P R E F A C E

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Roots and Reflections, Tarrant County College’s newest literary and art magazine. This anthology compiles writing and art submissions from the Trinity River student body, and has been designed and edited entirely by the 11 members of the coenrollment ENGL 2389 Academic Cooperative/ARTS 2313 Design Communication courses. As faculty advisers, we have been pleasantly surprised by the talent and enthusiasm this group has contributed to our campus-wide project.

The literature presented here conveys an amalgamation of talent. Our largest amount of submissions came from burgeoning poets, all of whom allowed their emotions to transcend the page through evocative imagery and word choice. Others shared both imaginative and realistic fictional texts, each of which presents different ways in which relationships shape the way we view the world around us. Still others conveyed bravery and tenacity through their personal narratives. Selections also include screenplays, examples of which demonstrate students’ ambition to go beyond the traditional storytelling format.

The art exhibited spans a wide range of media, ranging from drawing and painting to 35 mm photography and digital art forms. The selected artworks have been thoughtfully crafted, some with profound personal narratives and commentary surrounding current events. What is particularly striking is the pairing of literature and poetry with some of the artwork almost as if they had been made for one another. We are so incredibly fortunate to have such a thriving student body passionate about the arts on our campus.

As a group, we would like to thank those who supported our project, especially our campus president, Dr. Sean Madison, and Dean of Humanities Dr. Scott Robinson. Your help and advice were key to allowing our project to come to fruition. This issue is merely the first of many, and we look forward to seeing even more artistic and literary examples of student resilience in the future. Enjoy.

Professor Janae Corrado and Dr. Jerrica Jordan

Faculty co-advisers