This is my second year as non-fiction editor, and during my time here my coeditor and I have constantly struggled with obtaining as much work as the fiction and poetry editors. Non-fiction is a neglected form of writing, yet in my eyes it is one of the most beautiful, most personal. It allows writers to put themselves on paper, their story, their past, and their fears. My favorite part of my role on Élan staff is reading through the pieces, discovering who the writers are. I feel as though I get the chance to see a private and personal sliver of dozens of lives as papers pass through my hands.

When I was first chosen to be on the Élan staff as a junior, I was overjoyed. I had admired the magazine since I was a freshman, marveled at the eloquent and powerful pieces. However, I noticed that something was missing—the magazine featured an obvious absence of creative non-fiction. Non-fiction is a genre that I fell in love with early on in my writing career. A personal essay that I wrote in my sophomore year was my first piece to ever receive recognition, when I won a national silver medal in the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest. When I applied for the position of non-fiction editor, I took a pledge to bring a new wave of non-fiction to the magazine.

This year, Shamiya, my coeditor, and I have completely revolutionized the non-fiction submission process. We have reached out to younger writers, held workshops, met with students afterschool, and gone above and beyond to provide thorough comments on pieces. Not only have we increased to overall volume of work, but we have also improved the quality. I am so excited to leave the legacy of non-fiction in Shamiya’s hands next year. She shares my love of the genre, and I know she will do amazing things as she continues to move the non-fiction section of the magazine forward.

— Emily Jackson, Creative Nonfiction Editor

I never thought that entering high school and learning how to write would make me forget how to be a writer. I never considered that uncovering the workings of language, would make me forget that words ever held magic. Most of all, I never believed that growing older and more mature would make me forget how to see the glitter of inspiration in the air, because I was too attuned to the stark world of reality.

When I was younger I plucked stories out of the air because for me they were easy to see. They glimmered like specks of dust in certain light, and liked to bounce off one another and land in my friends’ hair, collecting on each individual strand so that even the follicles shone bright.

But as I grew older, I stopped seeing stories in the air as sparks of light. Poems were no longer an exotic type of sweetness on my tongue. The music of words didn’t swell in my body.

In the midst of all the chaos of junior year I neglected to make time for myself just to sit down and write. Whenever I wrote it was for a class, for a grade, not for myself. This led me done an unpleasant path of being disconnected from most of my works. I thought that I would never be inspired to write again.

But recently I read a poem called “Parsley” by: Rita Dove for my author project. On the first read I didn’t understand what was going on at all, but by the end of the fifth read I was devouring the words. Some of them tasted too cliché. Some of them were too intense. However, most of them, to my surprise, tasted like chocolate, soft and rich, deep and smooth. They had filled an appetite that I forgot I ever had.

— Stephanie Thompson, Public Relations & Marketing Editor

This year has been a busy one to say the least. With AP tests coming up and junior year winding down, the juniors are starting to think of our goodbyes to the seniors on staff. It is difficult to describe the experiences I have had this year on staff as one of the editors-in-chief, and I want this post to stay true to those experiences that I will never forget.

Emily Cramer- Has taught me that it is okay to cry and laugh about it when InDesign is attempting to save a file. She has taught me that senioritis is a lie, it is a code name for giving up, and that I should never let it affect me. She has taught me that I should always be kind, but firm in my decisions and to believe in myself.

Emily Leitch- Has taught me that it is okay to talk to a computer when it is not doing what you want it to. She has taught me that it is okay to stand up for what I believe in, even when everyone else thinks something different. She has taught me how to express my emotions, and how to enjoy life to the fullest.

Raegen Carpenter- Has taught me that laughing is something to be done loudly and proudly and that I can always find something funny in a serious moment.

Brittanie Demps- Has taught me that hard work pays off, and to never give up on what I am trying to accomplish, no matter what gets thrown at me.

Kiera Nelson- Has taught me that being sassy can still be classy and that I should always accept my mistakes gracefully and be willing to fix them the next time around.

Emily Jackson- Has taught me that poetry can change my life (her poetry to be exact) and that any moment can be turned into a poem if it has raw emotion connected to it.

Haley Hitzing- Has taught me that being organized pays off, and that when I say I am going to do something, I should always follow through with it.

Makenzie Fields- Has taught me how to effectively communicate with other people without being afraid to say how I feel and that I need to stick with a plan once I have made it.

Zoe DeWitt- Has taught me that being opinionated is okay, and that I should always be excited for tomorrow.

I want to thank all the seniors for everything they have taught me this year. I will miss all of you dearly, but I know the class of 2015 will handle your legacy with care because of how well you taught us.

– Sarah Buckman, Editor in Chief