This year, Élan made its official debut into the social media world. Quickly. We created an Instagram while simultaneously cleaning up our Facebook and Twitter account all in a matter of a few weeks. Our goal is to reach out to other young writers and student publications, like us and give them the chance to be published in one of our editions. With this comes a lot of hard work. And a lot of self promotion.

Each day we update our social media sites. We aim to give insight on our staff and what our day-to-day tasks are. We pick D.A. alumni pieces to highlight Élan’s best work done in previous editions as well as pieces from newer editions. The writing that we choose highlights the standard of work we wish to receive. It’s not about the number of followers we have; it’s about the number of people we are able to reach out to.

This year, we have a lot in store for Élan. We are looking to publish national and international work, exceeding our previous expectations. Social media is a busy everyday job, but one that leaves endless possibilities and rewards.

— Haley Hitzing and Madison George; Social Media Editors

Piece – Moose in Traffic by Perri Schellenburg

We chose Moose in Traffic because it is broad enough for interpretation. This piece is unique and tells a story. We also thought that the color schemes, distinctive lighting, and shadow-play was interesting, and allowed the message to pop from the flat surface. Also, the piece displays a balance of abstract and realistic concepts which we felt made it extremely unique.

We chose the art for our Winter 2013 Edition and it will be available to you online November 15, so save the date!

–Sarah Buckman, Junior Art Editor

Sophomore year, I decided what my final words would be.

Famous and noble men are remembered fondly for their last words. Thomas Jefferson, Marie Antoinette, and countless others have created a legacy through their final sentences.

There’s so much pressure to put the right words together, to leave the world with a message that in essence captures a whole person. With all of this in mind, I put some serious thought into what I would say. I added articles and cut out nouns. I frowned at the definitive period at the end of the sentence and stuck my tongue out at my sorry pronoun usage.

All of that culminated into what will be my final message to the world:

“It was the chicken.”

Short, sweet, and to the point of my greasy, characteristically unhealthy diet that will most likely be the cause of my early grave.

Don’t judge.

The words “It was the chicken,” came from the voice of an elderly woman from a fiction story I wrote. The words were the final statement of her will and this was her way of confessing to killing her husband years earlier.

Out of every story I wrote last year, this was the only line that even my friends walked around saying after they read it. Somehow the simple, four word, foodie-induced phrase created a memorable effect.

Now that I’m on Élan staff as the Junior Creative Nonfiction Editor, the truth to that statement has never seemed clearer to me. The pieces we read don’t have to have a car chase and a gruesome death. There’s nothing better than writing with subtlety that engrosses you more than the graphic detail given to how someone butters their toast.

Strong writing has needs nothing but the words and the essence of the writer themselves.

It’s always the not-so-famous last words that make the greatest impact anyways.

–Shamiya Anderson, Creative Non-Fiction Editor