Readings
-
Wishing Myself into the Sky
By Angelee Sligay Photo by Gregory H. Revera She watches the sky with a hollow chest,longing for silver instead of skin.Her face does not glow in strangers’ eyes,yet the moon, scarred and distant, is adored. She envies its borrowed light, how tides bend to its presence, how poets dress it in reverence, how lovers whisper beneath its gaze. She remembers the way he spoke— soft words in half-lit rooms, promises that dangled like stars just out of reach. For a season, she thought herself held, orbiting the warmth of his voice, but when dawn arrived, He turned his face away. Now she gazes upward, thinking of the moon’s certainty, how it wanes and returns, how it is never abandoned. If only she…
-
Is The Water Breathing?
By Ethan Bienick Published Oct 13, 2025 Photo by Ethan Bienick I Today marks the one year anniversary of the death of my Biology teacher. Or should I say, disappearance. Nobody knows where she had gone, the last anyone saw of her was at a beach down in South Carolina. I had not remembered the name, although it did not matter. The last anybody had seen of her was when she exited the hotel late at night. Only to end up never returning. Authorities searched, but there was no evidence or witnesses. As far as anyone knew, she was dead and her body was now missing. Gone without a trace,…
-
Little Red Riding Hood as an Empowered Female
by Thea Angelica Angeles Photo by: Kehbab Salaheddine Throughout many generations that have evolved over time, the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood has been associated with cautionary themes of not trusting strangers— often depicting the eponymous protagonist as a helpless and innocent victim. Despite this fixed portrayal, Little Red has been reinterpreted as an empowered lady who faces her fears and makes her own choices. Such modern adaptations have frequently changed the narrative—allowing Red to take hold of her destiny not only by outsmarting the wolf but also by challenging societal expectations instilled upon her. In particular, James Thurber and Roald Dahl offer two respective retellings that subvert…
-
Felix
By Rachel Hoarau (Photo by Pixel Free Images) My paw pads aren’t callused like my mother’s. They are soft and pink. The light is bright, and I can hardly see. Mom licks my head Says bye bye and runs out of the den I want to go out there, too! It looks so bright and green. A year has gone by and I’m running every day, Crushing green sprouts in soft soil and spilling down over the hillside, nearly falling into the chittering brook. There is another like me in the brook’s wavy water. He is red and white with deep brown eyes. I dance with him. I think he…
-
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?
-
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.
-
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…
-
The First Peril of Love
By Aaron Caplea The first peril of love The picture of a younger man- A sentiment of long ago; Surrounding, an old woman stands, Remembering her time: A boy and girl, both holding hands, Not seeing where the night will go; Their unrepentant heads will band Together, they will find. . A girl will lock her dreams inside; A boy does what he knows: Himself, agree to never tell The very girl his name. The woman can recall the time: A land that god had sown- And one that ordered fire set To any ounce of shade. . But every thought of him felt false, The memories too hard to…
-
The Diner
By Melina Bowser The ceramic mug sits heavy in dainty hands— steam warming her face. Perfect circles stained the boomerang laminate countertop again. She sits quietly, taking long breaths between sips, thinking of a friend. Pulling out a book, she scrawls cursive words onto a page of ardor. Tears blur the pen ink knowing she will never read these words meant for her.
-
The Validation of Attending Conferences
Editor’s Note: this post first appeared on the blog that SRU’s Sigma Tau Delta students compile around attending the honor society’s annual conference, this year held in Louisville, Ky. Emma Cummings, who is both a Theatre major and a Creative Writing major, won an Honorable Mention for Scenic Design, the Vectorworks Award, and the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in January. At the Sigma Tau Delta conference she presented a paper entitled “Not Easy to Love.” The most intriguing parts of the two sessions I attended today were the questions and discussions after the papers were read. They were thought-provoking, engaging,…
