The Palouse Review is the biannual arts and academics journal of the Washington State University Honors College. We accept submissions from current and former honors students from throughout the Western Regional Honors Council. Our editors are looking for carefully crafted, evocative work that demonstrates the literary, artistic, and academic excellence of our broader honors community.

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The Palouse Review, December 2^nd 2019 Edition

Fiction ~ Nonfiction ~ Scholarship ~ Poetry
Photography and Visual Art

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On behalf of the editorial team – Welcome to the December 2nd, 2019 Edition of The Palouse Review!

We live at a time when ‘feelings’ seem to be in vogue. Emotional outpours and commitments on grand and private scales: environmental politics, personal identities, campus activism, celebrated and amplified in media, and when a student in class begins: I feel really strongly about this…. you know you better back off. But when is ‘feeling’ most effective? When doused in passion and charged language or when carefully measured in deliberate and cool observation?

In When The Lilacs Bloom by Meg Orion we have a masterpiece of the latter. Calmly descriptive Meg accounts for absolute personal tragedy in a manner in which feeling transcends into permanence and substance. If you tear up reading her piece, you have read it right. In a similar vein Alex Nguyen’s Smoke confronts fundamental identity in rational observation, concisely, effectively, and unforgettably.

On a less ambitious scale Amy Olson’s short poem Skinny Heifers suggests a subdued emotional realism as her stark environmental descriptions are resolved in futility: “…skinny cows won’t make a living.” Similarly, Lindsey Habig’s poem Cranberry Linen narrates a craving for past compassion.

From these depths of dark passions we can rejoice in the upbeat colorscapes of Chloé Johnston’s Times Square and Rojina Nekoonam’s Morning Dawn, and Nam Nguyen’s splendid pencil drawing of Sophie reminds us of where we will always find solace.

Please, enjoy the multi-facetted creative perspectives of this edition of The Palouse Review!

We look forward to the contributions of WRHC honors students to the May 1st, 2020 Edition – submission deadline: April 1st, 2020. We encourage early submissions. Kindly, use the link in the menu to submit comments to this edition. As always we value your perspectives!

Have a joyous holiday season!

Kim Andersen | Managing Editor of The Palouse Review
December 2nd, 2019

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Fiction

frit
by Nicolette Dixon (Washington State University, Pullman)

Nicolette is a French and Computer Science major. She likes cats, earl grey tea, and lofi hip hop.

The 1954 Man 
by Alex Linton  (Washington State University, Pullman)

Alex is majoring in Earth Sciences and minoring in Astronomy and French. If she’s not doing homework or drawing all over her notes, she’s writing. She has two bucket-list items: become an astronaut, and see a novel of hers in a bookstore window.

A Mother’s Love
by Emily Torres (California State University, Long Beach)

Emily is currently in her second year at CSU Long Beach, where she studies English—Creative Writing, Spanish, and American Sign Language. She has always admired the power that language holds, and loves to express herself through her art. She hopes to reach people with her words and share her stories with the world.

Solitary Confinement
by Toby Thompson (University of Wyoming, Laramine)

Toby is a senior at the University of Wyoming, where he studies English, Creative Writing, and Graphic Design. His work explores life’s beauty, its horror, and the nature of conscious existence.

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Nonfiction

Joker Movie: Stockholm Syndrome or Society’s Wake Up Call?
by Victoria Karalun (Carfton Hills College, Yucaipa)

Victoria is a Psychology major who is fascinated with personality. She lives with her husband, 9-year old son, and 6 cats, and enjoys spending her time on researching, photographing, reading, watching movies, and traveling.

Smoke
by Alex Nguyen (University of Colorado, Boulder)

Alex is a fourth year majoring in International Affairs and minoring in Japanese. They divide their time between the Editorial Board for the CU Honors Journal, co-running Queer and Transgender People of Color, and stressing about their thesis.

When The Lilacs Bloom
by Meg Orion (Lane Community College, Eugene)

Meg has lived a happy and healthy life; she has also experienced deep loss and grief. She believes we can become stronger as we move through the hardest of times. Meg is an honors student at Lane Community College and will be transfering to Portland State to purse a Masters of Social Work.

Scope of Reason
by Blakely Page (Weber State University, Ogden)

Blakely is a multi-talented creative mind and maker whose skill sets span many artistic areas.
She initially focused on the corporate world in management, providing her leadership to help multiple businesses achieve success. While raising two beautiful children on her own, she began running an art supply and coffee shop for Weber State University. Having a passion for the arts, Miss Page decided to pursue higher education and has become a highly skilled oil painter, ceramicist, and writer. On her artistic educational journey she met her incredibly wonderful partner Dave, a small metals and jewelry teacher, and together they share a passion for teaching and creating art. She has served on the editorial staff for the University’s most widely known publication: Metaphor. In addition she also is a highly skilled gardener, landscape designer, and also explores song writing, guitar playing, graphic design, and interior design. She is a fierce advocate of arts education and it has been one of her longest held dreams to teach classes in painting, ceramics and writing. Her focal desire is to help inspire people to reach their full potential through expression in the creative arts.

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Scholarship

State Sponsored Terrorism
by Martha Amaya (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Martha studies French, Criminal Justice, and Political Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is in her fourth and final year and will pursue a Masters in International Affairs immediately following her graduation. She is a Princeton University PPIA Fellow and is currently a Running Start Congressional Fellow in Washington, DC.

Recreational Use of Adderall Among College Students
by Jeramy Ashton (Utah Valley University, Orem)

Jeramy is a senior at Utah Valley University studying Philosophy with a dual minor in Ethics and Gender Studies. Catering much of his research towards social justice, Jeramy is working to apply for law school and pursue a career in health care policy fighting for marginalized communities. In his spare time, Jeramy loves to run, hike and explore nature.

Tears, Tension, and Terror: Emotion in the Works of Van der Weyden, Courbet, and Bacon
by Amy Spencer (University of California, Riverside)

Amy is a non-traditional, full-time Art History major at University of California Riverside. She teaches bookbinding and you can see her artist’s books on Instagram @aestusbookarts.

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Poetry

The Cobbled Shack
by HallieKate Briggs (Weber State University, Ogden)

HallieKate is a 19 year-old college student studying Art, English, and History at Weber State University. Having always felt disconnected from the world, they have relied on art, writing, and other creative mediums to establish themselves as an individual capable of meaningful expression.

Cranberry Linen
the air is soft
by Lindsey Habig (Washington State University, Pullman)

Lindsey is  is a political science major at WSU and enjoys writing poetry and flash fiction in her free time.

shapes
by Alex Nguyen (University of Colorado, Boulder)

Alex is a fourth year majoring in International Affairs and minoring in Japanese. They divide their time between the Editorial Board for the CU Honors Journal, co-running Queer and Trans People of Color, and stressing about their thesis.

Skinny Heifers
by Amy Olson (University of Wyoming, Laramie)

Amy s in her final year at the University of Wyoming and will graduate with a B.S. in Agricultural Communications with a minor in Agriculture and Applied Economics. She is also currently on the Ranch Horse Versatility Team and hopes to work for a reining or reined cow horse trainer after graduation.

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Photography and Visual Art

Mary Andrews (Crafton Hills College)

Mary Andrews is currently enrolled in her third year at Crafton Hills College where she is majoring in English, Social Science, and Humanities. Her passion for photography has allowed her to be published in the December 2018 and May 2019 Editions of the Palouse Review. Mary traveled around Europe for three weeks during the 2019 summer, stirring her creativity and becoming the inspiration of her narrative. Her goals are now to go on to get her masters degree in English at the University of Idaho.

Christopher Buffington (Crafton Honors Institute)

Christopher B. Buffington is a student of philosophy, English, and law with an interest in journalism and photojournalism.

Elijah Henry (California State University, Long Beach)

Elijah Henry is a Los Angeles-based, freelance illustrator. He is currently completing a degree in the BFA Illustration program at Cal State Long Beach. His work delivers a twisted take on the classic comic book aesthetic and applies it to a variety of eccentric character designs. With a collection of warped figural art and a generous use of ink, his goal is to develop a body of work that both challenges, disturbs and excites the viewer.

Jessie Hertz (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona)

Jessie Hertz is a student in the Bachelor of Architecture program at Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design. She is especially interested in sustainable construction designs for environmentally friendly buildings. While traveling abroad, Jessie enjoys the unique architecture, nature, and art that each country has to offer.

Camilla Jensen (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona)

Camilla Jensen is a first-year graphic design student at Cal Poly Pomona. She has been painting, drawing, and photographing for three years, and has studied fine arts in both England and Denmark. Her main focus when working with any medium is capturing the form and expression of people.

Chloé Johnston (Oregon State University)

Chloé is a senior at Oregon State University pursuing her Honor’s Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. When Chloé isn’t in school, you can find her taking pictures of the picturesque Oregon landscapes, doing graphic design for her club, or writing for her blog (extrovertedintrovert.com). She currently designs and manages social media and marketing materials for BridgeUSA at OSU. A club dedicated to bridging the political divide by creating a space for people to have polite, empathetic, and intellectual conversations on controversial topics. After completing her degree, she will be moving abroad to further her horizons

Austin Nash (University of Colorado, Boulder)

Austin Nash is an ecological researcher in the McCain Mountain Lab, a conservation photographer and outdoor recreationist. He has enjoyed capturing, studying and recreating in places such as Glover’s Reef in Belize, the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, and the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. He is currently investigating how mammals of differing body sizes access microclimatic conditions and is passionate about reintegrating natural systems in cities. He hopes to help study and protect America’s public lands in the future as a National Park Service ecologist.

Rojina Nekoonam (California State University, Fresno)

Rojina Nekoonam is a senior from California State University, Fresno. Rojina is a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College and plans to graduate in May 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Rojina is passionate about biomedical research and community health programs aimed at addressing health disparities in Central California. In her spare time, she enjoys taking landscape photos and wishes to reveal nature’s beauty through her shots.

Nam Nguyen (Washington State University)

Nam Nguyen is currently a senior at Washington State University (WSU), pursuing a dual degree in International Business and Marketing. Nam is the first student in the entire 129‑year history of Washington State University to study abroad on all seven continents. He is currently an intern at NASA, a researcher at the United Nations, and a Frank fellow with the Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute at WSU. Born and raised in a small rural town in southern Vietnam, Nam is fluent in Vietnamese and is the first person in his family to complete high school and go to college.

Toby Thompson (University of Wyoming)

Toby Thompson is a senior at the University of Wyoming, where he studies English, Creative Writing, and Graphic Design. His work explores life’s beauty, its horror, and the nature of conscious existence.

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