Iceland on My Mind

A Fine Icelandic HorseA jewel-like remnant of an iceberg, melting very slowly on the beach at Jökulsárlón (a glacial lagoon), South Iceland

Midnight sunset/sunrise on the Ring Road in North Iceland

These fantastic photos were submitted by Neda Othman from UC Davis.

Outstanding in Her Field

Lauren Engeman from the University of Missouri submitted these beautiful pieces. The first is an acrylic painting and the next two are colored pencil.

Flower GirlA Roll in the MudSilversmith

Entry, Creative Corner
Eric Yeager, Cornell Univeristy  

Like a gathering of power, 

it rose in crescendo, faster and louder, 

drumming, matched by my heart.

 

In the stands, shouted numbers 

and urging compete for attention 

like the men on their backs with switches in hand.

 

My eyes close and I see them, 

whipped only by high grasses, urged only by wind,

heads and tails held high, grace greater than any "God’s". 

Dangers at both ends

Entry, Foot in Mouth 

Jenny Heath, Mississippi State

It was a dark and stormy night in the equine corridors.  The time…3 A.M.

An exhausted vet student is trudging outside in the darkness. She is trying to reach the outer grounds of the complex, set on her mission. (Yes, this is already playing out like Jurassic Park in my mind. Just go with it.)  

As she finally reaches the top of the hill, a long line of dim musty stalls greets her. It is very dark and deserted, the kind of quiet that you can only find in the dead of night, when even the owls have started to sleep. Thunder rumbles in the distance, and the animals themselves seem to sense the impending danger that looms on the horizon. They jitter and snort, stamping their hooves and tossing their manes in a nervous frustration. 

 

The student walks cautiously, every nerve in her body suddenly hyperaware of her surroundings. She is alone, tired, and unexpectedly frightened here in the shadows. She fumbles for the light switch on a long metal post. It clicks up with a loud snap, and after a moment there is a fluttering and flickering of light above her. The bulbs are dim as they try to warm up, and she peers through the faint rays into the pitch black courtyard beside her. There is nothing but stillness. Occasionally a rusty gate creaks in the wind that is blowing in from the distant storm. The eeriness is astounding, and the student shakes herself a little, trying to rid the nervousness that has begun to seep into her bones much like her equine companions.

Have a painted a scary enough picture for you yet? Hmmm? Well get ready cause it’s about to get REAL. 

Click to read more ...

Sarah and Nate

Honorable Mention, Creative Corner
Tiffany Beck, Mississippi State