The Muse 2010 Issue

0 1 0 10
10
01
01
10
01
00
01
001
101 00
0
0
1010
011 1 1 110
0100 10010
0 0 0 1 0 010101001
00
10 1 1010010011101 10
100
0
1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 10 0 1
01
100101 0111 0
100
00
01
01
11
10
10
10
10
10
00
101 1
01 1001
0
101
0 10010010101100 01001
00
100
101
0
1
0
1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 10
00
10
10
0
01 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
11
00
10
1 01010
10
01
10
10
10
10
00
00
11
10
00
0
1
0
00
00
01
10
10
01
00100101110010101
1011
001
010
01
01
01
00
10
01
10
1001010010111
1
001
100
00
01
01
0
10
0
10
1
0
01
10 0
0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 010
1
0
0
0
1 1 1 0 1 01011
10
10 0
11
0
1 0 01
000 1 0010
0
10 0 0
0 1 1 1 0 01 010
0
1
0
10 1
00100101
10
00
11
1 10
1110
1 010010
10
1
01 0
1 10
1
0 0 1 0 1 00
10 1
0 0 0 1 10 01
0 00 0 1 01 1
11 1 0 0 010 0 1 0 1 0 10
1
1
0 1 00
1001 0010010010010 0011011 1
0
10 010
01
10
01
10
11
10
010
10 101 0 0 100 10
1 0010110
000
10
11011010010011
00 0111
01 01
01 10
1
1
10 100
01 0
00
100 10 1 01 0 0 1 11 1 0
110010
10
111
0 0 0 010 1 0
1
0
10
011
10
10
01
01 1
00 0 1
11
01
1 01 0
1
00100 10 01 1 0100
00 10
01
1 01 0 1 0 1 00 1
11 1 0 0 1
0
10
0
01 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
01
1 1 0 0 1 1 1 11
1 0 01
01
10 0
1 0 10
01 0 00
0010
10
10
1001 101011 10111001100
00
1 01
10
00
01
0 1 10 0 1 0 01 01 0 10 1 0
10
01
1 00 1 0
11
00
001
01
0
001
01
100100101010101010
1100 1010110110
0
010
101111001011001001 101
001 10
01
01
10
10
10
00 0 0
01 01
01 1
10 11
1
00
010001001001
0
010
10 0110010110101 010
00 1
00
1
10
10 0010
10
1
01011010
0
1
10
1 0
10
10
00
1
10
0
10
1
0
0
0
1
1
10
100
01
10
10
00
11
1
010100
1
00
01
0101
010 0 1
01 0 1
01
01 01 0 01 0
10 1 0 1 1
0
00 10 1 00
01 10 11 11
01 100 100 100 11
01
10 10101100 000 00001110
00
010
01 011 011
01
1 0
00
00
1
00
10
0
10
10
11
00
11
01
10
01
01
0
10
01
00
00
01
10
010
101
10
10
1100
10
010
0 00
10
11101
10
0
0
00
0
0
001
11
01
10
00
1001001011100100
00010010010001100001001010101
00100101 0 1
000100110100
0010010010010010100101001001001001 00
00
001
101 101
10 0 1 1
0
01
00 010 0100 0 1
10
1 1 11 1 0 0 0 1
10
01 11 10 010 1 00 10 10 1 0
1
1 1
01 10 010 11 0 1 1 1 1 0
0
0
01
0
001
01
00 1
01
10
0 0 0 1 00 10 0
10
11
0
01
0
1
10 001
0
10
00 010
0
01
00 1001
10
01 0010
001
1
001 0010
010
01
0
SUMMER 2010
STANLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE LITERARY AND VISUAL ARTS MAGAZINE 1
July 2010
Making
Connections
This issue of The Muse is Stanly Community College’s third publication of the literary and visual arts magazine. The first two issues were released at the end of the academic year, in May. With this issue, we begin a new release date of early fall to coincide with the new academic year. The beginning of a school year is often a rebirth. We may make New Year’s resolutions in January, but often it is a new school year that is the real catalyst for change. For students just beginning a college education, there is a feeling of nervous anticipation as dreams for the future become reality. A returning student may resolve to study more carefully and make better grades. For instructors, the start of a new year brings new classes and the desire to challenge students. I hope this issue of The Muse greets you as a new beginning, and inspires you to do something to refresh your life. Writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe reminds us, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
What changes do you want to make? How will you continue to
write the story of your life?
I thank everyone who contributed their time and energy
to make this publication possible. Special thanks to all of
the writers and artists who have shared their work in this
magazine. I consider each one a gift.
May The Muse bring you joy.
Sincerely,
LORRI BARRIER
English Instructor
Stanly Community College
Artists are always looking for a venue
to share their work with the world.
Art has no place sitting, hidden from the
world. With The Muse we offer another
outlet of visual and verbal communication
for our very own artists and writers here at
Stanly Community College. This opportnity
opens doors for our advertising and graphic
design students to discuss, express, and
present their talents to the public.
We hope that you enjoy viewing the
work presented here.
JOSH GOOCH
Program Head/Instructor
Advertising & Graphic Design
Stanly Community College
22
The Muse
Table
Of Con
Candied Martini:
Photo:
Photo: Big Clouds:
tents
Fairy:
Photo:
Photos: Mexico City/Civil War:
Photos:
p.13
by Gaye Wood
5
by Josh Gooch
6
by Ashley Huneycutt
7
by Cindy Poole
8
by James Cotton
10
by Gaye Wood and Austin Poole 11
Hogwarts:
by Donald Stewart
12
by Matthew Hatley
16
by Josh Gooch
17
Evening Flight /
Colonization of Venus:
by Jett Furr
18
Photo:
by Gaye Wood
20
Painting:
by Kateland Harward
20
Digital Art:
by Mitchell Huneycutt
21
Photo:
by James Cotton
No Karaoke For Me:
Where The Line’s Drawn Thin:
by Terri Russell
23
5
Hopeless:
Photo: Ladybug:
p.18
by Chandler Johnson 4
Shhh:
Self Destruct:
Life Unto God:
Everyday People:
by Joseph Yarbrough
6
by Teddi Peterson
7
by Teddi Peterson
9
by Brooke Chandler
10
by Cathy Collins
12
A Bride’s Journey To Marriage: by Brittany Charcut
Delicate Disaster:
First Love:
Solemn Vow:
The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the opinions of Stanly Community College
(SCC). All poetry and artwork is assumed to be the original and free expression of the artists represented.
The Muse is a literary and art magazine published once a year by Stanly Community College’s, English,
Advertising & Graphic Design and Stanly Early College (SEC) Divisions. No part of this material content shall
be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the college. Any
comments or questions about our publication should be directed to Michelle Peifer,
Executive Assistant to the President, Marketing and Community Outreach at 704-991-0393 or
[email protected].
Cover Artwork and Layout: by Jordy Carson/ SCC Advertising and Graphic Design Student
July 2010
14
by Arlene Johnson
17
by Lorri Barrier
20
by Jordy Carson
23
3
3
Candied Martini by Chandler Johnson/ SCC Student
4
The Muse
Muse
The
No Karaoke For Me
By Terri Russell/ SCC Student
There was a time when I dreamed of
singing like a nightingale. I would vigorously sing
in the shower, in my room along with my favorite
record or album, in harmony with the latest song
on the radio and reverently in church with the
congregation.
When I began high school, females were
limited to activities such as sports and clubs. We
had the normal social clubs but as far as groups
that required try-outs, there were few. They consisted of the Tigers Marching Band, the girls’ basketball team and our high school chorus. I was a
majorette in the marching band and a member
of the girls’ basketball team. I was a good majorette but my membership on the basketball
team kept me firmly planted on the bench. High
school chorus try-outs were posted and I was the
first in line. This was my chance to perform and
be appreciated for my exceptional talent. You
see, when I opened my mouth, my ears heard an
angelic tone projecting from my lips.
The chorus director listened patiently to
my painful but determined audition. She reluctantly awarded my efforts by placing me in a
group labeled the “altos”. I came to terms with
my role as an alto; however, harmony did not
come easy.
We practiced countless hours for our upcoming
Christmas concert.
The musical Gypsy was my favorite movie
and I was always inspired by the words of Mama
Rose, “Sing out Louise, sing out”; and so I did.
The night of the concert, my chorus director pulled me aside. She gently put her hand
on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. I will
never forget her words. Her instructions were
not the ones of Mama Rose, “Sing out Terri, sing
out” but to my dismay, she said, “Terri, don’t sing,
just smile and move your lips.” I will never forget
those words and the feelings that rushed through
my very soul. I was crushed.
Today, I still sing in the shower. I still sing
passionately with the radio as I drive alone down
the highway, and I still sing quietly in church.
My experience in the high school chorus
left me with a disheartened and low opinion of
my once confident vocal abilities. The experience
also left me with my quote. “No Karaoke for Me.”
“You see, w
he
n
my
lips.”
July
July 2010
2010
elic tone
ang
m
fr o
d my mouth,
e ne
op
an
projecting
I
my ears h
ea
rd
Photo by Gaye Wood/ SCC Staff
5
Where The Line’s Drawn Thin
By Joseph Yarbrough/ SCC Student
Where does the madness stop? When does the healing begin?
the innocence of my mind and soul is cost.
Conforming to flesh that was my own resemblance I am making my amends.
to making it temporarily not afraid to be seen?
We all lie naked, only in truth can we blanket the scars,
deep are the secrets where chains bind our compromising hearts.
Who's to say we aren't too weak? Where are the strong to set us free?
Who's going to stop us from making us what we feel we have to be?
Plagued are nations screaming a starving cry,
haunted by the feelings that they'll never see daylight.
Is it cheap to say that pleasures are keen,
It's hard to imagine in youth what we are to foresee,
when everywhere we turn it's disaster, fiends, and war laid at our feet.
If we're killing ourselves all along then where's the stopping point?
How do we define our race if we do not know where we are going?
There’s got to be a place where the lines aren't drawn thin,
where we find the peace in mankind and the healing process does begin.
Where dying is freedom from such pain and disease,
As we each in this world step toward what one day may be the end,
Where’s the hope? Where are the dreams for such as these?
we shall learn the lessons of our creations, that of war against our sins.
In my own burdens so much of myself I've lost, for the things I created, "This is the world through the eyes of my own..."
6
Photo: Big Clouds: by Josh Gooch/ SCC Advertising & Graphic Design Instructor
The Muse
Muse
The
Fairy by Ashley Huneycutt/ SCC Student
Shhh
by Teddi Peterson/ SCC Student
I listened when you whispered to me
this is not the way life is supposed to be
I heard the voices when they said
Something better lies straight ahead.
I listened hard until I heard
Every one of my thoughts, every one of my words.
77
July
July 2010
2010
Photo by Cindy Poole/ SCC Staff
8
The Muse
Muse
The
Self Destruct
By Teddi Peterson/ SCC Student
I huffed and puffed and blew the house down
then had nowhere to stay.
I cried until my eyes were red
as I watched it blow away. I asked myself “What have you done?”
But had nothing to say.
I guess it is just one of those days
When life gets in the way. 9
July
July 2010
2010
Photo: Mexico City by James Cotton/ SCC Staff
Life Unto God
By Brooke Chandler/ SCC Student
God is all that is good and bright
He keeps my fear at bay.
He is the light I use at night
To chase the dark away.
Faith is a very useful tool
When life becomes complex.
Sometimes it’s simply something cruel A muscle that needs a good flex.
Freedom is a roaring scream
A bold and daring knell.
It is the answer to my dream,
It’s that which none can quell.
Photo: Civil War by James Cotton/ SCC Staff
Life is - well
It’s hard to say...
Sometimes it’s pretty swell.
Yet it’s a struggle day to day
To evade the depths of hell.
10
The Muse
Muse
The
Photo: by Gaye Wood/ SCC Staff
Photo: by Austin Poole/ SCC Staff
11
11
July
July 2010
2010
Everyday People
I
By Cathy Collins/ SCC Student
remember back in the winter of 1998, it was a cold and wet Saturday evening. The wind was blowing and the
chill of the cold air cut straight through my bones. The roads had started to turn slushy and the trees glistened with ice. Taylor, my 5-year-old daughter and I had bundled up tight and were heading down the road in
our old 1979 Ford pickup truck. My husband had told us it would be safer to drive the truck because it was heavier than the Escort and it would not slide on the ice as easily. The weather man was calling for snow and supposedly a lot of it. We were going to our local Food Lion to get soup, bread and cheese, and of course a gallon of milk.
There’s something about North Carolina snow that does something to people. It has them thinking they will never
see bread or milk until spring. Usually the store shelves are empty and you’re left with buns and skim milk.
After finishing our shopping, we stood in the line at the checkout. While I was not reading the
tabloids, I noticed Taylor smiling at someone behind me. I was not very comfortable with that because we lived
in Fayetteville at the time, otherwise known as Fayettnam. There were lots of robberies and police chases; we
actually witnessed one or two chases. So I turned to see who she was looking at, and to my surprise it was a lady.
She was tall and slender, clothes were tattered and torn. She seemed very tired and in need of a shower. She had
a back pack that looked as worn as she did, and seemed to only be buying a few items. Looking down at Taylor
the lady asked “Well, how are you?” Taylor smiled really big and responded with “I’m fine.” Taylor didn’t seem to
be able to take her eyes off of her. The lady introduced herself to us as Mary. She went into detail of her being
far from home and that she was just passing through. Her eyes seemed very weary and troubled. The
picture she painted of her situation was one of abuse.
I continued to listen to her story until we reached the cashier. I asked her where she was going from here.
“North,” she replied. Mary asked where
the nearest Grey Hound bus station
was. I told her about 2 miles up the
road and I would be glad to give her
a ride. Mary quickly said “No, no I’ll
walk,” but I insisted. Now
usually, I would have
never done anything like
this but
12
The Muse
The Muse
sually, I would
done anyt hav
hin e n
a
h
d
e
s
uch g li
t sh
u
ap k
b
e
wu
o
“N
er is out her.”
ev e th ce ab
a
From that day on, I never
next time you are out in public for
July 2010
July
July 2010
2010
looked at everyday people the same way again. So the
any reason, make sure you are kind to strangers.
You never know who you will run into.
Hogwar ts by Donald Stewart / SCC Student
she had such a peace about her. I apologized to her for making her sit in the back of the truck, but with
the car seat in the front for Taylor there was just no room inside the truck to sit. I opened the sliding
window just behind my head, so maybe she could feel the heat from inside. We drove slowly to the
station and I asked if there was anything else she needed. Mary replied “Just pray for me.” I assured her
that we would. As Mary was getting out of the truck she smiled at me and said “God bless you.” As we
pulled out of the parking lot it started to snow. It was large flakes of snow. I guess the weather man was
right. As we stopped at the traffic light just a block away, I noticed Taylor still smiling in her car seat. I
turned to her with a smile and asked “What are you smiling about?” Waiting to hear her say something
about the snow, to my amazement Taylor looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes and said “Momma,
she was a beautiful angel wasn’t she? Her wings looked so soft.” Stunned by what she said I could not
control my feeling in front of her. I
cried all the way home, feeling as if we just passed a test.
13
13
A Bride’s
Journey to
I had tried it
on before. I came
a few days earlier with
my new friend, Casey. The shop
is a short drive from our school and
we thought we’d go just to look. I tried on
everything I thought I wanted - plain, simple, me. I put it on
just for fun, just to see what it would feel like to be the Barbie on top of the cake. I fell in love.
My parents were meeting me after class, and this is fuzzy for me. I remember driving together
from the school to the shop and feeling giddy! Would they love it like I loved it? Could they
afford it? Was Mom upset I found it without her? We walked into the shop and there it was,
glittering in the spotlight of the fitting room. Dad waited in the small lobby while Mom and I
went into the dressing room to slip into the masterpiece. I closed my eyes as she helped me
into it and knew it was the one. Did I want to cry? Did Mom want to cry? I walked out to
show Dad... did he want to cry? I did a little spin to showcase the work of art I had slipped
my body into. Mom picked out the veil. Dad chose the tiara. We looked in the mirror... it
was complete. Dad smiled. Did Mom cry? The price was negotiable and, so it started...
the wedding was really going to happen. We went to lunch down the road at my favorite college spot. We ate, talked, and laughed. Everything was normal. Would we still
do things like this? We drove home in separate cars. I cried. Just this morning I was
still a kid and now I am a woman. Did my parents cry? Is this hard for them? I wanted
to lay my head on Mom’s shoulder and let her smooth my hair. I wanted to sit with
Dad and eat salt and vinegar chips on the floor in front of the TV. Are these days gone?
14
14
The Muse
Muse
The
So,
this is
what growing up feels like.
Everyone told me about the joys
Marriage
By Brittany Charcut/ SCC Student
and excitement of becoming a bride
and wife, but no one mentioned the
pangs of nostalgia for my childhood. My
heart felt like it was being pulled in two directions – the old and the new. As soon as I got
home from lunch I went to the store, determined to
buy a journal I could confide all my mixed emotions in.
The next few months flew by as plans were made - the favors,
the cake, the tuxedos, and finally, a week before the wedding, the honeymoon. Our honeymoon was going to start the night of our wedding at The
Hampton Inn & Suites. My parents arranged for a car to pick us up from the reception and
take us to where we’d spend our first night as husband and wife. So, our wedding day came on a beautiful, sunny, first
day of August.
The ceremony was magical, the reception enchanted. Friends and family all mingled together to help make
our day perfect, and it truly was. The hours danced by without a glitch, each moment more wonderful than the last.
Until, finally, the clock struck nine and it was time for my new husband and me to step out of the celebration and
into married life. Immediately I wanted to cry. Good-bye wedding, good-bye childhood, good-bye my family. I told
myself I couldn’t cry, not now. We made it to our room and my husband carried his bride over the threshold. We
were surrounded by a rose-petal covered bed, a jacuzzi, and a bottle of champagne. It was beautiful. My parents last
surprise for their daughter they were about to lose. Did they think of it this way? The tears came. They came, and
they came, and they came - twenty one years of a perfect childhood being washed away. My husband wrapped me
in his arms and held me as I cried and then I finally knew this was right. It came to me as if sent by an angel - yes, this
was right. Peace. I wasn’t losing anything; my family wasn’t losing anyone. We were both gaining the most wonderful
man... and all the beautiful surprises were their way of welcoming him into our family. All at once I felt content and
complete. This was the life I chose for myself and it was finally beginning. My journey to the aisle was an emotional
one, filled with the best people. And there at the end of the aisle on the altar was perhaps the most lovely of them
all... the one that was made for me. I was ready to start my life as a daughter, a sister, and most importantly, a wife.
15
15
July
July 2010
2010
S
S
LE
E
P
O
H
ew
atth
by M
ent
tud
CC S
S
ey/
l
t
a
H
16
The Muse
Muse
The
Delicate Disaster
By Arlene Johnson/ SCC Student
I grew up all too quickly
I miss the ones I’ve lost,
Now I’ve little to believe in.
But I can do without.
I know this world, these people too,
I didn’t make them leave,
I’ve seen my share of sin.
It’s their fault no doubt
Scared and laden but standing strong,
Life is just a lesson
I refuse to back down, refuse to fall.
Waiting to be learned.
A master of resiliency,
The good, the bad, the ugly;
I’ve been this way so long! We all will have our turn.
Life’s a metamorphosis
I think about less anger.
I transform from worm to wing.
Sometimes I want a change,
I can burst into flames,
But I like this fight in me,
But I’m a phoenix rising
I know from where it came.
No looking back, but no forgetting
These scars are here to stay
I am a delicate disaster,
In every single way.
Photo: Ladybug by Josh Gooch/ Advertising & Graphic Design Instructor
July
July 2010
2010
17
17
Colonization of Venus
interpreted by Jett McIntyre Furr/ SCC Student
While today the idea of colonizing the moon, let alone another planet, is in the realm of science fiction, technology is
already advanced enough to let us begin colonizing the moons and planets of the solar system.
Here we see cities, each the diameter of downtown Charlotte with a population of several thousand, floating in the
upper atmosphere of Venus, second planet from the sun and closest to Earth. It may seem impossible for anything
so large to float, but the atmosphere of Venus is denser than our own, so breathable air would be a lifting gas in the
Venusian sky. This would allow a habitat to float at about 31 miles (50km) above the planet’s surface where the air
pressure is the same as at sea-level on Earth and the temperature ranges from 32–122 degrees Fahrenheit. (Of course
a habitat interior would be climate controlled.) This is much better than the surface of the planet, where the atmospheric pressure is 90 times that of Earth and temperatures average 932 degrees.
The Muse
There are some challenges to colonizing Venus, one being that the atmosphere is filled with corrosive sulfuric acid,
though this could be countered by a structure coated in some sort of ceramic or certain metals. Another challenge is
Venus’s long day/night period – 243 Earth days – though having colonies at 31 miles above the surface would allow
them to take advantage of 310 feet/second winds to push the habitat around the planet in just 4 days, or fewer at
higher latitudes. Also, shipping building materials from Earth to Venus was once considered to be a potential (economic) problem, though it should be possible to create structures of carbon nanotubes or grapheme by pulling carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere.
This is just a short summary of some of the concepts involving the colonization of Venus, and any major efforts to send
manned missions to the planet are not likely in the next few decades, let alone full colonization efforts, but I do hope
that this picture and essay will fuel your imagination and make you wonder about a fantastic place that people may
one day call home.
July
July 2010
2010
First Love
By Lorri Barrier/ SCC English Instructor
I have written you to bones again and again,
yet you rise—a bird, a myth, a fire.
You are no longer you.
Old wounds are shadows of scratches.
You surface in dreams, and I wake with a hand on my heart.
Once you filled all the space that is me.
Now you are small enough to carry in my pocket.
Photo by Gaye Wood/ SCC Staff
A poem, a stone, a charm, a curse—with tiny wings and steady pulse.
I throw you to the wind, but here you are again.
Pretty blue thing, I swallow you—
bittersweet candy at the back of my throat.
A winter, a summer, and stars as thick as grass.
I dig down and find you
broken fossil,
turn you over in my hands
the way you turned me
all those ages past.
Painting by Kateland Harward/ SCC Student
20
20
20
The Muse
Muse
The
t
C Studen
ycutt/ SC
ell Hune
by Mitch
21
21
July
July 2010
2010
22
22
The Muse
Muse
The
Photo by James Cotton/ SCC Staff
My Solemn Vow
By Jordy Carson/ SCC Student
There’s a place in my heart that’s reserved for you
So I looked inside that space and found some words for you
They are trust, honor, and obey
When I can have you by my side, I know I’m okay
These feelings are embedded in me, they won’t go away
I’ll never stray, because together’s where I wanna stay
Right by your side, hand in hand
Through the good and bad, the thick and thin
Through sickness and health, whether poverty or wealth
I’ll do it properly
My self-pride got swallowed
Let God be my guide, and I’ll follow like there ain’t no tomorrow
I’m giving you what’s left of my heart; you’re a blessing
For the rest of our lives, and til death do us part
Until the next one,
I promise that I’ll always be here
You are my light in the dark, now I see clear
There may be sadness, but there will also be cheer
I’m glad that we can celebrate this moment each year
23
July
July 2010
2010
Albemarle Campus
141 College Drive
Albemarle, NC 28001
(704) 982-0121
Crutchfield Campus
www.stanly.edu
102 Stanly Parkway
Locust, NC 28097
(704) 888-8848