Letter From the Editor ... Emily Christine Davis

Letter From the Editor There are three stages of special. First stage: Everyone is special. We are told this for most of our lives. We are told that every single person is unique and amazing and one of a kind. We are told that everyone has a quality that makes them special. Then one day we hit a brick wall. This is called college. Second Stage: We are not special. There are almost eight billion people on earth. These people are working, studying, struggling, and living. In this stage, we come to a realization. We are not special because we understood our assigned textbook readings first try (Unfortunately, I am not part of this population). We don’t get a gold star for answering all the questions right in class, and a report card doesn’t get sent back to our parents with “A pleasure to have in class” written in beautiful script at the bottom. Then we wonder: what about the people who we are reading and studying? Their works have survived centuries and even millenniums. They MUST be special. The third, and final, stage: Some people are special. Some people will create and defend theories that define the way we think and approach the world. Some people can write and write for ages, and all their work will impact their own lifetime and lifetimes after. Some people will help others to no end, always seeking ways to make life better. Some people will be heroes in wartime, and they will be remembered or martyred for their acts of righteous courage. Some people will do something that leaves an impact.

It would be nice to live in a world where everyone could be personally recognized. However, this is sadly unattainable. Not everyone will be recognized as special, but everyone has the chance to be special. While putting together Synecdoche this semester, I saw a lot of work by special people-to-be – people who will one day impact their life and others. If we could fit all the works of Vanguard into one book and show just how amazing college students are, we would. But, yet again, recognizing every student a Vanguard is unattainable. So, here is a wonderful selection of writings, both scholarly and creative, photography, and art for you to read. But this is just one special part of the whole – Synecdoche.

Emily Christine Davis Editor-In-Chief