to unfold by his standards. Everything was extraordinarily slow to him; every second stretched a hundred million times. “

from “La Mort”Alexis Ortiz-Rosario

Jenna Galletta, “Shell”

from “Red Team”Jack Rawlinson

“Falling vertically I let my chute catch air, feeling it billow out behind me, sensing my teammates doing the same around me, hundreds of hours in training paying off as I hear four other chutes deploy. Dropping onto the roof we quickly capture the billowing fabric and fold it back into its sack, Blaze finishes first and takes point, leveling his silenced medium range carbine as he searches for guards. After he motions the all clear we take up position around the laser map that Fox lays out. Crouching in front ofit he explains the floor plan of the hall to us.”

Paul Lacher“Looking into the Mirror”

“I sat back and looked out at a skater on the sidewalk. Her speed matched ours yet her path had obstacles. She dodged old ladies and school children, and kick flipped over trash cans while ducking under low hanging branches. Up ahead was a gap in the street. She looked over at me in fear of the impending doom and then smiled. She lowered her body and focused her mind, determined to make the gap. Then she jumped. She was gone from vision.”

from “Journeys”Jake Roemer

Katharine Raftery

Ismail speculated that since there were eleven pen-stands in the cabinet, Rahim would not notice immediately if one was gone. After trying several keys from the bunch, one finally worked. And he saw the small army of eleven pen-stands neatly arranged in a single file on a rack one above the bottom. He reached for the one at the left end and quickly put it inside his schoolbag that he was carrying. He closed the cabinet and put the keys back to the drawer where he found them in the first place. Drops of sweat were forming at the edge of his forehead.

from “Theft”Sayak Roychowdhury

Olivia Richardson

from “The Perpetual”Terra Williams

“Pulled from a package of its own kind was a standard #2 yellow pencil. Its surface was unscathed, a crisp dark yellow and protruding from its end was a cylindrical eraser. Its tip was smooth and undefined as it had yet to be sharpened. It yearned to be sharpened, to feel its purpose in life to be fulfilled otherwise its existence seemed meaningless. It was slowly carried away, anticipation building in its core as it stood erect and proud. There was no escaping and the desperation filling the pencil to have its edges acuminated.”

Jonathan Timcheck

The room was pitch black when a noise woke Adrian. He looked around frantically, thinking someone had broken in, but could see nothing in the darkness. He reached for the lamp by his bed and the room lit up. No one was there. Suddenly, he heard a bang from across the room. The sounds were coming from next door. He turned to face the other way and pulled a pillow over his ears, but it did not drown out the yelling.

from “The Divide”Shelby Wright

Jacob Naft“Through the Years” (Video)

Diana Boldrin“Wings of Art”