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The Weight of Kevlar
By Ryan Stryffeler Yesterday I was helping my daughter get ready for school She put on her Kevlar backpack while I tied her shoes “If anything happens, I love you” I said with a smile And gave her an extra-long hug to hold her close for a while And smell her thick hair, place my lips on her scalp, For a moment unconscious of anything else I looked at her then, so trusting, so pure, So ignorant of what she’ll be forced to endure They grow up so fast, everyone says But why must growing up bring her closer to death?
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Angelica
By Thea Angeles (Photo by Adobe Stock) Innocent and demure she may seem The moment you first encounter her; But as time goes by and by, Get to know her more And you’re in for a surprise. Yes, she’s still that ingenue you knew That fragile and innocent flower; Only later, you will find A free-spirited princess she actually is Especially in times of adrenaline and excitement.
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Allowing the Mistreatment of Black Americans
Each year the Department of Literature, Languages, Cultures, and Writing selects the very best final essays from ENGL 102 Critical Writing to be entered into a scholarship competition, evaluated by professors within the department, and ultimately selected by Emeritus Professor of English James Strickland. Below is the winner of the 2023 Strickland Award for Writing. Congratulations, Daniel!! By Daniel Tooson Original Drawing by Megan Krumpak The United States Constitution was first authored in 1787. The Constitution createschecks and balances within the government, orchestrates three branches, and establishes theUnited States as a Representative Democracy and Republic (What is the Constitution). Withinthe U.S. Constitution, there are amendments. These amendments allow the Constitution…
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The Early Bird Gets an F
Each year, the Department of Literature, Languages, Cultures, and Writing asks the professors teaching ENG 102 Critical Reading to submit the best student essays from their classes for consideration for the James Strickland Writing Award. Below is one of the selections that won an honorable mention for 2023. by Madison Barr It is no secret that students hate waking up early to go to school. As they get older, it only becomes more difficult. Every day, these students reluctantly drag themselves out of bed and try their best to make it through the morning. One has to ask, could these early morning wake-up times hurt more than attitudes? The fact…
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No Longer Breathing Easy
Each year, the Department of Languages, Literatures, Cultures, and Writing at Slippery Rock University holds a contest for the best essays produced by students in the required Rock Studies course Critical Writing. Named after English Professor Emeritus Dr. James Strickland, the contest awards scholarship monies to students whose professors submitted their final essays as the best-of-the-best. Here is one of the three honorable mentions for the 2023 Strickland Scholarship contest. By Hayden Fritz Dr. Seuss’s book “The Lorax” is a classic from many people’s childhoods. It follows the exploits of the character named Once-ler as they build their business empire from the humble beginnings of chopping his first truffula tree…
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Solving Press Censorship by Revolutionary Means
By Ray Eschenbach Image by Megan Krumpak Yevgeny Yevtushenko, a Soviet-Russian poet, once said, “The truth is replaced by silence, and silence is a lie” (Yevtushenko 1). Throughout history and today, journalists and press organizations have faced censorship of many forms, including self, hard, and soft censorship. According to the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, nearly seventy-five percent of the world’s journalism is threatened. At the same time, China has detained over 115 people related to journalism, and BBC has even banned quite a few news services from airing in their country.i Often, it is because they are speaking critical truths about leaders, governments, or historical events. Because of how…
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The Doll in the Woods
By Mackenzie Elmer (Photo by Connor Beer) I saw a dollstuck on a fencewhile walking todayin the forest dense. Her head was smashed in,her eyes were cracked.Her lovely white dressthe crows had ransacked. She looked so lonelysitting thereon rusted barbed wire,rotting in despair. I thought a lot abouttaking her home,rescuing her from her gravein the moldering loam. I’d fix her right up‘til she’s good as new.I’d clean her faceand polish her shoes. But I knew it was pointless,she was too far gone.So I looked straight aheadand quietly moved on.
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Fruit is Forever
Written by: Rachel Hoarau Image from Pixel Free Studio Chapter 1 “You used to tell me about walks you’d go on,” Satmulan said. I glanced at her. She was sitting across from me and looking out at the golden field below us. She shifted and narrowed her eyes, fixing them on something far away in the glistening field. “Yeah?” I said. She nodded, still looking down below. “Yes, and you always said your favorite part was the wildflowers. Oh, Maeve,” she said with her rich voice. She looked at me. Her brown eyes were billions of years old, certainly, they showed that in a brilliant way, but they were bordered…
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The Tragic, Undeniable Connection between The Kite Runner and the Ukraine Conflict
by Zachary Artley Photo by Sebastian Leis In the words of former United States President Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction” (Reagan). With the state of current events, these words feel as real as ever. Even though the Russia-Ukraine conflict is far from the US mainland, it serves as a stern reminder of how the fight for freedom is incessant. Throughout history, there has been a continuum of factions whose principal goal is the oppression of others. Today, this oppression is exhibited by the Russian state. The series of events in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, provides a glimpse into what…
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Eating Disorder Recovery on Social Media
English instructors of first-year writing select the very best student essays produced for that class and submit them to a scholarship competition named and evaluated by SRU English professor emeritus, James Strickland. In selecting this easy for an honorable mention, Dr. Strickland notes, “Grace Buckley, in Eating Disorder Recovery on Social Media, examines the disturbing controversy surrounding the health risks of eating disorders as portrayed on social media sites such as Tik Tok, Twitter, and Tumblr. Grace presents a shocking exploration of potential triggers and dangers for those suffering from eating disorders, including postings by pro-ana groups who escape detection and censorship (that is, normalizing the disorder point of view,…
