New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New

Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices

New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices

New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New

Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices

New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New

2013

Student Journal of Nonfiction

Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices

New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New

Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices

Lander University Greenwood, South Carolina

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New Voices

is a publication of the

College of Arts and Humanities

Lander University

320 Stanley Avenue

Greenwood, SC 29649

Student Editorial Board:

Mary DeLong

Amy Strickland

Jana Wilson

Publicity and Cover Drawing:

Brittany Faulkner

Design:

Dr. Misty Jameson

Faculty Advisors:

Dr. Amy England

Dr. Andy Jameson

Dr. Misty Jameson

New Voices congratulates Haley Wilson,

Winner of the 2013 Dessie Dean Pitts Award

newvoices@lander.edu

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Table of Contents

“What Is Bipolar Disorder?”

by Haley Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

“Linguistics of Swearing”

by Lauren Shiflet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

“Klingon as a Language”

by Andrew Dosher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

“Be a Man”

by Cody Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

“Montessori Education: A Better Way of Learning”

by Jessica Prince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

“In Case of Emergency, Save Cats First”

by Lauren Shiflet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

- 3 -

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Haley Wilson

October 8:

I thought of doing this while I was driving, thinking, planning, and singing

along to “Girl Anachronism,” the perfect song to match the pace of my

thoughts.

Ideas rushed through my head as I mentally stamped OK or NO on them to

the rhythm of the song.

Then I thought of this.

If I'm to present a truth creatively without any fictional means to a realistic

end, I'll write about my experiences and thoughts, but in different states of

myself.

I have bipolar disorder. This is a fact more valid and sound than the color of

my hair. It's black now; it was red. I was born a blonde.

Right now, I'm experiencing a manic state. I feel like I can handle whatever

workload comes my way in a single hour.

I am grilling steaks for my fiancé and myself tonight; currently I'm debating

spices: a little pepper, a little salt, a little creole seasoning, a lot of

perfection.

I’m trying to remember how many condoms we have left at the house, too,

because I know exactly what I want after the steaks.

I may spring for a box of Fire and Ice, just because. It’ll be a nice surprise,

just like how I surprised him with a $100 set of gaming headphones the last

time I was manic.

I also have mid-semester assignments to work on, but I’ll find time easily.

I am also debating on where I want to live with the man I will be with for the

rest of my life. I am thinking about our wedding. It is less than a month

away.

I am thinking about how many times this computer has autocorrected my

typing due to speed and inaccuracy.

Dessie Dean

Pitts Award

Winner

- 4 -

Tonight, I might also work on some poetry; it's been such a long time since

I've worked on any writing, really. It's a shame when that happens.

A story is pulsing through my brain as well; I hope to finish it. It sounds

amazing in my head.

I may not sleep tonight, so I'm trying to accept that. It's a fact of my mania.

It deprives me of sleep but allows me to expend energy more effectively,

creating new things, exploring new thoughts and old ones, to be perfectly

honest. My brain always seems to cycle back to the same ideas of living

abroad and changing the world when I’m manic.

However, now I’m trying to fit my fiancé into these ideas. I’ve talked to him

about going with me if I were to get a Fulbright scholarship to teach English

as a Second Language abroad, possibly in Latvia. He embraced the idea as

much as I did; however, it could be his mania acting on his behalf as well.

We are both diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and sometimes our manic

states are concurrent. This increases the dangers involved since neither of

us is able to be the anchor.

If we were to have a child, it would be conceived during such a time.

How do I know I'm manic right now?

Well, I've felt it rising somewhere in me for a day or so. Not an explosion,

just a slow but sure pressure, like a tea kettle working its way to a boil, and

right now my brain is whistling.

I slept terribly last night, yet somehow my energy kept building layer by

layer, pushing onwards and upwards to where I am now. In past manic

episodes, I have made a dress in approximately three hours, organized an

entire house in an evening, written a twelve page essay in two or three

hours, driven to Rock Hill and back to take someone to church with me (and

repeated the journey that same night to take them back), and other Wonder

Woman-esque marvels that seem to break the space-time continuum.

I've written this in a total of 10 minutes. This is a sample of my manic state.

I'll probably write more later.

- 5 -

October 9:

Dinner was fantastic last night. I've spent today doing laundry. Jesse calls it

"nesting" when I get like this. It's really just my mania. I've done about five

loads today and finally got caught up on the laundry. It's been piling up for

weeks.

I've also done a bit more wedding planning—not the best idea when I have

grandiose ideas, to be honest. Creative, but grandiose at times. I have

entertained the idea of handwriting place cards in calligraphy, but then I

thought about my handwriting and regrettably decided against it.

I also thought about dressing up our cats as part of the wedding party, but

his grandmother told me no.

My emotions are running on high about the wedding, but not in a stressful

way. When I simply think of the love he and I have, I want to cry. I

remember watching him play with a baby, my nephew, the other day. It

melted me even more into mush. I'm still mushy. While I’m manic, all these

great, mushy emotions just stick around and leave me feeling like a cloud:

light, dreamy, and phantasmagorically shifting above all the evils in the

world.

I don't have much to write about right now. Maybe later.

October 10:

Today was it. The irritation of mania turning into depression found me,

cornered me, and pulled me into the sewers of the thoughts I had been

floating over on my cloud of mania. After a day of having a short fuse and

being tempted to hunt for the nearest pistol and fit it neatly into my temple,

I am forced to break even further. I snapped at my fiancé, I snapped at his

grandmother, and I snapped off my seatbelt and opened the door of the car

while he was driving us home when I found out she may not come to the

wedding simply because I asked her to leave the house so we could eat. I

was in a rush, I was enraged already, and this sent me over. I tried jumping

out of the car, but he grabbed me before I could.

I feel like a terrible person. But, after he grabbed me, he pulled over and

held me. I apologized for being such a horrible person, for not being perfect

all the time and for making everyone mad at me when I slip. He said the

- 6 -

words that no one else has said before. Normally people say, "Oh, it's fine. I

forgive you." Or worse, they don't. But he said, "That's what I love about

you; you are humble."

I broke into tears and gave him the biggest hug I've ever given in my life. I

know for a fact he is the man I am supposed to marry, and I am so glad I

am marrying him soon.

He saved me in more ways than just grabbing me before I jumped, and he

doesn't even realize it.

My self-loathing would have been enough to kill me. Watching dishes pile up

in the sink just added another stab postmortem. Another trash can full,

another stab. Another thought about how much my family doesn’t want to

even come to the wedding, another fifty stabs. Another thought about how

I’m not good enough for my own family to want me and never have been,

another hundred stabs. Another thought about how I don’t deserve what

happiness I felt during my mania, another 200, allowing everything to return

to my self-loathing, to zombify me and kill me again. By the end of the day,

all I am normally able to do is cry myself to sleep and hope I won’t get up.

I came home to a clean house, something I haven't seen in weeks, and

couldn't help but smile.

If I had faced all of that alone, I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't be

writing this. I wouldn't be breathing.

October 13:

I woke up from two terrible nightmares last night. I don't remember what I

dream often, but when I do, rest assured that what I remember is never

good. Heck, I still remember nightmares I had when I was five just as vividly

as I did then.

It's awful to not be able to avoid emotional trauma even in my sleep. But,

what can be done?

I've been cleaning all morning, though it seems like nothing has been done.

It's mostly because everything is out of order. Clean, but out of order. A lot

of things lose their order in these downward shifts; I don't feel like

organizing right now, so the papers will remain scattered across the couch

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and the shoes across the floor. They aren't hurting anything right where

they are.

I've also been reflecting on words that someone said yesterday. I can't say

names. I can't give situations. But, I can give words.

When the subject of bipolar disorder is brought up in a public area, it is not

wise to joke about it. You are chancing someone around you having bipolar

disorder and losing respect for you, just as I lost respect for an entire room.

You don't say of a photograph of a famous author, someone with a greater

reputation for intelligence than your own, to a roomful of people absorbing

your every word as truth, "Yeah, he looks bipolar," upon finding out he had a

diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

You cannot possibly diagnose bipolar disorder by looks. What tipped you off,

his nose? Or maybe the curvature of his spine? The pure ignorance of that

statement undoes any ounce of intelligence with which I had ever credited

you for its regression to such an antiquated belief as physiognomy.

Furthermore, you do not comment on the fact that the photograph was

taken on a balcony by saying, "I suppose he always hung out on balconies in

case he wanted to just tip over and end it all." Even more so, you don’t

laugh when someone says something like that.

This is wrong and made me uncomfortable being in the same room as all of

you. I don’t spend my time on balconies “in case of emergency”; I also look

no different from anyone else due to my bipolar disorder alone. I live as

normal a life I can, and that’s how none of you were able to say of me,

“yeah, she looks bipolar.” That’s why when people find out I have bipolar

disorder, they instead say, “I would have never known; you don’t act

bipolar.”

Ignorant people disappoint me. Of all the things the human mind is capable

of, they are doing nothing with theirs.

October 24:

I've reread my entries, and I myself am amazed at the rapid cycling. Within

a week, I jumped from a manic high to a depressive low to a more stable

middle ground.

- 8 -

I've contemplated getting help again, but I'm afraid.

I'm afraid of finding a psychiatrist. I'm afraid of taking medication again.

I'm afraid of losing who I am.

Yes. I have bipolar disorder. It gets hard, but I manage. I live each day with

whatever state my mind is in. I enjoy my mania; I do so much work in so

little time.

The depression is rough. But, it makes me feel whole. I live, not on a middle

ground, but on every point on the spectrum of human emotion. This

increases my empathy with others. I can imagine their pain because it is

likely I have felt it before for far less a cause. Yes, that makes me sensitive.

I cry a lot, often for no reason.

But you know what?

I'm human. No more than you, the reader, are human, but also no less.

So, before brainlessly shouting about how the weather is bipolar or how your

girlfriend's PMS makes her “so bipolar,” think about what you are saying.

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder, not a phase; I've had it for as long as I

could possibly know, leading me to assume from birth.

It's not some arbitrary shift or mood swing. It's just not.

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Linguistics of Swearing

Lauren Shiflet

My aim in this speech is to show the difference between swearing and

other mediums of language and how this unique aspect of any language can

shape the way people think. In revealing these differences, the effects of

linguistics within a language can be observed. Fuck, along with a variety of

its counterpart structures deemed taboo by mainstream society, is the

source of much rebuttal and debate. Swearing is powerful; this medium of

language has its own history and syntax that is as baffling as its semantics

and the neurological effect on its audience. The uses of swear words range

far and wide and are difficult to trace. My focus is to show just how different

swearing is, and in doing so, to highlight grammatical complexities of our

usual, everyday language. I also want to explain why these words matter to

our society.

So why, then, is swearing taboo, and how is it used in support of

linguistic relativity? The first question is one Steven Pinker, a renowned

linguist and author, asks in his article “What the F***? On Why We Curse.”

In this article he explains a well-remembered use of an expletive from the

2003 Golden Globe Awards, when Bono from U2 was not censored in the

broadcast, saying, “This is really really fucking brilliant.” Of course, this

exemption from censors enraged certain viewers, causing a bill to be sent

before Congress in attempts to “clean the airwaves.” This act called for

complete censorship over the words “’shit,’ ‘piss,’ ‘fuck,’ ‘cunt,’ ‘asshole,’

and the phrases ‘cocksucker,’ ‘motherfucker,’ and ‘asshole’ including all

other compound and/or hyphenated uses of these words and the various

grammatical forms of the words or phrases (including verb, adjective,

gerund, participle, and infinitive forms)” (Pinker 20). Unfortunately for this

act, it misspelled multiple words, incorrectly labeled these words as

“phrases,” and also completely missed Bono’s use of fucking, which was

actually an adverb and not included in the list (Pinker 20). This broad listing

of the usage of expletives is just one small reminder to us of just how vast

the magnitude is when one considers manners in which to swear. This also

shows people’s immensely aggravated response to swearing. Even now,

some of you are still a bit bothered by the words listed. But why do we react

this way?

English

Academic

Showcase

Winner

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Uses of Swearing

Swearing is an important way of coming to a deeper understanding of

what is considered normal language and grammar because its uses and

syntax are such a strong exception to what is usual in English. Swearing

seems to be as creative as the speaker allows. Rules we follow within

everyday speech seem to be ignored within swearing. No one use of

swearing is right or wrong, unlike most other mediums of our language. For

example, one could easily use the adverbial form of the swear word in

“You’re too fucking cool” but could not use another adverb such as very:

“You’re too very cool.” That construction seems awkward, and the very

seems unnecessary, even redundant. Another common saying is “I don’t

give a shit” or “I only had about two shits to give.” Their meanings are

something close to that of care, yet even that word does not fit properly in

this structure. When someone tells you to “shut the fucking door,” that

person does not literally mean to shut the door that is fucking. Fucking here

cannot be considered a regular adjective like red or squeaking because,

instead of using this word to describe the door itself, it is being used for the

purpose of exclamation or emotional charge (Pinker 21).

Swear words can also be inserted into the middle of many words,

called tmesis, such as “un-fucking-believable” or “ri-goddamn-diculous.”

Tmesis is seen very rarely in our language and is almost always used with a

swear word or euphemism of one of these words. Unlike practically every

other word medium within the English language, expletives possess a use

and syntax all their own. These obvious differences in swearing as a medium

in language are a clear indication that these words may be much different

than other words, not only in their usage, but also in their effect on the

mind. They give us a glimpse into the oddities of language as a whole.

Neurological Aspect of Swearing

To understand this effect, one must first understand how swearing is

neurologically processed. Within the right hemisphere is a section of the

brain named the basal ganglia. This sector perceives and monitors threats

presented, such as when someone begins yelling or a dog snarls. Another

section of the brain is the amygdala, a prohibitory sector that controls the

behavior output of the brain. These two systems work together to connect

perceived threats with undesired behavior in respects of that perception. An

example used by Pinker is a monkey whose amygdale has been removed.

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Although he may be able to learn a new shape such as a triangle, he is

unable to connect that shape to its intended warning, such as an electric

shock, even after experience has shown that the shape is a forewarning of

the shock. Both of these sections, connected to threats and behavioral

prohibitions, are stimulated by swearing as well, which explains the

generalization that taboo words are linked to negative emotion. This

accounts for the surprise and danger one feels of hearing a taboo word and

for the inclination to prohibit such language, especially around elders or

young children (Pinker 21).

Taboo

Now that we understand how swearing affects the brain, in centers

that also interpret negative emotions, we start to wonder why they affect us

in that way. What makes these words, which seem only to be a series of

letters strung together like any other word, make us feel emotions and think

thoughts considered taboo? The reason is that swear words cannot merely

be seen as a scribble on a page or a random noise from someone’s mouth

because of the meaning they carry. While preparing this paper, I decided

there were words I simply did not feel comfortable referencing, like the “n-

word,” because there is a history to this word, an attitude and mindset that I

do not want to be associated with. Despite my using that word in a purely

academic context, the word still holds baggage too heavy for me to carry.

This shows us just how personable language becomes to use. Language can

bear cultural and social meanings, some that bring us together and others

that segregate us in terrible ways.

Conclusion

In current day arguments, non-linguistic canons are arguing over the

issue of political correctness, stating that “whoever controls words controls

the world” and that political correctness “is a sinister conspiracy to wash out

not just mouths but brains as well,” which seems to hint that thought can be

affected by the words we use (Cameron 154). These examples can show,

outside of the realm of linguistic studies, how people perceive language as a

way to control one’s thoughts or mindset. Taboo words are taboo for a

reason; they convey the thoughts and actions which mostly disgust society

or are held in high sacredness or regard. Therefore, these words, with

meanings sometimes vile to the listener, cannot be taken at face value, but

must instead be associated always with their darker meanings (Pinker 23).

- 12 -

Works Cited

Cameron, Deborah. “Linguistic Relativity: Benjamin Lee Whorf and the

Return of the Repressed.” Critical Quarterly 41.2 (1999): 153.

Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Dec 2012.

Pinker, Steven. “What the F***? On Why We Curse.” The Harvard Brain

2008: 20-24+. PDF. 10 Dec 2012.

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Klingon as a Language

Andrew Dosher

The scientific community has to date come to no consensus about the

way in which language was born or the point in human evolution when its

birth occurred, nor even the defining point at which a series of complex

vocalizations possessed by a developing group of humans or pre-humans

could be concretely defined as language. It is understood, however, that

language is an ever-evolving phenomenon that grows and develops much in

the same way as a living organism, which accounts for the inconsistency in

languages and the variance patterns in the rules that govern them.

In the past century, the possibilities of linguistic genesis have been

fairly explored through the unlikely medium of fiction, particularly in the

realms of science-fiction and fantasy, where artificial languages have thrived

as a popular way to legitimize fictional cultures and societies by augmenting

them with a corresponding language. Some of these are exceedingly

complex. The Klingon language of the Star Trek franchise, developed by

linguist Marc Okrand, is a good example of this. Thought to be the largest

fictional language in existence, Klingon does have a small population of

fluent speakers and is advocated by The Klingon Language Institute. But

despite all the nuances of this, one of the most complex fictional languages

in the world, there are certain ways in which Klingon differs from a real,

naturally developed language, despite being deliberately designed with a

certain level of authenticity. Also, although it is exceedingly similar to

natural languages in some ways, there are certain intrinsic characteristics of

natural languages that artificial ones cannot, or at least have not,

duplicated, but that does not mean that they can’t, and indeed Klingon,

despite its shortcomings, has the potential to grow beyond or obscure those

shortcomings that betray its true nature.

As Daniel Harvey points out in his essay “Nine Ideas about Language,”

“All languages have three major components: a sound system, a vocabulary,

and a system of grammar” (6). To understand the intricacies of fictional

languages—which is necessary in order to measure them against their real-

world counterparts—it is important to note first the constituent

characteristics of natural languages. For example, all languages are bound

by a set of rules that govern their usage. These provide the consistency

necessary for new and complex utterances to be devised, allowing languages

- 14 -

to continually grow and evolve (Harvey 5). Such evolution is also caused by

other more extraneous factors, such as new pronunciations becoming

common, particular words and patterns of speech moving in and out of

popular speech, or populations becoming isolated, and as a result,

developing divergent patterns of speech.

In order to create a fictional language that is convincing and as similar

as possible to a real one, one must take into account all the aforementioned

properties of language. As the largest fictional language in the world,

Klingon has done this, and with its base of fluent speakers, it has been

growing and evolving as a result both of being spoken by a small but

articulate group of people and its advocacy by The Klingon Language

Institute (Shoulson). Klingon differs from human languages in a number of

respects due to its nature as an “alien language.” This is because of

Okrand’s approach and goals for creating Klingon, which involved making it

realistic from an actual and an in-universe perspective.

Having previously worked on the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,

Okrand was asked back to create an official language for the following movie

in which Klingons were featured prominently. Starting with the brief bits of

dialogue devised by actor James Doohan for the first Star Trek movie,

Okrand took a phonetic approach by beginning to construct the language

grounded in the base phones, or fundamental spoken elements of

utterances, of the words Doohan had invented but added more in order to

have a enough sounds to have a convincing, natural-sounding language

(Okrand).

Several factors went into Okrand’s choice of new phonemes: “One

was, that according to the script for Star Trek III, Klingon is a guttural

language” (Okrand). This is logical, and an important factor for the

language, since language is informed by physiology and culture, and

Klingons of the Star Trek universe are a fierce and imposing warrior race.

Later Okrand further added various cultural affectations and idiosyncrasies

that reflect the culture of Klingons according to Star Trek cannon. For

example, in keeping with the aggressive, terse nature of Klingons,

there are no words for greetings…such words and phrases simply

do not exist in Klingon…[and] when two Klingons meet each

other,…if anything of an introductory nature is said, it is an

expression that can best be translated as What do you want?

- 15 -

Unlike most speakers of English, who begin conversations with

greetings, inquiries about the state of health of the conversants,

and remarks about the weather, Klingons tend to begin

conversations by simply stating the main points. (Okrand 10)

The guttural sounds of Klingon also reflect their vulgar, animalistic aesthetic.

In the consonant descriptions section of the The Klingon Dictionary, Okrand

points out that the letter “p” is “always articulated with a strong puff or pop,

never laxly. Speakers of English may want to exercise care to avoid

discharging saliva while articulating this sound. It should be noted, however,

that Klingons do not worry about this” (Okrand 15). In briefly discussing the

dialects of Klingon, Okrand says that “the word for forehead, for example, is

different in almost every dialect,” which is understandable, if humorous,

considering that Klingons’ elaborate, bony foreheads, the most prominent

feature that distinguishes them from humans, are different on each

individual (11).

It is interesting to note that there are some aspects of Klingon that

make it “natural,” by virtue of their dissimilarity with real, human languages.

In creating Klingon, Okrand noted that “human languages are very

patterned,…[but] since Klingon is not a human language, it didn’t have to

follow those human language rules” (Okrand). In keeping with this idea, the

collection of phonemes Okrand formulated for Klingon was deliberately

combined in ways inconsistent with most human languages, and it is in this

way that Klingon is “natural”: it adheres to the notion that it belongs to an

alien physiology and culture rather than deliberately imitating particular

existing languages. This adds, in some sense, a further level of realism,

since it reflects the fact that all human languages were formed by arbitrary

variables of physiology and culture, often affected by subtle environmental

factors.

For example, Klingon, like many human languages, features a voiced

labiodental fricative, or “v” sound; however, it does not feature a voiceless

labiodental fricative, or “f” (the same sound as a “v,” but without voicing,

that is, vibrating the vocal chords). This is exceedingly unusual, as virtually

all human languages have both sounds or neither, rather than just the one

(Okrand). The sentence structure and word order are also contrary to what

is typical among human languages. Okrand chose to order his sentences

with the object first, then verb, then subject (as opposed to English, which is

- 16 -

ordered subject, verb, object) simply because it is the least common word

order found in human languages. It is worth noting that Klingon’s “alien”

qualities that make it “natural” or “realistic” still do not impose upon its

fundamental nature as a language, and though Klingon may be linguistically

eccentric, it still has those basic properties shared by all languages as we

know them, and indeed it would have to in order to feel and sound genuine.

And so as a functioning language, Klingon has undoubtedly developed far

beyond anyone’s initial intentions or expectations.

Although the origins of human language are still unclear, it can be said

with reasonable certainty that language was not invented by a single

individual, a fact that separates Klingon from natural languages, but not

damningly. Ultimately, Klingon’s mimicry of natural languages is so complete

that it would seem to make its origins a moot point. There is only one issue

that, pending Klingon’s continued growth and existence, separates it from

natural languages. A child’s acquisition of a language is one of the main

processes that continues and revitalizes a language. Unless fluent speakers

of Klingon teach the language to their children, the logical step towards

developing a population of speakers, there will be no truly native speakers of

Klingon, and a language without any native speakers cannot truly said to be

natural, which is a problem that will ever betray Klingon’s artificial origins.

However, teaching Klingon as a native language has been attempted

at least once. Fluent Klingon speaker d'Armond Speers tried to raise his son

as bilingual in both English and Klingon. Speers’s son quickly became

seamlessly fluent in Klingon alongside English, and “‘his pronunciation was

excellent and he never confused English words with Klingon words.’” This

success belies the “alien” nature of Klingon, since Speers’s son acquired the

language as a child would any other language. Nevertheless, Speers’s son

became frustrated with the small vocabulary of only about 2,000 words that

his father had taught him. For example, for lack of an existing alternative,

Speers was forced to refer to a table as “‘thing which is flat,”’ and eventually

Speers gave up the effort when his son “‘stopped listening to [him] when

[he] spoke in Klingon” (Edwards).

In defense of Klingon, this failure, it would seem, was due primarily to

the impractically small vocabulary of Klingon at the time. The vocabulary of

Klingon has since expanded considerably, and now contains many more

practical, mundane words (such as table), but in order for Klingon to become

- 17 -

a truly natural language, it would still have to be learned and spoken by

children, which would quickly and exponentially make it evolve beyond its

current state (Okrent).

In terms of the definition of language according to Daniel Harvey,

Klingon definitely is a language, containing a sound system, a vocabulary,

and a system of grammar, but it is more than these elements alone that

make a language. It is their interaction, their synthesis, and their existence

as a state of flux, all of which Klingon is only just beginning to apprehend.

Nevertheless, if Klingon can continue to grow and someday make the leap

from being administered by an organization to a full-fledged language that

has a large base of speakers and changes fluidly through its being spoken,

then that will be a singular accomplishment, and the Klingon language truly

will have gone where no fictional language has gone before.

Works Cited

Daniels, Harvey A. “Nine Ideas About Language.” Language Introductory

Readings. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. Print.

Edwards, Gavin. "Babble On Revisited." WIRED, 1999. Web. 9 Dec. 2012.

Okrand, Marc, perf. Marc Okrand on Klingon. Youtube.com. Web. 1 Nov

2012.

Okrand, Marc. The Klingon Dictionary. Pocket Books, 1992. Print.

Okrent, Arika. "There's No Klingon Word for Hello." Slate, 7 May 2009. Web.

9 Dec. 2012.

Shoulson, Mark. "Learn Klingon." The Klingon Language Institute. The

Klingon Language Institute. Web. 9 Dec 2012.

- 18 -

Be a Man

Cody Johnson

Why is it that whenever a boy cannot do something he hears that he

“needs to be a man”? That does nothing but shame him into believing that

he needs to suck it up and get the job done no matter what the cost is. That

command will do nothing for him in trying to figure out how to complete the

task. But that influence will only make him want to use brute strength and

his “manliness” to get the job done. I was raised with that exact same

mindset, and it has not worked out for me. Where I am from, being a man is

to be rough, stout, insensitive, uncaring, and emotionless—basically a robot.

None of these terms should ever be associated with being a man.

I was raised to believe that men should always be participating in

some kind of sport. Football, baseball, soccer, rugby, lacrosse, hockey,

anything that required sweat and hard work was good enough. Sports build

character and teach young boys how to work as a team to complete a task.

No, they do not. I have played football and baseball since I was five years

old, and doing so has taught me very little of teamwork and certainly has

not built my character. It has taught me to strap on a helmet and some

pads, walk out onto the field, and knock the ever living heck out of anybody

that was not on my team. It taught me to have no remorse for my actions. I

think my favorite saying from football is that, if you do not hear a bone

crack when you tackle someone, then you are not hitting hard enough. Once

while playing in a rivalry game, my teammates and I hit someone so hard

that it not only broke his leg and tore his ACL, but it also ended his career

entirely. As I came off the field, I had a sense of accomplishment for my

actions that was aided by the cheers from my coaches, but I couldn’t shake

the fact that I had just taken a joy away from somebody that would never

be returned to him.

My experiences from sports did teach me, though, some other ways to

be a man. Football taught me that, if I am hurt, then I should ignore the

pain and go back out onto the field. It has also taught me that, if I am too

hurt to play, then I am weak and not meant to participate in manly sports

such as football or baseball. That is what I have always lived my life by

because that idea was implanted into my brain at a young age. When I was

twelve years old my biological father once made me hold a wasp nest in my

hand while the wasps continuously stung me over and over until they finally

- 19 -

left. My hand was swollen to nearly twice its original size, and I was sitting in

a puddle of tears. This was his way of shaping me into a man. He thought

that the less I was afraid of then the more manly I would become. My

stepfather, who adopted me and I consider my true father, is far from that

type of man. He knows the true meaning of what it means to be a man.

Because of my experiences, I am for the most part emotionless; you

will hardly ever see me cry. When something tragic in my life occurs, I just

shrug it off and try not to think about it. A man crying is weakness in my

eyes. It is not right, but that is what has been implanted into my mind since

the day I was born. Pain is nothing but weakness escaping from your body.

This is a quote that I have heard all my life and is what I live by. You are

allowed to feel pain and accept it. You simply must not show that you are in

pain. My biological father, my baseball coaches, and my football coaches

gave me this idea over the years. They have shaped me into who I am

today. Am I a man? That just depends on your definition.

The fact that I have been through adversity many times and somehow

found a way to get through it is part of what makes me a man. The fact that

I am there for my family and would drop whatever I am doing to help them

makes me a man. The fact that I am able to stand up for what I believe in

without being pushed around makes me a man.

I can build a fire or cook on a grill, but that certainly does not make

me a man. I can change a tire or rotate my tires if needed. I can change the

oil in my truck and change a head gasket if it is blown. I love hunting deer. I

will wake up at four-thirty in the morning just so I can get out and be in the

stand before the sun comes up. I can kill a deer, drag it out of the woods,

and field dress it myself. I have a truck, a pair of boots, and maybe a

camouflage hat or two. Do any of these things make me a man? They

certainly should not, but many people believe that these are some of the

criteria that fit being a man.

A man should have an equal balance in his life. He should be strong

and brave, but he should also be nurturing and caring to the people he

loves. He should have emotions and be able to show them if he feels that it

is necessary. My perception of a man has changed over the years, but the

basic characteristics are the same. Hopefully one day men can step out of

the shadows of how we used to be and change the image that we have given

ourselves.

- 20 -

Montessori Education: A Better Way of Learning

Jessica Prince

Once children reach a certain age, the one question all parents ask

themselves is, “where should my child attend school?” There are many

effective methods of schooling, each with its own unique approaches to

learning. Montessori education is a fairly new method to the United States

that has stirred up much controversy. However, despite its differences, the

Montessori Method is flourishing in America. Studies have been done over

the years in an attempt to discover which system of education is better,

Montessori or traditional. There are benefits to each side, but research has

shown that Montessori education could be more beneficial than traditional.

There are more facets to education than just academic learning; they include

self-discipline and motivation, independence, good social health, and getting

along with others. Acquiring traits like these can be just as beneficial later in

life as receiving quality academic training. Overall, Montessori education is

more beneficial than traditional-style education because the Montessori

Method instills intrinsic motivation, is individualized, includes peer tutoring,

and fosters better prepared, socially healthy, and academically successful

students.

Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, founded the first

Montessori school in Rome in 1907 (Jacobson). Through fifty years of testing

new ideas and materials and noting children’s reactions, she developed an

entirely different system of education. Her system fully engages children’s

natural learning potentials; they learn about themselves, develop self-

confidence, and in turn become life-long-learners (Epstein and Seldin).

Today, Montessori schools incorporate Maria Montessori’s findings as well as

new discoveries of how learning and development occur. According to

Angeline Lillard, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of

Virginia, “Modern research in psychology suggests the Montessori system is

much more suited to how children learn and develop than the traditional

system is.” The Montessori Method is found in more than 5,000 schools in

the United States and in approximately 22,000 schools world-wide in 110

countries (MacDonald). In some schools, these programs range from infant

care all the way through high school. It is a fairly new way of learning for

our country that is becoming increasingly popular; many parents are now

discovering the benefits of giving their child a Montessori education.

- 21 -

The first reason that a Montessori education is more beneficial than

traditional education is that Montessori instills intrinsic motivation in a child.

This means that the child receives pleasure and satisfaction from completing

a task or learning something new. According to Lillard, “Montessori is a

model of the child as a motivated doer who learns through self-instigated

actions on the environment.” Motivation comes from inside rather than from

receiving any external awards. External awards such as candy or stickers

might motivate children to learn while they are young, but this eventually

fades with age. Tying extrinsic rewards to an activity negatively impacts

motivation when the reward is withdrawn (Lillard). Therefore, it is important

to instill self-motivation in a child while he or she is young so that, as the

child ages, she will continue to learn due to an inward drive for new

knowledge. The third principle of Montessori education is that people learn

better when they are interested in what they are learning (Lillard). Children

need to develop a love of learning, and they should be allowed to pursue

their own interests (Jacobson). The job of a Montessori teacher is not to

bombard children with facts but to create a learning environment that

engages and interests the child. This will make a child a life-long learner

(Lillard).

Furthermore, Montessori education offers an individualized form of

learning for each student. According to Lillard, “Traditional schools are

modeled on factories and the children as blank slates.” In other words, they

view every child as virtually the same. Montessori education recognizes that

every child is different and individualizes its program. Children are allowed

to work at their own pace. Paul Epstein and Tim Seldin, authors of The

Montessori Way, suggest that “Gifted children are allowed to do schoolwork

of higher grade levels without having to skip a grade or feel emotionally out

of place” (235). Also, some children require more time to grasp a subject

than their peers. Montessori gives these students that extra time they need.

A third advantage of Montessori education is peer tutoring. A

Montessori classroom is mixed-age with a two-to-three year age span.

Children benefit by learning from each other. In a classroom with three

different ages, if a child doesn’t understand a concept, most likely another

child in the classroom will. According to Epstein and Seldin, “Younger

students have the stimulation of older students who benefit from serving as

role models” (230). Also, working in the same classroom for two or three

years builds a stronger sense of community within the classroom.

- 22 -

Moreover, Montessori education fosters children who are better

prepared for higher-level learning. In a study conducted at Craig Montessori

Elementary School, in Milwaukee, the scores on a series of tests were

compared to those of similar children at other schools. Linda Jacobson,

author of “Taming Montessori,” states, “On several measures of school

readiness, such as letter and word recognition, word-decoding ability, and

ability to solve math problems, five-year-olds in the Montessori school

scored higher than those who attended other schools.” In the same study,

the children were given a “false belief” test, which determines how well

children recognize subjective and objective statements. Developing this skill

is a “landmark achievement in social cognition.” Eighty percent of the

Montessori students passed compared with only fifty percent of the control

group (Jacobson). The same children also tested better on “executive

function,” the ability to adapt to more complex problems, an indicator of

future school and life success (Lillard). Also, in a study in Karnes, Illinois,

fewer Montessori children were retained a grade or dropped out of school

(Lillard). The Montessori Method is very effective in young learners and

equips them with the necessary concepts and values to make them

successful throughout their whole learning career and later on in life.

Montessori education also fosters socially healthier children.

Montessori students are generally better behaved than traditional students.

In the study conducted at Craig Montessori Elementary School, among the

twelve-year olds, in behavioral and social measures, the students were more

likely to choose “positive assertive responses” dealing with unpleasant

situations (Lillard). They also demonstrated a greater sense of fairness and

justice. They were more likely to be involved in “shared peer play,” be

involved in less rough play, and displayed a greater sense of community

(Jacobson). In a study done by researchers Kevin Rathunde and Mihaly

Csikszentmihalyi, Montessori students reported more positive perceptions of

their teachers and school environment and more often perceived their

classmates as friends. Children benefit from the Montessori Method by

becoming more socially healthy and mature than children from traditional

schools.

Additionally, Montessori education fosters academically successful

students. In the study at Craig Montessori Elementary School, among the

twelve-year-olds, Montessori children produced more creative and

sophistically structured essays (Lillard). In a study at Goddard Montessori

- 23 -

School in Maryland, in 2006, fifty-three percent of eighth graders in the

district scored at the proficient level or above in reading, compared with

seventy-one percent at Goddard (Jacobson). In math, thirty-five percent of

the district’s eighth grades scored proficient or higher, compared with eight-

six percent at Goddard (Jacobson). Children who participated in the study at

Milwaukee Montessori schools from preschool to fifth grade scored

significantly higher on standardized tests such as the ACT in science and

math than did matched controls (Lillard). Montessori education does not

always produce more academically successful students than traditional

education, but research shows it is a very effective method of learning.

Despite this perceived effectiveness, a number of educational

specialists oppose the practices of the Montessori program. There have been

problems in some of the variables in the studies that have been conducted

so far that might make one refute the findings. For example, the sample of

students chosen was relatively small and few classrooms were involved.

Also, the samples are self-selected, which means parental influence could be

a factor in the outcomes of these studies (Lillard). Research is mainly short-

term, and it is difficult to tell if the effects are long-lasting (Lillard). One

could argue that more studies need to be done in order to prove that one

education system is superior to the other. Some Montessori schools do not

stick to the true Montessori curriculum (Lillard). Any school can call itself

“Montessori,” but some schools are not actually accredited, and some

teachers are not properly certified (MacDonald). However, it is the parents’

responsibility to research and make sure that the school they are sending

their child to is of good quality and meets Montessori standards prior to the

child’s enrollment. Montessori does not follow a predictable time table

because children learn at their own pace; this conflicts with governmental

laws stating children must be tested and show progress annually. Many

Montessori programs have had difficulties adjusting their curriculums to

these laws, but progress is being made (MacDonald). It may take a

Montessori child longer than the expected time to read or write because he

learns at his own pace, but once a child grasps the concept on his own, it is

of much greater value to him (Lillard). Thus far research has not shown

which method results in higher academic test scores, but it has proven

Montessori fosters academic skills that are equal or superior to those

fostered by traditional schooling (Lillard). Despite opposing views, the

studies done thus far have produced only positive outcomes for Montessori

education.

- 24 -

Montessori education is a very beneficial form of schooling that not

only produces academically successful, but also self-motivated, socially

healthy, and better-prepared students. Children do not go to school just to

grow mentally; they also go to make friends, learn how to get along with

others, and learn about themselves and grow spiritually. Montessori

education creates a learning environment that promotes this growth and

development. Some will argue that this does not make Montessori a better

way of learning than traditional schooling because society today emphasizes

academic growth in education. The educational system is focused on testing,

feeding children facts, and expecting them to retain them until test time.

Montessori understands that this is not an effective way of teaching a child

and expecting him to learn. Montessori individualizes its method for each

and every student; it sees all students as unique and different and as

requiring a different method of learning. The Montessori Method takes a

child and makes him more independent, instills a love of learning, and

promotes ideas and values that make him better prepared for his future.

Further research is required to prove which education system is

actually superior, Montessori or traditional, and debate on the subject

continues throughout many school districts today. Our nation has used the

traditional-style method of teaching ever since our country’s birth, and it has

proven very effective. However, this does not mean that it is the only

effective method. We need to embrace this new, increasingly popular style

of learning. It has been used for a century throughout many countries in the

Western Hemisphere and has proven to be very effective. As the movement

enters its second century, experts see its ideas and insight on education and

how a child learns as possibly influencing school reform in K-through-twelve

schools in America (MacDonald). The Montessori program shows that it is

not only academics that are important in school but also social and spiritual

learning and growth. Many parents are growing to realize that, in the long

run, their children will benefit more from receiving a Montessori education

because they know that it help a child become a more compassionate, self-

motivated, and productive member of society, as well as a life-long learner.

- 25 -

Works Cited

Epstein, Paul, and Tim Seldin. The Montessori Way. Terra Ceia: The

Montessori Foundation, 2006. Print.

Jacobson, Linda. “Taming Montessori.” Education Week 26.27 (2007): 30-

32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

Lillard, Angeline. "Montessori Education Provides Better Outcomes than

Traditional Methods, Study Indicates." Eurekalert. AAAS, 28 Sep 2006.

Web. 14 Sep 2012.

Lillard, Angeline S. Montessori: The Science behind the Genius. New York:

Oxford UP, 2005. Print.

MacDonald, G. Jeffrey. “Montessori Looks Back—and Ahead.” USA Today

n.d.: Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.

Rathunde, Kevin, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "The Social Context of Middle

School: Teachers, Friends, and Activities in Montessori and Traditional

School Environments." Elementary School Journal 106.1 (2005): 59-

79. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.

- 26 -

In Case of Emergency, Save Cats First

Lauren Shiflet

Driving, like any other day down the long winding roads towards my home.

Driving down the long dark strip covered in the bright green canopy of the

overgrown oak trees. The muddy brown pond appears to my right, and the

houses begin to come into view on my left. I turn the steering wheel and

ride up the hill, as I have done for the last seventeen years.

But something is different. Fleets of trucks. Armies of dumpsters. Trash

trucks lining the street and blocking my small brown house. The pink

flamingos that fluttered in the yard to my right were no longer visible. The

chickens my neighbor to the left secretly owned were silent. The children

who are always in the front yard of the Krugers’ house were nowhere to be

seen. I could hear my dogs barking nervously. People of the neighborhood

were perched on the porches and squinting out of windows to watch the

commotion. The source of the hubbub seemed to flow from the house across

from mine, or at least that is where the concentration of trucks and

movement was greatest.

It was the feline house, as we liked to call it. In its prime, this had been the

home of dozens of cats, maybe more, lurking on the premise, but now their

numbers had diminished. They climbed on the roof; they lurked under the

dilapidated holes forming in the side of the house; they hid under the cars in

the neighborhood, swatting at legs as people walked by. In the mornings,

we always found cat tracks lining the windows and hoods of our cars, and at

night we heard the lot of them fighting. On the house, the window of the

kitchen had a sticker that said, “In case of emergency, save cats first.”

Cats had ruled the lot since I was a young child, but this swarm was new to

me. I pulled into the driveway and slowly removed myself from the car with

as much apathy as I could muster. As a nosey neighbor, the last thing I

wanted to appear as was nosey. As I walked to my door, I spied the

multitude of people between the gaps of the trucks carrying cameras and

wearing contamination masks. I increased my pace. Once inside, I googled

everything I could think of. Nothing resulted. My mind raced with the

possibilities.

- 27 -

As a small child, I had assumed they were crazy—three plump ladies who all

looked the same. I could only tell them apart from their haircuts. They were

like their cats, forming into one entity, one universal being, one similar

person; there were cats, and there were Ms. Felines, and that was all we

knew. Like their cats, you were never sure which one of the ladies you were

looking at, but you knew they came from the same place.

They used to yell at the kids for playing in the creek behind their house.

They would always have a recycling bin filled to the brim with soda cans and

empty 12-pack boxes every Thursday for pick up. At least they recycled.

Honeysuckles grew up the side of the home that was visible to the road, and

the cats scaled these vines on particularly boring days. The ladies owned one

minivan that was driven by all three of them. On the window it said, “Zero to

bitch in .5 secs!”

It had only been a few months ago when some changes had occurred. The

old walls facing the road were painted a lighter, whiter color, setting a stark

contrast to the dark brown the house had been before. The weeds that grew

high around the cement picnic table and bird baths had been chopped down

but left in the yard to die away slowly. The garage that was once filled with

the mew of cats hiding under old lawnmowers and golf clubs grew quieter.

As a busy student, I had failed to notice the slow decrease in the feline

population. I had noticed the changes in the house’s appearance, but took

no interest in it. I no longer saw the three cat madames, and I no longer

noticed their car leaving or coming. I did not care to take the time to

interpret the behavior. This all began to collect in my mind as I watched

from my window.

I stepped outside of the house and pretended to check on a small cluster of

garden that had just sprung forward. A few daffodils told me spring was

close. I glanced over at the trucks to see some workers outside the

perimeter. The men were taking a smoking break. One of them, tall and

slender with black medium-length hair, stood leaning against the back of the

truck casually. He reminded me of a man who would sometimes come over

to the feline house. He drove a beat up blue car that sputtered when he

cranked it. He would usually stand outside chatting with one of the cat

madames, smoking a cigarette that smelled funny to us kids whose parents

“never smoked those ones that smelled like skunks.” One day there was

more yelling than usual, and the man drove away, his car wheezing in

- 28 -

distress. I never saw him visit after that, but I did notice the cat madame

whom he had often visited standing in the same spot where he would park

his car, smoking alone. I walked toward the workers slowly, trying not to

bring too much attention to myself.

I tripped.

The men’s heads snapped up and glared at me with judgmental looks. I was

still 20 yards away. I stood back up and continued my approach, suffering

the awkward moments.

I walked over to the two men, not sure where to start. I gave a nervous

laugh.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"Hello," replied the dark haired one, taking a long drag.

“So, what is going on over here? I've never seen this many vehicles on my

road." I hoped they would spill into a long explanation, for I was truly

curious.

"Well, we're cleaning this house," he said with a nod towards my neighbors’

home. I stood waiting for more.

I glanced over at the house, with its new renovations. So many good things

had happened on the outside. Its rough exterior had been painted over,

covering the patches of chipped wood and sun-fading, but at a closer look,

the surface of the house was still damaged, just covered up. The cats had

disappeared from the outside, but I still spied buckets of cat food on the

porch.

"And the cameras?"

"Oh, well, this is a show." I half expected Ashton Kutcher to jump out. A

show? A show? I quickly scanned over every show I could think of in my

head. I was still clueless.

"What show?" I asked as he puffed a large cloud of smoke my way.

"Hoarders" he replied. I was still baffled, especially since I first took him to

say, “Whores.”

- 29 -

"What?" I repeated. This time, the men looked at each other warily and back

at me. My ignorance towards their jobs was obviously insulting.

"The A&E show Hoarders. It comes on Monday nights at 10," he answered

before returning his cigarette to his mouth. "Oh right, right," I added, trying

to cover my unfortunate mistake. “Hoarders,” I repeated.

"I've heard of it. Sure." I continued rambling. The men nodded and looked

towards the ground with that. And so did I. What was there left to say? A

few moments passed in this same silence.

I did not even say bye; I just walked back quickly to my house.

Weeks later when the show finally premiered, every family on the block and

in the small gossiping town was sure to tune in. The cluttered, filthy state of

their abode was unnerving. Boxes and bags were piled feet high on all sides,

leaving only a narrow walking path to the rooms. Most rooms were

inaccessible. The toes of the women were bruised and knotted from being

broken so many times on random things obstructing their path. The cats

that were no longer seen were kept inside, a total of ten. Although most had

been removed, ten still remained. Cat feces covered the floors and air vents.

The cats scaled the walls and jumped from one tower of boxes to the next.

The cat madames also had an extreme obsession with stuffed animals, which

they each collected in the hundreds. They numbered the stuffed animals into

the thousands collectively. Stuffed animals took over the main living areas

and the beds and tables and the shelves. Between each stuffed animal was

more stuff crammed in between.

That was the most unsettling part. The stuff. The sheer, unequalable and

insurmountable amount of stuff that filled every inch, every nook, every

corner. They bought stuff every day, and they kept stuff every day.

Innumerous amounts of it went in, but barely more than a box full of

recyclables came out. If something went missing, they just bought another

one so that there were duplicates and triplicates and quadruplicates and no

end in sight.

Of course, by the time this episode aired, people had been talking, swapping

one nugget of information for another. Every new person you spoke to had a

different side, a new piece to add to the puzzle. One of the three women had

grown ill and required an ambulance, as the other two were unable to carry

- 30 -

her out. When EMTs arrived, they could not reach her and immediately

called the Department of Social Services to report such an inhabitable

situation. If the feline house was not cleaned up, it would be condemned,

and they would be separated. This was the reason for all the recent

remodeling. This is why they attempted to paint over the cracks in the walls

outside and chop down the weeds that covered the trash littering their lawn.

I watched the screen as the array of stuffed animals, big and small, were

being carted into dump trucks. The cat madames clung to the animals,

begging to keep just one. One in particular begged the men to go back into

the trucks to find special stuffed animals or toys that she could keep.

I had never realized what that house was. I lived in what I had thought was

a normal neighborhood. But now society was telling me that there was an

outcast within it that had broken some sacred unwritten rule. How had

culture so completely controlled this woman? Society had advertised to her

and sucked her into all these objects of envy, these mainstream consumer

treasures. They enticed her to these “necessities”; they made her a normal

part of society by buying these items. But once she had bought too many,

she now became a burden. She had become ostracized and labeled with a

mental disorder, and society took everything away. She had owned her cats,

and she had bought her stuffed animals, but now they were both gone. A

tear trickled down her cheek as the organizational expert on the show slowly

coaxed the stuffed bear out of her grasp.

The ladies cried about the condition of their home and whether the cats

would be okay with this drastic change. They had taken so long to get used

to the hordes of items that the ladies were afraid this new change would be

too much.

They cried about the mess, and then they cried about the clean. Each one

cried over her items being discarded and then carelessly threw away the

others’ belongings. We watched as they ran in circles and moved the boxes

of stuff to new locations, barely making any difference. Their tears fell, and

their stuff moved, and I realized that that was all there was for them: an

endless cycle of buying and moving and hoarding. The house was not fully

cleaned. After two days, the crew packed up, moved on, and left the feline

house. They also left the question hanging over the entire community

whether all the work was wasted.

- 31 -

A year or two later, no one had really seen much of the Ms. Felines. Their

car would come and go, but no one heard any news. We had hoped their

house had improved over the time since the incident or that maybe the

cleanup, which was never finished on the show, could have been

accomplished afterwards. No one had seen them, and no one had asked, so

it was hard to say what had happened. Hoarding is a psychological disorder,

according to modern day psychologists. We all understood it was not an

easily overcome disorder, but like typical nosey neighbors, we hoped for the

best in public and speculated the worst in private.

My father came home one day from the store, shaking his head, twitching

his lips in solemn pity. He seemed disappointed, but not surprised. I asked

him what he had seen.

He described seeing the elder Ms. Feline, struggling with her bags as she

loaded the buggy-full into the van. He, being a typical southern gentleman,

walked over to help his neighbor. All he saw in the cart were bags full of

stuffed animals and diet sodas.

I imagine the house isn’t much different than before. They made some

progress on the show, but what did it really matter if they were just going to

buy more stuff? Why hadn’t they taught them how to control it? Why had

they just cleaned and left them alone? Every day that I drive by, I can

imagine the pillars of boxes, swaying with every bump, the clamor of cats

scurrying through obstacles, and the lonely women, sitting among their

stuff.

- 32 -

New Voices

is published with the financial support of the

Lander University

College of Arts and Humanities

and

the Department of English and Foreign Languages.

The editors would especially like to thank

Dean Renée Love

and

Dr. Jeffrey Baggett

for their encouragement and assistance.

The rest of the editorial staff would also like to thank

Amy Strickland

for her years of dedicated service and

to congratulate her on completion of her degree.

New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices New Voices

New Voices

Student Journal of Nonfiction

is a publication of the

College of Arts and Humanities

Lander University

320 Stanley Avenue

Greenwood, SC 29649

newvoices@lander.edu

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